Beyond the Reef Willy T Pirate Ship. Today let’s talk about the sinking of the Willy T’s Ship in August of 2019 in the British Virgin Islands. The second of three Reef Art Projects from Beyond the Reef we are blogging about.
- Kodiak Queen (Formerly YO-44 in WWII)
- Willy T’s Pirate Ship. Sunk off Key Cay, Peter Island in 2019
- Shark Planeo- Three planes turned into various sharks and sunk off Great Dog Island.
Willy T Pirate Ship, Key Bay, Peter Island
Willy T’s is legendary! Originally and legally named the William Thornton, this “too much fun” floating bar is now in its third reiteration. Willy T’s has been a firm favorite with locals and tourists alike for decades. This writer has been there, jumped naked, and got the T-shirt! This was a couple of decades ago. I am not sure how many marriages have started from couples meeting each other at this spot, but we are one of them. They have a famous “shotski” that has been used millions of times over the years. A great place to go for a morning SCUBA dive underneath it to find lost sunglasses and dollars.
Tell me the history of Beyond the Reef Willy T Pirate Ship
Originally came into life in 1989, the first Willy T’s was an old Baltic Trader from 1935. This ship was wooden and sprung a leak in the middle of the night in 1995 and sunk at her mooring. She was raised and towed to Peter Island, where she was a dive site that quickly broke up, and now, all you can find is a few pieces of wood. The Second Willy T’s was a 100′ steel trader that soon proved to be even popular than her predecessor until the hurricanes of 2017.
Beyond the Reef Willy T Pirate Ship
“On August 7th, 2019, Beyond The Reef successfully sunk the legendary Willy T, landing perfectly upright on the sand in between two coral heads. She now lives in Key Bay, Peter Island at 65 feet, with the top of her “crows nest” at 35 feet. She can be seen and enjoyed by snorkelers, but was designed with careful detail to create a truly interactive experience for scuba divers.” We were lucky enough to be onsite that day and the first guests to recreationally be on it!
Where is the Beyond the Reef Willy T Pirate Ship located?
The Willy T’s landed at Key Bay on the Island of Peter Island. She sets in 65′ of water, with mooring balls above it for yachts to tie up to. It is possible to see it while snorkeling, but better under SCUBA. The crow’s nest is about 35,’ and many pirate statues have been placed from the shoreline out to the wreck for snorkelers to happily visit as well. There is a nominal charge of $5.00 per person, which your Captain on your yacht charter will collect from you, or you can donate directly to Beyond The Reef online.
How Can I visit Beyond the Reef Willy T Pirate Ship SCUBA sites?
We at H2O Luxury Yachts are happy to set you up with charter yachts that also offer SCUBA diving on board. We are uniquely qualified as SCUBA Instructors ourselves. It is also possible to dive the wrecks with Rendez-vous diving and one of the local dive stores. They will pick you up from your yacht at anchor, take you to the wreck site, and then back to your boat.
- If you are staying on land, check out one of the local dive companies to set up your trip.
- Take a look at some of our yachts that offer SCUBA diving.
- Floating Restaurants and Bars in the Virgin Islands
- Read our blog entry on Norman Island.
