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British Virgin Islands

Caribbean Islands

Yacht charter in British Virgin Islands

Choose from 253 yachts across British Virgin Islands. Spread over 1 sailing regions. Prices from €3,142 per week.

Browse 253 yachts See regions
  • 253
    Yachts available
  • 214
    On campaign
  • €3,142
    From / week
  • 1
    Charter regions
  • 2
    Marinas

Why this country

Sailing in British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands are the most forgiving cruising ground in this guide, and that is a matter of geography rather than reputation. The islands ring the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a sheltered stretch of water about twenty miles long, and almost everywhere you want to go is visible from almost everywhere else. You navigate by eye, the legs are short, and the trade wind blows along the channel rather than across it.

That wind is the other half of the appeal. The easterly trades run year-round and firm up to roughly 15 to 20 knots from December through March, which is why the season concentrates there. The flip side is the hurricane season from June to November, peaking in August and September — most operators reduce or suspend bareboat charters in that window, and insurance terms change.

The fleet reflects what people come here to do: of 253 boats, 188 are catamarans. Shallow draught, space for two families, and the ability to anchor close in. It is also the most expensive destination in our catalogue, with weekly rates starting around €3,800 — worth knowing before you compare it with a Greek week.

On the water

Sailing conditions in British Virgin Islands

Prevailing wind
Easterly trades, 15–20 kn

Year-round and unusually consistent. Strongest and steadiest December to March, which is the core season.

Navigation
Line of sight

The islands enclose the Sir Francis Drake Channel; most passages are an hour or two and the next anchorage is usually in view.

Hurricane season
June – November

Peaks in August and September. Many operators restrict bareboat charter then and insurance conditions change — check before booking summer dates.

Typical boat
Catamaran

188 of 253 boats. Shallow draught and deck space suit the anchorage-led week; weekly rates start around €3,800.

Worth the detour

Where to drop anchor in British Virgin Islands

  • 1

    The Baths, Virgin Gorda

    House-sized granite boulders forming tidal grottoes on the south-west shore. Day-use mooring buoys only — no overnight, and it gets busy mid-morning.

  • 2

    North Sound, Virgin Gorda

    A large protected sound at the top of the island with several marinas and anchorages. The usual turning point of a week.

  • 3

    Anegada

    The one coral island in a volcanic chain — flat, ringed by reef, and the only passage that needs real attention. Some operators restrict it; ask before planning it in.

  • 4

    Jost Van Dyke — White Bay and Great Harbour

    Small island on the north-west side, known for beach bars reachable only by boat. Great Harbour is the sheltered overnight; White Bay is the day stop.

  • 5

    Norman Island — The Bight

    A wide, well-protected bay with mooring buoys, usually the first night out of Tortola. The caves at the western end are a snorkelling stop.

  • 6

    Cooper Island and Salt Island

    Along the southern side of the channel, both easy hops. The wreck of the RMS Rhone lies off Salt Island — a marked dive site.

  • 7

    Cane Garden Bay, Tortola

    On the north shore, so it sits outside the channel and catches a different swell. Settled weather only.

  • 8

    Peter Island — Great Harbour and Deadman's Bay

    Directly across from Road Town, which makes it a convenient first or last night without using up the day.

Suggested routes

Where a week in British Virgin Islands could take you

The Sir Francis Drake Channel circuit

7 days

The standard BVI week: out along the south side, up to Virgin Gorda, back along the north. Short legs, mooring buoys almost everywhere.

  1. 1

    Road Town, Tortola

    Handover and provisioning; cross to Norman Island for the first night.

  2. 2

    Norman Island — The Bight

    Buoyed bay, caves at the west end.

  3. 3

    Cooper Island or Salt Island

    Work east along the southern chain.

  4. 4

    The Baths, Virgin Gorda

    Day buoys only — arrive early, then move on to overnight.

  5. 5

    North Sound, Virgin Gorda

    The far point; marinas and sheltered anchorage.

  6. 6

    Jost Van Dyke

    Downwind run back along the north side of the channel.

  7. 7

    Road Town

    Short leg back, usually with the trade wind behind you.

Find a boat for this route

Before you book

Local rules and paperwork in British Virgin Islands

Skipper qualification
No formal licence is required — but experience is. This is the main difference from Europe. Instead of an ICC, operators ask for a sailing resume: boats you have skippered, their size and type, and where. Most want recent experience on something within about 3 metres of the boat you are chartering.
What you need to be comfortable with
Mooring buoys, anchoring, docking, basic navigation. Mooring buoys are the norm here rather than anchoring, and picking one up under sail or power is the skill the base will check.
Cruising permit
Charged per person per day; the base arranges it. Rates differ between the high and low season and between resident and visiting vessels. It is normally itemised separately from the charter price.
Anegada
Often restricted on bareboat charters. The reef approach is the one genuinely demanding piece of navigation in the territory. Some operators allow it only with a guide or in settled conditions — ask before you plan the week around it.
Skippered option
Common for first-timers. If your sailing resume is thin, a skipper for the first day or two is often offered instead of refusing the charter outright.

Checked October 2026. Rules change — confirm the detail that matters for your trip when you book.

