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Caribbean & Bahamas Bareboats
Or scroll down for information about selected cruising areas The Virgin Islands
By far the most popular charter area (and the easiest to sail) is the US and British Virgin Islands. These Islands, located east of Puerto Rico, are more sheltered from the open ocean than other Caribbean areas. The area is served by several airlines, with American providing the most flights. Airfare costs less to the Virgins than other Caribbean charter destinations and connections are better, too. The Leeward Islands
The French West Indies
The Windward Islands
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You can sail from St Thomas USVI (advantages: flights cost less, no import restrictions on food), or sail from Tortola in the BVI (advantage: you avoid going through customs and immigration by yacht twice during the course of your trip).
If you choose the charter from Tortola we recommend flying into this island if possible. Alternatively you can fly into St Thomas and take a ferry (about one hour, costs around $60 round trip) but chances are you'll have to take the 8 AM return ferry in order to make your flight, if you want to fly home the same day that your charter ends.
If you are a first time Charterer we strongly recommend the Virgins unless you have prior blue-water experience. However, many sailors love this area so much that they return to it year after year! This is unquestionably one of the finest sailing areas in the world and very easy to navigate. Islands are close together with a nice quite anchorage always in easy reach many excellent spots for diving and snorkeling.
Everything in the Virgins is geared towards bareboat chartering, and you'll find lots of things to keep you occupied from car and jeep rentals to paragliding or scuba diving. Stop at a floating restaurant for a rollicking good time, enjoy the Cabaret at the Last Resort, Spend a day at The Bitter End, walk a perfect sand beach, experience a pig roast or superb lobster dinner at one of several beachside restaurants. Above all, snorkel the warm, crystal-clear waters that are a hallmark of The Caribbean.
Repair service is just a phone call away, and should you experience an emergency, VISAR (Virgin Island Search and Rescue) is poised and ready to respond instantly.
Climate is near-perfect with temperatures ranging from average highs of around 83 deg F in January to 90 deg F in July. Water temperatures range from 79 deg F in January to 84 deg F in August. The easterly trade winds blow steadily throughout most of the year, averaging around 22 knots in December and January and decreasing to about 15 knots May through July with occasional lulls during the summer. Rain usually occurs at night, with brief but heavy showers. September through November are the rainiest months, the average daily rainfall being aound .25 to .30 inches.
Hurricane Season officially opens June 1st and ends in late November. It is quite rare to experience a hurricane earlier than mid-July nor later than mid-October, and the majority of hurricanes that have visited these islands occur in late August through September.
Insider Hints: During the winter season, arrive at your evening destination early to assure a good spot. Also, don't miss The Baths on Virgin Gorda, which will be a highlight of your trip. Anchor the night before outside of Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour (conditions permitting) then sail down the coast under jib alone while eating breakfast, arriving there before 9:30 to avoid the crowds.
(Article by Don McNair, eBare.com)
These islands lie southeast of the Virgins. St Martin, St Barts, St Kits, Anguilla and Antigua are most easily recognized names. Unless you care to stay close to home you'll do some day-long passages in this area, often in fairly rough conditions. For those who enjoy lots of sailing the Leewards are an excellent choice.
One of the things that's particularly Appealing about this area is the variety in both topography and cultures. Some islands are high and mountainous while others are low and sandy. Some islands were British and are now independent, like Antigua and St. Kitts. Anguilla remains a British protectorate, while St. Barts is French and St. Martin half Dutch and half French. Fierce battles were fought by the European nations for control of these islands before the days of refrigeration when salt, spices and sugar were valuable commodities used to preserve food. Each Island has it's own unique culture and is of great interest to history buffs. Excellent seven and ten day itineraries are possible in this area, and one-way sails between St. Martin and Antiqua can be arranged. One advantage to sailing in this area is that non-stop flights are available from the USA to St. Martin.
The romance of the Caribbean comes alive in the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, which lie mid-way between the Leeward and the Windward islands. There are fewer yachts cruising this area than others due to licensing restrictions by France. Some knowledge of French is useful when sailing here as the majority of the people you'll run into speak little if any English. The standard of living is higher in the French Islands than in those that were formerly British. Apparently French colonialism was kinder to the Island residents under their jurisdiction.
We particularly recommend stopping at the small group of islands just south of Guadeloupe known as the Isles des Saintes. You'll love them. In between Martinique and Guadeloupe lies the Island of Dominica (not French), one of the most lush and under-developed countries in the Caribbean. While the anchorage here is not the most comfortable (you'll probably roll if you don't set a stern anchor and align yourself with the swells) a tour of the island's interior is well worth the inconvenience.
There are some fairly long sails required in the French Caribbean, but much of your sailing is in the lee of a large island and rough passages between the islands rarely last more than three or four hours.
The seas are rougher going than in the Virgins but calmer than found in the Leewards, and sailing here is a logical progression after several charters in the Virgins. The highlight of your cruise is sailing in the Grenadines, which lie between St. Vincent and Grenada. Visiting the Tobago Cays is a must.... the water colors are so spectacular that you'll have a hard time believing your eyes!
Distance between islands is not as great as in the St. Martin area once you get down to the Grenadines. However there is a day-long sail from St. Lucia down to Bequia (the most northern of these islands) or a day long sail up from the southern end of Grenada to Carriacou, just south of the Grenadines. The Island of St Vincent is at the Northern end of the Grenadines. Union Island is smack in the middle of the Grenadines, but does not have very good air service.
