Benetti B.NOW 72M236' 3"
View Specs & ReviewA 350-tonne hoist, a 240-foot dock, and a 90-minute mooring
Yachting in Virgin Gorda
A Minted Location · Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
If you own a big boat and you have been told the British Virgin Islands cannot take it, the number that settles the argument is published on Virgin Gorda.
Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour's own boatyard page states a "350 Metric Tonne Cimolai Hoist, designed for lifting vessels with dimensions of up to 180 feet LOA and 39 feet in beam." The same page states "FULLY EQUIPPED BOATYARDS 2" and 24/7 emergency repair response.
The dockage matches it. Bitter End Yacht Club, at the top of North Sound, publishes "deep-draft dockage for up to 26 yachts", "deep-draft vessels up to 240 feet", "slips with 10'+ depth" and "72 mooring balls, protected and surge-free." Blunder Bay publishes two slips for yachts to 150 ft over 15+ ft of water. Oil Nut Bay publishes alongside berthing "for yachts up to 130 feet (40 meters) and a draft of up to 10 feet (3 meters)." Tortola is the working island; Virgin Gorda is where the size lives.
The island's most famous landmark, though, stops at eighty feet. The BVI National Parks Trust publishes a mooring-buoy regime for the marine parks with a strict colour code, a 90-minute limit, first-come first-served, and this in its own words: "the moorings are for day use only and it is illegal to use them overnight." The largest buoy in the system — the 35-inch yellow one — is rated for commercial vessels 55–80 ft. The Baths is a place you visit in a tender, not a place you take the boat.
Run the permit arithmetic before you commit. The BVI cruising permit is charged per person per day, not per vessel — $6.00 home-based, $16.00 foreign-based. Eight aboard for a fortnight is $1,792 against $672, decided by an ownership structure rather than a berth.
So treat Virgin Gorda as what the evidence supports: the destination end of the chain, and the BVI's large-yacht answer — a 180-foot hoist at one end of the island and an eighty-foot ceiling at the other.
Where to keep a yacht in Virgin Gorda
Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour at Spanish Town is the market's rate-card marina, and it publishes its whole tariff on its own site rather than an enquiry form.
Its own marina page states "93 spacious slips" at 140 ft LOA over 9 ft of draft, with 24/7 dockhand assistance, a "stocked chandlery, and an on-site fuel dock." The rate card published on the same domain gives the numbers:
| Vessel | Hourly | Overnight /ft | Weekly /ft | Monthly /ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monohulls up to 54′ | $10.00 | $1.30 | $1.20 | $1.15 |
| Catamarans up to 54′ | $15.00 | $2.50 | $2.00 | $1.80 |
| Monohulls 55′ and over | $25.00 | $3.00 | $2.50 | quote |
| Catamarans 55′ and over | $25.00 | $3.00 | $2.50 | quote |
Read the catamaran line twice, because the surcharge has a cliff. A 48-foot catamaran pays $2.50 a foot against a monohull's $1.30 — near enough double — and then at 55 feet and over the two rates converge on $3.00 and the surcharge disappears entirely. If you are inside a foot or two of the line, the arithmetic is worth doing.
The marina's own definitions are strict and they govern the price: daily is "less than seven consecutive nights", weekly is "seven or more consecutive nights to be paid weekly in advance", monthly is "thirty or more consecutive nights to be paid weekly in advance", and seasonal is "three consecutive months or more to be paid in advance." Extras are metered: fresh water $0.15 per gallon, shore power $0.65 per kilowatt, ice $5.00 small and $10.00 large, trash $3.00 per bag for non-guests, and a commercial guest drop-off at $3.00 per person. "Gasoline and Diesel available at the fuel dock", and the harbour states "Two large boatyards." Hail on VHF 16 or 11.
The rate card also states that "Dockage and Refueling are available by appointment only" — so hail 16 or 11 before you run in on fumes.
