True cost of a week's yacht or catamaran charter in the British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands: all-in cost of a week's catamaran charter for 4, 6 or 8 people, cheapest vs peak month, skipper, fuel, marina, taxes, deposit. Sourced.
Per person, 6, September
€1,276–1,416
Charter + food only (partial)
Sources: 12 Knots, The Globe Sailor, checked
Per person, 6, March
€1,769–1,909
Charter + food only (partial)
Sources: 12 Knots, The Globe Sailor, checked
12 Knots' average weekly catamaran price in the British Virgin Islands runs from €6,816 in September to €9,773 in March, which with food at €20–40 a day comes to €1,276–1,416 per person for 6 people in September (our arithmetic). Fuel, marina fees, mandatory extras and a BVI-specific skipper rate are not verified, so the real total is higher; the BVI cruising permit was US$6 per person per day at its 2017 rate (secondary source).
Checked 28 Oct 2026. Charter prices are 12 Knots' asking prices (mix of bareboat and crewed, all sizes); extras are The Globe Sailor's September 2026 figures; taxes and fees are labelled official, secondary or not verified (how to read the labels). Totals are our arithmetic and exclude flights, drinks and the refundable deposit.
How much does a week's charter in the British Virgin Islands really cost?
| People | September total | Per person | March total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 people, bareboat | €7,376–7,936 | €1,844–1,984 | €10,333–10,893 | €2,583–2,723 |
| 6 people, bareboat | €7,656–8,496 | €1,276–1,416 | €10,613–11,453 | €1,769–1,909 |
| 8 people, bareboat | €7,936–9,056 | €992–1,132 | €10,893–12,013 | €1,362–1,502 |
Range = food at €20 to €40 per person per day. Our arithmetic; inputs below.
Partial total: fuel, marina fees, mandatory extras, skipper rate (destination-specific) not verified for British Virgin Islands, so not included.
Every cost line
| Cost line | Amount | In the total? | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter fee, cheapest month (September) | €6,816 per week | Yes | secondary | 12 Knots |
| Charter fee, priciest month (March) | €9,773 per week | Yes | secondary | 12 Knots |
| Skipper | €150–300 per day (general range, not destination-specific) (General range; we compute no skippered total for this destination.) | Skippered totals only | secondary | The Globe Sailor |
| Cook or hostess | not verified (We found no usable published day rate.) | No | not verified | – |
| Fuel | not verified | No (not verified) | not verified | – |
| Marina fees | not verified | No (not verified) | not verified | – |
| Mandatory extras (cleaning, consumables) | not verified | No (not verified) | not verified | – |
| Food (provisioning), excluding drinks | €20–40 per person per day | Yes | secondary | The Globe Sailor |
| Cruising permit, BVI-based charter boat | US$6 per person per day (not converted) (2017 rates, effective 1 August 2017; a later Act and 2025 changes are reported, so the current rate is not verified.) | No | secondary | Legal 500 (law-firm article, first published on Mondaq) |
| National Parks Trust mooring / marine conservation permit | not verified (The official NPT page shows no price.) | No | not verified | – |
| APA (crewed charters only) | 25–35% of the charter fee (On the BVI fee that is €1,704–2,386 in the cheapest month and €2,443–3,421 in the priciest (our arithmetic).) | No | secondary | Helm |
| Crew gratuity (crewed charters) | 10–20% of the charter fee | No | secondary | Worth Avenue Yachts |
| Security deposit (refundable) | €4,000–10,000 (general range; destination figure not verified) | No | secondary | The Globe Sailor |
| Damage waiver (optional) | not verified | No | not verified | – |
The Globe Sailor's table does not state a period for every column: the skipper fee is per day and the port fee per night (read from the article text); fuel per week is our reading.
Tourist tax, cruising permits and other charges
- [Secondary source] Cruising permit, BVI-based charter boat: US$6 per person per day (not converted) for Charter guests on BVI-based charter boats (foreign-based boats: US$16) (Legal 500 (law-firm article, first published on Mondaq)). 2017 rates, effective 1 August 2017; a later Act and 2025 changes are reported, so the current rate is not verified.
- [Not verified] National Parks Trust mooring / marine conservation permit: not verified. The official NPT page shows no price.
Marina and mooring fees
Marina and port fees for the British Virgin Islands: not verified (The Globe Sailor's table has no row for the British Virgin Islands), so no marina fee is in the total.
Mooring buoys and anchoring rules: snorkel and dive guide.
National park and marine park fees
Not in the totals: they depend on your route. If your route goes there:
| Fee | Amount | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Conservation Permit (National Parks Trust) | Not verified (The Trust sells the permit online, but its page shows no price.) | not verified | National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands |
Skipper, cook or hostess, APA and tips
The Globe Sailor gives a general range of €150–300 per day for a skipper (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026); its table has no British Virgin Islands row, so the British Virgin Islands-specific rate is not verified and we compute no skippered total.
A cook or hostess's day rate: not verified; we found no usable published rate.
