Depending upon the sailboat or motor yacht you've selected, all charter holidays will begin at one of three locations on Tortola. There are dozens of yachts from which to choose. To select a yacht, visit the catamaran, monohull or motor yacht charter pages in the navigation links above. For charter base locations see map link at the bottom of this page.
We represent three of the most reputable bareboat companies based here on
Tortola. They are: BVI Yacht Charters, TMM - Tortola Marine Management and Horizon Yacht Charters.
General Info
- All charters begin and end at noon.
- You may begin or end your sailing or power boat vacation any day of the week, provided the boat you'd like to hire is available.
- The minimum charter period is 5 nights. This minimum period does not include a prior night sleep aboard.
- Chart and yacht system briefings usually begin at or around 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on the day your charter begins. Times vary by company and of course your arrival time. The whole briefing process takes approximately 2 to 2½ hours ... sometimes less and sometimes more.
- Provisioning may be delivered at any time, provided you are present to accept delivery.
All Charters Include:
- Bed linens, pillows, towels, cookware, glasses and flatware in sufficient quantities to match the yachts' sleeping capacity. Beach towels are supplied by Horizon Yacht Charters but not by TMM or BVI Yacht Charters.
- VHF radio, boat phone, Virgin Islands Cruising Guide, charts for the British Virgin Islands and USVI, basic navigation tools, binoculars, USCG required safety equipment, small first aid kit, flashlight and a basic tool kit.
- Your boat will be delivered with full water and fuel tanks. You are asked to please return it with full tanks.
- Both TMM and Horizon Yacht Charters provide a complimentary "starter kit" of consumable products to get you through your first night aboard. See lists below. Once the starter kit has been used, anything "consumable" is your responsibility. BVI Yacht Charters provides one toilet roll per head and nothing more, so if you are sleeping aboard the yacht the night before your charter starts, please bring whatever you may need to get through the night with you.
TMM Starter Kit Includes:
- 1 roll of toilet paper per head
- small (individual) hand soaps for each head
- 1 roll of paper towel
- 1 small bottle of Joy dish liquid
- 1 bottle of Fabulosa all purpose cleaner
- 1 sponge
- 3 Handi Wipes
- 2 small and 2 large trash bags
- 2 boxes of matches
Horizon Yacht Charters Starter Kit Includes:
- 1 roll of toilet paper per head
- small (individual) hand soaps for each head
- 1 roll of paper towel
- 1 small bottle of dish liquid
- Handi Wipes
- 2 trash bags
- Matches
- Antibacterial spray
- Off Insect Repellent
- 1 Bottle of Rum
- 2 Cans of Coke
- 1 Bottle of spring water
- Salt & Pepper
Which Company Includes What in their Rates?
BVIYC = BVI Yacht Charters
TMM = Tortola Marine Management
HYC = Horizon Yacht Charters
Free Stuff & General Info |
HYC |
TMM |
BVIYC |
Free Taxi Transfers from Ferry or Airport |
No |
No |
No |
Distance (minutes) from Airport |
40 to 45 |
30 to 35 |
20 to 25 |
Distance (minutes) from West End Ferry |
12 to 15 |
20 to 25 |
30 to 35 |
Distance (minutes) from Road Town Ferry |
12 to 15 |
3 to 5 |
10 to 12 |
Complimentary Starter Package |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Free Shower at Charter Base |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Free WIFI at Charter Base |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Free WIFI Aboard Yachts |
No |
Yes |
No |
Water Price/Gal. at base. (October/14) |
.15 |
Free |
Free |
Free Snorkel Gear |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Free Ice |
1 Bag |
4 Bags |
No |
Sleep Aboard Fee (Available Pre-charter only) |
$75.00 per person Min. $200.00 |
50% of daily charter fee |
$75.00 per person Min. $150.00 |
Crew Costs |
HYC |
TMM |
BVIYC |
Daily Captain's Fee + meals |
$185.00 |
$175.00 |
$175.00 |
Daily ASA Instructor's Fee + meals |
$210.00 |
$200.00 |
$200.00 |
Insurance & Security Deposit |
HYC |
TMM |
BVIYC |
Daily Insurance Rates |
$50.00 - $500 max |
$50.00 - $500 max |
$40.00 - $400 max |
Refundable Security Deposit (with insurance) |
$1,000.00 |
$1,000.00 |
$1,500.00 |
Additional Fees
In addition to the basic bareboat fees and those included in the table above, the following charges are applicable for all yacht charters:
BVI Cruising Tax
$6.00 /person/day - year ‘round for all BVI based yachts.
