Crewed yacht charter in the Caribbean

The Caribbean as a charter destination

The Caribbean is the cruising area for the northern winter: reliable trade winds, short hops and a different anchorage every evening. The British Virgin Islands are regarded as the easiest introduction, with around sixty islands strung along the Sir Francis Drake Channel and, among them, Anegada, a flat coral island that breaks the volcanic pattern.

Further south it becomes more unspoilt. Antigua has as many beaches as the year has days, along with English Harbour, where Admiral Nelson had a dockyard built in 1784 and where the Antigua Sailing Week still takes place today. St. Vincent and the Grenadines comprise 32 islands, of which only nine are inhabited, and St. Martin combines a Dutch and a French part into a more demanding sailing area.

For a charter in the Caribbean that means you choose between a sheltered cruising area for families and quiet islands that lie further apart. The season falls between December and April, deliberately outside the hurricane season. Charters usually start from St. Martin, Tortola or Antigua, all three with an international airport.

Price range: from €50,000 per week, plus APA and local tax where applicable. The APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) covers fuel, harbour fees and provisions. It is paid in advance and settled at the end of the charter, and anything left over is refunded to you.