The “something old” is Foxy’s, the iconic forefather of the barefoot, funky island beach bar. Opening under a Tiki hut with a  makeshift kitchen, it was 1968 and the charter boat industry was in its infancy. Wooden cruising boats with liveaboard sailors would find their way to Jost Van Dyke where the main and only attraction was a tiki hut, a guitar, a cold brew, a lobster or fish dinner and a turquoise blue harbor to anchor in. The rest is history!  

What’s new there now? Credited for putting this beachside utopia on the map, or should we say chart, was the man with the guitar, uncanny wit and salty sense of humor. You can mention Foxy’s name in any one of the sailors bars around the world  and you will undoubtedly end up swapping stories about Jost Van Dyke and the master storyteller and founder of the famous Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta. The frugal cruising sailors that had originally come to Great Harbour had contributed more to the scenery than to Foxy’s cash drawer. However, no matter how little they had to spend, Philicianno Callwood, aka the man you now know as Foxy, made sure they laughed at his colorful, slightly off color and often unpolished, politically-inspired lyrics. By the way, the salty, sometimes just a bit risqué, was always softened with an island beat!  

The first visiting tourists with a few bucks to really spend came for that island vibe via the epochal Caribbean head boats of the time. Captain Jack Carstarphen’s vintage Brixham Trawler Maverick (shown at right circa 1982) and Captain Art Kimberly’s brigantine Romance were two of the true pioneers that made the BVI one of the most famed cruising grounds in the world. They came weekly with groups of tourists lured by stories about Foxy’s, his wild guitar accompanied tales plus drink and good food. The promise was an unforgettable time and it was definitely found on the shore of this larger than life little island in the sun. Other head boats including little Shellback, the schooner Mandoo and traveling cruisers soon followed.   

When the one and only “Foxy” added a Mrs. Foxy to the picture at the beginning of the seventies, it just kept getting bigger and better. Wife Tessa and the Fox ushered in the 80’s as a world famous destination. The harbour, once dotted with liveaboard sailors in classic wooden hulls with tall masts and the visiting head/party boats, has grown into a place where you can take off your shoes, put on a smile, have that drink of infamy the very efficient painkiller, your mix or a beer at this salty beach bar that has survived over five decades.  

What’s new at the Tamarind? Instead of letting Covid stifle their optimism and shut down  progress and growth, they used the time to make it more comfortable and accommodating. A deck around the beach bar and more overhead cover means you can drink and eat, rain or shine. With the seasonal easterlies, you won’t have to go anywhere else for a drink, lunch or just some time to talk boats with old friends or new ones. Extended decking and an arbor serve to expand the use of outdoor space and give you just a little more of what you came to the islands for. For those not wanting to engage in boat banter, a well stocked boutique is just steps away letting sailors share their sea stories without a clock.