Yacht Charter British Virgin Islands

Yacht Charter in the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is universally regarded as one of the finest and most accessible yacht charter destinations in the world. A compact cluster of more than 60 islands, cays, and rocks located at the northeastern corner of the Caribbean Sea, the BVI offers everything a first-time or experienced charterer could want: consistent trade winds, sheltered anchorages, clear turquoise water, abundant marine life, and the legendary Caribbean hospitality that makes every shore visit a pleasure. The BVI has been a charter sailing destination since the 1960s, and its infrastructure — marinas, provisioning, repair facilities, and charter operators — is the most developed in the Caribbean.

The Perfect Sailing Ground

What makes the BVI special as a sailing destination is the geography. The islands are strung in a rough east-west line, with Tortola in the centre, Virgin Gorda to the east, and Jost Van Dyke to the northwest. Most inter-island passages take between 30 minutes and three hours, making it easy to visit two or three anchorages in a single day. The consistent northeast trade winds provide almost perfect sailing conditions from November through April, averaging 15 to 20 knots. The Sir Francis Drake Channel, the broad strait running between the northern and southern island chains, offers sheltered downwind sailing with spectacular scenery on every point of the compass.

Tortola

Tortola is the largest and most populous island in the BVI, and Road Town, its capital, is the main charter hub of the Caribbean. The island's north coast is lined with long beaches — Cane Garden Bay and Brewer's Bay among the finest — that attract both sailors and landlubbers. The Road Town marina area has excellent provisioning, restaurants, and nightlife. Tortola is also the gateway to the spectacular Rhone Marine Park, site of the 1867 wreck of the Royal Mail Ship Rhone, one of the Caribbean's most celebrated dive sites.

Virgin Gorda and The Baths

Virgin Gorda is home to one of the Caribbean's most iconic natural attractions: The Baths, a beach and snorkelling area dominated by enormous granite boulders — some the size of houses — that create a labyrinth of grottos, tunnels, and pools at the water's edge. Swimming through these formations in crystal-clear water is an unforgettable experience. North Sound on Virgin Gorda is one of the most beautiful anchorages in the BVI — a large, sheltered lagoon surrounded by mangroves and reefs, with excellent kitesurfing and access to the outer cays.

Jost Van Dyke and Anegada

Jost Van Dyke is a small island with a big reputation — home to the Soggy Dollar Bar, birthplace of the Painkiller cocktail, which has become a symbol of Caribbean sailing culture. White Bay, the island's main anchorage, is one of the most beautiful and social spots in the Caribbean. Anegada, the only coral island in the BVI, lies 28 kilometres north of Tortola and requires careful navigation through the surrounding reefs — but its remote beaches, lobster barbecues, and extraordinary bonefish flats reward the effort richly.