The Horizon Group
The Horizon Group
Planning a sailing vacation can bring up plenty of questions—and we’re here to help. Our BVI FAQs cover the most common topics to make your charter experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Whether you're wondering about travel logistics, what to pack, how provisioning works, or whether you need a skipper – we're here to help! Explore the answers below and feel free to reach out if you don’t see your question—we’re always happy to help you get the most out of your time in the British Virgin Islands.
The BVI enjoys warm, tropical weather year-round with average temperatures between 75°F and 88°F (24°C–31°C). The dry season runs from November to May, offering sunny skies and steady trade winds — perfect for your Horizon Sailing Charter. The low season is from July to November, with higher humidity and occasional showers, especially in September and October, which also mark storm season.
The currency in the BVI is USD$. Most restaurants, bars and stores accept card but always handy to carry some cash for your trip.
No VISA is required to enter the BVI, you are free to enter the territory with a valid passport with at least 6 months validity remaining and proof of onward travel. You will be required to pay an environmental levy of $10 upon your arrival to the region and a $20 departure tax when leaving ($15 if leaving by ferry).
There are limitless opportunities for activities and adventure on your charter, from E-foiling, wing foiling, kiteboarding to hiking. Include your interest in activities on your enquiry form and we’ll be happy to discuss the options for your booking.
You can arrange diving course with Blue Water Divers in Nanny Cay. Rendezvous dives are easily arranged, where Blue Water Divers will collect you from your yacht!
Yes, if your phone is unlocked and supports modern LTE bands, you can use U.S. carrier roaming plans such as AT&T's International Day Pass ($12/day), Verizon TravelPass, or TMobile's international roaming (if your plan includes it). However, they’re not always the most reliable, so we would recommend adding a WIFI unit to your charter if you need to stay connected throughout.
The most straightforward way to reach the BVI is by flying into Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) on Tortola. There are no direct long-haul flights, but EIS is well connected via short regional hops from major Caribbean hubs like San Juan (SJU), St. Maarten (SXM), and Antigua (ANU)- making it the most convenient option if you want to land right where your charter begins.
Alternatively, you can fly into St. Thomas (STT) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and take a ferry or private water taxi across to Tortola. This can be a scenic and sometimes more affordable route, depending on flight availability and schedules.
Absolutely, when you provide the reservations team with your arrvial information, we can reserve ground transport with our logistics partner. Travel from the EIS Airport on Beef Island to Nanny Cay usually works out around $25/person + bags, and there are large vehicles available for larger groups.
We typically start to get clients booking for the busy holiday seasons over a year out. We’d always recommend reaching out as early as possible, especially if you have specific requests such as a large group size, in-demand dates, or you have a go-to skipper in mind for your trip. That being said if the tides turn and you’re keen for a last-minute trip, we’re always on hand to find some short-notice availability.
When we provide a quote, we usually just include the vessel charter fee and then list out the additional costs as a separate item. The charter fee covers your use of the boat for the week but does not include fuel, water, or dockage throughout your trip. If you’re including crew members in your charter, we would tend to charge for their fee in advance to minimise costs at base.
Once you’ve submitted an enquiry with us, our expert reservations team will curate the perfect boat selection to fit your needs. Then once you have worked with us to select your favourite, we would put the boat on a free temporary hold for 48hrs to ensure the boat doesn’t get booked by anyone else. Then we’d require you to complete the charter contract and if you’re chartering bareboat, submit a Sailing Resume. Then once everything has been returned, we’d require your deposit, sent through any of the payment methods noted below. Once the deposit’s received you’d be all locked in!
We can take payments through an online payment link, via any credit card or through a wire payment or lastly you can call is and pay over the phone.
We offer a cancellation insurance extra, which gives you some more security around your booking. The details of this can be found on our general terms and conditions document in clause 10.
Absolutely, this is a brilliant way to ensure the boat doesn’t get booked out from underneath you and gives you some time to organise paperwork and recruit your crew.
We don’t offer whole trip travel insurance, but work with a few tried and trusted operator,s which we would recommend.
You’ll be able to see a full cost breakdown of all the incidentals and taxes associated with your charter when it comes to booking, but it’s worth keeping in mind things like fuel, water, dockage, provisioning, and ground transport when totalling your budget. We will be happy to provide estimates for each based on your group size, boat selection, and what activities you want to experience throughout your trip.
Your itinerary is completely up to you, if you want a fast paced, island-hopping activity filled trip you can plan multiple stops in one day or if you’re looking for a laidback beachside trip with quiet bays and a break from civilisation, you can take an easy route!
Thankfully, there are a few options you can do each night of your itinerary. Firstly, most of the go-to stops on your itinerary are established with mooring fields, with the option of a “First Come First Serve,” ball at $40/night or reserved BoatyBall option for $55/Night. You can reserve BoatyBall’s through their WebApp.
