“What do we actually do all day?”

The answer is one of the reasons people love bareboating in the British Virgin Islands: your day is largely your own.

There is no 6:30 AM wake-up call. You don't need to pack a bag and leave your hotel every morning, and there isn't a tour bus waiting to take you to the day's activities.

Your yacht is your transportation, accommodations and home base for the week.

But after helping guests explore the BVI for nearly 30 years, we've found there is a natural rhythm that works particularly well for a bareboat charter:

Enjoy your morning where you woke up, move to your next destination around late morning, get the yacht situated for the night, and then spend the afternoon enjoying where you are.

Here's what a typical day might actually look like.

Wake Up Whenever You Want

One of the best parts of a bareboat charter is waking up somewhere beautiful with nowhere you immediately need to be.

Maybe you're on a mooring at Norman Island, Cooper Island, North Sound or Anegada.

Make coffee and breakfast aboard. Sit outside and enjoy the view. Go for a morning swim or snorkel. Get out the paddleboards or other water toys. Take the dinghy ashore.

Or do absolutely nothing.

Unless you have a reservation or activity scheduled that morning, there's usually no reason to rush.

You're already somewhere you came to the BVI to enjoy, so enjoy it before you leave.

Morning Is a Great Time to Swim, Snorkel and Explore

We generally recommend taking advantage of the morning before moving the yacht.

The water may be quieter, beaches and snorkeling areas can be less busy, and everyone has time to enjoy breakfast before getting underway.

If you're at Norman Island, you might snorkel The Caves or The Indians before continuing east.

If you're in North Sound, you might enjoy breakfast, swim or go ashore before deciding what you want to do next.

On Anegada, you may have a completely different plan and spend much of the day exploring the island.

Every day doesn't need to look the same.

That's the point.

Around 11:00 AM to Noon Is Often a Good Time to Move

For a typical bareboat day, we often suggest planning to move toward your next overnight destination around 11:00 AM to noon.

You'll notice that this is when many boats begin moving around the BVI.

By then, you've had the morning to enjoy your first location, but you're still getting to your next destination early enough to secure the yacht and enjoy the afternoon.

Because the BVI islands are relatively close together—and a powercat can travel directly from one destination to another—many passages don't consume half the day.

You aren't packing up and “checking out” of one destination.

You simply get the yacht ready, release your mooring and head to the next one.

First Decide Where You Want to Spend the Night

One of the most useful habits on a BVI bareboat charter is to think about where you're sleeping that night before you plan the rest of the day.

That doesn't mean you need a rigid seven-day itinerary.

It simply means knowing whether tonight's plan is:

• a reserved BoatyBall;
• a first-come, first-served mooring; or
• a reserved marina slip.

That one decision can determine how flexible the rest of your day can be.

Have a BoatyBall Reservation? Relax.

This is one of the reasons BoatyBall reservations are so popular with charter guests.

If you have a reserved BoatyBall for that evening, you already know where you're spending the night.

That removes one of the day's biggest logistical questions.

Want to snorkel a little longer that morning? You can.

Want to stop somewhere for lunch?

Spend more time at The Baths?

Stay at the beach for another hour?

You have much more flexibility because you aren't trying to arrive before the first-come, first-served moorings fill up.

You still need to allow appropriate time to reach your destination and follow the terms of your reservation, but having your overnight mooring secured takes a lot of pressure out of planning the day.

Have a Marina Reservation? You Have the Same Advantage.

A reserved marina slip gives you similar peace of mind.

You already know where the yacht is going that evening, so you can plan the day around what you want to do rather than trying to beat other boats into a mooring field.

Marinas can also be a nice change during a week-long bareboat charter.

When you're at a marina, you generally plug the yacht into shore power and have an opportunity to top up your freshwater tanks. Many marinas don't allow generators to run at the dock because shore power is available.

Depending on the marina, you may also have easy access to restaurants, shops, resort facilities and other amenities.

North Sound offers several marina options, including Bitter End Yacht Club, Leverick Bay and Oil Nut Bay, while other areas of the BVI provide opportunities to mix marina nights with nights on mooring balls.

You don't need to spend every night the same way.

Learn more: BVI Mooring Balls vs. Marinas: Where Should You Stay Overnight?

No Reservation? Don't Wait Until 4:00 PM to Start Looking for a Mooring

If you're planning to use a first-come, first-served overnight mooring, we'd approach the day a little differently.

Enjoy your morning, but plan to start moving toward your next destination around 11:00 AM to noon.

What you don't want to do is spend the entire day somewhere else and then decide at 4:00 PM that it's time to head toward the place where you planned to sleep.

