The British Virgin Islands is the easiest charter itinerary in the world to plan, because almost everything is within sight of everything else. The Sir Francis Drake Channel runs about twenty miles with islands down both sides, the anchorages are mostly moorings, and no leg on a standard week is longer than a couple of hours. The difference between a five day route and a ten day one is how long you stop, not how far you go.
BVI sailing itinerary, 7 days: the standard loop
From Tortola, usually Nanny Cay or Road Town: down to Norman Island for the Bight and the Indians, across to Cooper or Salt Island, on to Virgin Gorda for the Baths and the North Sound, then back along the north side by Jost Van Dyke and Sandy Cay before returning. It is roughly forty to fifty nautical miles over six days, which is two hours of sailing on a typical morning and the rest of the day at anchor.
BVI sailing itinerary, 5 days: what comes out
The North Sound at Virgin Gorda or the run to Jost Van Dyke, usually. A five day charter works best as a compressed version of the same loop rather than a shorter one: Norman, Cooper, Virgin Gorda and back. Trying to keep Jost Van Dyke in a five day week means a long last day into the prevailing easterly, which is the one uncomfortable leg in this cruising ground.
BVI sailing itinerary, 10 days: what goes in
Anegada, which is the only real addition the BVI has to offer and the one most bareboat crews are told to skip. It is a low coral island eleven miles north of the main chain, reached across open water with a reef approach that some charter companies restrict or forbid. With ten days it fits comfortably, along with a second night at the places a seven day week passes through.
What decides the direction of a BVI charter itinerary
The trade wind, which blows from the east most of the year. The classic loop runs east along the southern side of the channel in the mornings when the wind is lightest, and comes back west on the northern side with it behind you. Crews who do it the other way spend the week beating home. It is the only piece of routing in the BVI that actually matters.
Questions people ask about bvi sailing itinerary
What is the standard BVI sailing itinerary?
Norman Island, Cooper or Salt, Virgin Gorda for the Baths and North Sound, then back along the north side by Jost Van Dyke: roughly forty to fifty nautical miles over six days.
Can you sail the BVI in five days?
Yes, as a compressed version of the same loop: Norman, Cooper, Virgin Gorda and back. Keeping Jost Van Dyke in means a long final beat into the easterly.
What do you add with ten days in the BVI?
Anegada, eleven miles north across open water with a reef approach that some charter companies restrict, plus second nights at the anchorages a seven day week passes through.
Which direction should you sail the BVI?
East along the southern side of the channel in the mornings, back west on the northern side with the trade wind behind you. Doing it the other way means beating home.