Our optional WIFI routers are a plug-in modem that can connect to up to 10 devices. They work using the phone network and so are most reliable when close to shore but thankfully in the BVI they are reliable throughout most of the region. While we don’t encourage Netflix binges during a week of sailing, we understand that sometimes a movie night might be the perfect evening onboard, and having a WIFI box onboard is the perfect option to allow for this.
Enquire with res@horizonyachtcharters.com for rates & availability based on your charter dates. Alternatively, if WiFi is not on the cards, you can download an e-SIM using providers like Airalo.
When identifying the best crew configuration to fit your needs it helps to understand the differences between each arrangement.
The easiest option the night before your charter starts would be to add a sleepaboard to your booking. This would grant you access to the yacht from 17:00pm the night before the charter starts, it costs $75/ guest ($200 minimum). If you’re arriving out of hours, we will provide you with arrival instructions and the location of your boat on the dock, and then we’ll see you in the morning!
For any additional days after your charter finishes, we would be happy to assist you in finding the perfect land accommodation through one of our local partners. We work with a few select providers at varying price points, from exclusive luxury resorts to cost-conscious hotels.
If you’re interested in learning to sail as part of your trip, let our reservations team know, and we can include a Captain who’s comfortable teaching his crew how to sail. Even better, if you’d like to gain some certification during your trip, we can offer courses in the American Sailing curriculum.
We welcome any and all ages, group sizes and mobility levels. If you’ve got any special requests, be sure to mention these on your enquiry form and the reservations team will be sure to help accommodate these. We offer a netting round all of our boats for any small kids onboard to provide some additional protection.
For any larger than normal group sizes, we can offer tandem charters with more than one boat at extremely favourable rates.
Anegada is not off limits, but you need to make your briefer aware that you wish to go there. At that time you will be given permission to go, dependent upon your experience.
You'll need to know the following skills, which are all outlined in your Sailing Resume, which you will be required to submit pre-charter:
Here at Horizon, we base our approval process on a comprehensive assessment of your entire sailing experience and so require you to complete and submit a sailing resume. We look for examples of relevant and comparable experience that encourages us that you’ll be comfortable Captaining the boat you’ve picked. Obviously, certification and licenses contribute to our understanding of your ability, so make sure to include a note on your resume about these.
Prior to the charter, we require you to complete your Charter Contract, a completed sailing resume and your Crewlist/Arrival information. Each document will be provided to you at the point of booking and if you’ve chartered with us before, we would likely have your resume on file already.
When you arrive at base, you’ll be greeted by our reservations team, who will advise you on when you’ll have access to your boat, they’ll give you any outstanding paperwork, take payment for your incidentals, and process your security deposit.
Prior to your arrival, you will be sent your boat briefing video, or you can find all of them here. This will give you some handy advanced insight on the boat and the BVI to speed up your first day.
Then once you’re onboard and settled onboard, one of our operations team will come to the boat to brief you on the vessel and run through any questions you have. They will then take you off our dock and to the exit of the marina, where they’ll leave you to enjoy your trip.
If you require some local insight or advice on where to go while on charter, our office is open 08.30 am-17:30 pm and our reservations team will be happy to provide advice or recommendations.
For any boat-related issues, please contact the manager on duty via the contact number saved on your boat phone.
Absolutely, we offer check-out skippers at a rate of $275/ day.
We have a selection of the most reputable and experienced skippers available in the BVI in-house. We assign these to charters based on availability but if you’ve chartered with anyone specific before, be sure to request them again if you’d like.
Aside from their daily fee, the only additional costs to consider when including a captain or chef would be their provisioning and gratuity. When provisioning for the crew, just consider an additional person for any meal planning. If you plan on eating ashore, either provide the crew with some cash ($30-50/pp) to get themselves something, or invite them to your table or give them some clear instructions on what they can have onboard.
In the Caribbean, the industry standard is around 15-20% of the charter value, depending on your experience. One thing to keep in mind is that ATMs in the BVI can sometimes run out of cash.
We’re based at the world renowned full service resort and marina- Nanny Cay. Our office is located a stones throw away from F-Dock, where all our boats start and end from. Familiarise yourself with our base guide here that details all the information required for a smooth arrival and streamlining your charter experience.
The Horizon Yacht Charters BVI Office is open between 08:30-17:30, 7 days a week. We are closed on Christmas Day.
Nanny Cay Marina has the following facilities:
Yes, there are two stores in Nanny Cay you can provision from, Riteway and Relish. These are well stocked, but we would recommend ordering the bulk of your requirements of your arriving through one of our provisioning partners.
Just indicate to them you are chartering with Horizon and the boat name, and they’ll unload the provisions on the boat in advance of your arrival and make sure the perishables are in the fridge/freezer.
