Plan a BVI Charter | Group Charters
Two yachts or ten, sailing the British Virgin Islands as one group.
Where to start
How Many Yachts Will Your Group Need?
Most catamarans in our fleet accommodate up to ten guests, and a pair of the largest take twelve. Beyond that, a group sails aboard more than one yacht. It is worth settling this early, because two boats and five boats are planned in quite different ways.
One Yacht
Up to ten guests, or twelve aboard the largest catamarans in the fleet. One crew, one preference sheet, one charter rate.
Two Yachts, in Tandem
Comfortable for groups of roughly eleven to twenty. The boats keep a single itinerary and anchor together each evening, while each family retains its own cabins and its own pace.
Three or More, as a Flotilla
Suited to reunions, destination weddings and corporate groups. A lead captain sets the plan for the fleet, and the arrangements ashore are reserved for the group well in advance.
Two boats
Tandem Charters
When a group outgrows a single catamaran, a tandem charter allows everyone to travel together without anyone surrendering the comfort of their own yacht. It is the arrangement most large families, wedding parties and company groups choose in the British Virgin Islands, and it works because the islands lie close enough together that two boats can hold the same schedule without difficulty.
- The boats travel as one. The captains agree a single itinerary and anchor in the same bay each evening, near enough for a dinghy to pass between them.
- Each party keeps its own space. Couples and families have their own cabins, their own crew and their own pace in the morning.
- Meals ashore bring the group together. Each yacht dines aboard most evenings, so when everyone should be at one table the crews arrange a beach picnic or reserve a restaurant ashore. One or two such evenings in a week is typical.
- Movement between the boats is at the discretion of the crew. Some captains welcome guests across for a drink, while others prefer each yacht to keep to its own party. It is worth raising on your pre-charter call.
- Pricing is per yacht. Two boats means two charter rates, two gratuities and two preference sheets.
- The pairing is chosen deliberately. We look for two yachts of comparable speed and comfort, so that neither group spends the week waiting on the other, and where possible two crews who have sailed in company before.
Three boats or more
Flotilla Charters
Three or more yachts travelling together is a flotilla, and it calls for planning that a single charter does not. Anchorages have limited room, restaurants need a head count weeks in advance, and moving thirty guests ashore requires a plan. That coordination is our work rather than yours.
A Lead Captain
One captain sets the plan for the group and the others follow it, so the fleet moves as a unit and arrives before an anchorage fills.
Booked as a Single Group
We hold the yachts together so that the dates align and the group books as one, while each yacht keeps its own contract and its own payment schedule.
Everyone at One Table
A beach picnic laid on by the crews, a reserved beach bar or a private island dinner. Because the yachts do not lie alongside one another, these evenings are how a large group genuinely dines together, and they are reserved long before you fly down.
One Point of Contact
Thirty guests generate thirty questions. They come to us rather than to five separate captains, so the group works from a single plan.
A Range of Yachts
Not every family wants the same boat. A flotilla can combine a 50 foot catamaran with a 65 foot one, so that each party joins at the level that suits it.
Flexibility within the Week
The fleet shares a route and an anchorage each night, but the days themselves remain flexible. One yacht may dive while another snorkels, provided both meet where the group is staying.
Occasions at scale
Weddings, Reunions and Corporate Groups
A flotilla is more often booked for an occasion than for an ordinary holiday, and each kind brings its own requirements.
Weddings and Vow Renewals
A ceremony on a beach or on the foredeck, with an officiant, flowers and a photographer arranged in advance. British Virgin Islands marriage paperwork follows its own timetable, so this is a conversation to begin early.
Family Reunions
Several generations rarely want the same yacht or the same pace. A flotilla lets each household choose its own boat while the group shares the route, the anchorages and the evenings ashore.
Corporate and Incentive Groups
Yachts can be matched to teams, and the week built around what the trip is meant to achieve, whether that is a reward, a retreat or time with clients.
Planning
When to Begin
Finding three or four yachts that are free on the same dates, in the same place, with crews who work well in company, takes time. Flotillas over a holiday week are usually placed twelve to eighteen months ahead. We do not book more than twenty-four months out, because crews and yachts change between seasons.
Tell us the size of your group, the occasion and roughly when you would like to sail, and we will come back with combinations that work.
Questions
Group Charter Questions
How many guests can sail together?
Most catamarans accommodate up to ten guests, and a pair of the largest take twelve. Two yachts in tandem suit groups of roughly eleven to twenty, and a flotilla of three or more has no practical ceiling beyond the anchorages themselves.
What is the difference between a tandem charter and a flotilla?
Two yachts sailing together is a tandem charter. Three or more is a flotilla, which requires a lead captain, group reservations ashore and considerably more scheduling.
Do the yachts stay together all week?
They follow the same route and anchor in the same bay each night. Individual days remain flexible, so one yacht may dive while another snorkels, provided both meet where the group is staying that evening.
How is a group charter priced?
Each yacht is contracted and paid for separately, with its own charter rate and its own preference sheet. The contract is written for that specific boat, so each party books and pays for its own.
How are gratuities handled across more than one yacht?
Each crew receives its own gratuity, presented by the primary guest aboard that yacht.
What happens if one group has to cancel?
Each yacht is booked under its own contract, so a cancellation rests with the party that booked it. The captains and crews of the remaining yachts carry on as planned.
Can we hold a wedding during a flotilla charter?
Yes, either on a beach or aboard. We can arrange an officiant, flowers and a photographer. British Virgin Islands marriage paperwork follows its own timetable and should be started well ahead.
How far ahead should a group book?
Flotillas over a holiday week are usually placed twelve to eighteen months ahead. We do not book more than twenty-four months out, because crews and yachts change between seasons.