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, many yachts cross the Atlantic for a season that runs from December to April, built around the Leeward Islands and the sheltered channels of the Virgin Islands. The trade winds blow steadily, the water is warm, and the islands lie close enough that a week rarely repeats an anchorage.
Three grounds carry most of the season. St Barths is the social centre of the Leeward winter, run from the 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 crews. The British Virgin Islands offer the most sheltered cruising in the region, with the Sir Francis Drake Channel running down the centre of the archipelago.
December to April is the reliable window. The Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December opens the season for brokers, and Antigua Sailing Week in late April closes it, after which much of the fleet crosses back to the Mediterranean. The New Year week and the March regattas are the tightest weeks for yacht availability.
A Caribbean yacht charter is planned around the islands and the events of the week, and arranged end to end by one advisor: the yachts and crews that fit, the embarkation in St Barths, Antigua or Tortola, and a route set to the trade winds. Because the winter fleet is smaller than the Mediterranean summer fleet, the holiday and regatta weeks reward early planning.
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 to April
- Prevailing winds
- Trade winds, 15 to 20 knots
- Base ports
- Gustavia · English Harbour · Tortola
December to April for the winter season, with St Barths, Antigua and the British Virgin Islands at its core. Antigua Sailing Week in late April closes the season, and many yachts then cross to the Mediterranean for the summer.
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- When is the Caribbean charter season?
- From December to April. The trade winds blow steadily at fifteen to twenty knots, the water is warm and the islands lie close together. The Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early 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 March regatta weeks tighten yacht availability sharply, and for those twelve months ahead is safer.
- How do you reach a Caribbean charter?
- Most charters embark in St Barths, Antigua or Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, reached by connecting flights via the regional hubs. St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is an alternative gateway for the British Virgin Islands. The advisor arranges the connection and the transfer.
- How do the Caribbean and Mediterranean seasons connect?
- They interlock. The Caribbean season covers the northern winter and the Mediterranean 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?
- It depends on the yacht, the dates and the route, and the full cost is set out before anything is signed. The weekly rate covers the yacht and crew; running costs come from an Advance Provisioning Allowance, typically 25 to 35 percent of the rate. Cruising permits and park fees apply in some islands, the crew gratuity is customarily 15 to 20 percent, and Christmas and New Year carry a premium.
- 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.