Island Yacht Charters

What Island Yacht Charters does

Island Yacht Charters (IYC) is a privately held, family-owned yacht charter and sales company operating from Red Hook, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands since 1977. The company offers bareboat charters of monohulled sailing yachts ranging from 32 to 52 feet (Island Packet 440/460/465/485 and Blue Jacket 40 models), crewed all-inclusive yacht vacations with captain and chef service, vacation villa rentals (Villa Nathalie in St. Thomas and Sweetheart Cottage in Massachusetts), and yacht sales as the exclusive Caribbean dealer for Tartan Yachts. The core fleet integrates Kyocera solar panels across all vessels — a sustainability feature unique among Caribbean charter fleets that earned the company the 2010 EPA National Environmental Quality Award.

The business serves two primary customer segments: experienced sailors (minimum 5 years captain experience) seeking self-captained bareboat charters, and luxury vacationers, families, and couples seeking fully crewed experiences. A third, smaller segment consists of prospective yacht buyers who can place purchased vessels into IYC's charter management program to offset ownership costs through charter revenue. Pricing is tiered across High, Mid, and Low seasons with 10-night minimums, ranging roughly $5,900-$10,950 per bareboat charter and $3,000+/person/week for crewed sailboat charters.

IYC operates through direct sales channels (phone, email, website booking forms) with no intermediaries. Go-to-market relies on sailing industry publications (SAIL Magazine, Cruising World, Blue Water Sailing), boat show participation, online questionnaires, and a heavily referral-driven model with >50% repeat business. The geographic footprint is intentionally constrained to the USVI and Spanish Virgin Islands — the British Virgin Islands are off-limits due to government restrictions and tariffs. Following the July 2024 passing of founder-owner Skip King, Andrea King now leads the company as President. IYC is debt-free, has no institutional investment, and is not pursuing capital-markets activity; operations are seasonal with closure from August 11 to October 31 for hurricane season.

Name

Island Yacht Charters

Legal name

Island Yacht Charters, Inc.

Website

https://iyc.vi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Island Yacht Charters is a family-owned yacht charter and sales company operating from St. Thomas since 1977, offering bareboat and crewed monohull sailing charters, villa rentals, and Tartan Yacht sales in the U.S. and Spanish Virgin Islands for experienced sailors and luxury vacationers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Charter Services

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAEAEAB

Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered)

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/Cruise Charter & Private Cruise Services

SECONDARYTHAEAEAA

Crewed Yacht Charters (Luxury Crewed)

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/Cruise Charter & Private Cruise Services

SECONDARYTHAJALAE

Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Private & Custom Experiences (VIP, Bespoke Itineraries)

SECONDARYFSAKANAH

Boat & Marine Leasing

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Consumer Leasing (Non-mortgage)

Keywords

• Yacht charter services
• Bareboat charters
• Crewed yacht vacations
• Yacht sales
• Virgin islands cruising

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bareboat Yacht Charters: The core revenue stream involves renting fully-equipped monohulled sailing yachts (Island Packet 440, 460, 465, 485, and Blue Jacket 40) to qualified sailors. Charters operate on 10-night minimums with rates varying by season (High, Mid, Low) and yacht model. Optional add-ons include captain services, generator usage, and shoreside AC. Insurance ($60/day) and security deposits ($1,000) are additional.
2. Crewed Yacht Vacations: All-inclusive crewed charter experiences pairing guests with professional captains and often chefs. Rates start at $3,000/pp/week for groups of 4+ on sailboats, with exclusive 2-person sailboat charters ranging $15K-$18K/week. Power yachts and catamarans command higher rates. Inclusions typically cover meals, beverages, water sports equipment, and activities.
3. Tartan Yacht Sales: As the exclusive Caribbean dealer for Tartan Yachts, IYC sells new vessels and manages yacht placement into their charter fleet. The company also sells used Island Packet vessels from their fleet. Charter placement programs allow owners to offset costs while generating income during personal use windows.
4. Villa Nathalie Vacation Rental: Two-bedroom villa on St. Thomas offered as stand-alone accommodation or as part of 'Sail & Stay' packages combining villa stays with yacht charters. High season rates: $230-$285/night; Low season: $190-$240/night.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Island Yacht Charters is a privately held marine transportation and hospitality company operating in the U.S. and Spanish Virgin Islands. It rents monohulled sailing yachts (Island Packet, Tartan, and Blue Jacket models ranging 32'–52') on a bareboat basis to qualified skippers, and offers all-inclusive crewed yacht vacations with captain and chef. As the exclusive Caribbean dealer for Tartan Yachts, IYC also sells new and used yachts and provides charter management placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tartan Yachts (Caribbean Dealer): IYC is the authorized Caribbean dealer for Tartan Yachts, offering these high-quality American-manufactured sailboats as ideal charter vessels.
• Virgin Heart Villas

