Little Thatch Island sits at the western end of Tortola, less than half a mile from St. John and just yards from where charter yachts clear into the British Virgin Islands after crossing from St. Thomas. Most guests sail straight past it. That’s understandable — it’s private, it’s small, and there’s nowhere obvious to stop. But Little Thatch has a story worth knowing, and for divers and snorkelers, it offers some of the most dramatic reef diving in the BVI.
A Pirate's Retirement
The name itself is a piece of history. “Thatch” is widely believed to be a corruption of “Teech” — as in Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. Whether or not the great pirate himself set foot here, the west end of Tortola was unquestionably pirate territory. The sugar hills and lookout points that rise above the western coastline gave pirates a commanding view across multiple sea lanes — north toward the Atlantic, south into the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and west toward the passages to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. A ship could be spotted, tracked, and intercepted long before it knew it was being watched.
Little Thatch was, by most accounts, a place of retirement rather than active raiding — a quiet anchorage where men who had spent years at sea could rest between voyages, well positioned to watch for opportunity without attracting attention.
The Myrick Era — Club 16 and the Charm of Kerosene Lamps
Fast forward to the 1960s, and Little Thatch had reinvented itself entirely. George and Marie Myrick leased the fifty-acre island with a vision for something the BVI had never really seen — a small, intimate all-inclusive resort built on genuine hospitality rather than corporate polish.
What they created was remarkable for its time. The Hilltop House sat above the treeline with views across the water. Down by the dock, the Jetty House offered a quieter retreat. On the western tip stood Tower House, a three-bedroom structure that became one of the most coveted spots on the island. The Boat House became the Myricks’ own home.
And on the beach, there was Club 16 — a beachside bar that became the social heart of the island, its name above the door a simple invitation to anyone who arrived by boat.
The whole place ran on kerosene. The warm glow of Tilley Brass Lamps from England lit the evenings, and the atmosphere was one of warmth, familiarity, and the particular kind of joy that comes from a place built by people who genuinely loved where they were. Most of their business was repeat guests. They partied alongside their visitors. It was, by every account, exactly what a small Caribbean island resort should be.
The Myricks ran Little Thatch until their lease ran out and the owners — the Foxes — decided to sell. What happened next belongs to Jost Van Dyke: the Myricks moved five miles west to White Bay, built the Sandcastle Resort, and invented the Painkiller. But that story is told on our Jost Van Dyke page.
Little Thatch Today
Little Thatch has changed hands several times since the Myrick era. John and Jill Maynard sold the island in 2014. It was subsequently held by the founders of OtterBox and has since been resold. It is not currently available as a rental property.
The island remains private and largely quiet — a small piece of the BVI that exists outside the charter circuit, visible from the water but rarely visited. Sailing past it on the way into or out of the BVI, it’s worth a moment to appreciate what it once was.
Diving and Snorkeling Around Little Thatch
This is where Little Thatch earns its place on any serious diver’s BVI list. The reefs surrounding the island are exceptional — abundant black coral, large angelfish, and the kind of marine life density that comes from a reef that sees relatively little traffic.
The catch is the current. Little Thatch sits in a natural channel between Tortola and St. John, and the water moves through it with purpose. This makes anchoring impractical — the reef starts in shallow water and the deeper anchorage puts you in the ferry lane. It also makes for some of the best drift diving in the BVI.
We have done many drift dives on both the north and south sides of Little Thatch over the years. The key is planning: check the current direction carefully before entering the water, position your entry and exit points accordingly, and have your dinghy standing by to pick up divers at the end of the drift. The diagram above shows the recommended entry and exit positions for both sides of the island.
For snorkelers, the same principles apply. The current can be strong, particularly on the north side. In settled conditions with a lighter current, the snorkeling on the south side is superb — shallow, clear water, and a reef that rewards time spent looking carefully.
A note on anchoring: If you need to anchor near Little Thatch, you’ll need more than 50 feet of water to be clear of the reef — and the ferry traffic through the channel means this is not a place to linger at anchor in any kind of chop. Plan it as a dive stop rather than an anchorage.
Getting to Little Thatch on a Charter Yacht
Little Thatch works best as a morning stop on the way into or out of the BVI — particularly for guests clearing in from St. Thomas or heading west toward Jost Van Dyke. Position your yacht in deeper water, deploy the dinghy, and drift dive or snorkel while the crew keeps watch.
If you’re a certified diver and drift diving interests you, mention Little Thatch when planning your itinerary with us. We’ll build it into your route and make sure you’re on the water at the right state of the tide.
Contact Epic Yacht Charters to start planning your BVI charter, or browse our BVI destination guides for more on the islands, anchorages, and experiences that make these waters extraordinary.