Bitter End Yacht Club is the market's big-boat answer, and it is the largest published figure in the British Virgin Islands. Its own marina page states "deep-draft dockage for up to 26 yachts", "deep-draft vessels up to 240 feet", "slips with 10'+ depth", "catamaran-friendly slips", "110v & 220v electrical hookups", a fuel dock, "72 mooring balls, protected and surge-free", 24-hour security, "ice, fresh water, provisioning", dinghy docks and a "complimentary launch service (5 PM)." Dockage and mooring rates are on request — hail VHF 16.
Oil Nut Bay's marina sits in Deep Bay at the eastern end of North Sound and publishes alongside berthing "for yachts up to 130 feet (40 meters) and a draft of up to 10 feet (3 meters)", plus "ten mooring balls … in Deep Bay for boats up to 120 feet (37 meters)." Its dockage runs $3.00 per foot nightly in high season (20 Dec – 26 Apr) and $2.00 low (27 Apr – 19 Dec), with weekly rates at $2.50 and $1.75. Power is $40 a day for 30 amp, $60 for 50 amp, $110 for 100 amp; water $0.25 a gallon; moorings $30 a night to 60 ft and $120 to 120 ft; "Gasoline and Diesel Available." The useful navigational line is the operator's own: "Deep Bay has two access routes all mapped out – one for regular draft vessels and another for those that require a little more draft than usual" — so give the marina your draft before you run in. Berths "are privately owned by Oil Nut Bay homeowners and can be reserved for anything from a single night up to your entire stay", which makes this a booking rather than a walk-up.
Blunder Bay Marina is the deep-draft option. Its own page states "16 slips for yachts up to 80ft (9ft draft)" and "2 slips for lager yachts up to 150ft (15ft+ draft)" — the site's own spelling — with "3 phase- 30 amp, 50 amp or 100 amp (x 2 available)" and "metered water available." Fifteen-plus feet is real water, and it is two slips, so treat it as a phone call rather than a plan: (284) 541-3302, and settle rates, hours and the radio channel on that call.
North Sound's two small operators publish full tariffs and modest sizes. Saba Rock states "seven slips and 18 mooring balls" for boats "up to 80 ft.", moorings at $40.00 a night, slips at $2.50 a foot under 55 ft and $3.75 over from December to July, and $5.00 for all boats in peak season 16 Dec – 4 Jan; power $30 a night for 30 amp and $50 for 50 amp, water $0.25 a gallon, ice and trash $5.00 a bag. Leverick Bay publishes "36 moorings and slips" with 110 and 220-volt hook-ups, dockage at $1.75 a foot under 70 ft and $2.75 over, $18.00 per foot per month long-term, moorings $40.00 a night, power $15 / $25 / $95 a night for 30 / 50 / 100 amp, water $0.15 a gallon, and a fuel dock publishing diesel at $5.51 and petrol at $6.06. "Marine Radio Channel 16", open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week. Leverick Bay's 36 is a combined moorings-and-slips figure, so give the office your length and draft on the radio when you book.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Gorda Yacht HarbourThe market's rate-card marina, and one of the very few operators anywhere to publish an entire tariff. "93 spacious slips" at 140 ft LOA over 9 ft of draft, 24/7 dockhand assistance, a stocked chandlery and an on-site fuel dock. Monohulls to 54 ft: $10.00/hour, $1.30/ft overnight, $1.20 weekly, $1.15 monthly. Catamarans to 54 ft: $15.00/hour and $2.50/ft overnight — near enough double the monohull rate — and then at 55 ft and over both hulls converge on $25.00/hour and $3.00/ft and the surcharge vanishes. Fresh water $0.15/gallon, shore power $0.65/kilowatt, ice $5/$10, trash $3.00 per bag for non-guests, commercial guest drop-off $3.00 per person. Daily is "less than seven consecutive nights", weekly "seven or more", monthly "thirty or more", seasonal "three consecutive months or more". Cancellation: 48 hours, or 30 days in writing on seasonal. The rate card also states that "Dockage and Refueling are available by appointment only" — hail VHF 16 or 11 before you arrive. | Spanish Town, St Thomas Bay | 140 ft | 93 | On-site fuel dock — "Gasoline and Diesel available at the fuel dock" |
