British Virgin Islands Yacht Charter, Caribbean

The British Virgin Islands (BVI for short) is one of the classic Caribbean yacht charter vacation areas and a great place for a sailing or motor boat vacation. If you like safe and beautiful anchorages surrounded by lovely waterside restaurants, The British Virgin Islands is where to find it. You will also find gentle sailing, gorgeous snorkeling, stunning beaches - all mixed up in a relaxed and gentle serenity. The British Virgin Islands really are one of the most noted yacht charter areas around and are ideal for a yacht charter vacation. Serene it may be now, but it is not difficult to imagine the colorful cutthroat pirates and buccaneers who once used these islands as a hideaway from which to launch their raids on galleon gold!

The British Virgin Islands is actually around 50 volcanic islands, islets and cays that provide extensive sailing areas for the yacht charterer. The BVI are beautiful and seductive but also relaxed and serene. The serenity comes from a landscape where buildings are not allowed to be higher than the palms and an absence of direct flights from major tourist countries. Many of the people on holiday are not from crowded planes but from the sea, either from charter yachts, private yachts or island hoping ferries.

Tortola Island is the biggest island (at 26 square kms) with the largest population. It also has the most shops, restaurants, hotels and yacht charter operators, along with some great rain forest. Virgin Gorda is the second biggest at 8 square kms. Some of the other Islands scattered about the place include Jost Van Dyke, Great Camanoe, Norman, Peter, Salt, Cooper, Ginger, Dead Chest, and Anegada. The British Virgin Islands offers yacht charters plenty of superb islands and calm water cruising - all in one relatively closely grouped area.

Jost Van Dyke is a major yacht charter anchorage where little bars line the beach at Great Harbor. Many of the other Islands only have a single hotel or restaurant or are completely uninhabited. Most, like Peter Island, offer great anchorages for charter yachts and their crew to relax for the night.

Did you know that: 

• Fungi is known as a local music style?
• Sir Richard Branson owns Necker Island, one of the British Virgin Islands, and it can be chartered for up to 20 guests?
• Dead chest is a cay on which Blackbeard is thought to have left 15 rebellious crew each with a cutlass and a flask of rum?

As one of the best known charter grounds in the Caribbean the British Virgin Islands have many different types of yacht charter available such as motor, sailing, bareboat charter, skippered, crewed yachts, catamaran, power boat, sailboat, luxury yachts and off-course the ever increasing super yacht charter.

The main Caribbean and British Virgin Islands yacht charter season runs from November through to July. The primary high season is from mid-December to March when the winter escapees from North America and Europe arrive in their greatest numbers. The hurricane season is from late July to early October, although hurricanes are in general rare and more likely to hit the East Coast of the U.S. than the Caribbean. This is the least expensive time for chartering in the Caribbean in general and British Virgin Islands in particular. However as well as running the risk of storms this time of year also tends to be associated with lighter or non existent winds. As with many yacht charter locations the British Virgin Islands shoulder season, in this case from April to July, is a great time to charter a yacht as it has less shore based visitors, some lovely settled sunny weather and warm steady breeze.

The British Virgin Islands are truly a superb yacht charter location.