What is here

The British Virgin Islands fleet at a glance

The fleet in British Virgin Islands is made up of 188 catamarans and 65 sailing yachts.

Most boats here are catamarans, averaging 13.8 metres.

Weekly prices start in the €3,000 – €6,000 range, where 107 boats are listed.

Boats sleep between 4 and 12 guests, with cabins up to 6.

The most common size band is 13 – 16 m, with 152 boats.

65 boats can be chartered with a skipper; 193 are available bareboat.

The fullest month on the calendar right now is Nov 2026: 93% of the fleet already has at least one booking, while 17 boats are still completely open.

188
Catamarans
from €3.779
65
Sailing yachts
from €3.142

Budget

Charter prices in British Virgin Islands

Weekly rate, set by the operator. No booking fee.

Space on board

Boat sizes

Sleeping 4–12 guests

  • 10 – 13 m 95
  • 13 – 16 m 152
  • 16 – 20 m 6

Availability

How full is the calendar in British Virgin Islands?

Share of the British Virgin Islands fleet that already holds at least one reservation, for each of the next twelve months. Taken from the operators' own calendars and refreshed daily — a boat with one week booked can still be chartered in the others.

Months further out look emptier simply because they are further away — most charters are booked a few months ahead, not a year.

Most booked month

Nov 2026

93% of the fleet already booked

Most still open

Sep 2027

205 boats with no booking yet

Pick a month to see what is still open that week.

  • Quiet
  • Picking up
  • Busy
  • Peak
92%
Oct
’26
19 open
93%
Nov
’26
17 open
93%
Dec
’26
17 open
70%
Jan
’27
76 open
60%
Feb
’27
102 open
57%
Mar
’27
110 open
60%
Apr
’27
100 open
49%
May
’27
128 open
40%
Jun
’27
153 open
34%
Jul
’27
166 open
26%
Aug
’27
188 open
19%
Sep
’27
205 open

Most common models in British Virgin Islands

Counted from our live catalogue.

Leopard Catamarans Leopard 42
34 available · from €3.779
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 50
33 available · from €9.082
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 46PC
32 available · from €7.732
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 45
30 available · from €5.624
Dufour Yachts Dufour 41
17 available · from €3.502
Leopard Yachts Leopard 40 PC
15 available · from €5.707
Beneteau Oceanis 46.1
10 available · from €4.132
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 46
9 available · from €8.582

The fleet

Yachts in British Virgin Islands

253 yachts available · from €449 / day

−15% Special offer New
6
catamaran

Har Bar

Road Town

3 cabins 6 guests 12.8 m 2026
From €1.302 / day €9.115 / week campaign week €7.224
View
−10% Special offer New
6
sailboat

Sunsail 41.3 Premium Plus

Road Town

3 cabins 6 guests 11.95 m 2025
From €500 / day €3.502 / week campaign week €4.229
View
See all 253 yachts Filter by dates, size and budget

Where to sail

The one sailing region in British Virgin Islands

Every region we have boats in, largest fleet first — with the number of departure bases so you can see where a week actually starts.

Caribbean Islands

Mostly Catamarans — 74% of the local fleet.

Yachts
253
Bases
2
From
From €449 / day €3.142 / week

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Weekly prices in our catalogue break down as: €3,000 – €6,000 (107), €6,000 – €12,000 (108), over €12,000 (26). The lowest published weekly rate is €3,142. These are the operators' own prices — we add no booking fee.
Our British Virgin Islands catalogue currently lists 188 catamarans, 65 sailing yachts.
Booking pressure is highest in Nov, when 93% of the fleet already holds at least one reservation. Sep is the quietest month in our calendar. Availability shown on this site is synchronised daily from the operators' own reservation systems.
193 of the 253 boats we list in British Virgin Islands are available bareboat, meaning you sail them yourself. A recognised licence is required; the listing states which. 65 boats can be chartered with a skipper.
Boats in British Virgin Islands sleep from 4 up to 12 guests, with the largest offering 6 cabins. Most groups book a boat in the 13 – 16 m size band.

Read first

Guides for this coast

All guides →
Best Time to Sail the British Virgin Islands: Monthly Insights
Sailing tips

Best Time to Sail the British Virgin Islands: Monthly Insights

Month-by-month weather, wind and crowd guidance so you can choose the right week to sail the British Virgin Islands, with hurricane-season planning and booking tips.
Best Sailing Routes for Beginners in the British Virgin Islands
Destinations

Best Sailing Routes for Beginners in the British Virgin Islands

Short, sheltered loops inside the Sir Francis Drake Channel are the best beginner sailing routes in the British Virgin Islands—daily passages of roughly 6–20 nm, easy mooring-ball anchorages, and clear provisioning at Road Town bases.
Chartering a Yacht in the British Virgin Islands: A Complete Guide
Destinations

Chartering a Yacht in the British Virgin Islands: A Complete Guide

A practical, decision-grade guide to planning a yacht charter in the British Virgin Islands: when to go, where to start, what permits and moorings cost, and the sailing legs you should plan.

Ready to explore British Virgin Islands by sea?

253 verified yachts across 1 regions.

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