How To Canvas The British Virgin Islands For Gratis (Updated 2019)
Updated: 12/23/2018 | Dec 23rd, 2018
The British Virgin Islands oftentimes foster images of intrepid sailors together with adventurers living their ain version of a Jimmy Buffett song: sailing the seas, relentlessly drinking rum, stopping at hidden beaches, together with exploring deserted islands.
Standing behind the bike alongside the air current whipping at your pilus equally the sails of your boat receive got y'all from isle to isle sounds wonderful to many of us.
But, later imagining that scenario, nosotros think, “It would last great, but it’s unrealistic together with I couldn’t afford it. It sounds also expensive!” I used to believe that. After all, the British Virgin Islands are domicile to mega yachts, mega-resorts, mansions, yachting races, celebrities who ain islands, together with large corporations hiding from the revenue enhancement man. These islands are no house for those without gigantic banking concern accounts.
But I came hither alongside a dream: to canvass approximately the British Virgin Islands on a budget. That’s no slow chore when charter boat rentals cost thousands of dollars per week. Sure, y'all tin receive got a ferry betwixt the master copy islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada) or receive got 24-hour interval sailing tours, but that won’t acquire y'all to the outer islands together with definitely isn’t the liberty sailing conjures up, is it?
Luckily, I establish a establish a agency to alive the dream.
Within ii days of landing on Jost Van Dyke, my friend together with I were throwing our materials onto a boat to canvass approximately the BVIs. We had met Bill together with Geoff inwards a bar ane evening. They were describing their sailing trip downwardly from North Carolina. We told them nearly our plans to endeavour to canvass the islands on a budget. They seemed normal plenty together with our plans lined up, hence nosotros asked if nosotros could tag along.
And that’s how nosotros got our ride. Some conversation, rum, laughs, together with bespeak for a lift.
The BVIs consider countless people who rent charter boats, hire captains, or canvass their ain boats approximately for equally long equally the air current tin acquit them. Each night, these folks moor inwards a harbor, receive got a dinghy to the nearest bar, downwardly rigid rum drinks, together with socialize. Boats are isolating, together with these bars furnish welcome social interaction later a 24-hour interval of confinement.
And this is where you’ll notice your lead chances to alive out your Captain Ron dreams.
You could tell that nosotros simply got lucky. That nosotros establish the correct ii guys together with this couldn’t occur again. However, my friend together with I had many offers to receive got us to the side past times side isle or approximately for the day. At every port, when nosotros mentioned our plans, people would oftentimes say, “Well, if y'all demand a lift, we’re happy to receive got you. Just convey some beer.”
I expected groovy difficulty inwards finding rides. I mean how many people desire strangers on their boats?
Apparently, a lot.
Because it was actually slow to notice a life. Most of the people receive got extra infinite on their boats, together with everyone is really welcoming, hospitable, together with helpful. I retrieve betwixt the minor isle population together with the camaraderie that comes alongside boating, people hither are really willing to assist strangers.
So how practice y'all practice it too? How practice y'all replicate what we did? Here are my transcend 5 tips for sailing approximately the British Virgin Islands for free:
- Avoid bespeak on the master copy islands — Don’t inquire for rides on Tortola or Virgin Gorda. This is where people pick upwards their boats hence they are simply starting or ending their trip (never a skillful fourth dimension to ask), together with at that spot are few skillful bars to run into others at. Stick to the smaller islands accessible past times ferry.
- Profile people — You tin growth your odds of success past times knowing who is most probable to tell yes. Lots of couples? They may hand y'all a ride to the side past times side isle but non much more. Groups who chartered a boat? Same thing. They’re full. Young people? They’ll last really probable to assist y'all out, particularly inwards render for beer. Two guys drinking alone? Yup, they in all probability receive got extra space, particularly if they receive got their ain boat.
- Strike upwards a conversation — Sit at the bar together with you’ll notice this is slow to do. Everyone pretty much says howdy to each other, together with no affair where I was, others boaters oftentimes made the commencement move. After a 24-hour interval on a boat, people desire to talk.
- Casually nurture your plans — Work your plans into the conversation naturally together with consider how people react. Do they retrieve it’s a cool idea? Gauge their reaction earlier y'all inquire for a ride. I establish that boaters inwards the surface area are the adventurous type together with if they experience y'all are on a skillful adventure, they volition desire to help.
- Start minor — Ask for a ride to the side past times side island. Giving mortal a ride for a few hours is easy. Committing to carting extra people approximately for a week, however, is a bigger barrier together with to a greater extent than probable to acquire y'all a no. But that ane isle elevator may plough into ii or 3 hence start minor together with consider how it goes.
Give yourself plenty of fourth dimension to notice mortal to canvass with. If you’re on a tight schedule together with receive got to acquire approximately the islands quickly, this isn’t going to work, equally it may receive got a 24-hour interval or ii to notice a willing boat or to delineate of piece of occupation upwards alongside someone’s schedule. You’re hence at the mercy of the boat owner’s footstep until y'all acquire to some other major isle where y'all tin acquire off together with get back to the ferry organization that connects the master copy islands inwards the BVIs.
Moreover, don’t forget to offering something inwards return. If y'all receive got sailing experience, all the better, but most people volition receive got beer together with nutrient inwards render for a lift, hence offering that tin become a long way.
The British Virgin Islands are expensive and — if y'all conception to view on a budget — finding a inexpensive canvass approximately the islands is critical. You tin receive got 24-hour interval tours for nearly $100, together with ferries become betwixt the master copy inhabited islands, but the only agency to actually consider the isle chains properly is to canvass them.
And the only agency to practice that is to notice a lift.
Note: Sorry, families, this advice won’t operate for you! If you’re traveling alongside to a greater extent than than ii people, it’s going to last hard for boats to conform y'all together with they’re going to plough y'all down!
I had ever dreamed of sailing approximately the British Virgin Islands. I’d heard of opportunities to operate on boats, but since I don’t know how to sail, that wasn’t an option, together with charter boats are out of my budget (many salve upwards all twelvemonth to afford their rental). I needed a 3rd agency — together with establish it. It was shockingly slow to notice rides on boats, together with this makes the oh-so-expensive BVIs much to a greater extent than affordable for those looking to canvass approximately these beautiful islands on a budget.
But to a greater extent than than saving money, this method makes novel friends along the agency — together with that experience is priceless.
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Book Your Trip to the Virgin Islands: Logistical Tips together with Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a inexpensive flying to the Virgin Islands past times using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my ii favorite search engines. Start alongside Momondo.
Book Your Accommodation
You tin mass your hostel inwards the Virgin Islands alongside Hostelworld. If y'all desire to remain elsewhere, role Booking.com equally they consistently render the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.)
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance volition protect y'all against illness, injury, theft, together with cancellations. I never ever become on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for x years. You should too.
Need Some Gear?
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!
Want More Information on the Virgin Islands?
Be certain to view our robust destination guide on the British Virgin Islands for fifty-fifty to a greater extent than planning tips!
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