093 All The Things You Need to Know About Chartering a Sailboat
Have you considered chartering a sailboat for an upcoming family vacation? Today Jen Barnes from @gofamilyadventure joins Lisa to share all about chartering a sailboat. They cover where to sail, what to expect, food ideas, what the boat life is like, what to do during the day on the boat, where to stop and what to see, plus so much more.
Listen in to learn all about a unique family vacation idea!
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“Sailing is a lot like camping in paradise!”
How to Charter a Sailboat in the British Virgin Islands
What does it mean to charter? Basically it’s renting a sailboat. You can bareboat charter (skipper yourself) or hire a skipper.
What is a recommend length of renting? Jen recommends going for at least a week. It makes all of the effort of getting to the boat worth it plus gives you time to settle in and really enjoy your adventure.
Do you recommend purchasing the insurance offered by the boat company? Yes! There are a lot of things that could be broken on the boat while sailing and it’s nice to not worry and have things covered.
What’s Included? You have a lot of options and you can pick and choose what you want to have included. You can do the cooking or hire that out. You can do the sailing or hire it out. Decide what is most important to you and pay for that.
There are two main companies who charter boats in the British Virgin Islands (BVI.) Sunsail and Moorings. There are other smaller companies but these are the two most well-known options.
How to Get to the British Virgin Islands
US citizens do need a passport
You can fly to Costa Rica and then over to Tortola.
Fly in to Beef Island airport-small aircraft only-on the Island of Tortola
Fly into St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) & Ferry to Tortola
Plan to arrive at least a day before you sail
You may want to rent a car after you arrive in Tortola which will make grocery shopping possible.
Finding a hotel in Tortola can be a bit challenging as many of the hotels have been destroyed in hurricanes. Plan ahead on booking a place.
Daily Life on the Sailboat
Cooking can be a bit of a challenge as you are working in small and tight quarters. It’s a lot like cooking while camping. If you are doing the cooking, plan simple meals that do not require a lot of prep.
Water. You (or your skipper) will fill tanks with clean water that can be used in the bathrooms, for cooking, and for bathing.
Bathing. There are usually small showers in the bathrooms. Jen’s kids likes to suds up on the back of the boat, jump into the ocean, and then hose off with clean water on the back of the boat.
Sleeping. The bedrooms are tiny. Basically just room for a bed. It’s a space where you won’t spend extra time and will only go there to sleep.
Recreation! There are so many fun things to do when the boat isn’t moving. Snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, and so much more.
Seasickness. If you are prone to seasickness, consider getting a prescription patch from your doctor before sailing. Or you would try over the counter medicine or Sea Bands.
There will be mooring expenses if you hook up to one of the anchors in the ocean. A ranger will come to collect payment and you need to pay in cash.
You won’t always be able to dock at an island, so plan on hooking up to the mooring ball and then using your dinghy (small boat) to row into shore.
Some boats have air conditioning but you will pay a fee to run it.
Wifi is a possibility. You can pay an additional fee for this.
Photo courtesy of Jen Barnes
Why Sail in the British Virgin Islands?
Easier sailing. Great combination of wind and current.
Great place for island hopping. There are plenty of islands close enough to each other that you have several destinations within sailing distance.
Snorkeling! Beautiful place to see so much underwater life.
Beautiful scenery everywhere you look.
Must Visit Islands in the BVI
The Baths on Virgin Gorda. You will need to moor and use your dinghy to get ashore. Plus there is some swimming. Bring along a couple of dry bags to hold everything you need for the day. There is a little hike to a restaurant where you can enjoy some lunch.
Jost Van Dyke. Rum bars and sand games!
Anegada. Call ahead on your boat phone to order dinner.
Buck Island-Tortola. Famous for their Full Moon Party. It’s an all night party on the night of a full moon that is family-friendly.
The Indians. This is a popular place for snorkeling.
