BVI Yacht Charter Capital of the World. There are good reasons why the BVI is the Charter Yacht capital of the world, and one of them is that there are more charter boats here than anywhere else. Why do you ask? Well, because it has some of the most idyllic sailing conditions on the planet!
The BVIs boasts tropical weather. Pristine anchorages. Constant, reliable trade winds. Hundreds of anchorages and all this coupled with the fact that the Sir Francis Drake channel gives protection from the sea conditions usually associated with tropical trade wind sailing.
BVI- Island Paradise
The Island chain has 2 lines of islands that run roughly east-west with the channel separating them. The trades constantly blow in the winter months at 15 – 18 knots, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. This is a perfect amount of wind for sailing. Unfortunately, this amount of wind blowing over open seas would create 5 to 8-foot sea conditions. This is nice for hardened sailors, but for mom and the kids, not so much.
This is where the BVI shines because of the way the two rows of islands are situated. They protect the channel from the swells and waves of the Caribbean sea and Atlantic oceans. This makes the BVI the Charter capital of the world. On a day when the outside is in the 5 to 8-foot range, the channel is more in the 2 to 4-foot range, still with the steady trade winds blowing through, which means great sailing without having to batten down the hatches.
This also makes the area ideal for power boating, because as we all know, going upwind in a powerboat in large seas is not what anyone would call fun! This makes The Virgin Islands a perfect area for boating on all levels.
Perfect Sailing Conditions- British Virgin Islands
The more hardcore sailers will love being on the outside on a close reach creaming into the Atlantic swells. The novice with the family on board will love the more gentle pace of going from one perfect anchorage to another without spilling their rum punch. Coupled with this, there is always another perfect anchorage only minutes away. With all these charter boats, one might think it’s going to be a bit crowded. Many who come to the BVI want to go to all the highlights, which include The caves, The Baths, Leverick Bay, Foxy’s, The Soggy Dollar Bar, and of course, the Willy T’s.
These areas bring in the crowds; they all have overnight moorings available, so even the most novice can visit these areas. If you want to be away from the crowds, there are dozens of rarely visited places. There has never been a week on a charter that I have not been able to find an anchorage that we are alone in every night, or only 1 or 2 other boats accompanying us. Anyone interested in visiting the charter capital can search for a charter vessel of any size, type, along with current prices and full vessel descriptions, by clicking on the home page button at the top of this page.
How many islands are there in the BVI?
The BVI has approximately 64 islands, islets, and cays, with eleven of them being inhabited in some sort, even if it is just with a resort. Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Scrub Island, Guana Island, Necker Island, Eustatia Island, Moskito Island, Peter Island, and Cooper Island are the main inhabited islands. The span of the islands is approximately 35 miles long.
Getting to the BVI Yacht Charter Capital
You have several choices.
- Fly directly from the US mainland into St Thomas in the USVI (STT) and then take a private water taxi sir ferry over to the British Virgin Islands. We can find yachts that will also pick up in the USVI and take you up to the BVI and back. Keep in mind that you do have to clear customs both ways and take a slower yacht as opposed to a fast water taxi or ferry this way and it cuts into your cruising time in the BVI!
- Fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is airport code SJU. The airport code for your British Virgin Islands Yacht Charter is EIS. Many of the major airlines have code-sharing ability with the smaller planes that come into the BVI. It is often less expensive to book two separate tickets instead of the entire itinerary on one ticket. Keep in mind that small hopper planes fly between Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands.
- Grab the direct flight from American Airlines from Miami that goes directly into the British Virgin Islands.
Can your yacht pick you up at the BVI airport?
Certainly! Trellis Bay anchorage is located a short 5-minute walk away, or a two-minute cab ride if you have plenty of luggage. There is not a dock for the yacht to pull upon. But, they can send their tender to shore easily. In no time at all, you will be whisked away on a nice broad reach to white sand beaches!
BVI Yacht Charter Capital
Let’s take a look at some yachts that are available for you to book NOW in the BVI Yacht Charter Capital below here.
Scuba Diving On Board