Synopsis: I’ve just returned from a power catamaran charter in the British Virgin Islands. This post is packed with practical insights based on my real-world experiences as an amateur sailor—from choosing a boat, navigating, and anchoring to managing daily electricity and fresh water usage. All of this is hard-won experience gained through trial and error. If you’re planning a self-skippered motorboat charter in the BVI, this article can help you avoid at least half the pitfalls.
Author’s Note: This article was written by an amateur sailing enthusiast who has chartered boats in the BVI every year for the past five years. I’ve personally operated more than 20 motor catamarans of various brands, ranging from Leopard to Fountaine Pajot.I’m not a captain, nor am I an instructor—just an ordinary person who loves to hop on a boat and cruise around at my own pace. All of this experience has been earned through hard-earned money and sunburns.
Why I Chose a Motor Catamaran Over a Sailboat
The first time I chartered a boat in the BVI, I was torn. Sailing boats are cheaper, but to be honest, for amateur sailors like us, the learning curve is much steeper—especially when anchoring or entering and exiting marinas. Relying solely on the sails to control the direction can easily leave beginners flustered.
A motor catamaran is a different story: as soon as you hit the throttle, it moves; when you stop, the engine shuts off; and turning is achieved through differential steering of the two engines—much like driving a large SUV.In the British Virgin Islands, the wind can sometimes disappear suddenly—a phenomenon that’s especially common in the summer. With calm, stable weather prevailing, sailboats there can sway for a long time while remaining stuck in one spot, leaving you sitting on board feeling frustrated and helpless. At least a motorboat ensures you can proceed according to your original plan.
There is a downside, though: fuel consumption is really high. The Leopard 42 PC I rented this time was equipped with two 150-horsepower Yanmar diesel engines, and its fuel consumption at full cruising speed was about 18 liters per hour. Diesel in the BVI currently costs about $4.50 per gallon, or roughly $1.20 per liter—you can do the math yourself. That’s why many people prefer to cruise for just two hours a day and spend the rest of the time snorkeling and drinking. However, if you plan to visit four or five islands in a single day, your fuel costs will skyrocket.
On top of that, there’s the issue of noise. On a catamaran, the engine room is located at the stern. If you’re sitting on the flybridge, it’s tolerable, but if you’re staying in a cabin—especially the aft cabin—the vibrations and noise from the diesel engines are very real and noticeable.If you don’t turn off the engines while you sleep, it feels as if you’re sleeping right next to a tractor.
A Few Things People Most Often Overlook When Choosing a Boat
Not all powered catamarans are the same. I’ve been burned before.
Flybridges come in different sizes. The scenic beauty of the BVI makes everyone want to be up high to enjoy the view of the ocean.However, on boats with oversized flybridges, once the center of gravity shifts upward, the degree of rolling becomes much more pronounced compared to the lower deck areas.Especially when sailing in the open waters off Anegada, whenever a swell hits, those on the flybridge are the first to get seasick.I once witnessed a family of three who chartered a Fountaine Pajot MY44—a boat with an extremely spacious flybridge—end up vomiting nonstop the entire trip. By the end, they had all retreated to the lower deck.
As for the generator, that deserves a separate discussion.Power catamarans consume significantly more electricity than sailboats. Air conditioning requires electricity, the refrigerator runs on electricity, the watermaker operates on electricity, and even the microwave uses electricity. If you choose a boat with lower-end specifications, the generator may be underpowered or already worn out.Last year, I chartered a boat where the air conditioning stopped cooling as soon as the generator was turned on, but turning it off made it unbearably hot. I later realized the generator’s load capacity had been improperly designed, but since I’d already chartered the boat, what could I do?
As for the windlass, many anchorages in the BVI have sandy bottoms, which provide good holding power, but there’s also plenty of seaweed.On boats with low-horsepower windlasses, when they’re raising the anchor, you’ll see the windlass turning slowly with seaweed tangled around the anchor chain—at which point you’ll have to pull it free by hand. Don’t even ask me how I know all this.
My advice is this: when selecting a boat, be sure to ask specifically what brand the generator is, its exact power output in kilowatts, and when it was last serviced.Don’t focus solely on the boat’s age; a boat built in 2018 might actually be in better condition than one built in 2021.
Navigation and Anchoring: There Are More Submerged Obstacles in BVI Waters Than You Might Think
BVI charts are generally accurate, but there are some areas where updates are slow. This is especially true in coral reef areas, where the underwater topography changes rapidly. I’m used to using Navionics and Garmin GPS systems, but the data from these two sources often doesn’t match.On one occasion north of Norman Island, the GPS indicated a depth of 8 meters, but when I lowered the depth sounder to check, I found the depth was less than 4 meters. With the boat’s draft at 1.2 meters while underway, we nearly ran aground.