There is site-wide wifi at the marina, but it doesn’t quite reach the dock, so be sure to add a WIFI box to your booking if you need to WFY (work from yacht).
We can store your luggage when you arrive if you’d like to go provisioning or out for some lunch. If you need to leave bags at the base for the duration of your charter, this costs $10 per bag. We would always recommend bringing a soft suitcase to allow for ease of storage.
Where possible, we offer a sleep-aboard service at $75/ guest ($200 Minimum). You would be able to have access to your vessel from 17:00pm the night before your charter start.
In any onboard emergency, use your VHF radio on Channel 16 to call for help and follow Mayday procedures. You can also reach VISAR (Virgin Islands Search & Rescue) on Channel 67 or by calling 767 from a BVI phone. For medical, fire, or police emergencies on land, dial 999 or 911. Horizon’s base team can also be contacted via the MOD number which will be saved on your boat phone- +1 (284) 542 8788
We work with a few local provisioning providers to ensure you can arrive at a well-stocked boat with all your favourite items onboard without the hassle of going to the store.
When you place your order you’ll be asked to indicate that you’re chartering with Horizon, the boat name and your arrival info. The provider will then deliver the order to the boat and put the perishables away in the fridge and usually leave the dry goods out for you to check through everything.
All of our boats have a gas oven and stovetop, where you would do the majority of your cooking. Each of our boats comes with an external grill, either a coal BBQ, gas burner or built-in plancha/BBQ, perfect for your nominated chef to be working on lunch while the rest of the crew jump in for a swim!
When you arrive you’ll have 1 gallon of drinking water onboard. While we don’t recommend drinking from the freshwater tanks onboard the boat, there are plenty of options to re-provision for drinking water throughout your trip including right at our Nanny Cay Base!
Each cabin will come with 2 bath towels, 2 beach towels, and 2 facecloths, and all beds and sheets will be dressed for your arrival. If you’re doing a longer charter, feel free to request additional towels/ sheets, and we’ll be happy to provide. If you’d like the boat cleaned and re-dressed throughout your charter we can also arrange this for a fee and with prior notice.
All of our catamarans come with Air conditioning and a generator; each has its own configuration on how this is controlled but many of them have dynamic room-specific controls. All of our Monohulls above 41ft also have air conditioning throughout. Speak with your reservations agent to ensure the boats you’re interested in come with all the creature comforts you require.
All cabins in our fleet have at least 1 USB port and additional ports within the galley. The outlets onboard are US sockets and require the inverter when in use, which all our boats include.
We offer both individual water toy rentals, as well as discounted packages combining a selection of our toys in order to effectively upgrade your trip and add that extra dose of adrenaline you might be looking for.
We don’t provide snorkelling gear, but this can be rented from our dive partner, Blue Water Divers. Their store is located just downstairs from the Horizon office at Nanny Cay.
All Horizon Yacht Charter guests are required to rent a cell phone for the duration of their charter to ensure reliable communication between the base and the vessel. The cost to rent the phone is US$20, which includes US$10 of prepaid credit. Communication between your boat and the Horizon base is free of charge, as are all incoming calls.
The phone operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, and additional credit can easily be added at Flow top-up providers throughout the BVI, or by contacting our base directly. Outgoing international calls typically range from $0.20 to $0.80 per minute depending on the destination, while incoming international calls are free.
This phone is required as a safety measure, allowing us to stay in touch, relay any messages, and assist you in case of emergency. It’s a simple, secure way to stay connected while you enjoy your time at sea.
We supply linen, towels and a Welcome Starter Kit. This includes:
The following will be included in your charter and onboard your yacht:
A231/A232 Imray-lolaire Charts for the Eastern Caribbean, Cruising guide, Dividers, pencil & sharpener, parallel plotter/rule
Yes, all boats have chartplotters. Depending on the boat, they will be Raymarine, Garmin or B&G.
If your yacht has an inverter on board then you may use electrical appliances that you have brought with you (hairdryer, recharging batteries, etc.) while sailing or at anchor. You may need to bring an adapter plug. Most of our yachts are 110V with U.S receptacles as in the BVI. We advise that you check with us first since the relevant information is dependent upon your yacht as well as which country you are visiting from. All yachts have 12V sockets.
All of our yachts come equipped with onboard refrigeration, with fridge and freezer sizes varying depending on the model you select. Most guests choose to provision enough fresh produce and essentials for the first few days and then top up at convenient provisioning stops throughout the islands. Our team can help you plan provisioning to suit your itinerary and storage capacity.
Yes, our boats come with one as standard, but we can provide additional should you require upon request.
We advise that you pick up your own BBQ coals and lighter fluid.
We do stock standard size child life jackets, Type 1. It is better to bring your own if you have children below the age of 6, to ensure the proper fit.