During busier periods, you could arrive and discover that the mooring field is full.

Now, instead of enjoying the end of the day, you're trying to figure out where else to go.

That's unnecessary stress on a vacation.

We'd much rather see you arrive earlier, secure your mooring for the night, and then forget about it.

Once the yacht is safely situated, the afternoon is yours.

VCY Tip: If you have a reserved BoatyBall or marina slip, you already know where you're spending the night and can be more flexible with your day. If you're relying on a first-come, first-served mooring, enjoy your morning and then plan to move around 11:00 AM–noon rather than waiting until late afternoon.

Picking Up the Mooring Is Part of Bareboat Life

Unlike a fully crewed charter, on a bareboat your group is the crew.

When you arrive at your destination, the skipper maneuvers the yacht while members of your group work together to pick up and properly secure the mooring.

That's one of the reasons we include an on-water checkout at the beginning of VCY bareboat charters. We aren't only making sure the skipper is comfortable operating the yacht—we also want to see that the group can work together to pick up and secure a mooring ball.

Once you've done it several times during the week, it becomes part of the normal rhythm of the charter.

And once that mooring is secured, you're home for the night.

Now Enjoy the Afternoon

This is when the day can become whatever you want it to be.

Go snorkeling.

Swim off the back of the yacht.

Take the paddleboards out.

Dinghy to a beach.

Have lunch ashore.

Explore the island.

Take a moke around Anegada.

Visit a resort.

Book an activity.

Read a book.

Take a nap.

Have a cocktail.

There is no prize for fitting the most activities into seven days.

One of the biggest mistakes first-time charter guests can make is treating the BVI like a checklist of places they need to see.

If your group is having a fantastic afternoon somewhere, enjoy it.

You Don't Have to Go Directly From One Overnight Stop to Another

Moving around 11:00 AM to noon doesn't mean you always travel directly from one overnight mooring to the next and stay there for the rest of the day.

Some days you'll make another stop along the way.

For example, you might leave Norman Island after breakfast, stop for a snorkel, and then continue to Cooper Island.

Or visit The Baths during the day before continuing to North Sound for the night.

Your yacht isn't just where you sleep.

It's how you explore the BVI.

That's one of the biggest differences between a yacht charter and staying at a resort.

You aren't returning to the same hotel room every evening.

Your home moves with you.

How Much Time Do You Actually Spend Driving the Boat?

Usually less than first-time guests imagine.

The BVI is particularly well suited to yacht chartering because so many islands and destinations are relatively close together.

And on a powercat, you can generally point the yacht toward where you want to go and travel directly there rather than depending on the wind and tacking back and forth as you would under sail.

VCY powercats generally cruise in the 10–18 knot range, depending on the yacht and conditions.

That means you can spend much more of your vacation at the destinations rather than spending the entire day trying to reach them.

Learn more: Power vs. Sailing Catamaran Charter in the BVI

What About Lunch?

Bareboat guests generally mix meals aboard with restaurants and beach bars throughout the week.

Lunch might be sandwiches, salads, tacos or something simple aboard.

You might grill something.

Or you may decide that day's plan is to dinghy ashore and have lunch somewhere.

This is one reason we encourage guests not to over-provision.

If you buy seven breakfasts, seven lunches and seven dinners for every person aboard, there's a good chance you're going home with a lot of food.

Part of the fun of the BVI is being able to combine meals aboard with the restaurants and beach bars you encounter along the way.

Learn more: BVI Bareboat Provisioning Guide

Late Afternoon Is When Everything Slows Down

Once you're securely on your mooring or in your marina slip, there's nothing else you need to accomplish.

This is often one of the nicest parts of the day.

Swim.

Shower.

Put some music on.

Sit on the flybridge.

Have a drink.

Watch the other boats arrive.

Enjoy sunset.

You aren't thinking about driving anywhere or checking into a hotel.

You're already home.

Dinner Aboard or Ashore?

That's entirely up to you.

Some nights you may cook aboard and eat outside under the stars.

Other nights you might take the dinghy ashore to a restaurant or beach bar.

You don't need to decide every dinner before the charter begins.

There may be certain restaurants where reservations are helpful, particularly during busy periods, but otherwise you can decide what everyone feels like doing.

That's part of the freedom of bareboating.

And Then You're Already Home

This is one of the things first-time charter guests don't always appreciate until they're actually doing it.

When you finish dinner ashore, you don't call a taxi and drive back to a hotel.

You take the dinghy back to your yacht.

Sit outside for a while.

Look at the stars.