On crewed charters an APA (advance provisioning allowance) of 25–35% of the charter fee for sailing yachts and catamarans covers food, drink, fuel and port fees (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026); it replaces those lines, so it is not in the bareboat total. A crew gratuity of 10–20% is customary (Worth Avenue Yachts, checked 27 Oct 2026). We show no crewed total, because 12 Knots' averages mix bareboat and crewed listings.
More: bareboat vs skippered, crewed vs bareboat, do I need a licence in the British Virgin Islands?.
Security deposit and damage waiver
The Globe Sailor gives a general range of €4,000–10000 for a catamaran deposit (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026); the British Virgin Islands figure and the damage waiver are not verified.
Cheapest month vs peak month
| Month | 12 Knots avg per week | Per person, 6 people, bareboat (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| January | €8,813 | €1,609–1,749 |
| February | €9,390 | €1,705–1,845 |
| March | €9,773 | €1,769–1,909 |
| April | €9,097 | €1,656–1,796 |
| May | €8,222 | €1,510–1,650 |
| June | €7,848 | €1,448–1,588 |
| July | €7,448 | €1,381–1,521 |
| August | €6,868 | €1,285–1,425 |
| September | €6,816 | €1,276–1,416 |
| October | €7,134 | €1,329–1,469 |
| November | €8,100 | €1,490–1,630 |
| December | €8,885 | €1,621–1,761 |
The British Virgin Islands is in the Atlantic hurricane area: the official season runs from 1 June to 30 November (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026), and prices dip in the same months, so a cheaper week can carry more weather risk. When to go, weighing price against weather: best time to charter in the British Virgin Islands.
See boats in the British Virgin Islands
See catamarans for rent in the British Virgin Islands on SamBoat
Ask the operator for the full extras list (skipper, cleaning, tourist tax, deposit) before you book; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure).
What we could not verify
- Current cruising permit rate after the changes reported since 2017.
- National Parks Trust permit price.
- Fuel for British Virgin Islands.
- Marina fees for British Virgin Islands.
- Mandatory extras for British Virgin Islands.
- Skipper rate (destination-specific) for British Virgin Islands.
How to read the labels
- [Secondary source]: From a newspaper, law firm, travel site or charter company; not official.
- [Not verified]: We could not confirm it. We leave it open rather than guess, and never add it to a total.
- No label: Read in an official text: government, port or park authority, ministry, or an operator's own published tariff.
Charter prices are 12 Knots' asking prices and cost lines are The Globe Sailor's, so most lines are secondary. Totals, per-person figures, APA amounts and ranges are our arithmetic. Amounts in other currencies are shown as published and never converted or added.
Sources
- 12 Knots: Catamaran charter in the BVI (secondary, not official), checked 27 Oct 2026.
- The Globe Sailor: What it really costs to charter a yacht (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Helm: What is an APA? (secondary, not official), checked 27 Oct 2026.
- Worth Avenue Yachts: Charter terms & conditions (secondary, not official), checked 27 Oct 2026.
- National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands: Park tickets & Marine Conservation Permit: marine park guidelines (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Legal 500 (law-firm article, first published on Mondaq): BVI Government raises charter cruising permit fees effective 1 August (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology (official), checked 27 Oct 2026.
Method: methodology. Data: JSON. Run your own numbers: cost calculator.
More on the British Virgin Islands
- True cost of a week's charter, every destination compared
- British Virgin Islands yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence
- British Virgin Islands catamaran cost by month, all-in and per person
- Best time to charter in the British Virgin Islands
- Fishing rules in the British Virgin Islands
- Snorkelling and diving in the British Virgin Islands
- Do I need a licence to rent a boat in the British Virgin Islands?
- Catamaran Index home
Frequently asked questions
How much does a week's catamaran charter in the British Virgin Islands cost per person?
12 Knots' average weekly catamaran price in the British Virgin Islands runs from €6,816 in September to €9,773 in March, which with food at €20–40 a day comes to €1,276–1,416 per person for 6 people in September (our arithmetic). Fuel, marina fees, mandatory extras and a BVI-specific skipper rate are not verified, so the real total is higher; the BVI cruising permit was US$6 per person per day at its 2017 rate (secondary source).
What is not included in a yacht charter price in the British Virgin Islands?
Not included in the charter price in the British Virgin Islands: fuel (not verified), marina fees (not verified), mandatory extras such as cleaning (not verified), food (€20–40 per person per day), a skipper (€150–300 per day, general range), tourist taxes and park fees (current cruising permit rate after the changes reported since 2017: not verified) and a refundable deposit (€4,000–10000). Amounts from The Globe Sailor, September 2026; the sums are our arithmetic.
Do you pay tourist tax on a charter in the British Virgin Islands?
Cruising permit, BVI-based charter boat: US$6 per person per day (not converted) (secondary). National Parks Trust mooring / marine conservation permit: not verified.
How much is a skipper in the British Virgin Islands?
The Globe Sailor's general range is €150–300 per day, plus the skipper's meals. A British Virgin Islands-specific rate is not verified.
How much is the security deposit for a catamaran charter in the British Virgin Islands?
The general range for a catamaran is €4,000–10000 (The Globe Sailor); the British Virgin Islands figure is not verified.