Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada are the major isles of the archipelago. The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are comprised of more than 25 beautiful jewels set amid the sheltered, turquoise waters of the central Caribbean Sea.
This Travel Notes page provides useful information about Tortola. From airport procedures to currency exchange it will tell you what to expect to make your vacation smooth and worry free
Base Manager
Julian Hodge
Address
The Moorings, Ltd
PO Box 139
Road Town
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Hours of Operation
7:00am – 11:00pm / 7 days a week
Base Facilities
Your comfort is assured by extensive facilities including a restaurant, hotel, gift shop, provisioning store, shower/toilets, rental shops for water sports and portable entertainment products, laundry, car rental, post office and bank ATM.
Check out the new Moorings Village, our flagship base in Tortola, British Virgin Islands!
Base Map
How to Get There
Two ways to get to Tortola:
Fly to Tortola’s Beef Island Airport; take taxi to the base.
Fly to St. Thomas and take the Roadtown Fast Ferry into Roadtown Harbour, Tortola.
Servicing Airlines
American Airlines
Liat
Continental Airlines
Cape Air
Due to the number of flights which we organize, the Moorings can offer some great rates to many destinations. Please make sure you contact your Vacation Planning Specialist before you book your flights.
Customs & Immigration
A valid passport (for each passenger) and crew list is compulsory for clearance. Expiration date must be no earlier than 6 months after your planned return. A customs declaration form must be completed at the port of entry.
IMPORTANT: Signature and Bareboat charters with a hired crew, that intend to visit either the US or Spanish Virgin Islands, need to advise the Moorings Vacation Planning department to advice accordingly.
Airport
The airport is located at Beef Island.
Airport Transfers
Beef Island Airport to Roadtown
Distance is approximately 30 minutes by taxi. For your convenience, you may purchase round-trip tickets for Beef Island Airport transfers in advance of your charter.
St. Thomas to Roadtown
For your convenience, you may purchase your ferry tickets or a combination of ferry/taxi tickets in advance of your charter. The distance is approximately 60 min by ferry transfer. Please contact our Vacation Planning Team for more details regarding both available options.
Arrival / Departure Procedure
Embarkation: Charters start at 12:00 noon or 6:00pm (with evening start).
Briefing Times: Boat/chart Briefings are scheduled at: 9:15am (Mon – Fri) / 8:30am (Sat/Sun) for noon starts; 4:00pm & 7:00pm for evening starts.
All head charterers are required to attend the briefings.
Disembarkation: All charters end at 12 noon at which time the boat must be returned and ready for debriefing and checks.
Late Arrival Procedure
The Customer Service Desk is open till 11:00pm. If clients arrive after office hours, a message will be left on the front door indicating where their boat is on the dock.
Taxes / Departure Tax
The airport departure tax is $20 pp – payable in USD at the airport. The ferry departure tax is $5 pp – payable in USD at the ferry dock.
Taxi
Taxi service available from the airport to the base - approx. 30 minutes.
If you purchased transfers through The Moorings, please see "Transfers" for details.
Wheatley: 284-496-5120 cell or 284-494-3357 office.
The approximate taxi fare to the base from Beef Island airport is $24 roundtrip.
Car Rental
Major car rental agencies, such as Hertz and Budget, well as local ones, are available on Tortola. Client will need a BVI license (US$10), obtainable with a valid driver's license.
Ferry Services
Roadtown Fast Ferry
Toll free (866) 903 3779 or (866) 90 FERRY, In Tortola call 284 494 2323
E-mail: info@tortolafastferry.com
Website: www.tortolafastferry.com
Cost: $100.00 adult round trip ($80 child) including taxi to and from St Thomas to Road town and back no stops - or $60.00 round trip ($35 child), excluding taxi.
St Thomas to Tortola
Monday thru Saturday:
8:30am ferry - Need to arrive in St Thomas by 7:45am
12:00pm ferry – Need to arrive in St Thomas by 11:15am
4:15pm ferry – Need to arrive in St Thomas by 3:30pm
Sunday:
12:00pm ferry – Need to arrive in St Thomas by 11:15am
4:15pm ferry – Need to arrive in St Thomas by 3:30pm
Need atleast 45 mins or more from the time your flight departs to the ferry departs.
