A Pro’s Guide to Your First Bareboat Charter: Your Top 10 Questions Answered!
There’s something magical about the British Virgin Islands — especially if you can experience them from a bareboat motor yacht, powercat or sailing charter. Let’s answer 10 of the most common questions we get about chartering these islands.
Planning your first bareboat charter can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to help! We have created a definitive guide to bareboat yacht charters that answers the 10 most commonly asked questions by potential charter guests. The following questions will help take the “guess work” out of planning your perfect charter vacation in the British Virgin Islands so you can turn your dream holiday into a reality! If you have ever wanted to charter a yacht in the BVI, check out the list below and see how easy it really is to plan a bareboat charter in the British Virgin Islands!
#1 | How do I get to Tortola, BVI?
Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands and is located approximately 1100 miles South of Miami, Florida. Next door to Tortola are the US Virgin Islands including St. Thomas and St. John — they are just across the Sir Francis Drake Channel from each other. However, even though they are so close they are still different countries, and you must have a passport for entry to the British Virgin Islands.
FLY
There are two main ways to arrive on Tortola — via water or via air. Tortola has an international airport, Terrance B Lettsome (airport code EIS) with flights arriving daily from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
There are no long haul flights from the continental US that fly directly onto Tortola. You must fly through San Juan, Puerto Rico.
There are three main airlines flying from San Jan to Tortola — InterCaribbean Airlines, Seaborne Airlines and Cape Air. Seaborne and Cape Air both code share with many US carriers including — American Airlines, United, and Jet Blue. The code share arrangement allows your bag to be checked all the way onto Tortola when you first check in.
The other option is to fly into St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and then take a water ferry or water taxi to Tortola (see below for ferry information). The majority of yacht charter guests choose to fly into St Thomas as there is a much larger variety of direct flights, and often, lower flight prices. St. Thomas is served by major airlines including — United, American, Delta, Jet Blue and Spirit. There are also many direct flights daily to St. Thomas from major cities including — New York, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Houston.
Once you land on Tortola you will go through Customs and Immigration at the airport, before collecting your bags and grabbing a taxi to Nanny Cay Marina where you begin your yacht charter.
FERRY
Ferry is necessary only if you’ve flown into St. Thomas, USVI. Once you land in St. Thomas you’ll take a ~10 minute taxi ride to the ferry terminal in Charlotte Amalie. From there you can take one of three different ferries — Road Town Fast Ferry, Smith’s Ferry or Native Son Ferry to Tortola. The Ferries go into either West End or Road Town; West End is always preferred as it is usually less busy than Road Town. When you arrive on Tortola you will need to clear customs and immigration before taking a taxi ~10 minutes to Nanny Cay Marina to begin your bareboat yacht charter.
WATER TAXI
If you want to fly into St. Thomas but don’t want to wait for the ferries, you can arrange a private water taxi with Dolphin Water Taxi.
The private water taxis depart out of Red Hook on St. Thomas, which is roughly a ~40 minute taxi ride. The water taxi will leave with you and your group at whatever time you arrange, transporting you directly to West End, Tortola where you’ll clear customs. Side note: Dolphin offers complementary beverages during the ride for your enjoyment as well as pre-screening forms so you can clear customs faster.
After clearing customs and immigration the water taxi will bring you by water directly to Nanny Cay Marina where you can board your charter boat.
#2 | How do I know what boat to choose for my bareboat charter?
When selecting a yacht to bareboat charter in the BVI there are a lot of factors to consider, including the following:
Power vs. Sail
The first decision to make is whether you want a sailboat or a motor yacht. There is an old adage that says ‘life is about the journey, not the destination.’ Depending on whether you prefer the ‘journey’ or the ‘destination’ will help you select either a powercat or sail. On a powercat or yacht, you will have more time at the destination because the journey is much shorter. The reason is simple: you get to where you want to go when you want to get there since you are under power.
That’s a different story under sail. With a sailboat you have to take into account the weather, and more specifically the wind. If winds are light you’ll need to tack back and forth for hours if need be; it’s not always as easy as sailing a straight line from point A to point B. Alternatively, sailing provides a very relaxing and fun way to see the islands. Many guests have a romantic image of sailing from island to island, enjoying the best sites of the BVI. If you love the art of sailing, there is simply no better place to sail than in the BVI!
