TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Planning a trip to BVI soon

Looking for some help as I have not been there since 2020. I Chartered a Lagoon 42 and found the rig to be too small to get boat moving in light wind which, of course, was the situation for the week we were there. We were there in peak season and getting a mooring ball was not fun. Even with the 7am boaty ball reservations we did not always get a ball. It's pretty stressful to arrive at a moorage to find no where to tie up so want to get some advice on that. I'm thinking early January 2026 so my initial questions are:

Winds during that time?
How crowded are the moorages?
Recommendations on cats/charter companies?
Will everything be open then on the islands?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Winds should be 15 to 20 but you could see 20 to 25. You likely will also see some North swell.
January is busy but slows a bit after about the 4th.
Most of the charter companies are descent. Pick the boat you like.
Everything will be open.

Also, try to avoid moving with the masses during your time there to help with the crowded mooring concern. There has been a lot written on this forum related to this topic, but generally the best ideas are to either start midweek with a normal rotation or alter course early in the trip to be ahead or behind the mass movement of boats.

Heading there in March 17th a Wed start. Check out the Fountaine Pajot cat 45. At Conch Charter. I am also concerned regarding the availability of moorings and the crowds of fellow charters.

Everyone is worried about Moorings. Relax, have a plan B and if you are not comfortable anchoring have a skipper placed on board.

We've done a lot of January trips and the winds are usually very strong - sustained 20+ knots with higher gusts. You also need to be ready for a big North Swell.

Cheers, RickG

You'll increase your odds of finding open mooring balls if you avoid starting your charter on a Saturday or Sunday. Fly down on Monday for a Sleep Aboard and start your sail on Tuesday and you'll be behind the pack.

Highly recommend TMM Yacht Charters if you're looking for a company that is truly customer facing. Having chartered with just about everyone in the Virgin Islands since the mid-'80's (ironically not TMM) and having worked for a charter company for nearly 4 years, when it came time to buy our own boat, we chose TMM. They have been in business since 1978 under the same ONSITE ownership and management - they aren't owned by a private equity firm, a large conglomerate, boat dealer, etc.... you'll always be taken care of by their senior management, no one else to pass the buck to. The average tenure of the senior operations staff is 14 years. Extremely well equipped and maintained boats, attention to detail are just as important to charter guests as to boat owners. Take a look at their TripAdvisor reviews.

If you're looking for something a bit smaller 4-5 cabins (42'-47'), you'll find great options at TMM! Would love to have you onboard my boat, Absolutely sailabsolutely.com, but she's pretty much booked all next winter. January 2027 is already fully booked and the calendar is starting to fill for February and spring of 2027. You can reach out to me here or on our website if you have any questions.

I would second the recommendation for TMM as they are best maintained boats and their customer service is always highly rated on this site and others.

Our previous boat was a Lagoon 42 and we are extremely happy having moved up to a Lagoon 46.

Here is some fuel burn info on the 464.

Speed: 5.2 to 6.8 knots
Fuel burn: As low as 4.3 liters per hour (about 1.1 gallons per hour)
Range: Up to 1,785 nautical miles at 5.2 knots
At efficient cruising speeds (3,000 RPM):
Speed: 16–17 knots
Fuel burn: About 20–22.5 gallons per hour
Range: Approximately 329–400 nautical miles, depending on load and conditions
At wide-open throttle (top speed):
Speed: Up to 22.4 knots
Fuel burn: About 38.6 gallons per hour