I believe in buying on Tortola vs. bringing in. We bought our washing machine and fridge on island, but shipped in our other appliances because they were not available locally.
When it comes to linens, the choice locally is cheap at IDS, or expensive at House. It's hard to find all cotton locally. For bed linen and pillows we go mid-range: Pottery Barn, Company Store, Kohl's or IKEA.
Costco has good options for towels, especially if you have renters. My favorite towels are linen I found on sale in Paris, as well as some German towels bought in Switzerland. On a boat you may prefer the quick dry type.
Most of my kitchen linens come from Pottery Barn, which reminds me I need to restock. Pomegranate is a good source for table linen. For throw cushions, you can't beat Sunbrella. I make most of my own. Yes, I am a textile junkie.
We pay duty. It's not worth trying to avoid it.
.
