Soggy Dollar Bar Jost Van Dyke BVIs

Approaching White Bay on Jost Van Dyke

Just 2 miles east of Great Harbour is White Bay. Having lifted our anchor at 1630 we high tailed it to the western narrow entrance through the protective reef that sits less than 100 metres from the surf line. There’s not much space here for a 2-metre draft yacht to anchor in and so we were incredibly lucky that a large catamaran was leaving just as we were looking for a space. Carefully keeping out of his way, the moment he was clear we were able to take his space and were settled by 1700 and, pleasingly, just before another couple of catamarans arrived.

The Soggy Dollar Bar

It’s a popular place and not just because of its beautiful white sandy beach. It is home to the Soggy Dollar Bar, another legendary location for yachties.

A dollar bill pegged out to dry behind the bar

Tradition has it that it was named so because of the soggy state of the dollars used to pay for the drinks after sailors had swum ashore to patronise the bar. They even have a small ‘washing line’ behind the bar so that the soggy dollars can be pegged out to dry before making their way into the till.

Rather conservatively, like most of the other punters, we took our dinghy ashore but then that did mean that we could take a camera with us.

Other than the unusual name, the bar is famous for being place that the Painkiller cocktail was invented back in the 1970s. We had drunk Painkillers all over the BVIs and so now we thought that we really ought to have one made to the original secret recipe. We didn’t have to wait long – as we approached the bar a Painkiller appeared in front of us, “The first Painkiller is on the house, what else would you like?”. We really rather liked the service in the Soggy Dollar Bar!

The props supporting the new palm trees are, however, a reminder that the buildings and trees on the beach were wrecked by last year’s hurricanes and the Soggy Dollar Bar needed a complete rebuild. We’re jolly glad that they managed to complete the work before we visited.

And so, for our last night in the British Virgin Islands we supped Painkillers on the beach with BV anchored just a short distance away in beautiful turquoise water. What a great way to finish our time in these beautiful islands.

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, BVIs