April 7th, 2019
For those who know and love the Bitter End Yacht Club information about what is happening with the rebuild and when the resort be operational has been limited. Here are six things we know or have heard to date:
1 – Goal of the Rebuild: According to the resort’s blog, the owners call the reconstruction “BEYC 2.0.” They’re working with Simplemente Madera, an architecture firm based in Nicaragua. The goal is to restore the Bitter End Yacht Club’s environmentally complementary design and ethos. In the blog it stated, “We are working with our architect, Matthew Falkiner of Simplemente Madera, to make sure “BEYC 2.0” will reflect its 50-year legacy of laid back fun and that it will personify the welcoming and friendly energy, vibe, spirit and respect for the natural environment that always has been Bitter End’s lifeblood.” In addition, Richard Hokin, co-owner of the resort stated, “It is important to us that North Sound continues to be the visually inviting destination it has been for generations.”
2 – Projected Opening Date: In July 2018 BEYC reported, “We’re focused on having our mooring field, marina and harbor-front operations, including food , beverage and retail, in full swing by spring, 2019. By then, we will be on our way to building out the rest of Bitter End’s Village center as well as planning and mobilizing for follow-up phases across our 64 acres and along our mile of shoreline.” A December 2018 article in Scuttlebutt Sailing News pushed back the opening date to Summer 2019 as they stated, “The short answer is the marina, restaurant, bar, and waterfront operations will be ready by Spring/Summer 2019, with overnight rooms coming online the following year.”
3 – Revised Opening Date: From all accounts it looks like the opening of the marina and restaurant have been further delayed until late 2019. According to a February 2019 article in the BVI News, Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, while reporting on resorts that are scheduled to reopen in the BVI, stated that the the Virgin Gorda-based Bitter End Resort is currently rebuilding and while the villas will take time to be restored, the marina, restaurant and docks will be opened later this year [2019].
4 – The Cleanup: According to the resort’s blog, Phase 2 of the cleanup project included more than 60 workers to salvage reusable material, dismantle structure, and clearremaining debris. The owners said that there was more than 3,000 tons of debris spread across their 64 acres, as well as a mile of waterfront. Barges were brought in to carry it all away.
5 – Preparing for Ground Breaking: Signs of significant progress in the clearing of BEYC were confirmed recently as evidenced by the photos above taken in late March, 2019. In addition, in a March 29, 2019 post on their Facebook page BEYC reported, “These days, we’re not spending much time “messing about in boats.” Instead, we’re messing about in heavy equipment…grading things out and getting ready for ground breaking.”
6 – The Good News: In case you forgot what BEYC looked like immediately after Irma, we found the photo below on their Facebook page. The resort has certainly come along way since then.
BVI Traveller will continue to keep you updated as more news becomes available, but for now this is all great news for the many fans of the Bitter End Yacht Club and the North Sound!
Top Photos: Courtesy of John Fischetti
Bottom Photo: Courtesy BEYC via Facebook