The Willy T: How to Visit the BVI's Famous Floating Bar

A Quick Look:

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What it is: The William Thornton Floating Bar & Restaurant — "the Willy T" — a bar and restaurant on a moored ship.

‍Where: In The Bight at Norman Island, BVI. Reachable by boat only.

You need a passport. It's in the BVI, a separate country from the USVI.

The food: Solid island fare — burgers, BBQ, conch fritters, fish and chips, the well-loved Honey Stung Chicken, key lime pie, and a full bar.

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The story behind the name

The Willy T is named for William Thornton, who was born on Jost Van Dyke in the 1700s and went on to design the U.S. Capitol Building. Not bad for a namesake.

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The bar has been a BVI institution since 1989 and is still run by the same family. It's lived three lives, too: the original 1935 wooden trading ship sank on her mooring in 1995, her replacement was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017, and a new vessel brought the Willy T back to its original Norman Island spot in 2019. People here are stubbornly fond of this place, and it shows.

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What it's like

The Willy T is the fun, high-energy stop on a BVI day — music, a crowd, drinks flowing, and the local tradition of jumping off the top deck into the bay. The kitchen turns out genuinely good food to go with it. You'll find island favorites — burgers, BBQ, conch fritters, fish and chips, the popular Honey Stung Chicken, key lime pie — plus a full bar. It's a little rowdy and completely part of the BVI experience.

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A friendly heads-up: it gets liveliest in the afternoons, so if you've got kids along, it's worth timing your visit earlier in the day or making it a quick stop. A good captain will read the day and fit it in at the right moment, alongside calmer spots like The Caves and Pirate's Bight nearby.

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How to get there

You need a boat — there's no other way. The Willy T sits in the same bay as Pirate's Bight and the Norman Island caves, so it's a natural stop on a BVI day trip.

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Snorkel The Caves, lunch at Pirate's Bight, swing by the Willy T, and carry on toward Jost Van Dyke. On a private charter, your captain handles the BVI customs paperwork and the timing.

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Make it part of the day

Want the Willy T experience worked into a full BVI day that fits your group?

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Pick one of our BVI day trips and you'll get paired with a captain who knows Norman Island inside out — caves, lunch, the floating bar, and a smooth crossing. You just bring your passport and the vibes; your captain will handle the rest!

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