Quantifiable outcome

• >50% repeat business rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tartan YachtscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsland Yacht Charters is the exclusive Caribbean dealer for Tartan Yachts USA. This partnership provides IYC with exclusive access to sell Tartan Yachts in the Caribbean region. Tartan Yachts are described as offering optimum balance of quality, comfort, performance, ease of handling and price with unequaled resale value, making them ideal charter vessels.
• KyoceracoreTechnology or IntegrationKyocera solar panels are installed on all IYC vessels. Kyocera is one of the world's largest vertically-integrated producers and suppliers of solar energy products. Their panels are Florida Solar Energy Certified (FSEC), one of only two certification centers in the US. This partnership enables IYC's sustainable energy leadership as the only charter fleet in the Caribbean with solar on all vessels.
• Island Packet YachtscoreTechnology or IntegrationIsland Packet Yachts is the primary manufacturer for IYC's charter fleet. IYC focuses exclusively on Island Packet Yachts (models 440, 460, 465, 485) along with Blue Jacket 40 vessels. These boats are described as offering superior quality, comfort, ease of use and safety/seakeeping qualities as hallmarks of every Island Packet.
• Moe's Fresh MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoe's Market is located directly across the street from the IYC base in Red Hook. It is recommended for provisioning and is described as an excellent, full service market offering local staples and gourmet imports with fresh produce and a top-notch deli.
• YatcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUsed boats for sale (Jema Joy, Harmony, Lady Margaret) are listed on Yatco.com, a yacht listing platform, providing additional distribution for IYC's pre-owned vessel sales.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dream Yacht Charter: One of the largest global bareboat and crewed yacht charter operators with a significant Caribbean base. Direct competitor for qualified-skipper bareboat charters in the Virgin Islands and similar vessel portfolios.
• The Moorings: Major bareboat charter company with BVI and Caribbean bases offering sailing yacht charters of comparable size and guest capacity. Competes head-to-head for the same experienced-skipper segment IYC serves.
• Sunsail: Sister brand to The Moorings focused on bareboat sailing charters in the Caribbean including the Virgin Islands. Directly comparable product offering and customer profile to IYC.
• CYOA Yacht Charters: St. Thomas-based bareboat and crewed charter operation in the USVI. Competes for the same qualified-skipper and luxury-crewed segments at the same Red Hook-adjacent cruising grounds.
• Navigare Yachting: Global crewed and bareboat yacht charter operator with Caribbean sailing itineraries. Comparable product mix of crewed all-inclusive charters with captain and chef service.

Regional players

• Horizon Yacht Charters (BVI): BVI-based bareboat and crewed charter operator offering comparable sailing yacht charters in adjacent waters. Operates in the geography IYC is restricted from, making it a regional complement/substitute.
• North South Yacht Charters: USVI-based yacht charter broker and operator with bareboat and crewed offerings. Competes for the same Virgin Islands sailing customer and overlaps with IYC's vessel types.
• Tortola Marine Management (TMM): BVI-based yacht charter and yacht management company. Comparable charter management program to IYC's owner-placement offering, but operating in the restricted BVI geography.

Broad incumbents

• MarineMax: Largest U.S. recreational boat dealer with yacht sales, charter, and marine services. Competes with IYC's Tartan dealership franchise and offers charter services as part of a broader portfolio.

Others

• Virgin Islands Sailing School: USVI-based sailing school and charter provider. Touches IYC's customer base of qualified skippers by funneling graduates into bareboat charter experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/islandyachtcharters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iyc-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Island Yacht Charters