willy t
The Willy T is back.
Caribbean

A Legendary Caribbean Floating Bar Is Back in the BVI

By: Alexander Britell and Guy Britton - October 5, 2019 - 2:05 pm

It’s back in The Bight. 

For years, it was one of the Caribbean’s bucket-list bars: a floating, decommissioned old tanker converted into a beach bar Mecca. 

Then, in 2017, the William Thornton, or Willy T as it was affectionately known, was lost in Hurricane Irma. 

But after its owners found a replacement, and after a year or so of moving around and looking for just the right location, the Willy T has returned to its rightful home in The Bight at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, once again a must-stop hotspot on the yachting and sailing circuit in the Caribbean capital of boating.

caribbean willy t
The Willy T at its home perch off Norman Island in the BVI.

The newer, larger, very crisp new Willy T is back in action, again drawing travelers from all over the BVI and the world for its frenzied brand of raucous fun. 

willy t 2

There’s even a broad menu, too, from burgers and ribs to salads, desserts and even a wine list. 

But the draw is still the painkillers and the beers and the feeling that you’re in a tiny sliver of a country unto itself, an all-day seaside party that’s one of the unique experiences in all of the Caribbean, a place where time and reality seem to take a break. 

norman beach

Caribbean Journal visited the Willy T this week for some on-location photography for an idea of what the relaunched bar is like, stopping at the similarly reopened Pirate’s Bight at Norman Island in the process.

Pirate’s Bight reopened for the season on Oct. 4, looking as spiffy as ever in its pristine corner of Norman Island, with an impressive new menu (including the out-of-this-world roasted cauliflower with quinoa) and the same famous blue roofs.

If you haven’t been back to the British Virgin Islands in the last year or so, it’s time to plan your return.

For more, visit the Willy T. 

— C

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


Royal Caribbean’s New Cruise Ship Has a Rooftop Bar, a Waterpark and the Largest Pool at Sea

star of the seas

You step into a glass dome floating high above the ocean. To your right, divers plunge from platforms. Above, aerialists twist through light. Somewhere behind you, a DJ is spinning beside a suspended infinity pool. This isn’t a dream — […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


Related Posts caribbean tourism remagining

A New Plan to “Reimagine” Caribbean Tourism

The Caribbean has long been a mosaic of sun, sea, and culture — but now it wants to be something more. With a bold new roadmap unveiled in New York last month, the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization is charting a […]


Marriott’s Smallest Caribbean All-Inclusive Resort Is An Adults-Only Hideaway With an “Art Crawl” and Beach Ambassadors

all-inclusive caribbean marriott smallest

A quiet road breaks away from the more familiar western coast here and winds past village shops, and salt-blown sea grape trees. There are no mega-resorts. No throngs. No day trippers on quick-shore missions. Just you, the island, and a […]


In the British Virgin Islands, Finding Christmas in July

christmas in july

In the British Virgin Islands, the holiday spirit isn’t limited to December. Every summer, the BVI brings a burst of yuletide joy to the Caribbean heat with its annual “Christmas in July” celebration—a one-of-a-kind event that blends festive cheer, music, […]