Region · yacht charter
Caribbean.
St Barths, Antigua and the British Virgin Islands: the principal winter cruising ground for the international fleet.
- Antigua
- British Virgin Islands
- St Barths
Overview
What to expect.
The Caribbean is the principal winter cruising ground for the international charter fleet. As the Mediterranean season closes, yachts cross the Atlantic for a season that runs December through April, built around the Leeward Islands and the protected channels of the Virgin Islands. The trade winds hold steady at fifteen to twenty knots, the water is warm, and the islands sit close enough that a week's charter rarely repeats an anchorage.
Three grounds carry most of the season. St Barths is the social anchor of the Leeward winter, run from the single harbour at Gustavia, with the New Year week and the St Barths Bucket regatta in March as its busiest dates. Antigua is the fleet's working base, with English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour handling embarkation, provisioning and crew. The British Virgin Islands offer the most sheltered cruising in the region, with the Sir Francis Drake Channel running protected through the centre of the archipelago.
December through April is the reliable window. The Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December opens the season for brokers and clients, and Antigua Sailing Week in late April closes it, after which much of the fleet transits back to the Mediterranean for May. The New Year week and the early-March regatta weeks are the tightest for yacht availability.
A Caribbean yacht charter is arranged end to end by one advisor, with the chosen yacht's Atlantic crossing and the island-to-island routing planned around the trade winds and the week's events. Because the standing winter fleet is smaller than the Mediterranean's, the marquee weeks reward early commitment.
Destinations
Where we cruise in the Caribbean.
3 destinations curated through our network of brokers, owners and management firms.
Season
When to cruise.
- Best months
- December–April
- Prevailing winds
- Trade winds 15–20 kts
- Base ports
- Gustavia · English Harbour · Tortola
December through April for the principal winter season. St Barths, Antigua and the British Virgin Islands form the core circuit.
Antigua Sailing Week in April caps the season; many yachts then transit to the Mediterranean for May.
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- When is the Caribbean charter season?
- December through April. The trade winds are steady at fifteen to twenty knots, the seas are warm, and the islands sit close together. The Antigua Charter Yacht Show in December opens the season, and Antigua Sailing Week in late April closes it.
- Which islands does a Caribbean charter cover?
- Most charters are built around St Barths, Antigua and the British Virgin Islands, with St Martin, Anguilla and the wider Leewards within reach. The British Virgin Islands offer the most sheltered, route-flexible cruising; St Barths and Antigua carry the social and working centres of the season.
- How far ahead should a Caribbean charter be arranged?
- Six months is comfortable for a standard week. The New Year week and the early-March regatta weeks tighten yacht availability sharply, and for those a brief twelve months ahead is safer.
- How do you reach a Caribbean charter?
- Most charters embark from St Barths, Antigua or Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, reached by connecting flights through the regional hubs. St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is an alternative gateway, with same-day clearance into the British Virgin Islands. The advisor arranges the connection and transfer.
- How do the Caribbean and Mediterranean seasons connect?
- They interlock. The Caribbean season runs through the northern winter and the Mediterranean through the summer, and many yachts cross the Atlantic between the two, wintering in the Caribbean and returning to the Mediterranean for May.
- What does a Caribbean yacht charter cost?
- As a guide, a crewed yacht in the 30 to 50 metre range runs from around EUR 100,000 to EUR 400,000 per week, with the advance provisioning allowance and gratuity additional. Caribbean superyacht charter and the marquee weeks sit higher; the advisor sets out the full figure before anything is signed.
- What size of yacht suits the Caribbean?
- The full range. Sailing yachts and catamarans suit the trade-wind cruising of the Virgin Islands, while motor yachts and superyachts base around St Barths and Antigua. The advisor matches the yacht to the islands on the route and the style of the week.
Plan your charter
Guides and charter services.
Elsewhere
Other cruising grounds.
Plan a charter
Plan a charter in the Caribbean.
A private advisor will return a short, curated proposal within the hour.