| The Marina at Oil Nut BayAlongside berthing "for yachts up to 130 feet (40 meters) and a draft of up to 10 feet (3 meters)", plus "ten mooring balls … in Deep Bay for boats up to 120 feet (37 meters)". Dockage $3.00/ft nightly in high season (20 Dec – 26 Apr) and $2.00 low (27 Apr – 19 Dec); weekly $2.50 and $1.75. Power $40/$60/$110 a day for 30/50/100 amp, water $0.25/gallon, ice $6/bag, garbage $5/bag; moorings $30 a night to 60 ft, $120 to 120 ft. Double reverse-osmosis potable water, provisioning and a helipad for two twin-jet helicopters. The navigational line is the operator's own: "Deep Bay has two access routes all mapped out – one for regular draft vessels and another for those that require a little more draft than usual" — so give the marina your draft when you book. Berths "are privately owned by Oil Nut Bay homeowners" and are reserved through the marina rather than taken on arrival. | Deep Bay, the eastern end of North Sound | 130 ft | — | "Gasoline and Diesel Available" |
| Blunder Bay MarinaThe deep-draft option, at a marina almost nobody lists. Its own page states "16 slips for yachts up to 80ft (9ft draft)" and "2 slips for lager yachts up to 150ft (15ft+ draft)" — the site's own spelling — with "3 phase- 30 amp, 50 amp or 100 amp (x 2 available)" and "metered water available". Fifteen-plus feet is real water and it is two slips, so treat it as a phone call rather than a plan: (284) 541-3302, and settle rates, hours and the radio channel on that call. | Blunder Bay, Virgin Gorda | 150 ft | 18 | Fuel available — confirm grades and price with the dock |
| Saba Rock"Seven slips and 18 mooring balls" for boats "up to 80 ft." Overnight slips $2.50 a foot under 55 ft and $3.75 over from December to July, and $5.00 for all boats in peak season, 16 December – 4 January. Moorings $40.00 a night. Power $30 a night for 30 amp and $50 for 50 amp, water $0.25 a gallon, bagged ice and trash $5.00 each. Confirm your draft and the day's hours with the dock when you book. | North Sound | 80 ft | 7 | By arrangement — call ahead |
| Leverick Bay Resort & MarinaPublishes "36 moorings and slips" with "110 and 220-volt electricity hook ups". Dockage $1.75 a foot under 70 ft and $2.75 over, $18.00 per foot per month long-term; moorings $40.00 a night. Power $15 / $25 / $95 a night for 30 / 50 / 100 amp, water $0.15 a gallon, a 10 lb bag of ice $5.00, freshwater hot showers and restrooms. "Marine Radio Channel 16", open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week. The 36 is a combined moorings-and-slips figure rather than a slip count, so give the office your length and draft on the radio when you book. | North Sound, western shore | — | — | Fuel dock — diesel $5.51, petrol $6.06, both stated subject to change |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter End Yacht ClubThe largest published dockage figure in the British Virgin Islands. Its own marina page states "deep-draft dockage for up to 26 yachts", "deep-draft vessels up to 240 feet", "slips with 10'+ depth", "catamaran-friendly slips", "110v & 220v electrical hookups", a fuel dock, "72 mooring balls, protected and surge-free", 24-hour security, "ice, fresh water, provisioning", "dinghy docks" and a "complimentary launch service (5 PM)". Dockage and mooring rates are on request — hail VHF 16 or book through the club before you sail up the sound. | North Sound | 240 ft | 26 | Fuel dock |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Virgin Gorda
Three published regimes govern a boat on Virgin Gorda, and only one of them is priced by the foot.
