Best charter company in bvi

[Kjandre]

Hey all....newbie here looking to get charter license and do some sailing in the bvi. Other then the moorings is there any other suggestions as to who I could charter from?

Thanks
Kevin

[belizesailor]

FYI: No such thing as a "charter license". You can complete relevant recreational level training thru a number of organizations (ASA, RYA, US SAIL...), but you receive a certification showing you successfully completed the training, not technically a license.

[svHannabel]

How do you define "best"? Best boats? Best service? Best maintenance? Best location/facilities? Best value? Best prices? I'm not sure there's any one company that checks all the boxes but I bet you'll get some experienced opinions if you give us your priorities.

[rancher44]

The moorings offer classes by a sailing school and at the completion
They offer a charter captains licence [for charter only]
Not sure if other companies honor that licence but most charter companies have you list your experience and courses.
I like the moorings as they have such a great service organization and will bend over backwards to make you sail a great one
Good Luck

[derfy]

I have had good experience with Conch Charter in Roadtown. Older but well-maintained boats, good service, flexible, knowledgeable. Much lower cost than Moorings or Sunsail.

Late November/Early December was our best trip, but it was a bit breezy, the leading edge of the Christmas winds. Learn to reef the main quickly and efficiently.

You'll love the BVIs. Have fun.

[mossback]

I've chartered in BVI with both Moorings and Conch (4times) and I agree with derfy. Both Moorings and Sunsail are great, but you can get a much better deal with Conch. They are smaller, but when I had a problem on a cruise a few years back they responded very quickly. Very courteous staff.

I've sailed there in Dec, January, February, April and June. For a newbie I'd suggest March/April. You'll have a blast.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kevin.

[malyea]

Go with Moorings if you want the best. Try others if you want to pay less.

[canyonbat]

We were referred to BVI Yacht Charters by a friend who charters down there a lot. We couldn't be happier. We chartered two different boats, a week each, back to back last April/May. The first week was on a Beneteau 46 with two other couples. The second week we were on our own on a Beneteau 34. Both boats were a little older than those in the Moorings fleet but they were in good shape and well maintained. The only issue we had was a faulty radio on the 46. Rather than interrupt our trip, they asked us if we would be ok with a hand held, which we were. Their docks, in Roadtown, aren't fancy but there are nice showers and shopping is nearby. Abby and Cassie were great in getting all set up and the dock hands were very helpful. We will charter from them again in a heart beat.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by Kjandre

Hey all....newbie here looking to get charter license and do some sailing in the bvi. Other then the moorings is there any other suggestions as to who I could charter from?

Thanks
Kevin

I've chartered with Sunsail, Moorings, Conch, and Barefoot in the Caribbean. None of them require any kind of license or even a certificate. However they do require that you give them evidence of your experience. That doesn't mean that you are required to have sailed a 46 footer in order for them to charter a 46 footer to you, but they have to assess your experience and skill. So put together a resume of the boats you have crewed on or skippered. List the size, location, and duration of each trip. If they have doubts about whether you are prepared to skipper the boat you want, they will send a skipper with you for a day or two, at your expense, to show you how to sail the boat. If you need such a skipper, you will learn a lot in a couple of days. If you still don't feel ready after a couple of days, or if they think you aren't ready, having a skipper is actually a very nice luxury.

The exception to this "no license or certificate" practice is the Mediterranean. To charter a boat in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, or Italy you must show them a sailing certificate from ASA, USSA, RYA, or some recognized sailing authority. It doesn't matter how much experience you have, you have to show them the papers.

The BVI's are exactly the right place to start bareboating. Navigation is easy, harbors are plentiful, water and beaches are gorgeous, winds are usually steady and predictable, temperature is good year round, and there are lots of good restaurants, bars, and other attractions ashore. But don't go for the cheap rates in September and October, and be cautious about August and November; the weather is unreliable in those months.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by malyea

Go with Moorings if you want the best. Try others if you want to pay less.

Moorings, Sunsail, and Horizon have the newest boats and by far the nicest marinas with a swimming pool and very nice showers. Conch has older but very good boats at substantially cheaper prices. I have chartered from Moorings, Sunsail and Conch, and I don't see any difference in their service.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by rancher44

The moorings offer classes by a sailing school and at the completion
They offer a charter captains licence [for charter only]
...

Please post a reference for that.

[Mithril Bham]

I have been a charter captain and had a sailing school in the bvi. Moorings & Sunsail are fine. I prefer Horizon.
Look at crewed yachts. Some very good deals. Provisioning can be a pain and crewed yachts take care of that. Also no checkout and most are fine with allowing you to sail.

[bsfred]

We have only used TMM in the BVIs so we cannot compare them to anyone else. But I can say that we have been very happy with their service and their selection of boats and will continue to use them. They are priced in the middle of the others mentioned.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by rancher44 View Post

The moorings offer classes by a sailing school and at the completion
They offer a charter captains licence [for charter only]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Please post a reference for that.

There may be some confusion here between two different things at the BVI Moorings base. After you have chartered with Moorings they will issue you a "Captain's License" which is good for a discount on future charters with them. It is strictly an in-house Moorings feature.

Also, Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School has a base at the Moorings marina in BVI. They offer courses such as Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, and Bareboat Cruising which are certified by US Sailing. These certificates are recognized everywhere, including by the charter companies in Europe which all require certification.