Donations needed for BVI’s Bomba Shack

by Marina Blough
Reporting from the BVI Spring Regatta – first-hand coverage on the revitalization of the islands’ beach bars: the lure and lifeblood of sailors far and wide.

With Cooper Island Rum Bar slated to open Sunday, April 1, that brings to more than 20 the number of drinking establishments resurrected post-Hurricane Irma.

Jost Van Dyke’s Soggy Dollar is open and Foxy recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his establishment of the same name, while Sydney’s Peace and Love recommends boaters call in advance of visiting.

Work is continuing at Saba Rock and the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda – which was particularly hard hit. And Norman Island is expecting a new Willie T’s soon, replacing the most recent Willie T’s which washed ashore; the original William Thornton having sunk two decades ago.

Tortola’s iconic Pusser’s Bar and Restaurant in Road Town is open, despite the absence of a second story and roof. Likewise a bumpy drive along the rutted stretch of Route 1 to Myett’s in Cane Garden Bay, will be rewarded with cold drinks and grilled sandwiches.

But the infamous Bomba Shack remains closed, embroiled in a family dispute which has stalled construction on the sandy shore of Cappoons Bay.

Generous sailboat racers however have mounted a campaign to help reopen this iconic bar, with donations of plywood and two-by-fours promised from the mainland. Fortunately the Bomba Shack has no windows: as plate glass remains in high demand throughout the post-hurricane Caribbean; with many BVI buildings are still boarded up as a result.

During better days:

In dire need, however, is the legendary display of ladies’ undergarments, which festooned the rude and crude beachfront structure. Donations of panties can be sent to Scuttlebutt Headquarters.