First, the cruising permit, which is charged by the head. Under the amended Cruising Permit Ordinance (Cap. 203), passed by the House of Assembly on 6 June and gazetted on 16 June, the Government of the Virgin Islands publishes:
- Home-based charter boats: $6.00 per person per day, year-round.
- Foreign-based boats: $16.00 per person per day, year-round.
A home-based charter boat is defined as "a boat operated in the Virgin Islands, generally maintained in the Virgin Islands and managed by a company or any other legal entity incorporated, registered or licensed in the Virgin Islands for a period of five (5) months or more in any 12-month period."
⚠️ Run it before you book. A foreign-based boat with eight aboard for a fortnight is $16 × 8 × 14 = $1,792 in cruising permit alone; the same boat under a home-based structure is $672. No other line on this page turns an ownership structure into a four-figure difference. Confirm the current figures with HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 or bvicustoms@gov.vg before you budget.
Second, the National Parks moorings — and this is the regime that actually shapes a day on Virgin Gorda. The BVI National Parks Trust publishes the whole system on its own Marine Conservation Programme page, and it is unusually specific:
| Installation | "The Halas System … a stainless steel pin that is cemented into the solid bedrock" |
| Orange buoy | Non-diving, day use only |
| White buoy | Diving only |
| Blue buoy | Dinghy use only |
| Yellow buoy | Commercial vessels only |
| Large yellow (35″) | Commercial vessels 55–80 ft |
| Time limit | 90 minutes, first come, first served |
| Overnight | "the moorings are for day use only and it is illegal to use them overnight" |
| Permit | "you are required by law to purchase a National Parks Mooring Permit" |
⚠️ Two things in that table decide whether your boat can visit The Baths at all: ninety minutes is the whole visit, and the largest buoy in the system tops out at 80 ft. Vessels between 55 and 80 feet are directed off the regular moorings and onto the big yellow ones; above eighty feet the Trust publishes no provision at all. If you are running a hundred-foot boat, the published answer is that you berth in North Sound or at Spanish Town and take the tender, and the Trust's own words are the reason: its buoys are "frequently located in exposed sites, where seas are rough and unpredictable; or in the vicinity of shallow rocks and reefs."
The permit is a legal requirement and the fee comes on application. The Trust's Park Tickets & Marine Permit page carries a mooring permit and one-day passes for The Baths National Park, Sage Mountain and the J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens, and states that "permits will be processed within 5 business days of receiving the completed application" — so apply before you sail rather than on the morning you arrive. Ask the Trust on (284) 393-9284 or bvinpt@bvinpt.org.
The Trust defines the area itself: "The Greater Baths National Park is comprised of The Baths, Devil's Bay, Spring Bay, and Fallen Jerusalem National Parks." Virgin Gorda carries six national parks in total — those three plus Copper Mine Point, Little Fort and Gorda Peak.
Third, clearance. Spanish Town is Virgin Gorda's port of entry, and Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour sits inside it. Call HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 to confirm clearance hours before you plan an evening arrival.
Coming from the US Virgin Islands is a genuine international border, and going back is a US customs event. CBP treats St Thomas, St John and St Croix as foreign ports under United States customs law, so a boat returning from the BVI to the USVI must report, and one continuing to Puerto Rico must report again. Fines typically begin at $5,000. CBP ROAM covers most cases but not an I-94, a cruising licence, or duties owed.
And the yard, which is the reason to base a boat here rather than visit. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour's own figures:
| Hoist | "350 Metric Tonne Cimolai Hoist" |
| Maximum LOA | 180 feet |
| Maximum beam | 39 feet |
| Yards | "FULLY EQUIPPED BOATYARDS 2" |
| Emergency | "24/7 emergency response for urgent repairs" |
The hoist is published on length and beam only, and a deep-keeled boat is governed by its draft. Ask for the draft figure in writing before you book a lift here.
The size logic across the island is worth stating plainly, because it is not intuitive: the yard lifts to 180 feet and the marina in front of it berths to 140. The hoist out-ranges its own harbour. Above 140 feet on the dock the published answers are Bitter End at 240 feet in North Sound, Blunder Bay at 150 feet over 15+ feet, and — outside the territory and across a customs report — St Thomas.