Our honest opinion? You are on vacation for a limited amount of time. There are so many beautiful islands in the BVI to visit, if you charter a motor yacht or powercat you’ll be able to cruise exactly where and when you want to go. This will allow you to enjoy more of the British Virgin Islands during your stay.
Monohull vs. Catamaran
Once you have decided between power and sail, you then need to decide if you want to charter a monohull or a catamaran. Neither one is better than the other — both a monohull and a catamaran will offer a great way to explore the Islands. The differences come down to your personal preferences as well as how you and your crew will use the yacht while you are cruising the British Virgin Islands on your bareboat charter.
Catamarans have become an increasingly popular choice for charter guests in the BVI due to the exceptional level of space they offer for guests. Most catamarans have very large salons and outdoor spaces, given that they often have 20’+ beams. This extra width provides for additional areas to relax, entertain, and even escape making it the perfect vessel for groups.
Regardless of your choice, given the protected waters of the British Virgin Islands either a monohull or a catamaran will provide a great cruising option for a bareboat charter.
What Size Boat?
Once you decide the type of boat you prefer, the next question is, what size? In general, the width and the length of the boat are less important than the number of cabins and heads — the boat term for ‘bathroom’. Consider how many cabins there are and how many people can sleep comfortably on board. Most motor yacht and powercats have 3–4 cabins, 3–4 heads and can comfortably accommodate 6–8 adults. Some sailboat and sail catamarans are even designed with up to 5 cabins and heads.
If you have a larger group, some of the powercats have dining areas in the salon that can also convert to a bed. Some may also have a small single cabin accessed through the port side cabin that can work well for a small child. These additional areas mean that some powercats can take up to 10 adults if two guests are willing to sleep in the dining room and not a cabin.
#3 | How do I know if I am qualified to captain?
Before you are approved to take a yacht or catamaran for charter you will be required to complete a ‘yachting resume’ that details your previous yacht ownership and yacht charter experience. When your resume is reviewed, the operations teams wants to ensure that you have sufficient experience as a previous yacht captain.
Previous Captain Experience
When completing your yachting resume, the most important information to include are the yachts you have owned/captained that are similar in size to the yacht or powercat you hope to bareboat charter. There are no firm ‘rules’ for who is approved as a bareboat captain, but the general guide is that you need to have experience as the captain of a yacht which is of ‘similar size, displacement, engine configuration’ to what you want to charter. Typically, this means ownership and/or captain experience on a yacht or powercat within 10’ of the yacht you want to rent for bareboat.
The most important of all is your experience on a yacht with similar engine configuration. For example, all powercats and motor yachts will be dual engine twin screw. Therefore, you need previous boating experience at the helm of a yacht with similar engines — experience on a ski boat or center console will not be sufficient.
Chart/Navigation Experience
In addition to practical experience as a captain, it is also important that you have navigational experience. Chartering a bareboat yacht in the British Virgin Islands is very safe, as the islands are all very close together and there is line-of-site navigation. However, the British Virgin Islands are in the ocean and there are hazards and navigational markers that captains must be aware of such as channel markings, harbor and marina entrances, etc.
Bareboat charter guests may have enough experience on a vessel, but if this experience has only been on a lake or reservoir they may need some additional training regarding the navigational charts and helming of a yacht or powercat on the ocean.
Licenses & Accreditations
There are no specific licenses, certifications or accreditations that you must have in order to be approved. If you have specific captain credentials be sure to include them on your resume, but they are considered secondary to the actual hands-on experience that comes from yacht ownership and/or previous yacht charters.
#3.5 | What if I don’t have enough experience?
If you are worried you many not have quite enough experience — either with the physical size of a vessel or with navigating — there are multiple options that can still allow you the opportunity to bareboat charter a yacht in the BVI.
Check-Out Captain
If the operations team feels you have some experience, but they are just not 100% sure on your ability to handle a vessel as large as you are considering renting, they will suggest that you have a one day ‘check out’ with a certified captain. This check-out will consist of having a captain on board your yacht or powercat with you for part of your first day to ensure you are comfortable and competent behind the wheel.