Tortola to St Thomas
Monday thru Friday:
7:00am ferry – Flight needs to depart 10:30am or later
10:00am ferry – Flight needs to depart 1:30pm or later
2:30pm ferry – Flight needs to depart 5:00pm to later
Saturday:
7:00am ferry – Flight needs to depart 10:30am or later
10:00am ferry – Flight needs to depart 1:30pm or later
12:00pm ferry – Flight needs to depart 3:30pm or later
2:30pm ferry – Flight needs to depart 5:00pm to later
Sunday:
9:00am ferry – Flight needs to depart 12:30pm or later
12:00pm ferry – Flight needs to depart 3:30pm or later
2:30pm ferry – Flight needs to depart 5:00pm to later
Need 3 ½ hours from the ferry departing in Tortola to your flight departure time in St Thomas.
Area: 59 sq miles (153 sq km)
Population: 18,000
Capital city: Road Town on Tortola
People: African descent (90%), North American, Asian
Language: English
Religion: Methodist, Anglican, Catholic, Muslim, Baptist, Jehova's Witness, Adventist
Government: British Dependent Territory
Major industries: tourism, offshore banking and fishing
Tipping: 10-15% is generally acceptable if it has not been added already
Currency: The Local currency is the United States Dollar (USD)
Electricity: The voltage used is 110-120 Volts (Same as U.S./Canada)
Time: UTC/GMT -4 hours.
Festivals & holidays
New Year's Day*
Labour Day
Territory Day
Independence Day
Emancipation or Kadooment Day (Carnival)
Discovery Day
St. Ursula's Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
* If a holiday falls on a weekend - the following business day will be considered a holiday as well.
| Moveable Public Holidays |
| Good Friday |
| Easter |
| Easter Monday |
| Whit Monday |
Hotels
Mariner Inn Hotel
Maria's By The Sea
Treasure Isle Hotel
Prospect Reef Hotel
Nanny Cay Hotel
Restaurants
Mariner Inn – located at the base
Pusser’s – approximately 5 minute taxi ride
The Dove – approximately 5 minute taxi ride (reservations)
Post Office
Located on Main Street, Road Town; Tel: 284 494 3701. Mon. - Fri: 8:30am/4:30pm, Sat.: 9:00am - 12:00pm
NOTE: A mailbox is available at the Mariner Inn front desk and stamps can be purchased in the dive shop on the Moorings dock.
Internet Connectivity
The Mariner Inn hotel offers complementary WiFi at the restaurant and DSL connection in the rooms.
Cellular Phones
Your cellular phone may work in the Caribbean, check with your service provider for coverage.
Tourist Information Centre
Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Tel: (284) 494-3134 Fax: (284) 494-3866
E-mail: bvitourb@caribsurf.com
Banks
Banks in Tortola: Scotiabank; Chase Manhattan; Barclays Bank (the only bank that will exchange foreign currencies) & Banco Popular.
Hours of Operation: 9:00am – 2:00pm / Monday – Friday
Currencies / Money Exchange
Accepted Forms of Payment:
US Dollars and US travelers checks are used throughout the BVI.
Visa and MasterCard are also accepted in most places.
Snorkeling or Diving
Snorkeling gear is provided at this location. Please check availability for children’s sizes. You may wish to pack your own snorkeling gear. Scuba diving Rendezvous packages are available through Sail Caribbean Divers (284-495-1675) and scuba gear rentals are available through Last Stop Sports (284-494-0564) - both scuba dive facilitators are located onsite at The Moorings Base.
Fishing
Fishing permits are required for any fishing in the BVI. The cost is $60 USD ($45 for the License, plus $15 for the credit card and processing fee) per person and permits are valid for 1 month. No spear fishing allowed.
Last Stop Sports is able to process licenses in advance. Please visit www.laststopsports.com for details. A license should be obtained prior to your charter start date.
Fishing Season
The Closed Season schedule in the Virgin Islands is as follows. During this time no person shall catch, sell, offer for sale or buy.
Margate: January 1 - March 31
Red Hind: January 1 - March 31
Nassau Grouper: March 1 - May 31
Turtles: April 1 - November 30
Lobster: July 31 - October 31
Conch: August 15 - October 31
Whelk: August 15 - October 31
Kayaking & Sail boarding
We have a range of windsurfing equipment available and either a 1 or 2-man kayak. Boat/beach floats, body boards, surfboards, snorkel boards and other water-sports equipment are also available for rent through Last Stop Sports at the Moorings Base.
