ewwww this does not make me want to go in the water!

from wikitravel:

Tortola is one of the premier destinations for bareboat sailing charters. However, in the BVI, sailboats are not required to have holding tanks for sewage storage, as they are in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Instead, each boat pumps its raw sewage into the surrounding water. There are rules against flushing the head (toilet) in a marina, but it appears to be unenforceable.

Road Town collects its sewage and pumps it without further treatment into the Sir Francis Drake Channel, several hundred yards offshore.

Toilet paper is not allowed to be flushed from boats. Instead, used toilet paper must be disposed of in the trash can next to the toilet.

Bev please post the specific site/link where you saw this. I understand the rules here but this is very serious.

Bev please post the specific site/link where you saw this. I understand the rules here but this is very serious.

I searched tortola on here and wikitravel came up and it was written there

I searched tortola on here and wikitravel came up and it was written there

mean I searched tortola on the internet (not cruisecritic)

Google Tortola and click on wikitravel. It's noted at the bottom under Environmental Concerns or something of that sort.

Has anyone gotten sick?

how bout a bump for this thread....!:eek::eek:

From what we understand from friends with a house there and spend about 8 months each year ... raw sewage is much less of a problem than it was 5 years or so ago. Much better control of the number of sail boats now that are allowed to anchor in places like Cane Garden Bay. Also, the situation with waste disposal of sewage from the interior island is for the most part no longer being dumped directly without processing.

This is all good! :)

From what we understand from friends with a house there and spend about 8 months each year ... raw sewage is much less of a problem than it was 5 years or so ago. Much better control of the number of sail boats now that are allowed to anchor in places like Cane Garden Bay. Also, the situation with waste disposal of sewage from the interior island is for the most part no longer being dumped directly without processing.

 

This is all good! :)

for the most part though? Maybe more comforting but this is a bit uneasy for anyone swimming the waters still no?

It is still a problem unfortunately, talk to folks who live and work RT...I wasn't aware of the level of the problem until I say this and another post on TTOL and asked more questions...

Reading this and visiting Tortola for the first time in December on the Breeze makes me very uncertain as to whether or not I want to get in the water with my kids.

The problem as reported by locals who are reported to be knowledgable on the subject is in the sewage drains around the moorings in Road Town and not from sewage being dumped in bays. I would not worry about CGB. If you have any concerns though you could go instead to Smuggler's Cove or Brewer's Bay, both very nice. No amenities at SC (portapotties) but nicest beach and good snorkeling, beach bar and restrooms at BB, nice beach and some snorkeling.

CGB just has more people and chairs to line up with like on the deck on the ship. We love CGB at night for the music and happy hours, but during the day it is like being on the ship.

Thanks for that blue water. SC seems nice but pretty costly to get there. Will be traveling with hubby and kids 9 and 6.

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Yes, I think that would be $72 total roundtrip compared to $48 to Cane Garden Bay and Brewer's. Not sure if scatosbusntaxi.com would be any cheaper or not.

If you go to Cane Garden Bay you can walk to the south end away from the bars and find a nice spot to enjoy yourselves. There is a beachhouse there that Val and Kareem rent out (owners of Myett's Garden Grill), we've stayed with them and they are a very nice couple if you have a chance to meet them. If you walk up the steps by the villa there you'll be by the road, and the Mongoose Apts are just up the hill there. But I'm sure the kids would be happy to play with other kids in front of Myett's or Big Banana. Do try a cheeseburger in paradise at Stanley's if you do get to CGB, I ate lunch there every day when we stayed at Myett's next door, but Myett's has good food too.

But have a great day wherever you go, Tortola is my favorite destination and a beautiful island!

We just got back from our cruise 2 weeks again. Our favorite port was Tortola. On our first trip there a few years ago, we went to Cane Garden through the ship. Blue Water told me good things about Brewer's Bay and we went there this time. It was $8.00 p/p one way in a taxi(van) That was a lot less than booking through the cruise line. Beautiful island!!! They enjoyed snorkeling there.

Just an fyi to all swimmers and snorklers; whales, sharks, fish, and yes even people use the ocean as their toilet, every second every day of every year. Gross, but an unescapable fact.