What to Pack for a BVI Sailing Trip in 2024

Deciding What to Pack for a Sailing Trip in the BVI Doesn’t Have to Be a Challenge

What to Pack for a BVI Sailing Trip

You have booked a yacht charter to the BVI, you have all your flights and detailed arranged and it’s coming close to your departure time, so it’s time to start packing, but what to pack for a BVI sailing trip?

Choosing and identifying what to pack for a BVI sailing trip can be challenging especially when you have no idea where to start or what to leave at home. The cabin in yachts are smaller than regular hotel rooms and storage space is limited everything you bring with you is required to stay within the yacht and taken everywhere with you.

As a result of this, we have created a guide to help you identify what to pack for a BVI sailing trip, which items to include and which to leave at home for another time.

What to Pack for a BVI Sailing Trip

1. Quick Dry Clothes

What to Pack for a BVI Sailing Trip. It can be challenging to find and identify what to pack for a BVI sailing trip, not wanting to overpack due to limited space but making sure you have everything you need for your yacht charter.

List To Pack. We have identified the main clothing items require and which can be included in our what to pack for a BVI sailing trip guide. Everyone has different requirements and like wearing different clothing items but this list will cover the basics.

  • T-Shirts (between 2 – 4, depending on the length of your charter)
  • Shorts/Skirts (2 – 4, depending on the length of your charter)
  • Dress (1 0r 2, for the day or for smart/casual evenings)
  • Smart Casual Outfit (2 smarter outfits for the evening, maybe for a meal in a restaurant)
  • Swimwear (3 or 4)
  • A windbreaker (in case it rains or the wind is strong)
  • A sweatshirt or cardigan (for cooler evenings)
  • Warmer layers (if sailing in the low cooler season)
  • Wet weather gear (if sailing in the low season)
  • Street shoes (for exploring off the boat)
  • Boat shoes (with white soles, non-marking to not mark the floors of the boat)
  • Flip flops, sandals, or water shoes

All clothing items on your what to pack for a BVI sailing trip list should be preferably made from quick-drying or light materials to ensure they dry quickly as they could get wet at any point.

2. Bio Friendly Toiletries

Bio Friendly Toiletries. All the toiletries you use on the boat and flush down the toilet or drain end up in the ocean. As a result of this where possible bio-friendly toiletries such as shampoo, soap, sunscreen, toothpaste, and other flushable toiletries to help protect our oceans from being damaged and contaminated.

What To Pack For A BVI Sailing Trip. We have identified the main toiletries required and which can be included in our what to pack for a BVI sailing trip list. Everyone has different requirements and like using different toiletries.

  • Sunblock (oil-free), not tanning oil (oil-based products stain wood, fabrics, and other decking)
  • Lip balm
  • Travel sized shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrush
  • Tweezers
  • Insect repellent (with high deet) and antihistamine or after-bite to soothe bites
  • Seasickness tablets and basic medication
  • Any required medications (they have first aid kits on board most yachts)

In the BVI, you can purchase basic toiletries with brands that you can find in other countries, but within marina shops, it is more expensive and you will only be able to purchase large bottles.

3. Bags

Limited Storage Space. When deciding what to pack for a BVI sailing trip keep in mind that storage space on boats are very limited so if you bring to much stuff you will be surrounded by it for the next week. Quick-dry clothing products are great as they are often smaller than regular clothes and can be stored away easily.

What To Pack For A BVI Sailing Trip. After you have decided what to pack for a BVI sailing trip, it’s time to identify a suitable bag to carry everything in. It is heavily advised not to bring a hard suitcase, as these take up a lot of space in the cabin. It is advised to pack your belonging within a soft suitcase that can be folded down to flat. Duffle bags, soft cases with wheels, backpacks, or any other kind of soft luggage is ideal.

4. Miscellaneous

What To Pack For A BVI Sailing Trip. It is easy to overpack items especially with miscellaneous items, so limit the number of things you bring onboard to avoid cluttering the boat with ‘stuff’.

Miscellaneous Items. We have identified the main miscellaneous items required and which can be included in our what to pack for a BVI sailing trip list. Everyone has different requirements and likes doing and using different things.

  • Towel (micro-fiber quick dry towels are ideal)
  • Sailing gloves (if required)
  • Dry bags or ziplock bags (to keep items such as money or electronics dry)
  • Playing cards or other small travel games
  • A flashlight
  • A small bag for day trips
  • Notebook for writing (if desired)
  • A portable speaker (to listen to your favorite playlists)
  • CD’s/Aux cable/Summer playlist
  • Any food items (if anyone onboard has any allergies, such as milk, or gluten-free as these items aren’t as readily available in Greece)
  • Clothes pegs (to hang and dry items without them blowing away)
  • 2 pin plug, 12V
  • Waterproof phone case
  • Hat with string attachment (so the wind doesn’t blow the hat off)
  • sunglasses with lanyard (to keep them attached your head)

5. Must Bring Items

Additional Items. When deciding what to pack for a BVI sailing trip there are some essential items that you shouldn’t leave your house without. The same as when you go on a normal holiday or leave the house for the weekend you take your essential items with you and when deciding what to pack for a BVI sailing trip, these essential items are even more important to remember to pack.

What To Pack For A BVI Sailing Trip. We have identified the main required items to bring on any yacht charter.

  • Passport and driving license plus photocopies for everyone onboard (you never know what might happen so a photocopy for your driving license is a must carry)
  • Any visa requirements for the BVI (check before you travel if you are required to apply for a visa before you enter the BVI if you can purchase a visa on arrival or you can enter visa-free).
  • Travel insurance (documents with purchase confirmation and policy numbers)
  • Any documentation required for your charter
  • Any pre-charter hotel confirmation
  • Sailing licenses or boating licenses
  • Transfer plans from the airport to the marina (directions or transfer confirmation)
  • Cash in USD (exchange rates vary from place to place and country to country, it is advised to change currency into cash before you depart your home country)
  • Credit Cards (it is advised to bring a credit card with you to the BVI and you can use it in a number of restaurants and in ATM’s in larger ports and marinas)

6. Items To Leave At Home

What To Pack For A BVI Sailing Trip. It is easy to overpack items, so limit the number of things you bring onboard to avoid cluttering the boat with ‘stuff’.

Items To Leave At Home. We have identified the main items required and the following items should be avoided in our what to pack for a BVI sailing trip list. Everyone has different requirements and likes doing and using different things, but these items are some that you can leave at home for safety reasons and to declutter your yacht.

  • Expensive jewelry (it is advised to leave this at home to avoid it getting damaged or lost)
  • Excess amounts of makeup
  • Cooking equipment (this is included on the yacht)
  • Large electronics such as laptops
  • Denim clothes items (Denim takes a long time to dry out)
  • High heeled shoes (these shoes damage the floors on the boats)
  • A large first aid kit (boats have these onboard)

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