Anchoring is a technically demanding task. There are many popular anchorage spots in the BVI; for example, places like The Bight and White Bay are already filled with all kinds of boats.When you arrive there looking for a suitable spot to anchor, you’ll often find that others have already dropped anchor.Due to their high wind resistance, tall hulls, and much wider windward profile compared to sailboats, power catamarans require even greater care and caution when selecting a mooring spot.
My approach is to circle the anchorage once after arriving to observe how other boats have anchored. If the bows of most boats are pointing in the same direction, that indicates the prevailing wind direction.You should drop anchor facing that direction; otherwise, if the wind shifts during the night, your boat will start spinning around its anchor chain, making it likely to come into close contact with neighboring vessels.
Once, off Cooper Island, I was being lazy and didn’t check the seabed properly. As a result, the anchor was dragged away.At 3 a.m., the alarm woke me up, and I realized the boat had drifted 50 meters toward the reef. I hurriedly started the engine, put it in reverse, and hauled up the anchor; it took 20 minutes to secure it again. Ever since then, I’ve gone into the water to check every time I drop anchor.The water in the BVI is crystal clear; with a mask on, you can see exactly how well the anchor is holding. This step is absolutely essential.
Freshwater Management: You Always Think You Have Enough, But It’s Never Enough
The freshwater tanks on a powered catamaran typically range from 300 to 500 liters—which sounds like a fairly large capacity, but if four people are using it—each taking a shower, flushing the toilet, washing dishes, and cooking every day—they’ll consume at least 100 liters. If you stay on board for five consecutive days, the tank will run dry.
Some boats are equipped with watermakers, but these consume electricity. If you run the watermaker using a generator—which can produce about 20 liters of water per hour—the generator will be running, and diesel will be burning.
My suggestion is to announce to everyone on the very first day aboard the boat: When showering, be sure to turn off the water while lathering up, and use only half a tank of water when flushing the toilet.Some marinas in the British Virgin Islands, such as Road Town and Spanish Town, offer water refills, but making a special trip just to refill your tanks is quite time-consuming.
There’s a fact that many people don’t know: the fresh water on board has a distinct taste; after prolonged use, a biofilm forms in the tanks and pipes, giving the water a plastic-like taste when you drink it;Typically, I bring a 5-gallon jug of bottled water on board, which I use for drinking and cooking, while the boat’s fresh water is reserved solely for showering and flushing the toilet.
Diesel and Electricity: Don’t Wait Until the Red Light Comes On to Refuel
Gas stations in the BVI aren’t densely distributed. There are stations in Road Town and Spanish Town, and Soper’s Hole, but some smaller marinas don’t have them, and the diesel grades vary from station to station. Furthermore, I’ve encountered situations where the engine emitted black smoke after refueling, which may have been caused by high sulfur content.
I’ve gotten into the habit of refueling immediately after completing the final leg of each day’s voyage; never wait until the next morning. The reason is that a light fog is very likely to form over the water at dawn, resulting in poor visibility and making it much more difficult to enter and exit the marina. not to mention that gas stations close early—some shut down as early as 4:00 p.m.
As for electricity, you’ll need to check the shore power connection yourself.Some marinas in the BVI have aging electrical infrastructure, so loose plugs and poor connections are extremely common. At the small marina where I was docked on Jost Van Dyke, the circuit breaker would trip whenever I turned on the air conditioning after connecting to shore power.It turned out that the voltage at the marina’s electrical panel was only 105 volts, while the boat’s equipment requires 110–120 volts. After running on battery power all night, we hurriedly moved to a different location the next day.
Weather Window: What You Think Is Sunny Weather Might Be a Prelude to High Swells
To be honest, weather forecasts for the BVI are actually quite accurate. However, the key issue is that some swells aren’t caused by local winds but are transmitted from distant storms.For example, during hurricane season in the Atlantic, when a low-pressure system is located more than 1,000 kilometers away from the BVI, the BVI itself may appear calm and peaceful, but swells can still travel across the water, causing wave heights of up to two meters in coastal areas.
A common mistake beginners make is focusing only on wind speed and ignoring wave height. With a wind speed of 15 knots and a wave height of 1 meter, conditions in an inland anchorage are fine. However, when crossing to Anegada or Bath Virgin Gorda, if the swell is not running with the boat, the boat will sway from side to side. Power catamarans sway less than monohulls, but the sensation of lateral rocking is actually more pronounced.
Once, when I was sailing from Virgin Gorda to Anegada, the forecast called for 1.5-meter waves. But halfway through the trip, the swells had grown to 2.5 meters. We couldn’t sit on the flybridge and had to huddle inside the wheelhouse, where we were tossed about for two hours. After that, I learned my lesson: when heading to Anegada, I always set out before 7:00 a.m., simply because the swells get bigger in the afternoon, and I try to stick to the northern route as much as possible to avoid the big waves in the deep water.
