Where to Start Your BVI Yacht Charter: USVI Pickup or Transfer to the BVI?

When Starting Your Charter in St. Thomas Makes Sense

For most classic BVI yacht charters, clients usually prefer to transfer to the BVI first and start there. But there are a few situations where a USVI charter start genuinely makes more sense.

1. You want to include St. John or other USVI locations in your itinerary

The USVI has some fantastic yacht charter stops, especially around St. John, which sits naturally on the route toward the BVI. For many clients, that is reason enough to start there. We often see this with repeat charter guests who have already done the classic BVI itinerary and want to add something new this time, like including locations in the USVI.

A common itinerary looks like this:

Day 1:

• Arrive at St. Thomas airport
• 10-minute taxi to Yacht Haven Grande
• Board your yacht
• Cruise to St. John
• Overnight there

Day 2:

• Clear customs into the BVI early morning
• Continue into the BVI for the main part of the charter

If St. John is already on your wishlist, or you have done the classic BVI route before and want to add something new, starting in St. Thomas is often the most natural fit. For a real example of how this works, see our USVI + BVI yacht charter itinerary.

The Limitations of Starting Your Yacht Charter in St. Thomas

Starting in St. Thomas can work well, but it is not the default fit for every yacht.

The main complications are licensing and timing. Over the last few years, the BVI has tightened rules for yachts starting in the USVI. Licensing changes often, and some charter companies moved their entire fleets to the BVI to avoid the uncertainty.

That creates two main tradeoffs:

1. You have fewer yacht options when starting in the USVI

Because the rules for operating between the USVI and BVI change often, many yachts, especially catamarans, now only start in the BVI. For many charter operators, the extra licensing is just not worth the hassle. So if you want the widest yacht selection, Tortola is usually the default place to start.

But that is not the whole story. There is still a fleet that does St. Thomas pickups regularly, and some yachts actually prefer it. Provisioning in St. Thomas is easier and more flexible, which matters most on larger yachts with elevated cuisine and more demanding chef requests. That is also one of the reasons most larger motor yachts still default to St. Thomas.

We help clients sort through that quickly. We know which yachts are licensed for USVI starts, which fleets operate there often, and which yachts are actually worth considering for that route.

If you specifically want a catamaran that can start in St. Thomas, we have also put together a guide to some of the best crewed catamaran charters in the BVI with a USVI/BVI cruising permit.

2. You may lose precious charter time to customs

You have to go through customs either way.

The real question is: do you want to do that before your charter, or during your charter?

If you transfer to the BVI by ferry or water taxi first, you handle customs before you step onboard. If you start the yacht in St. Thomas, that customs process usually happens on precious charter time.

Sometimes it is quick. Sometimes it is not. But when you only have a week onboard, even a few hours matters.

We see this catch clients off guard all the time. They save time on the flight side, then lose part of their first day to clearance and crossing logistics.

Why Most BVI Yacht Charters Start in Tortola

Instead of boarding the yacht right away, you first transfer to Tortola by ferry or water taxi, then begin the charter already inside the British Virgin Islands.

A typical travel day looks like this:

• Fly to St. Thomas
• Stay one night (recommended for most flights)
• Take the ferry or water taxi to Tortola
• Start the yacht charter in the BVI

This means the border crossing happens before the charter starts, not during it.

In practice, that makes a big difference. Once you step onboard, your time is spent sailing, swimming, and exploring, not waiting on customs clearance.

For a full breakdown of flights, ferries, water taxis, and direct arrivals, see our guide on how to get to the British Virgin Islands.

Ferry vs Water Taxi from St. Thomas to Tortola

If you fly into St. Thomas but start your charter in the BVI, you have two main transfer options.

Ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola

The ferry is still the most common choice and works well for many guests.

Typical details:

• around $100 per person return
• several crossings per day
• departures from Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie
• arrival in Tortola (Road Town or West End)
• travel time about 45–60 minutes

The downside is that ferry schedules do not always line up perfectly with flights, which is why many clients choose to arrive the day before. You are also limited to getting dropped off at the ferry terminals on the other side, and then you still need another taxi transfer to your yacht. With a water taxi, you can get dropped off right at your yacht’s location.

Flying Directly to Tortola for a BVI Yacht Charter

If flights work for your schedule, flying directly to Tortola can be the easiest start of all.

You land at Beef Island Airport (EIS), which is only about 10–15 minutes from the main charter bases.

From there you can:

• take a short taxi to the marina
• or be picked up by the crew near Trellis Bay, which is literally a 5-minute walk from the airport!

This arrival means you can be on your yacht within 15–30 minutes of landing.

The downside is fewer flights and usually higher ticket prices, but if it works for you, there is no question that this is your best option.

Our Final Verdict

After booking hundreds of charters in the Virgin Islands, here is the simple rule we use.

Start your charter in St. Thomas if:

• you want to visit St. John
• you are chartering a motor yacht
• easy flight logistics are your top priority

Start your charter in the BVI if:

• the BVI is the main focus of your trip
• you want the largest yacht selection
• you want to avoid losing charter time to customs

And if flights into Tortola work for your schedule?

• That is often the cleanest option of all.

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