The Horizon Group
The Horizon Group
The British Virgin Islands offer some of the most reliable and enjoyable sailing conditions in the Caribbean—ideal for both leisurely charters and learn-to-sail adventures. With consistent conditions, plotting your course becomes simple, allowing you to make the most of every day on the water.
Typically ranging from 10 to 20 knots year-round
Winds predominantly blow from the East
Short and easy to navigate passages
Although you can anchor, there are mooring balls in most bays
As sailors we know how important it is to get our lay of the land (and sea) before we plot any course. We’ve put together this comprehensive chart briefing to ensure you can get accustomed to the islands before you arrive! As well as this video, you’ll receive a comprehensive chart briefing on arrival at our BVI Base. We recommend you keep an eye on the weather both while underway and at each of your chosen anchorages during your BVI Yacht Charter. If you have chosen to learn to sail with us, maintaining a weather watch will be emphasised as part of your BVI sailing school tuition.
Throughout the islands, you'll find a mix of first-come, first-served moorings as well as BoatyBall moorings that can be reserved in advance through the BoatyBall app. Understanding the difference between these systems—and knowing where and how to secure a spot—can make all the difference when planning your overnight stays.
BoatyBall is a website that allows you to reserve and pay for mooring balls located in prime locations throughout the British Virgin Islands. The beauty of the website means that you can relax and enjoy your current location or take your time sailing to your next destination, safe in the knowledge that your overnight mooring is reserved for your yacht. You can create an account with BoatyBall and save your card details in advance. To reserve, go to your desired bay in the application and select an orange mooring. Tap on “Reserve”. This reserves the mooring and you have 4 minutes to complete the transaction. Select “Pay” to pay for your transaction. Once the transaction is completed a red flag will appear in the location of your reserved mooring. You will also receive a confirmation email.
The website places mooring balls into three categories:
These mooring balls are bright orange, cone-shaped, have numbers on them, and will have the BoatyBall logo clearly visible. Daily reservations for these moorings can be made from 7.00 am every morning. You can arrive at the mooring between 12 noon and 5:30 pm that same day, and you must leave by 12 noon the following day. Do not pick up a reservable mooring that you have not paid for and reserved in advance. Current Locations:
First Come First Serve Moorings in the BoatyBall program are white buoys with orange BoatyBall stickers on them. They are numbered. These are paid for via the BoatyBall website. Do not pay for one of these moorings until you are tied onto the mooring. Once tied up and secured to a mooring, log into your account at BoatyBall.com. Then use the application to select the relevant mooring ball in your current bay. After selecting “Pay” the application will ask you to confirm that you are currently tied up to a FCFS BoatyBall mooring. Read the terms and select “I Agree”. Paying for it in advance does not reserve this mooring ball and you may arrive at your destination and find another yacht using the ball you have paid for! Current Locations:
Day Use Only Moorings are in popular dive sites and have a reflective yellow stripe on them. These moorings appear yellow in the BoatyBall application. You can make a donation to the organizations that maintain these moorings at any time by selecting the yellow mooring in the application and donating. Once tied up and secured to a mooring, log into your account at BoatyBall.com. Then use the application to select a yellow mooring in your current bay. The mooring number is not relevant for day use only moorings. After selecting “Pay” the application will ask you to confirm that you are currently tied up to a day use only BoatyBall mooring. Read the terms and select “I Agree”.
Besides BoatyBall Moorings, there will be other moorings balls in most mooring fields such as these below. The fee for these moorings is covered by your National Park Pass which you will have paid for the duration of your trip.
There are plenty of weather websites which provide useful information for planning your yacht charter, including sea states, wind and current directions, and wind speed (with gusts):
These weather resources are especially useful if you prefer to set-up your charter yacht each morning before getting underway. For example, you may choose to reef the mainsail prior to departure if wind speeds are forecast to be in reefing range. It’s much easier to do it on your mooring than underway!
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.
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