sponsor content created with The Moorings
Imagine waking up on board your own yacht in the British Virgin Islands. The bay is still, with the soft morning light reflecting across the water. A handful of other yachts lie nearby, while the hills beyond the palm-fringed white sand beach rise steeply towards distant peaks cloaked in rain forest. This is the enchanting landscape in which The Moorings was founded more than 55 years ago and to which customers enthusiastically return year after year.
Coffee is poured, fruit is cut, and somebody asks the only question that matters: where shall we go next? Perhaps it’s the day for Virgin Gorda and The Baths, where enormous granite boulders form a maze of pools and passages with shafts of sunlight beside the sea. It makes for a unique – and very memorable – lunchtime swimming spot.
Another option is the remote and low-lying coral island of Anegada, 20 miles to the north. Here the day can be divided between long beaches, snorkelling on spectacular reefs and a leisurely dinner of freshly caught lobster at a laid-back beach front restaurant.
The beauty of chartering a yacht of your own is that these decisions don’t need to be made ages in advance, so plans can be flexible and spontaneous. The BVIs are perfect for anyone seeking this kind of freedom, which helps to explain the very high levels of repeat visits, as does the friendly, laid-back vibe. It’s a combination that has made this consistently the number one destination for charter yacht holidays for decades.
Designed for comfort in warm-weather destinations, The Moorings award-winning power catamarans make exploring effortless. Every yacht features air-conditioned interiors, spacious shaded seating, panoramic outdoor living areas and easy-access swim platforms - giving you plenty of ways to relax and enjoy life on the water.
"
"
The British Virgin Islands, Your Way
This unspoilt corner of the Caribbean offers a stunning archipelago with easy navigation and plenty of varied anchorages. There are also spectacular reefs and shipwrecks that teem with life, providing some of the best diving and snorkelling to be found anywhere. The Islands are not far apart, yet each has its own unique character, and the journey between them is part of the fun.
On a Moorings power catamaran these trips can be quick, without feeling hurried. Speed shortens the passages, while the catamaran’s inherent stability and broad beam make the boat a comfortable place to spend the day. There’s room to spread out, with different spaces for different generations of family, yet also plenty of opportunity to come together.
The Moorings is a pioneer in the power catamaran market, with nearly two decades of experience in fine-tuning these yachts specifically for Caribbean holidays.
Smartphone style simplicity
By mid-morning, you might be running south towards Cooper Island, the water brightening as the sun climbs. This is a favourite for swimming and snorkelling and after only an hour en route the engines are quiet, masks and fins have appeared and everyone is in the water.
Yacht charter holidays always have a very different feel to those based on shore. For families and groups of friends, there is another advantage: nobody needs to spend their holiday negotiating excursions and timetables. Early risers can swim before breakfast. Others can linger over coffee. Children can swim off the stern – or engage in other activities – while adults read, talk, or kickback and do very little at all.
It’s a perfect recipe for quality, uninterrupted time together. The same group that shared breakfast also shares the passage, the snorkel, the unexpected turtle beside the boat and the first drink of the evening. There are no hotel corridors to disappear down and no transfers to organise. The yacht represents transport, a meeting place for your group and accommodation, with no need to repack luggage ahead of travelling to a new location.
After a lunchtime swim stop the options widen again. What about Virgin Gorda’s North Sound, at the island’s northern extremity? Accessible only by sea, and close to Richard Branson’s Necker Island retreat, this is home to the Bitter End Yacht Club, a rustic and relaxed high-end resort with a mile long white coral-sand beach and safe anchorage in the extensive, but sheltered, waters of North Sound.
Large scale and high rise development has been firmly resisted in the islands, but that hasn’t prevented the sympathetic creation of world-class facilities in the BVIs and the Bitter End as an excellent example. Equally, Saba Rock, just a couple of miles across the sound, is legendary for sunset drinks.
Another day could lead west to the island of Jost Van Dyke, with a swim at White Bay and lunch at the Soggy Dollar, before a short hop to Great Harbour for an evening at Foxy’s vibrant beach bar.
At Norman Island, the attraction is different: sheltered bays, clear water and caves that invite exploration with mask and snorkel. Elsewhere, the most memorable stop of the trip may be somewhere far less famous – a quiet anchorage, a strip of beach accessible only by sea, maybe simply a small cove that looked too good to miss. This kind of freedom is central to a holiday on a bareboat Moorings Powercat.
Discover BVI yacht charters with The Moorings and start planning:
The Moorings is still the largest yacht charter operator here, with an unrivalled depth of experience and service, including a privately-owned resort and marina purpose built to provide an unrivaled customer experience. This is recognised through numerous independent awards, including four Tripadvisor Awards , Best Caribbean Charter Company (Caribbean Journal), and Favorite Charter Company (Southern Boating).
The over-riding objective follows a well-proven path that hasn’t changed over the years: to make the entire experience, from the planning stage onwards as easy as possible, with expert support on hand throughout the booking and charter process.
The result is a Caribbean holiday that feels unusually personal. You travel when you want, stop where you want and spend the day with the people you came to see, with the next island and next adventure never far away.
Or speak directly with The Moorings expert holiday planners on 0333 060 8996
A Crewed option offers the same flexible itineraries and privacy, with another layer of ease. A professional captain looks after the boat and the route, while a chef takes care of meals, creating menus around local produce and the group’s preferences. The appeal of customised itineraries and memorable food, without the need to organise anything, is understandably irresistible to many.
Whichever option you choose, the BVIs remain a perfect choice for holidays on the water. Distances are manageable, the scenery constantly changes and the boat provides both transport and a private retreat.