Small Details of Life on Board: Things Not Mentioned in the Manuals
Applying sunscreen: You might think you’re safe once you’ve put it on, but the UV intensity in the BVI is just as strong as anywhere else in the Caribbean. The second time I went, I didn’t apply it evenly on my back, and ended up with two different shades of tan.The key point is that the water’s surface reflects UV rays, so even if you’re sheltering under a sun awning, you can still get sunburned.
In the evenings in the British Virgin Islands, mosquitoes are particularly aggressive, especially in anchorages near mangrove forests, such as The Bight.I recommend keeping electric mosquito repellents or insect repellent sprays on board. Also, since mosquitoes tend to hide in the corners under your bed, be sure to check there before going to sleep.
Cooking. On motor catamarans, the galley is usually located at the stern, where ventilation is good; however, the heat output of the gas stove is much lower than what you’d find at home. Even bringing water to a boil takes a long time.As for stir-frying, don’t even think about it. I’ve gotten into the habit of stocking up on pre-prepared ingredients at the supermarket before setting sail—such as pre-marinated chicken, salad kits, and instant rice—which saves a lot of hassle.
One more thing: absolutely do not use high-wattage appliances on board. I’ve seen people bring hair dryers, and the circuit breaker trips the moment they turn them on. The power of the onboard inverter is limited—usually between 1,500 and 2,000 watts—so if you run the microwave and then turn on the hair dryer, the circuit breaker will definitely trip.
A Few Things Beginners Most Often Overlook
To avoid using the boat’s snorkeling gear—which may be old and worn, causing the mask to fog up and the mouthpiece of the snorkel to fit poorly—you’ll need to bring and prepare your own snorkeling equipment.Given the abundance of coral in BVI waters, if you’re snorkeling for an extended period, you’re bound to get extremely frustrated and annoyed by that outdated gear.
Before disembarking, make sure the anchor light is working properly. In the BVI, many boats don’t turn on their anchor lights at night, but you must not follow their example. Anchor lights are required by law, but more importantly, they’re essential for safety.If you get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and can’t see other boats, a collision could cause serious trouble.
Do not sail at night, Many waterways in the British Virgin Islands lack navigational buoys. Reefs that are clearly visible during the day appear as black as the water at night. While your navigation instruments may indicate their presence, do you really have the nerve to sail at full speed? I certainly don’t have the nerve for it. Once, I was half an hour late and hadn’t reached the dock by the time it got dark. I resolutely slowed down to five knots and made my way in slowly, relying on the radar. That nerve-wracking feeling—once was enough.
Q: How much does it cost to rent a motor catamaran versus a sailboat for a day in the BVI?
Depending on the season and boat type, during the off-season, motor catamarans typically cost between $1,500 and $2,500 per day, while sailboats are about 30 to 40 percent cheaper than motor catamarans. However, motorboats save time and allow you to visit more islands; whether it’s worth it depends on each person’s own assessment of value. During peak season, prices double, and you’ll need to book at least six months in advance to secure a better-quality vessel.
Q: Do you need a captain’s license to charter a boat in the BVI?
Legally speaking, you only need to have basic sailing experience and be approved by the charter company. However, it’s best if you have at least some basic sailing skills or have taken lessons from someone before.If you’re a complete beginner, we recommend hiring an instructor for two days, as navigating in and out of some marinas in the BVI can be quite challenging. You don’t want to scratch the hull on your very first day, do you?
Q: Is Anegada really worth a special trip?
The lobster there is delicious and worth the trip, and the beaches are less crowded, so you might find good, affordable food. Just don’t forget to carefully calculate the suitable weather window for your trip and the amount of fuel you’ll need. A one-way trip from Tortola takes about two hours, and a round trip takes about four hours.The cost of fuel will be around $100. If the waves exceed 1.5 meters, I don’t recommend beginners make the trip. The last time I encountered swells of 2 meters, the boat rocked so violently that my wife has refused to set foot on a boat ever since.
Q: Do I need to bring an adapter for the power outlets on the boat?
The BVI uses US-standard plugs, which are flat two-prong or three-prong types. The boat is typically equipped with US-standard outlets. If you’re using European devices, you’ll definitely need to bring an adapter. Also, the voltage on board is 110 volts, some European appliances may not support this voltage, which could cause them to burn out. We recommend checking the input voltage range of your devices before departure.
Q: How far in advance should I book a charter in the BVI?
The peak season runs from December to April, so you should book at least 6 months in advance. During the off-season, booking 2 to 3 months in advance will still allow you to find a good boat. However, popular models, such as the Leopard 42 PC or the Fountaine Pajot MY44, are in high demand.It’s best not to make last-minute decisions, or you’ll be limited to whatever’s left after others have made their selections.