Go Now™ INSTRUCTIONAL CHARTER IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Why is The Moorings and Sunsail BVI base a good location for Go Now?

The Moorings and Sunsail operate from Wickhams Cay II in Road Town, Tortola, with the yacht, charter support, provisioning, and other essential services all close at hand.

And it’s a pretty great place to begin a vacation. You can arrive a day early, check into the on-site hotel, have dinner and a drink at the marina, use the pool or spa, pick up provisions, and wake up the next morning with your charter yacht just steps away.

Even getting underway becomes part of the Go Now experience. Yacht familiarization, onboard systems, provisioning, checkout, and departure planning are the same kinds of things you’ll deal with when you return to charter on your own.

Why does NauticEd work with The Moorings and Sunsail for Go Now BVI?

The Moorings and Sunsail are a strong fit for Go Now because they have established BVI charter operations, extensive yacht fleets, and a full charter-base operation behind the yacht.

More importantly, you’re learning aboard a real Moorings or Sunsail charter yacht, not a separate school training boat. The checkout, yacht systems, charter routines, and base procedures are the same kinds of things you may encounter on a future bareboat charter.

NauticEd also knows both companies well through our yacht charter agency and has substantial experience arranging charters with them.

How do NauticEd, The Moorings, and Sunsail work together?

Your planning starts with NauticEd.

We arrange the yacht charter, coordinate your qualified NauticEd Instructional Captain, and shape the Go Now instructional experience around your group and goals.

The Moorings or Sunsail provides the yacht, BVI charter-base operation, vessel support, and normal charter fulfillment.

The practical advantage is simple: you don’t have to arrange a yacht in one place and then figure out the instructional side somewhere else.

How are The Moorings or Sunsail, the yacht, and the Instructional Captain selected?

You don’t need to choose any of them before you contact us.

Your NauticEd agent looks at your dates, budget, group size, cabin needs, sail or power preference, equipment needs, yacht availability, boating background, and what you want from the trip.

From there, we can recommend the yacht, Moorings or Sunsail arrangement, and Instructional Captain that make the most sense for you.

What types of yachts are available, and how do we choose the right one?

Depending on availability, BVI options can include sailing monohulls, sailing catamarans, power yachts, and power catamarans.

That can make the choice more interesting than simply picking a boat by size. Two yachts that look similar online may have very different cabin layouts, air conditioning, generators, watermakers, Wi-Fi, and onboard systems.

Your NauticEd agent can sort through those details along with your group size, budget, boating background, sail or power goals, and accommodation for the Instructional Captain.

You don’t need to shop through the fleets before making an inquiry.

Why should I plan my Go Now BVI charter through NauticEd instead of booking a yacht directly?

Because a Go Now charter involves more than reserving a yacht.

Your NauticEd charter agent helps with the boat, dates, budget, Moorings or Sunsail booking, Instructional Captain, and the details that connect the vacation and instructional sides of the trip.

There is no separate fee for NauticEd’s charter-planning and agency service.

You also have someone working with the charter operator on your behalf if your first yacht isn’t available, the dates need to move, or another detail needs to be worked out.

Is Go Now BVI a private charter, and can I bring children, family, or friends?

Yes. You charter the whole yacht for your own group. This is not a by-the-cabin course with unrelated students aboard.

Bring your spouse or partner, children, relatives, or friends, subject to the yacht’s capacity and normal charter requirements.

And everyone does not have to be a student. You might spend the morning working on navigation and boat handling with the Instructional Captain while the rest of the family swims or relaxes — then everyone heads ashore together for lunch.

That’s one of the things that makes Go Now work so well as an actual vacation.

How far in advance should we inquire, and what happens if our preferred yacht or dates are unavailable?

Earlier is better if you have fixed dates, want a particular yacht, need several cabins, or plan to travel during a busy period.

Go Now requires both a suitable charter yacht and the right Instructional Captain.

If your first choice is unavailable, your NauticEd agent can look at nearby dates, another suitable yacht, or a different charter arrangement rather than sending you back to start the search again.

How much does a Go Now BVI charter cost, and what is included?

There isn’t one fixed price.

Cost depends on the yacht, season, charter dates, number of cabins, sail or power preference, Instructional Captain, and optional extras.

Your NauticEd agent will give you a proposal showing the expected costs and what is included. Depending on the trip, separate expenses may include airfare, transfers, provisioning, fuel, mooring or docking fees, damage protection, and activities ashore.

The Instructional Captain’s travel, meals, and provisioning are also considered when the trip is planned. Gratuity is separate.

There is no separate fee for NauticEd’s charter-planning and agency service.

How long is a Go Now BVI charter?

Most Go Now BVI trips follow the rhythm of a weeklong yacht charter, although the exact boarding and disembarkation schedule can vary.

Your NauticEd agent coordinates the schedule around your dates, travel plans, yacht availability, base schedule, and Instructional Captain.

Should we plan an extra night at The Moorings and Sunsail base?

We recommend arriving in the BVI the day before your charter.

It gives you some breathing room if a flight, ferry, or connection is delayed and means you don’t start your first charter day tired and rushed.

Depending on availability, you may be able to stay aboard the yacht early or book the Moorings Yacht Club Hotel.

