Self-Launched BVI Sailing: Tortola to Tortola by Bareboat Share
7 days · British Virgin Islands
G Adventures charges £2,400
No-markup version: ~£1,240 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 7-day small-group catamaran loop out of Scrub Island. Instead of paying for a skippered group tour, you build your own crew and book a cabin-share or bareboat-with-skipper arrangement directly through a Tortola charter company (Dream Yacht Charter, The Moorings, Sunsail or a local operator like BVI Yacht Charters), or join a shared-cabin sailing week via a crew-finding site. The route covers the classic BVI loop — Tortola, Virgin Gorda's Baths, Anegada or Guana Island, Jost Van Dyke's White Bay and Soggy Dollar, Norman Island's Caves and the Indians, and Peter Island — with self-catered breakfasts and lunches aboard and cheap beach-bar dinners ashore. Costs below assume a shared cabin on a skippered charter split 4-8 ways; solo travellers can cut this dramatically by joining a crew-share rather than booking a private boat. All figures are approximate and exclude flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tortola, ferry to Scrub Island, board the boat
Tortola / Scrub Island
Fly into Terrance B. Lettsome (EIS) on Beef Island, or the cheaper option: fly to St Thomas (STT) and take the 45-60 min ferry to Road Town, Tortola (~£28-45/$35-60 one way). From Trellis Bay beside EIS airport, catch the complimentary North Sound Express ferry to Scrub Island Marina (10 min, departs roughly every 45 min past the hour). Meet your skipper/charter contact at the marina around 2pm, do the safety briefing and boat handover, then make a food-kitty run — either at the marina store or, better value, a Road Town supermarket before you board. Provision breakfasts, lunches, water and snacks for the week (~£45-60 per person total). Evening: short motor/sail to a quiet North Sound anchorage, sunset on deck and dinner aboard.
🚌Flight to EIS or STT; ferry St Thomas-Road Town ~£28-45; free Scrub Island ferry from Trellis Bay
🛏Shared double cabin on a 45-47ft sailing catamaran (4 cabins, en suite) — shared-cabin charter or crew-share
- →Scrub Island Marina check-in and safety briefing
- →Supermarket provisioning run
- →Sunset anchorage in North Sound
Virgin Gorda: The Baths and Spring Bay
Virgin Gorda
Sail or motor east to Virgin Gorda (~2-3 hrs). Anchor off The Baths and swim/walk ashore to explore the granite boulder grottoes and sea pools — entry is ~£3-5 ($5-8). If you have a tender, use it; otherwise a short swim or dinghy ride in. Spring Bay (the quieter, cheaper neighbour to The Baths) is a 10-minute walk and has a beach bar for lunch (~£12-15). Afternoon snorkel along the boulders, then a night on a mooring in Spanish Town or North Sound. Mooring buoys in the BVIs are cheap and standard — roughly £20-30 ($25-40) per night, split across the boat.
🚌Catamaran sail ~2-3 hrs; dinghy/tender to shore
🛏Anchored/moored on the catamaran, Virgin Gorda
- →The Baths boulder grottoes and sea pools (entry ~£3-5)
- →Snorkelling at Spring Bay
- →Beach-bar lunch ashore
Guana Island and Monkey Point snorkel
Guana Island / North Sound
A short hop west to Guana Island's Monkey Point, one of the BVIs' best snorkel sites — turtles, tarpon and dense reef fish right off the mooring. Alternatively, head further east for a day trip toward Anegada if weather and time allow (Anegada is a 2-4 hr sail and only sensible with a settled forecast — check with your skipper). Lunch aboard from the food kitty. Afternoon: kayak or paddleboard along the mangroves, or simply anchor off a deserted white-sand beach for the afternoon. Dinner ashore at a North Sound beach bar — fresh fish and rum punch, ~£15-20.
🚌Catamaran ~1-2 hrs; dinghy to shore
🛏Anchored/moored on the catamaran, Guana Island or North Sound
- →Snorkelling Monkey Point
- →Mangrove kayak or paddleboard
- →Deserted-beach afternoon
- →Beach-bar dinner ashore
Norman Island: The Caves and The Indians
Norman Island
Sail south across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island (~2 hrs) — the reputed inspiration for Treasure Island. Take a mooring at The Caves and snorkel the three sea caves; then move to The Indians, a pinnacle reef that's arguably the best snorkel in the territory. Both are reached by dinghy from the mooring field. Optional: the famous floating bar and restaurant (the 'Willy T') anchors offshore — a boat-taxi or dinghy ride over for drinks and dinner, ~£20-30. Cheap evening alternative: cook aboard and watch the lights of St John across the channel.
🚌Catamaran ~2 hrs; dinghy to caves and floating bar
🛏Moored on the catamaran, Norman Island
- →Snorkelling The Caves
- →Snorkelling The Indians reef
- →Floating bar visit (optional drinks/dinner)
Peter Island and Deadman's Bay
Peter Island
Short sail to Peter Island's Deadman's Bay and Great Harbour. Deadman's is a long crescent of sand with good snorkelling off the points and rarely crowded. If you want a hike, land on Peter Island and follow the trails toward Little Harbour for a view across the channel — bring water and shoes, the cactus scrub is spiky. Afternoon swim, then an evening on the mooring with dinner aboard. This is the cheapest full day of the trip — good opportunity to reset the budget.
🚌Catamaran ~1 hr; dinghy ashore
🛏Moored on the catamaran, Peter Island
- →Deadman's Bay swim and snorkel
- →Peter Island trail walk
- →Sunset sundowners on deck
Jost Van Dyke: White Bay and Soggy Dollar
Jost Van Dyke
Sail northwest to Jost Van Dyke (~2-3 hrs). Moor in Great Harbour or White Bay and swim ashore to the Soggy Dollar Bar — the home of the Painkiller cocktail, ~£8-10 a drink, cash only. White Bay's sand is the postcard shot of the BVIs. If you're up for a walk, the hike over to the Bubbly Pool on Little Jost Van Dyke takes about an hour each way. Alternatively, day-trip to Sandy Cay for a genuinely empty islet. Farewell dinner ashore at a beach restaurant, ~£20-25, or a barbecue aboard.
🚌Catamaran ~2-3 hrs; dinghy/swim ashore
🛏Moored on the catamaran, Jost Van Dyke
- →White Bay beach and Soggy Dollar Bar
- →Optional hike to the Bubbly Pool
- →Sandy Cay day stop
- →Farewell dinner ashore
Return to Scrub Island and disembark
Jost Van Dyke to Scrub Island
Early sail back east to Scrub Island Marina (~2-3 hrs), disembark by midday. If flying from EIS, don't book before 3pm; if continuing to St Thomas, catch the 1:30 or 2:30pm ferry from Road Town and don't book a flight out of STT before 5pm. Budget the $20 (~£16) BVI departure tax if leaving by air from Tortola, and note ATMs are scarce across the islands — bring USD cash from the airport or Road Town.
🚌Catamaran to Scrub Island; free ferry to Trellis Bay; ferry Road Town-St Thomas ~£28-45 if onward
🛏None — disembark midday
- →Final sail back to Scrub Island
- →Disembark and onward travel
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,240 | £2,400 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,160 per person (48%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,240
estimated per person
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched BVI Sailing: Tortola to Tortola by Bareboat Share cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,240 per person for 7 days in British Virgin Islands. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,240 — a saving of roughly £1,160 (48%) per person.
How long is the British Virgin Islands trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through British Virgin Islands.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, backpacker trip through British Virgin Islands, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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