Boating through the British Virgin Islands

At The Baths in the British Virgin Islands, visitors can walk among huge boulders. Pam LeBlanc photo

I used to think only oil barons and movie stars could sail from one tropical island to the next, swimming in grottos or diving among sand dollars by day and ducking into moon-lit harbors by night. 

It turns out regular people (like me) can do it, too. 

I recently spent five days puttering around the British Virgin Islands on a 54-foot catamaran named the Dream Jamesby. The sleek white boat came with its own captain, a capable woman from Spain named Ana Balmisa, plus a chef who cooked fresh meals right on board.  

Our trip included a stop at a famous site called The Baths in Virgin Gorda, where we walked among granite boulders that looked like blocks dropped by giants. We swam beneath rocky overhangs where shafts of sunlight cut through dark water. We hovered, breathing through snorkels, over a century-old shipwreck. One day we stopped to tour a brewery; another we visited a small history museum. And yes, we sipped frozen concoctions, a la Jimmy Buffett, at more than one beach bar. 

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Land lubbers steer clear 

Chris LeBlanc relaxes on teh back of the Dream Jamesby, a charter yacht. Pam LeBlanc photo

Island hopping by catamaran is not for everyone.  

The Jamesby had six double cabins for guests, plus two tiny cubbies (jokingly called coffins) where the captain and the chef slept.  

Our berth had a double bed, a few shelves for stashing clothes, and a tiny bathroom, complete with a marine toilet (which temporarily quit working for a few hours one day). The shower was just big enough to turn around in, if you folded in your arms. 

The boat was by no means fancy. That didn’t put us off at all. Who wants to stay inside a pint-sized room when an ocean full of fish beckons just off the bow? 

If you feel a constant need for air conditioning or are prone to sea sickness, a sailing trip might not be for you. If you care more about plush beds or putting on high heels for a night on the town, skip this trip. But if you’re into bare feet, watching tropical fish or feeling the wind ruffle your hair, the payoffs are huge. 

One evening, we scooped up a bucket of water filled with tiny phosphorescent worms. A few times, I started my day by jumping off the back of the boat  into the ocean. Once, my husband and I laid on cushions at the front of the boat and stared at a black velvet sky filled with stars. 

Captain Ana Balmisa sails a yacht in the British Virgin Islands. Pam LeBlanc photo

Several companies offer charters in the BVIs 

I booked my trip through Dream Yacht International, which operates a fleet of 47 monohulls and catamarans in the BVIs, and almost 700 around the globe.  

The company isn’t the only one offering yachting trips in the BVIs, one of its most popular destinations. Virgin Island Sailing, The Moorings, Helm, Sunsail and others all offer trips, and guests can choose how they do it. 

Those who already know how to sail can rent a catamaran and sail it themselves, either with or without a cook. (That last option is known as “bare boating.”) Or they can do what I did and book a single cabin on a boat with other guests. We didn’t know any of the passengers on the Jamesby ahead of time, but it worked out fine. Or, if you have enough people in your group, you can rent the entire boat and set your own itinerary. 

The surprising part? The price.  

At Dream Yacht Worldwide, a seven-night cabin charter will set you back about $1,500 a person – including meals and some booze.  

“So few people know that this can be the most affordable way to see a place in the best way,” says Balmisa, our 28-year-old captain. “There’s a convenience to exploring a place slowly. Sailboats let you enjoy the in between.” 

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Life’s better on a boat 

Besides, being mobile, especially in the BVIs, comes with plenty of advantages.  

For one, it’s cheaper. A room at the gorgeous Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda, for example, will set you back $700 or more a night. And even if you did fork over the money for the hotel, you’d have to pay for transport anytime you wanted to leave for an excursion. Same with meals. 

“When you’re in a hotel, you don’t really disconnect as much,” Balmisa says. “There’s a calming sensation to being on a boat. For people used to being on the go, it tends to reset them.” 

For sailors, it’s a place to put their skills to the test without too much risk. Seas around the BVIs are typically smooth, Balmisa says. Navigation is relatively simple, reefs are generally easy to avoid, and the terrain offers plenty of places to seek shelter if a storm blows up. 

“But you still have to pay attention,” Balmisa says.  

You need experience to captain your own catamaran. 

Back on terra firma 

After five days of cruising around on a sailboat, I reluctantly put on my shoes and stepped off the Jamesby one final time. Paved roads, traffic lights and buzzing cars seemed so uncivilized after nothing but waves and wind. 

I might not be an oil mogul or a movie star, but my time aboard the Jamesby showed me you don’t have to be either to enjoy the island life.