And since the base has restaurants, a pool, spa, bar, dive shop, grocery store, and the French Deli & Gourmet Shop next to the marina, an extra day there can feel more like the first day of the vacation than a travel buffer.

Your NauticEd agent can compare the options and include the extra night in your trip plan. It is an additional cost.

How is Go Now different from a traditional BVI sailing school or liveaboard certification course?

A traditional sailing or powerboating course is usually built around a syllabus, training requirements, and specific instructional outcomes. That can be the right choice when intensive training or certification is the main reason for the trip.

Go Now starts with the charter vacation instead.

You’re on a private yacht with your own family or friends, and the learning happens through the things you’re actually doing: planning the day, navigating, handling the yacht, anchoring, mooring, managing systems, using the dinghy, and making real charter decisions.

So instead of practicing something simply because it appears next in a syllabus, you’re learning it because you actually need to get the yacht to the next island.

People aboard can participate at different levels, and the week doesn’t have to become an intensive certification course.

Learn how a Go Now Instructional Charter works >

Do I need prior sailing or powerboating experience?

No. You don’t need previous sailing or powerboating experience simply to take a Go Now charter.

If you’re new, you get to see how chartering actually works with an experienced professional aboard.

If you already have boating experience, the interesting part may be tackling things you haven’t done before: a larger yacht, catamaran handling, unfamiliar cruising grounds, yacht systems, anchoring and mooring decisions, or managing a boat for an entire charter week.

Tell NauticEd where you’re starting from so we can match the yacht and Instructional Captain appropriately.

Do I need a boating license or bareboat certification, and can I earn one during the charter?

You don’t need a boating license or bareboat certification to participate in Go Now BVI because a qualified Instructional Captain is aboard.

Chartering on your own later is different. The charter operator will consider its requirements, your boating resume, relevant experience, and credentials.

Go Now is not an intensive certification course, but qualified boaters may be able to work on specific skills or complete an assessment for NauticEd certification or licensing during the charter.

Any certification, assessment, or SLC International License goal should be discussed with NauticEd before the trip so we can determine what is realistic and what preparation is needed. Certification or licensing is never automatic.

How much of the trip is instruction, and is coursework required before we go?

That is largely up to you.

Some guests want a relaxed vacation and participate when something interesting is happening. Others want to be involved every day in planning, navigation, boat handling, anchoring, mooring, yacht systems, and onboard routines.

There is no fixed amount of instruction and no coursework requirement simply to take a Go Now charter.

If your goal is to bareboat charter independently, NauticEd may recommend the Bareboat Charter Master for Sailboats or Bareboat Charter Master for Powerboats course bundle. For destinations requiring recognized international credentials, you may also need the SLC International License.

Fundamentals are usually better learned and practiced close to home, leaving more of your BVI week for the charter experience itself.

How are the Instructional Captain’s accommodation, travel, meals, provisioning, and gratuity handled?

It depends on the yacht and the trip.

The Instructional Captain needs appropriate accommodation aboard, so your NauticEd agent takes that into account when helping you choose the yacht and cabin layout.

Captain travel, meals, and provisioning are also worked into the trip planning and pricing. You’ll see the actual arrangement in your proposal rather than having to guess from a general rule.

Gratuity is separate.

Is the BVI itinerary fixed?

No. The itinerary is part of the adventure — and part of learning to charter.

You can talk with your Instructional Captain about islands, anchorages, restaurants, snorkeling spots, and other places you’d like to visit, then shape the route as the week unfolds.

One morning you might be working out the route and taking the yacht to the next island; a few hours later the dinghy could be tied up at a beach or restaurant.

Weather, sea conditions, mooring availability, your group’s pace, and the captain’s judgment may change the plan. Figuring out when to stick with a plan and when to change it is real chartering.

For ideas on where you might go, explore our BVI Yacht Charter & Sailing Vacation Guide >

When is the best time to take a Go Now charter in the BVI?

December through April is generally the BVI high season, with strong demand for yachts and travel.

Other months may mean fewer crowds, different pricing, or more yacht availability. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, with greater tropical-storm uncertainty generally in late summer and early fall.

The right dates depend on what matters most to you: conditions, price, crowds, travel schedule, yacht choice, and Instructional Captain availability.

Your NauticEd agent can help weigh those tradeoffs.

Where does the charter start, and how do we get to Tortola?

The Moorings and Sunsail operate from Wickhams Cay II near Road Town on Tortola.

A common route is to fly into Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island (EIS) and take a taxi to the base.

Another option is to fly into St. Thomas (STT) and continue to Tortola by ferry or private water taxi.

Ferry schedules and connection times can change, so your NauticEd agent can help make sure the travel plan works with your actual charter schedule.

Visit the official BVI Tourist Board travel page >

What passport, visa, immigration, and customs requirements apply?

Travelers entering and departing the British Virgin Islands by air or sea need a valid passport. Some nationalities also need a visa.

You must also meet the entry or transit requirements for any country or territory you pass through, including the United States or U.S. Virgin Islands where applicable.

The BVI currently uses an online Immigration and Customs form. Complete the current form within the permitted pre-arrival window and follow the latest official instructions.

Entry requirements can change, so check the official rules for every traveler shortly before departure.

Learn more about BVI passport and visa requirements >