The check-out does not impede your day, as the captain will travel with you to your first destination. Along the way they will ask you to demonstrate your aptitude for the required bareboat charter skills including; anchoring, picking up a mooring ball, docking, navigation and chart reading, and close quarter maneuvering. Many guests actually find the check-out to be extremely helpful as they have a chance to ask questions and become more familiar with the yacht while the captain is on board. At the end of the day, the check-out captain will either sign-off on your skills or recommend a training captain.
Training Captain
If you have limited captain experience but still want to bareboat a yacht, then a ‘training captain’ might be perfect for your charter. The training captain will assist each day with planning a course, cruising the yacht, pick-up and drop-off of mooring balls, etc. The captain remains on board with you for the entirety of your charter including overnight stays, with the main goal of improving your yachtsmanship. This is a great way to enjoy your charter while gaining an extensive amount of hands-on yacht captaining experience, qualifying you to captain a bareboat charter independently on your next trip to the BVI.
#4 | What do I do about food?
One of the most common questions we’re asked is, “what do we do about food on a bareboat charter?”— good question! Some guests choose to make all meals on board their yacht and others never even turn on the stove, choosing instead to eat ashore for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cooking in vs. eating out is entirely personal preference while on your charter; our recommendation is a combination of both. We suggest planning to make breakfast and/or lunch on your charter boat. For breakfast many guests just provision with cereal, fruit, yogurt or even eggs, bacon and toast — all of which are very easy to prepare in the galley of your powercat. For lunch, most charter groups simply make sandwiches or just end up snacking throughout the day.
Then there’s dinner — the pièce de résistance. We suggest planning to eat dinner ashore at one of the amazing island restaurants of the BVI. List coming soon!
Ordering Provisions
The easiest way to stock your bareboat yacht with food is to order all your provisions before you arrive, and have them delivered to your yacht. Riteway (the largest grocery store on Tortola) allows you to see their entire inventory online with add-to-cart ordering for all your provisions. Once you’re done just select your delivery time and specify the delivery marina. Riteway will deliver the food right to your charter yacht or powercat, and even store your perishable goods for you if they arrive with your provisions before you‘re there.
We recommend meeting with your entire charter group over lunch/dinner before your trip, talking through the meals you plan to make, quantities and each persons’ preferences. While you are talking, one person can have the Riteway website open on their computer and can be adding items to your cart as you talk. The website will save your cart so you can continue adding items you may have forgotten until you place your final order.
#5 | What comes on the boat?
When you rent a bareboat yacht it will come stocked with all the items you might need to enjoy a comfortable week of charter around the British Virgin Islands, including:
- Soft goods: Sheets, blankets, pillows, bath towels, beach towels, hand towels, washcloths
- Appliances: Microwave, blender, toaster, electric kettle
- Kitchenware: Plates, cups, wine glasses, silverware, cutlery, mixing bowls, kitchen utensils, tupperware, wine opener, can opener, place mats
- ‘Starter Kit’: Dish soap, hand soap (in all heads), travel toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap), toilet paper (1 roll per head), clothes pins, garbage bags
- Exterior: Large cooler & dinghy with 15hp outboard
#6 | Are water toys included?
Water toys such as paddle boards, kayaks, snorkel equipment, floating mats, etc. are a great addition to any bareboat charter. However, given the wide variety of interest, ages and fitness levels of charter guests — bareboat yachts are not routinely supplied with water toys for charter. These items can easily be rented in advance of your charter. Much like Riteway’s food delivery, the watersports company will deliver your rental equipment prior to your arrival, so your water toys will already be on board when you arrive.
When you return at the end of your bareboat charter they will come and pick your rental equipment up, and you do not need to be present or wait for them to arrive.
#7 | What Do I Need to Pack?
Very Little! Life in the BVI is generally laid back and casual, which is what makes the islands appealing to bareboat charter guests. The islands are not fancy, and no one cares nor are they impressed by the latest fashion statements.
The most important thing to keep in mind is DON’T OVERPACK! Truth is, you will probably end up wearing less than half of what you bring with you on charter.
