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British Virgin Islands / Special Interests / Yacht Charters

By James Henderson

The great thing about sailing is the sense of freedom to go anywhere and of course in the BVI there are many variations on the theme, with some of the best sailing in the world. And of course there is an extraordinary range of yachts there too. You can get anything from a simple sailing yacht with bunks for two through to a small ocean liner with helicopters and liveried crew. The BVI has large international charter companies including the Moorings and Sunsail, but there are also some smaller BVI based companies some of which offer a more personal service and in some cases more comfortable yachts.

The BVI are supremely beautiful, but for sailing the real advantages are that they are relatively close to one another, there are constant winds and yet the islands are well protected from the worst of the Atlantic weather. The calm seas and line of sight navigation make them ideal for first time charterers. Finally the anchorages are good (many of them have overnight mooring buoys). There are isolated coves and deserted sandbars where you can just jump overboard and swim ashore. On top of this, when you are looking entertainment, the BVI does better than anywhere in the Caribbean. There are more sail-up beach bars than anywhere else.

For Bareboat sailing charters look out for Horizon Yacht Charters who offer high quality boats and service and TMM who also have bases in St Vincent and Belize. There is also great depth in price, with companies like Conch Charters, a long established company that has some yachts that have previously been with other fleets and which they offer at lower rates.  There is the chance to sail in a flotilla, though Sunsail, who arrange flotillas for a week or a fortnight, with a departure each week. Like them, the Moorings offer corporate outings.

If you do not want to look after yourself, you might prefer to take out a crewed yacht, in which you are looked after by a captain and crew. The crew can range from captain and mate (usually cook) to a small uniformed legion.  An increasing number of bareboat motor yachts have also come onto the charter market in recent years, so if you have the requisite licence then you are able to take out a very comfortable motor yacht, with or without crew, through Virgin Traders.

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Looking for inspiration?

  1. Charter a yacht and sail by day, bar hop at night
  2. Marvel at the massive boulders at The Baths, Virgin Gorda
  3. Chill out at the Fireball Full Moon Party, Trellis Bay
  4. Enjoy a beach villa holiday with the family
  5. Scuba Dive Sir Francis Drake Channel

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