$16.00 /person/day – year ‘round for all foreign based yachts.
National Parks Trust Mooring Fees - HYC & TMM
$25.00 per week minimum for up to 4 guests
$35.00 per week for 5 to 6 guests
$45.00 per week for 7 to 8 guests
$55.00 per week for 9 to 10 guests
Add $5.00 per person per week if you will have more than 10 people aboard. Weekly rates double if chartering 8 to 14 nights and triple if chartering 15 to 21 nights, etc
National Parks Trust Mooring Fees - BVIYC
Up to 4 people = $25.00 per week or $3.00 per person - whichever is less
5 or 6 persons = $35.00 per week or $3.00 per person - whichever is less
7 or 8 persons = $45.00 per week or $3.00 per person - whichever is less
9 or 10 persons = $55.00 per week or $3.00 per person - whichever is less
Add $5.00 per person per week if you will have 11 or 12 guests aboard. All rates are calculated daily for those chartering more than 7 nights.
V.I.S.A.R.
Virgin Islands Search and Rescue is a volunteer Organization which operates on donations from the sailing community. TMM and Horizon Yacht Charters each collect $2.00 per person per charter and BVI Yacht Charters collects $10.00 per boat towards the continuing efforts of this very worthwhile and all too frequently needed service. These are voluntary donations and although included on your invoice, may be deducted if you so choose.
About Your Refundable Security Deposit
A security deposit is required at time of arrival and may be paid in cash, traveler's checks or by credit card. No charge is actually applied if you use your credit card. You simply sign a pre-authorization form. Your pre-authorized form will be destroyed upon the safe and undamaged return of the yacht and its equipment, provided you have settled all outstanding charges. See security deposit requirements for the individual companies in the table above.
Additional Costs You Can Expect Along The Way
Early Arrival
If you plan to arrive in Tortola a day prior to your BVI sailing adventure, we will be happy to make arrangements for you to sleep aboard your boat or at a nearby hotel. Sleep aboard rates are listed in the table above. Hotel rates vary, but are usually between $125.00 to $250.00 per night and up.
Airport & Ferry Transfers
Once you've made your reservations, you will be asked to complete a taxi order form which includes your flight number and time of arrival in Tortola. Your charter company will make arrangements to have you picked up by taxi at the port of entry. If your flight lands in St. Thomas, USVI, you will need to take the ferry to Tortola. Please see
Ferry Schedule to Tortola.
Provisioning & Groceries in Tortola
There are three main provisioning companies on Tortola
RiteWay,
One Mart and
Bobby's Supermarket. Each is located in and around the Road Town area. They all offer a good selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, meats, wine, liquor, beer, soda and a wide variety of canned goods, fresh bread, cheese, frozen foods, snacks and typical supermarket items. For more information see our
yacht provisioning page.
Water Toy & Scuba Diving Rentals
Water toys may be rented through either
Island Surf & Sail or
Last Stop Sports. Both companies will deliver to your boat. See
water sports and
SCUBA for additional information.
Chase Boat Service
All the bareboat companies we represent provide
chase boat service.
BVI Mooring Fees
Depending upon the anchorage, overnight mooring fees vary from $25.00 or $30.00 to $60.00 per night. Mooring fees are usually collected late afternoon or early evening. There are no fees for anchoring.
click here for a map of the charter bases.