Go to bed.

And the next morning you wake up somewhere beautiful and do it all again.

Do You Have to Move the Yacht Every Day?

No.

If your group loves somewhere, you don't necessarily need to leave simply because another island was on your original itinerary.

There may be reservations, weather or other logistical considerations to keep in mind, but your charter doesn't need to become a race around the BVI.

Sometimes staying somewhere for a second night is exactly the right decision.

A private bareboat charter gives you that flexibility.

What About Anegada? Is That a Typical Day?

Anegada tends to be a little different from the other days of a BVI itinerary.

If you're planning to visit Anegada, we often recommend spending the previous night in North Sound.

Then you can wake up in the morning, look at the weather and sea conditions and decide whether you feel comfortable making the trip.

If conditions are good and you're going, we'd generally recommend heading up in the morning and trying to arrive around 11:00 AM to noon.

Once you're there, secure your mooring and enjoy Anegada.

Rent a moke or scooter, explore the beaches, take a conch or lobster tour, and plan to stay for the night rather than treating Anegada as a quick afternoon stop.

How Is a Typical Day Different on a Fully Crewed Yacht?

You may visit many of the same islands and do many of the same activities.

But your role is completely different.

On a bareboat, your group operates the yacht. You think about where you're spending the night, drive the boat, handle the mooring, manage the dinghy and prepare your own meals or arrange to eat ashore.

On a fully crewed yacht, you're the guest.

The captain operates the yacht, handles navigation and moorings and helps plan the day. Your chef prepares meals around your group's preferences. The crew handles the yacht and helps with water toys, activities and other details throughout the charter.

If your group says, “We'd love to snorkel this morning and find somewhere quiet this afternoon,” your captain can help make that happen.

Both are wonderful ways to experience the BVI.

They're simply very different vacations.

Learn more: BVI Luxury Crewed Yacht Charter Guide

Frequently Asked Questions About a Typical BVI Bareboat Day

What time do you have to wake up on a BVI bareboat charter?

You don't have a required wake-up time. Unless you have an activity or reservation scheduled, wake up when you want, have breakfast and enjoy the location where you spent the night.

What time should you move to your next destination?

For a typical bareboat day, we often recommend enjoying the morning and then moving toward your next overnight destination around 11:00 AM to noon. This gives you time to get situated for the night while still leaving most of the afternoon to enjoy the destination.

What if I already have a BoatyBall reservation?

Then your day can be more flexible because your overnight mooring is already reserved. That's one of the primary reasons charter guests like reservable moorings: you don't need to rush to compete for a first-come, first-served ball.

What if I have a marina reservation?

The same principle applies. Your slip is reserved, so you know where you're spending the night. At the marina, you'll generally connect to shore power and can top up your freshwater tanks.

How late should I wait to find an overnight mooring?

We wouldn't recommend waiting until late afternoon if you're relying on a first-come, first-served mooring. During busy periods, popular mooring fields can fill, leaving you looking for an alternative late in the day. 

Do you have to move the yacht every day?

No. If you love a destination and your plans allow it, staying another night can be part of the flexibility of a private bareboat charter.

How much time will we spend underway each day?

Generally less than many first-time guests expect. BVI destinations are relatively close together, and a powercat lets you move efficiently between islands.

Do we need to cook every meal aboard?

No. Most bareboat guests combine meals aboard with restaurants and beach bars throughout their charter.

What do you do during the afternoon?

Whatever your group enjoys: snorkeling, swimming, paddleboarding, beaches, island exploring, shore activities, restaurants—or simply relaxing aboard.

Is a BVI bareboat charter relaxing if we're responsible for the yacht?

It can be, particularly for experienced boaters who enjoy operating a yacht. But bareboat guests are responsible for running the boat, handling moorings and managing daily life aboard. If your goal is to have no yacht responsibilities at all, a fully crewed charter provides a very different experience.

What Does a Great Bareboat Day Actually Look Like?

It doesn't require a complicated itinerary.

Wake up somewhere beautiful.

Have breakfast.

Swim or snorkel.

Enjoy the morning.

Decide where you want to spend the night.

Move around late morning.

Secure your mooring or arrive at your reserved BoatyBall or marina slip.

Then spend the afternoon swimming, exploring, eating, relaxing and enjoying wherever you are.

Watch the sunset.

Have dinner aboard or ashore.

Take the dinghy home.

Go to sleep.

Wake up somewhere beautiful tomorrow.

That's a pretty good day.

Did You Know?

The BVI are only accessible by boat. Check out our charter yachts that can get you there. View Our Fleet