A Crewed Yacht in the BVI comes with a Captain, Chef/Hostess, additional crew members on larger vessels, gourmet cuisine, an ‘open bar, and a wide selection of ‘water toys’ and entertainment systems.
It’s the perfect way not only for inexperienced sailors to explore the beautiful islands, but also for those who might have plenty of experience but simply want to sit back, be pampered and let someone else take care of the day-to-day chores.
When you contact us for a crewed yacht charter, we will ask you a number of questions so that we can tailor the vacation to fit your requirements perfectly. We’ll want to know how many are in your party, approximate age range, if there are youngsters in your party, how many cabins you’ll want, if you have any specific requests for on-board equipment like surfboards, paddleboards, kayaks or anything else, what type of food you like, if you have any itinerary requirements, your budget and more – in short, it’s a highly personalized vacation, finding you the perfect yacht at the right price.
YOUR OWN FLOATING 5-STAR HOTEL
Chartering a fully crewed yacht is rather like having your own floating hotel! You’ll have first-class room service, a gourmet ‘restaurant’ with menus prepared specially for you, excellent facilities, lovely décor, wonderful staff, and a spacious ‘balcony’ where you can relax with home-made cocktails and enjoy stunning scenery as you hop from one island to another.
THE CREW
One of the most important things when someone goes sailing is to be happy with the other folks on board, whether they’re your personal friends and family, or hired crew. In that respect, we match our guests to fit in with the crew. In addition to age, we want to know what you’re looking for in the crew, your own likes and dislikes, whether you want your ‘own space’ or a crew who you spend more time socializing and going ashore with. The skipper will take care of all aspects of safety, sailing and routine daily maintenance, and will have expert local knowledge of the best places to visit. The Chef will not only make superb meals and drinks based on your personal preferences, but will take care of keeping your cabins tidy and helping with things like fresh linens and towels.
Also, if you’re ashore with the crew they’ll be able not only to show you places, but also to give you tips on things like best bars and restaurants, where to rent a vehicle or anything else you need to know.
ITINERARY
It’s easy enough to check out good itineraries on internet and charter company web sites, but local knowledge is the key. Good Skippers will be able to take you to hidden anchorages that other folks may not know about, they’ll know where the less crowded anchorages are and the best spots to pick up a mooring or drop an anchor. In a one-week charter, you’ll be able to get to many of the high spots of the BVI, and with around 60 islands and islets in the BVI, you’re certainly not going to run out of places to see.
And note that we don’t offer crewed yacht charters in the BVI alone – if you’ve already sailed there and are looking for a different destination, let us know – we also offer crewed charters in the Leeward Islands (St Martin), St Vincent & The Grenadines and other parts of the world.
FOOD & DRINKS
Over the years, many guests from the crewed yachts we’ve offered have reported back that the standards of food and service were better than any top-class restaurants they’d been to. Some of the Chefs have worked in major restaurants around the world, and many have earned formal culinary qualifications. When you want to book a fully crewed charter, we’ll ask you for details of your preferences or any special requests like gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan – and we’ll want as much detail as possible so that the menu can be customized for you – it’s also not an issue if guests have different tastes from one another. Crewed yacht prices include breakfasts, lunches, snacks and evening meals, and many yachts also offer a ‘half-board’ option where you can enjoy a few meals ashore at island restaurants at your expense.
Soft drinks and alcohol are also included in the yacht prices, though champagne, liqueurs and some fine wines will not be included but, if available, can be ordered in advance at reasonable prices. The skipper will also be happy to make sunset cocktails for you (or at any other time of day!) like Painkillers and Bushwhackers.
WATERSPORTS
All crewed yachts come with snorkel gear and a motorized dinghy to take you to and from shore or explore bays and coves, and they also have ‘water toys’ like SUP’s (stand-up paddle boards), kayaks, floating mattresses, wake boards, knee boards and tubes. When you make your initial inquiry, just let us know what water-sports gear you’d like to be on board, and we’ll make sure that the yachts we offer have it.
UNDERWATER
The BVI are not just stunning on land, but below water as well, and they boast some of the finest diving and snorkeling in the world. There’s a famous wreck you can dive on, the 310-foot steel RMS RHONE, a m
ail ship which sank in 1867. Some yachts come with all dive gear on board and have skippers who are dive instructors. For yachts which do not have dive gear on board, you can arrange for a rendezvous dive where the dive shop will pick you up from the yacht, take you to the dive site and drop you back at the yacht after the dive.
There is also excellent snorkeling in the marine parks throughout the BVI
SAILING
On a crewed yacht, you can sit back and enjoy the islands whilst the crew take care of the sailing duties, or you can help the skipper with things like raising sails, tying up lines and other small tasks. The Captain will be happy to ‘show you the ropes’ and give you basic instruction if you want it – many ‘first-timers’ have had their first experiences afloat on a crewed yacht and, with experience, have become licenced sailors and yacht owners themselves! There can be few things more exhilarating than heading from one island to another, the only sounds around you being the breezes, the gentle lap of the seas, the occasional squawk of a sea-bird, a dolphin splashing close to the yacht, and your crew offering you a cocktail!
Abbie is our crewed charter specialist. She will help you plan your all-inclusive fully crewed vacation aboard private luxury sail and motor yachts.
Wow, nice blog with really interesting information. Chartering a yacht is a great fun.