Yacht Charter Sea Cow Bay

Yacht Charters at Sea Cow Bay

On a Sea Cow Bay yacht charter with Borrow a Boat you can explore much of Tortola and the British Virgin Islands within an easy sail. Whatever you want from a BVI yacht charter, from exploring the white powdery sand beaches to island hopping the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a Sea Cows Bay sailing holiday ticks all the boxes

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Yacht Charter Sea Cow Bay

Yacht Charters at Sea Cow Bay

On a Sea Cow Bay yacht charter with Borrow a Boat you can explore much of Tortola and the British Virgin Islands within an easy sail. Whatever you want from a BVI yacht charter, from exploring the white powdery sand beaches to island hopping the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a Sea Cows Bay sailing holiday ticks all the boxes

Sea Cows Bay is located just to the west of Road Town on Tortola, and is a perfect place to begin your British Virgin Islands sailing vacation. Until tourism arrived on Tortola, Sea Cow Bay was a forgotten backwater only accessible by track and footpath. A beach bar led to interest from tourists on the island and soon after, thanks to being a protected, calm anchorage, two marinas have been built inside and just outside the bay on Nanny Cay.

Thanks to its excellent transport links both with the BVI capital and the airport on the east of the island, Sea Cow Bay is an excellent place to begin your BVI yacht charter. Book today with Borrow a Boat!

Explore Sea Cows Bay By Renting A Yacht

On the south coast of Tortola and just a short sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel from many of the most attractive smaller islands of the British Virgin Islands, a BVI yacht charter out of Sea Cow Bay can take you to most of the best spots in the island chain.

If a beach bar and grill on a beautiful beach is your thing, there is stiff competition between Cow Wreck Beach Bar on Anegada and the Soggy Dollar at White Bay on Jost van Dyke - both are worth a visit on your sailing vacation to taste for yourself which is in fact the better place to enjoy fried conch and rum! It can be a bit of a sail to get to both on your Sea Cow Bay yacht charter but given the amazing sailing and the opportunity to explore the only coral atoll in BVI - Anegada - as you go this will be a challenge of merit.

Closer to Sea Cow Bay and just a short sail across the Sir Frances Drake Waterway are the southern out-islands of BVI. Great beaches, hiking and of course snorkeling and scuba diving on pristine coral reefs can be done on Norman Island, Peter Island, Salt Island and Cooper Island on your way to Virgin Gorda.

Virgin Gorda is home to one of the best resorts in the BVI chain - Leverick Bay Resort where you can get a fix of all things fun and structured. Perhaps on a circumnavigation of Tortola, from Virgin Gorda you can pause at Scrub Island before a resupply at the excellent Trellis Bay Market and then head north to Guana Island for more laid back fun and excellent sailing on your BVI boat rental.

Your Sea Cow Bay yacht charter gives you access to the whole of the British Virgin Islands even if on a week long sailing vacation. Book with Borrow a Boat today!

How To Get To Sea Cow Bay

Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport

One of the selling points of the British Virgin Islands is that it is an out of the way holiday destination. For those heading from Europe this will usually mean two changes of plane. Out of London Heathrow you would change at Miami and fly to St Thomas in USVI.

If the idea of three planes to get to your sailing vacation isn't so fun you can take a ferry from Red Hook on St Thomas to Road Town on Tortola instead (also requiring a change on the US mainland) - slightly slower but a chance to appreciate the beauty of these paradise islands.

Marinas In Sea Cow Bay

There are two marinas in Sea Cow Bay - the smaller Manuel Reef Marina in the bay and the much larger Nanny Cay Marina.

Nanny Cay Marina:

Located on Nanny Cay at the mouth of Sea Cow Bay, Nanny Cay Marina is a major yacht charter hub with charter companies offering crewed superyacht charter and bareboat catamaran charter, sailing yacht charter, luxury yacht charter and motorboat charter.

Berth Characteristics:

320 berths

Max Length 42m (140 Feet)

Max Draught 3.3m (11 Feet)

List of additional services: Shore power, water, WiFi, shower/WC, launderette, garbage disposal, cash machine, currency exchange, supermarket, restaurant.

Manuel Reef Marina:

On the eastern side of Sea Cow Bay, Manuel Reef Marina is the smaller marina but is a yacht charter hub with charter companies offering crewed yacht charter and bareboat charter of sailing catamaran, sailing yacht, luxury yacht charter and motor yacht rental.

Berth Characteristics:

40 berths

Max Length 18.2m (60 Feet)

Max Draught 2.2m (7 Feet)

List of additional services: Shore power, water, WiFi, shower/WC, launderette, garbage disposal, cash machine, currency exchange, supermarket, restaurant.