- The Baths and the National Parks moorings — 90 minutes, day use only — The Greater Baths National Park and BVI marine parksThe regime that decides whether your boat can visit the BVI's most famous landmark at all, published by the BVI National Parks Trust on its own site. Buoys are installed on "The Halas System … a stainless steel pin that is cemented into the solid bedrock". Colour code: orange non-diving day use, white diving only, blue dinghy only, yellow commercial vessels only, and large yellow (35") for commercial vessels 55–80 ft. There is a 90-minute limit on all moorings, first come first served, and the Trust states "the moorings are for day use only and it is illegal to use them overnight." The largest buoy in the system stops at 80 ft, so a hundred-foot boat berths elsewhere and sends the tender. "To use the mooring buoys you are required by law to purchase a National Parks Mooring Permit." The fee comes on application and permits are "processed within 5 business days" of a completed one, so apply before you sail. "The Greater Baths National Park is comprised of The Baths, Devil's Bay, Spring Bay, and Fallen Jerusalem National Parks." Ask on (284) 393-9284 or bvinpt@bvinpt.org.
- The BVI cruising permit — priced per person, per day — British Virgin Islands watersCharged on heads rather than feet, under the amended Cruising Permit Ordinance (Cap. 203), passed 6 June and gazetted 16 June. A home-based charter boat is "a boat operated in the Virgin Islands, generally maintained in the Virgin Islands and managed by a company or any other legal entity incorporated, registered or licensed in the Virgin Islands for a period of five (5) months or more in any 12-month period." Eight aboard for a fortnight is $1,792 foreign-based against $672 home-based — confirm the current figures with HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 or bvicustoms@gov.vg before you budget. Spanish Town is Virgin Gorda's port of entry; call the same number to confirm clearance hours before an evening arrival. Returning to the USVI is a US customs event — CBP treats St Thomas, St John and St Croix as foreign ports, fines typically from $5,000, and CBP ROAM covers most cases but not an I-94, a cruising licence or duties owed.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour BoatyardsThe headline of this market. The yard's own words: a "350 Metric Tonne Cimolai Hoist, designed for lifting vessels with dimensions of up to 180 feet LOA and 39 feet in beam." It also states "FULLY EQUIPPED BOATYARDS 2" and "24/7 emergency response for urgent repairs", plus hull and engine maintenance, anti-fouling, electrical and plumbing, dry storage, refit, electronics and safety inspections. The hoist is published on length and beam only, and draft is the figure a deep-keeled boat is governed by — ask for it in writing before you book a lift. Note the asymmetry: the yard lifts to 180 ft and the marina in front of it berths to 140. | Spanish Town | 180 ft | — |
On the Virgin Gorda calendar
Virgin Gorda runs year-round, and the clocks that matter here are unusually well published — four operators put their seasons and their hours in writing.
- Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour: check-in 3:00 p.m., check-out 11:00 a.m. Hail on VHF 16 or 11. Its rate card states that "dockage and refueling are available by appointment only" — confirm on the radio.
- VGYH cancellation clocks: daily, weekly and monthly dockage is non-refundable if not cancelled within 48 hours of scheduled arrival; seasonal is non-refundable within 30 days, in writing. "Rates are subject to change without prior notice."
- VGYH rate tiers are defined by nights, not by calendar: daily is "less than seven consecutive nights", weekly "seven or more", monthly "thirty or more", seasonal "three consecutive months or more."
- Oil Nut Bay seasons: high 20 December – 26 April, low 27 April – 19 December — $3.00 against $2.00 a foot. Its ferry runs 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Saba Rock seasons: December to July at $2.50/$3.75 a foot, and a peak window of 16 December – 4 January at $5.00 for all boats.
- Leverick Bay: open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., all week, on VHF 16.