Each boat is fully equipped with a safety box containing all the sailing essentials that a skipper may need.
Unfortunately not. Due to insurance purposes and responsibility to our owners, we do not allow our yachts to compete in sailing regattas.
We offer code zero or asymmetric spinnakers on some of our Jeanneau yachts (380s, and 440s) and Open 44 Nautitech Catamarans. We also offer experienced sailors the opportunity to learn how to safely raise, fly and lower these awesome sails through our sailing school.
Hull Damage Waiver (HDW) Insurance covers accidental damage to the yacht’s hull, rudder, keel, rigging, sails, and equipment, as well as fire, theft, and vandalism- up to the first $2,000–$5,000 depending on your deposit/type of boat. It does not cover damage caused by negligence, operating under the influence, entering restricted areas, failing to follow your contract, or improper dinghy use (especially by minors). All incidents, including theft and fire, must be reported immediately to both Horizon and where suitable local authorities.
You simply tilt the engine and pull the dinghy up on the beach and tie to the nearest palm tree, assuming there is no wave action preventing you from doing so.
Yes, we provide a lock with a padlock. You should lock your dinghy every time as cases of dinghy ‘mistaken identity’ do occur and you will be responsible for full value of the dinghy outboard if it is lost or stolen while unlocked.
While we don’t recommend choosing your charter solely based on the tender size, our fleet includes a range of engine sizes depending on the boat. If you’re looking for something with extra power, we also offer an upgraded Super Tender that can be added to your booking- perfect for those wanting a little more zip between stops. Just ask our team for availability and pricing.
Your yacht is supplied to you with full fuel and water tanks. However, you can also pick up water and fuel at the entrance to Nanny Cay Marina. If you need to fill up your tanks throughout your charter, there are various spots around the islands where you can fill up!
Since some flights arrive too late in the day for you to start your charter, where possible, we offer the option of a sleepaboard on your first night at an additional charge. Boarding is after 5:00 pm, and your yacht will be prepared for your late arrival. Please enquire about this option should you require it.
You’ll be able to board the yacht from 12pm noon, then you’ll have a bit of time to get settled onboard. We have prepared boat briefing and chart briefing videos for you to watch in advance of your charter.
A sunny smile and your reservations team poised and ready to get you onboard as smoothly as possible. If there’s any outstanding paperwork they’ll get this out the way promptly and then take payment for your outstanding incidentals/taxes.
They’ll then advise you of the status of your boat and whether she’s ready to be boarded, and introduce you to your boat briefer who will run through any specific questions you have following your boat and chart briefing videos.
You can travel to our BVI charter base either by flying directly into Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) on Tortola, or by flying into St. Thomas (STT) in the US Virgin Islands and continuing by ferry or private water taxi to Road Town or Nanny Cay. Both options are commonly used, and we’re happy to assist with transfer arrangements.
From St. Thomas (STT), you can take a ferry (approximately 1 hour) or a private water taxi to Tortola. Once in Tortola, we can arrange a taxi to bring you directly to our base at Nanny Cay Marina. Ferries run regularly between Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook and Road Town, BVI. Choose the ferry company with arrival and departure times that work for your travel plans, all the ferry companies operate a reliable service. We strongly recommend arriving in St Thomas at least 3 hours prior to your return flight as you need to pass immigration, customs and taxi from the ferry dock to the airport.
Our Horizon base at Nanny Cay Marina is approximately:
Taxi fares vary based on your point of entry and group size, but here are some general estimates:
Most visitors do not need a visa to enter the BVI for tourism however we strongly recommend you check your requirements before flying. You can find more information on visas here (https://bvi.org.uk/visas/). You will need a valid passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity and proof of onward travel. You’ll also pay a $10 environmental levy on arrival and a departure tax when leaving.
If you’re arriving after office hours, we’ll provide clear instructions in advance for locating your yacht on the dock. A member of our team will ensure the boat is unlocked and ready, with lights and essential systems on. You can board anytime after 5:00 PM if you’ve booked a sleep aboard.
If your luggage is delayed, our team will help coordinate with the airline or ferry provider for delivery. In the meantime, you can find essentials at local shops in Nanny Cay. We recommend packing a change of clothes and key items in your carry-on, just in case.
Our yachts are meticulously maintained and fully equipped for comfort, safety, and performance — ensuring a stress-free charter from start to finish.
As the leading independent charter company in the Caribbean with over two decades of experience, our teams provide expert knowledge and personalized support from the first time you contact us, through the end of your vacation.
From learn to sail, to bareboat to luxurious fully-crewed experiences, we offer a range of charter styles to suit your preferences, aspirations, and travel goals.
We pride ourselves on delivering warm, professional service that consistently earns rave reviews — and many returning guests year after year.
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