Cruising Guide: Once you book your Moorings vacation in the British Virgin Islands, we will send you a link on your invoice to our complimentary online cruising guide for the Virgin Islands. For your convenience, you can also purchase a physical copy of this cruising guide from our partner, Cruising Guide Publications, at a special Moorings discount.
Marina Information
In general, there are many outlets offering a range of services in the BVI cruising area. Major items and fuel are normally available only from the larger outlets, harbours and marinas, such as: Soper's Hole, Nanny Cay, Road Town, Hodges Creek, Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and Bitter End Yacht Club. Other outlets that provide water, ice and a wide variety of provisions can be found at Cane Garden Bay, Trellis Bay, Penn's Landing, Jost Van Dyke and other locations throughout the islands. For clients planning to sail down island to St. Martin or further down island, see also Guide to Caribbean Anchorages. Note: Moorings yachts at the Tortola Base are provided with navigation charts for the British Virgin Islands cruising area only.
Marinas - Tortola
Marinas - Virgin Gorda
Marinas - Peter Island
Electricity Information
In the BVI, 110/60 volts AC, 60 Hz are standard US 2-pin plugs used. The Moorings docks are equipped with 110V power outlets. All yachts are equipped with power cables and 110V plugs. Yachts must be hooked into shore power to use the boat outlets for hairdryers, computers, etc. There is a 12V cigar lighter outlet by the chart table on all of our yachts.
Sailing Area Restrictions
With their first deposit, charterers receive a sailing chart that outlines red zones for the cruising ground. This will also be covered in the chart briefing.
The National Parks Trust protects a number of reefs and areas. When cruising the waters of BVI, clients will be required to buy a Parks permit to enable him to pick up the day mooring balls. A National Park Fee is charged in advance.
An additional fee charged by The National Parks Trust in the BVI applies to guests who visit the Baths. Guests entering by sea (via dinghy) or by land pay $3.00 each per adult and $2.00 each per child. This is in addition to the National Park Permit purchased by Crewed Yachts or by Bareboat guests.
Some of the areas protected are: Prickly Pear, West Dog, Spring Bay, The Baths Devils Bay, Fallen Jerusalem, The Caves, The Indians and the Wreck of the Rhone.
Private Moorings Fees
Moor Seacure Ltd. Tel: 284-494-4488 Fax: 284-494-2513 - at locations throughout the BVI provides private buoys on a fee per night basis (US$25 per night approx.). A listing of Moor Seacure sites is covered in the chart briefing.
National Marine Parks Moorings Permit
The British Virgin Islands have protected many anchorages in the cruising ground by designating them Marine Parks. The government, to protect the area from damage by anchoring, has installed moorings buoys. Charterers are required to use these mooring buoys. Clients purchase a Marine Parks Permit for their use.
Interesting Sites
Please visit the Itinerary page for more of the best places to visit on your trip.
Brewers Bay on the island of Tortola was once the site of several sugar plantations and distilleries. There's a camp ground nested alone the coastline, which is home to an interesting group of travellers who return year after year.
Savannah Bay lies along the north central part of Virgin Gorda. It's a beautiful long curving stretch of white sandy beach, which is an idyllic spot to work on a tan or to watch the setting sun in the evenings.
National Parks:
Mount Healthy is located on Tortola and features the intact remains of a thickly walled stone windmill, which was once part of an 18th century sugar plantation. This is the only such windmill on Tortola.
The Coppermine, which is located on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda, features stone buildings that are reminiscent of Cornwall mines.
Sage Mountain National Park, located on Tortola is the remaining evidence of the forests that once covered much of the island's ridges. At 1,716 feet, it is the BVI's highest point, and although it's not a rain forest in the true sense, it possesses many of the characteristics of one.
Moorings Provisioning
Our all NEW online provisioning store has now opened for all BVI customers. Order complete packages, or choose from an extensive a la carte inventory of everything you need to provision your yacht with ease.
Try our new online Food & Beverage Service today!
Supermarkets
Supermarkets are located in Road Town and a small Dockside Market is located at the base. Supermarkets are generally open daily and the hours of operation vary based on the day of the week as well as low or high season.
Travel insurance
Moorings offers 'Charter Care' which is a comprehensive travel insurance scheme for your complete peace of mind. If you have your own travel insurance, please make sure that it covers all of the destinations and activities of your Moorings vacation.
Vaccination and Immunization Information
Information on shots and immunizations can be found at http://www.bviwelcome.com/
The BVIs are generally risk-free of contagious disease.
At time of publication, an International Vaccination Certificate is not mandatory
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