Travel

All crew must schedule travel to ensure being on-site at the marina on the afternoon of February 21st, 2026

There are two options for travel from the US:

1. Fly to Beef Island (EIS), Tortola*. This will require a transfer, either in Miami if flying American Airlines, or in San Juan if using alternative carriers.

2. Fly to St Thomas (STT) in the US Virgin Islands then take a ferry to Road Town, Tortola**. The cheapest option is the public ferry. Private water taxis are also available, and they generally cost more but may provide value for a large group booking that is sharing the cost. Ferry schedules and the option to pre-purchase tickets online are generally made available three months ahead of your date of travel. Ferry companies charge a $20 USD departure tax when checking in.

*Please be aware that while the smaller carriers operating between San Juan and Beef Island are a more cost effective flying option, they are notorious for changing their schedule or cancelling flights with no notice. Many travelers report luggage that doesn’t make it to their final destination. Your decision to use one of these carriers is entirely your own and DC Sailing Community bears no responsibility for issues encountered before or during your travel. American Airlines is more costly but generally a safer bet for running on schedule. They have been known to cancel flights where too few seats have been filled due to weight concerns, however this is a far less frequent occurrence than the issues that travelers report with the smaller carriers.

**If you are returning by ferry to St Thomas for flights home you must be sure to schedule enough time between ferry arrival and your flight check in. It can take a long time to get everyone off the ferry (pro tip: position yourself by the exit doors 30 mins before arrival into St Thomas). There are several customs and immigration checks departing the ferry and at the airport, and the lines are notoriously long. You should allow three hours from arrival at the airport to departure and schedule your ferry accordingly. Many sailors choose to spend an extra night on St Thomas to remove the additional stress of tight time-frames from their travel plans.

Transportation on arrival to BVI

Taxis and car rental are available from Beef Island Airport. It isn’t quite as organized as you may be used to at major international airports and is worth pre-arranging your transportation in advance. If renting a car you will need to purchase a temporary BVI driving license, obtainable with a valid driver’s US license for $10 USD per driver. You may find rental car companies are willing to let you leave the car at the Moorings Base for a small additional fee.

You may pre-book premium transportation from Beef Island Airport to the Moorings Base. The transfer provider, Wheatley’s, tracks your flight to ensure a taxi bus with Mooring’s signage is awaiting your arrival. You will benefit from:

• Air-conditioned mini buses, from Beef Island direct to The Moorings reception area

• Reliable on-time service

• No delays waiting for taxis to arrive, or fill up with random travelers

If arriving by ferry, the docks are just a short taxi ride from the Moorings base, and again, transfers can be arranged with Moorings for crews travelling together. They usually organize transfers by contract number. DC Sailing Community will facilitate setting this up if desired.

If we have the help of the BVI Tourism Board for expedited entry to the BVI they will also help arrange transportation. Again this is still to be confirmed so check back for more details.