18°25'N 64°37'W · Caribbean
British Virgin Islands Yacht Guide
The BVI is the most forgiving cruising ground in the Caribbean: line-of-sight navigation down the Sir Francis Drake Channel, anchorages every few miles, and a charter infrastructure built over fifty years. For larger yachts the program centers on Virgin Gorda's North Sound, the protected basin that holds the territory's serious dockage. It is easy water, which is exactly why the boss's guests love it and why your real job becomes mooring-field choreography.
Season & Arrival
Season runs November through May with Christmas and Easter peaks; summer is hurricane season and the charter fleet thins to nothing by August.
The Guide
Marinas
North Sound is the big-boat hub: the YCCS Marina at Virgin Gorda takes yachts to around 90 meters with deep water and a quiet club atmosphere, and the rebuilt Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock cover moorings and dockage for the mid-size fleet. On Tortola, Nanny Cay is the full-service marina and yard, and Road Harbour handles commercial traffic plus Village Cay's downtown slips. Scrub Island's marina is a polished resort option 1 nm off Beef Island.
Operating Data
- YCCS Marina, Virgin Gorda
- 38 berths, max LOA approx. 90m
- Nanny Cay, Tortola
- 300+ slips, max LOA approx. 45m
- Scrub Island Marina
- 55 slips, to approx. 50m
Operating data is updated each season. Confirm critical figures with the operator before arrival.
Captain Notes
- Charter fleet traffic defines your day: mooring fields fill by 1500, so commit to your night stop by early afternoon or anchor off and tender in.
- The Christmas winds blow 25 knots for days in December and January. The Drake Channel stays workable but North Sound entrances and Anegada get sporty; build slack into the itinerary.
- Cell and internet coverage is good on the main channel and dies in pockets; download charts and have the watch plan offline-capable.
Local Red Flags
- Anegada has wrecked more keels than the rest of the territory combined. Draft over 8 feet, stay out; under it, enter only in good light with the sun high.
- Mooring ball maintenance varies by operator; dive or inspect the pendant before trusting 60 tons to it overnight in a blow.
Sponsor
Sponsor this guide
Put your operation in front of every crew planning this port.
List
Submit a local listing
Operators serving British Virgin Islands can apply for directory placement.
Download
PDF guide
Downloadable edition planned for a later phase.