For a bareboat charter, we suggest that guests pack (3) each of the following; swim suits, t-shirts, shorts — and one pair of flip flops. When you go to shore for lunch or dinner it’s polite to put a t-shirt or cover-up on over your swim suit. Other than that, there are no real ‘dress codes.’ Keep in mind that to go to shore you will be taking a dinghy, so you don’t want to wear anything that you don’t want to get wet or that can puncture a dinghy — ladies, no high heels!
Since you are on a yacht or powercat, it also helps if you travel with soft-sided luggage. You can unpack your clothes on the yacht, and then easily fold and store your bag. It is much harder to find storage for 8 large roller bags on board if everyone in your group travels with a large, wheeled suitcase.
#8 | What happens when I get to the boat?
When you arrive to Nanny Cay you will either be a ‘Sleep Aboard’ or a ‘Charter Start.’ A charter day begins at noon and your last day ends at noon. Depending on your travel plans you may or may not arrive in time to complete all the required paperwork in time to leave the first day. Typically you need to arrive to Nanny Cay by around 1pm in order to have enough time to complete your boat briefing and leave the dock. If you do not arrive by 1pm then your first day can be as a ‘sleep aboard’ guest. You will arrive and stay on board the first night, but will have all your boat and chart briefing the following morning.
On the day of your charter you will have a one-on-one boat briefing with a member of our operations team. They will spend approximately 2 hours walking through the boat’s systems with you so you are comfortable with all aspects of operation — things like demonstrating how to operate the generator, air conditioning, water systems, etc. on board your sailboat or powercat. Our operations team is happy to answer any and all questions before you shove off on your charter vacation.
Once the boat briefing is completed, the operations team member will conduct a ‘chart briefing’ with you to cover the navigation and hazard charts for the BVI. Navigational charts will help orient you to the islands, while the ‘hazard charts’ will show you areas that are ‘out of bounds’ where you are not permitted as a bareboat guest to take your yacht or powercat during your charter. While walking through the charts with you, the operations manager can also help provide a suggested itinerary and ‘must see’ stops to experience while on your charter.
#9| Can I keep in touch back home while on the boat?
You will be able to keep in contact with friends and family back home as much or as little as you would like! Here’s how
Phone Service
US cell phones will work throughout the British Virgin Islands. It is recommended that you contact your carrier to adjust your plan to include international coverage or coverage that includes the BVI during your bareboat charter to ensure you receive the best rate. When you begin your bareboat powercat charter you will also be provided a local cell phone to have with you while on charter. This cell phone will make free calls to the charter office as well as to the 24/7 emergency line and local search and rescue organizations, should you ever need them.
Internet / WIFI
Many of the islands, resorts and restaurants in the British Virgin Islands offer free WIFI at their establishments. The bareboat charter yachts and powercats are also equipped with built in wireless and guests can purchase internet access for the duration of their yacht charter.
The internet in the British Virgin Islands is good, but it is not comparable to what is ‘standard’ in the US. The wireless coverage in the BVI is about 80% — there are spots around Norman Island, North Sound Virgin Gorda, etc. where the internet is very spotty and intermittent. The wireless available on your charter yacht is great for checking email, and posting envy-inducing vacation photos to Facebook or Instagram, but do not plan to use it for any streaming services such as Skype, Netflix, etc.
#10 | What will the weather be like?
Beautiful! The British Virgin Islands are known for having beautiful weather year round. The average daily temperature is 82 degrees and the average evening temperature is 76 degrees, so there is very little temperature fluctuation throughout the day. The temperature in the BVI is also very comfortable due to the presence of tradewinds, which average 8–16 knots each day. This tropical breeze is just what you need to keep from getting too warm in the Caribbean sun.
Regarding other variations in weather, there is no real ‘rainy’ or ‘monsoon’ season in the British Virgin Islands. Even if you see a weather forecast that calls for rain, don’t worry — it rains most days in the BVI! But this is usually in the form of a quick passing shower in the morning. Typically just enough to provide your charter yacht a nice rinse, and then the sun comes out for the rest of the day.
That’s all, folks!
We hope that your burning questions were answered. If you have any additional questions regarding yacht charters in the British Virgin Islands, feel free to contact us: reservations@virginmotoryachts.com.
Until then, smooth sailing to you and yours! — the VCY team.