Suggested Sailing Routes From Sea Cows Bay

So, what do you want from a BVI yacht charter out of Sea Cows Bay? Serious chill on a sandy beach? Snorkelling or scuba diving on a protected coral reef off your charter yacht? Your Tortola boat rental out of Sea Cow Bay can take you around much of BVI in a week or two's sailing.

7 Days - a Circumnavigation of Tortola: From Sea Cows Bay you will head SW to Norman Island for the first evening. On either the second evening (the private Peter Island) or third on Salt Island, go snorkeling on the Rhone Marine Park before your fourth night at Trellis Bay on Beef Island for its market. Guana Island will be your fifth night and after a great day's sailing along the north coast of Tortola you can spend the sixth night on Blackbeard's legendary haunt (and now an uninhabited national park) Great Thatch Island to the west. Return to base the next day.

14 Days: A longer sailing vacation could take you beyond Tortola on to the other larger islands of Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost van Dyke, allowing you to appreciate the very best of BVI over a longer adventure.

Best Times To Hire A Yacht In Sea Cow Bay

Unlike Europe, the sailing season in the Caribbean Sea runs from November to May - perfect for a dose of winter sun. The NE Trades are settled and you will encounter weather between 25-35 degrees C.

Within this period, March and April after the winter northerlies have passed are cooler yet the sailing is just as fun as the rest of the year.

For those who want to try something a little outside their comfort zone, August and September are said to be the very best sailing months of all.

There's a problem with this - many charter yacht fleets will not be in the area thanks to hurricane season that runs between July and November. If booked and a hurricane is on its way your holiday will be cancelled. There is no minimising the danger of being in the region in a hurricane - with the general trend for ever fiercer storms, it is not an experience to even risk being around for.

The Climate

The sailing season runs from December to June with the hurricane season hitting in June and ending in November. Winds are dominated by the NE Trade Winds and can sit at up to 20 knots, firm and steady all day.

Hurricanes have recently given the region a big kicking and are not to be underestimated. Generally speaking it is impossible to hire a yacht during this time.

FAQs:

What should I consider when hiring a Yacht or Boat?

The main points to consider are what is your budget, have you got the necessary sailing experience and qualifications to manage the boat if it's not going to have a skipper, whom you are taking sailing, where exactly you wish to go and what will the weather be like on the proposed dates of your trip.

What are the Marinas in Sea Cows Bay?

There are two marinas in Sea Cows Bay - Manuel Reef Marina is a small marina closer to Road Town that takes 40 yachts, and the larger Nanny Cay Marina on Nanny Cay just to the west that takes up to 180 vessels.

When are the best times to hire a boat in Sea Cow Bay?

Sea Cows Bay is in the northern Tropics and this means blissful trade winds and comfortable temperatures year round. The cooler part of the year from November to May is better for yacht charters simply because the hurricane season coincides with the hotter and wetter part of the year. As ever, if serious chill is the name of the game, then come out outside of school holidays.

Do you have to pay a deposit when hiring a Yacht in Sea Cow Bay?

You will typically pay 50% up front on booking the yacht hire and the balance on arrival. You will either pay a security deposit with your credit card on departure or can get insurance covering damage in advance. In some cases (such as the recent Covid situation) charter companies may be more flexible but this depends on the individual charter companies themselves.

What happens if my Yacht breaks down?

If you are at sea and in danger, call MAYDAY on VHF Ch16 or ring the coast guard on your phone if you have reception. If you have a mechanical fault and can make it to or are on a mooring you will be able to phone a help line number given by the boat charter company.

What should I think of before I hire a Yacht or Boat in Sea Cows Bay?

You should consider do you have the experience to handle the yacht charter or boat hire before you book and where do you want to go along with what the weather will be like. Dress for warm weather but do have something for tropical rains - light but waterproof.

What Qualifications Do I need to hire a boat or yacht?

If you want to sail without a skipper then you will need relevant qualifications like RYA Day Skipper/International Certificate of Competence (ICC)/ASA 104 Bareboat certificate or the US Sailing Certificate. For small 'day boats' or if you choose to have a crewed yacht charter you typically don't require licences.

Frequently asked questions
What should I consider when hiring a Yacht or Boat?

The main points to consider are what is your budget, have you got the necessary sailing experience and qualifications to manage the boat if it's not going to have a skipper, whom you are taking sailing, where exactly you wish to go and what will the weather be like on the proposed dates of your trip.

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