- National Parks moorings: a 90-minute limit, first come first served, day use only — the Trust states it is "illegal to use them overnight." Its permits are "processed within 5 business days of receiving the completed application", so do not leave it to the morning you arrive.
- Cruising permit: charged per person per day, year-round — $6 home-based, $16 foreign-based. Confirm the current figures with HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 before you budget.
- Spanish Town is the port of entry. Call HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 to confirm clearance hours before an evening arrival.
Regatta and festival dates are set by the organising clubs — confirm them directly with the organiser. The seasons, hours and cancellation clocks above are the dates that actually change a trip.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Virgin Gorda
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you anchor at The Baths on Virgin Gorda?
The published mechanism is a National Parks mooring buoy rather than your own anchor: you need a permit by law, and you have ninety minutes. The BVI National Parks Trust publishes a 90-minute limit on all its moorings, first come first served, and states plainly that "the moorings are for day use only and it is illegal to use them overnight." Buoys are colour-coded — orange for non-diving day use, white for diving, blue for dinghies, yellow for commercial vessels, and a larger 35-inch yellow buoy for commercial vessels of 55 to 80 feet. Buy the permit, take a buoy, plan the visit as a timed slot, and ask the Trust on (284) 393-9284 about anything larger than 80 feet.
Do catamarans pay more at a Virgin Gorda marina?
Yes, up to 54 feet — and then the surcharge disappears. The marina at Spanish Town publishes a two-tier rate card: below 55 feet a catamaran pays close to double what a monohull of the same length pays, both per foot per night and by the hour. At 55 feet and over the distinction vanishes and both hull types pay the same. If your boat sits within a foot or two of that 54-foot line, ask the harbour office for the current figures on both tiers before you book — crossing the line changes the arithmetic more than the extra foot does.
What is the largest yacht that can be hauled out in the British Virgin Islands?
One hundred and eighty feet, at Virgin Gorda. The boatyard at Spanish Town publishes a "350 Metric Tonne Cimolai Hoist, designed for lifting vessels with dimensions of up to 180 feet LOA and 39 feet in beam." The harbour also states two fully equipped boatyards and 24/7 emergency repair response for urgent work. One caution: the hoist is published on length and beam only, and draft is what governs a deep-keeled boat, so ask for that figure in writing before you book a lift.
How much is a BVI National Parks mooring permit?
The National Parks Trust quotes the fee on application rather than publishing a price. Its Park Tickets & Marine Permit page carries a marine permit and one-day passes for The Baths National Park, Sage Mountain and the J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens, and states that "permits will be processed within 5 business days of receiving the completed application" — so apply before you sail rather than on the morning you arrive. The obligation itself is published plainly: "To use the mooring buoys you are required by law to purchase a National Parks Mooring Permit." The Trust answers on (284) 393-9284 or bvinpt@bvinpt.org.
What is the largest yacht that can dock on Virgin Gorda?
Two hundred and forty feet, at Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound, which publishes "deep-draft dockage for up to 26 yachts", "deep-draft vessels up to 240 feet" and "slips with 10'+ depth". Below it, Blunder Bay publishes two slips for yachts to 150 feet over 15-plus feet of water; the marina at Spanish Town publishes 93 slips at 140 feet over 9 feet; and Oil Nut Bay publishes alongside berthing to 130 feet over 10 feet of draft in Deep Bay. Above 240 feet, and across a customs report, the answer is St Thomas.
How much is a BVI cruising permit?
The British Virgin Islands charge per person per day rather than per vessel — $6.00 for home-based charter boats and $16.00 for foreign-based ones, year-round, under the amended Cruising Permit Ordinance. A home-based boat is one operated and generally maintained in the Virgin Islands and managed by a locally incorporated, registered or licensed entity for five months or more in any twelve. The arithmetic matters: a foreign-based boat with eight aboard for a fortnight is $1,792 in permit alone against $672 home-based. Confirm current figures with HM Customs on (284) 468-6800 or bvicustoms@gov.vg before you budget.