Charter Provisioning in the BVI - The Boat Galley (2024)

Published on July 12, 2013; last updated on May 31, 2022 by Carolyn Shearlock

Charter Provisioning in the BVI - The Boat Galley (1)

The British Virgin Islands are a top bareboat charter destination from the US and Canada. And I periodically get questions about how to provision there. A while back, I wrote about charter meal planning to answer some of the questions.

Since then, several readers have sent me information on provisioning companies/grocery stores they’ve used that offer online ordering. If you are using one, make sure to read all the “fine print” on payment, returns and any extra fees. I don’t know of anyone who has really had a bad experience, just that you should know what the terms of the agreement are as they are not all the same.

Note that most companies do state prices online but make some sort of a statement that they are approximate and subject to change when the order is actually filled. Therefore, while you’ll have an estimate of your cost, you won’t know the final bill until your order is delivered to you.

I’ve also had a few emails about other specialty provisioning options — pre-cooked frozen meals and a couple of seafood options — and have included that information here, too.

Ample Hamper

We used Ample Hamper for all three of our charters in the BVI and were very happy with the service — but the last charter we did there was over 13 years ago and thus the current situation could be different. At the time it was the only option for Soper’s Hole unless you wanted to shop yourself at a local grocery. Locations in West End and Road Town; free delivery anywhere on Tortola if order is over $125. Offers full online ordering and multiple people can work on an order over several days. Considered the priciest overall but also carries the most “specialty” and “luxury” items. (Note: the website for Ample Hamper is no longer available.)

UPDATE November 2016: A reader reported a bad experience with Ample Hamper being late with a delivery and missing items.

Bobby’s Market Place

Two readers have said they’ve used Bobby’s and been very happy. LaDonna (she didn’t leave a last name) said “We’ve used Bobby’s on 3 occasions and had great service. . . . We usually spent the morning after our sleep aboard running to pick out our own fresh veggies and Bobby’s would even pick us up and return us to the charter company.” With Bobby’s, you download their forms (PDF or Excel), complete them, and then email them back — complete instructions are on the site. Located in Road Town; free delivery on Tortola. Very popular and friendly service; good prices. Visit their web site

RiteWay Food Markets

Rite Way has 7 locations on Tortola (near most of the major charter bases) and full online ordering. My experience is that their web site works well in Internet Explorer and Chrome but the dropdown menus sometimes have problems in Firefox (I’m on a PC; don’t know about a Mac). So if you have problems in one browser, try a different one. While I know of many people who bought “extra stuff” by walking into one of their stores, I don’t know anyone who has used the online provisioning. Free delivery on Tortola. Tends to have the best prices and their new flagship store (Pasea) is fantastic if shopping in person; word of mouth is that Bobby’s is easier to work with if you are ordering online — maybe why no one had used RiteWay’s online ordering? Visit their web site

Tico

Tico is a low-cost source for alcoholic drinks, but they have a $150 minimum order for free delivery on Tortola during normal business hours. LaDonna used them instead of Bobby’s for drinks and was very happy. In checking out their site, I noticed that while still not cheap compared to typical US supermarket prices, Tico’s price on a case of Budweiser cans was remarkably cheaper — $21.95 at Tico, $35.59 at RiteWay and $27.20 at Ample Hamper. At that rate, it could be worth it to pay the $9.95 delivery fee if you don’t meet the $150 minimum order size for free delivery! Another thing that I noticed about Tico is that they have a fair number of wines under $10 per bottle. Online ordering, although it must be completed in one sitting. Visit their web site

BVI Fishing Complex

Great for fresh local fish and seafood, but no ordering, delivery or web site — you have to go there in person. About 1 mile from the Moorings base in Port Purcell, Road Town (I’m told to ask directions at the Moorings office). Open normal business hours on weekdays and Saturday mornings.

Other Options

The BVIs are all about tourism and yacht charters are a big part of that. Do not worry about finding food or snacks along the way if you don’t get it all at the beginning. There are numerous smaller grocery and convenience stores all over the islands. Lots of great little bakeries and plenty of bars and restaurants, too.

Know of another great option that I didn’t mention? Or perhaps had a disappointing experience and want to pass on what NOT to do? Leave a note for others in the comments!

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Charter Provisioning in the BVI - The Boat Galley (2024)

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