Our History

The shores of Antigua were a welcome sight when Commander VEB Nicholson landed there after a treacherous sail from his home in Ireland. With him aboard his 72-foot schooner, “Mollihawk,” was his beautiful wife, Emma, sons Desmond and Rodney, and the family cat. Greeted by swaying palms and blooming hibiscus, they fell in love with English Harbour, the lush site of Admiral Nelson’s dockyard. With its deserted 18th century Georgian architecture and prominence in British naval history, Nelson’s Dockyard became the setting for the birth of the charter yacht experience.

With his lovely yacht anchored in English Harbour, Commander Nicholson soon became overwhelmed with visitors to this island paradise inquiring about chartering the yacht to sail through the islands with his sons along as captain, crew and guide. Interest in chartering Mollihawk grew quickly and soon other yacht owners inquired if the Nicholsons would charter and manage their yachts. And so, long before many of the luxury hotels on the islands were built, yacht chartering was established in the Caribbean.

As Nicholson Yachts’ reputation as the “original yacht charter company” spread, clients worldwide turned to the Nicholson team, entrusting their vessels to the experts with maritime knowledge. Likewise, charter clients began experiencing the luxury and pampering aboard Nicholson’s fleet of yachts and witnessed the meticulous manner with which the staff managed their yachts.
From those humble beginnings along the Antiguan shores, Nicholson Yachts has grown internationally. Headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, the company has expanded its global footprint with new offices in London and Monaco, with representation in the key yachting hubs of Fort Lauderdale, Palma de Mallorca and Antibes, South of France.