Charter

The Great Escape

A charter holiday in the Caribbean is the perfect way escape the harsh northern hemisphere climate this winter says Sue Pelling

The winter sun Caribbean charter season, which runs from December to April avoiding the hurricane period, continues to be one of the all-time favourites for yacht charter. Consistent tropical temperatures, good sailing winds and some of the most spectacular cruising grounds in the world, are just some of the reasons why the Caribbean never fails to attract sun-loving sailors.

Also, with so many airlines now offering regular, direct 8-10-hour flights from the UK to places like

Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, and

St Lucia, it’s hardly surprising the

Caribbean remains a preferred winter charter holiday destination.

The Caribbean, with its exotic paradise islands, crystal-clear lagoons and soft, clean sandy beaches, is recognised more as a skippered or bareboat charter destination as opposed to flotilla, so it’s all about freedom and choice, and is a particularly good option if you are looking for something a bit different.

As a rough guide, the Caribbean takes in the Lesser and Greater Antilles chain, with the Leeward Islands at the top (Greater Antilles), and the Windward Islands to the south (Lesser Antilles). The chain of small islands between St Vincent and Carriacou are known as the Grenadines, which offers the most spectacular cruising grounds with places like Tobago Cays a popular, remote, ‘Robinson Crusoe-style’ hot-spot.

The Virgin Islands (British and US) in the Leeward Islands are well served with European-style marinas and have bases for many of the well-known charter companies. The Virgin Islands offer dependable, steady trade winds, sheltered waters and short passages with line-ofsight navigation, which makes for stress-free sailing particularly for less experienced crews.

The range of companies that offer Caribbean charter (bareboat, skippered, or crewed) is vast but a good starting point to get an idea of what’s on offer, check out Nautilus, Sunsail, The Moorings, Dream Yacht Charter and Island Sailing. You’ll find most companies that offer Caribbean charter offer a price without flights and transfers included, so to avoid nasty surprises, it is important check what’s included in the package before booking.

Remember also that generally to book a bareboat charter (where you hire the whole boat without crew), the skipper requires relevant qualifications – RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC). For the Caribbean however, formal qualifications are not compulsory, but you should be Day Skipper

ABOVE LEFT

A visit to Antigua's English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour is a must

ABOVE RIGHT

The extreme beauty of the British Virgin Islands has to be seen to be believed

standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew.

If you are looking for a bareboat charter and are particularly keen on getting a last-minute deal, it’s worth checking some of the web aggregators such as borrowaboat. com, theglobesailor.com, or click&boat.com. Most of these companies also offer add-ons such as skipper or entire crew.

Solo travellers, couples, or friends who want to experience the freedom of the ocean and all the fun of a charter holiday but without the responsibility of being ‘in charge’ or needing to obtain the required yacht charter qualifications, a sensible option is to sign up for a By the Cabin charter. Enjoy full board with delicious meals carefully prepared and served by the professional crew each day. And, as well as sharing special holiday moments with like-minded guests, it’s a great way to learn the ropes in a relaxed environment.

The Moorings and Nautilus are among those that offer Sail By The Cabin week-long holidays exclusively in the British Virgin Islands (BVIs), while companies like Seafarer offer ultimate luxury aboard a Lagoon 620 Catamaran on an eight-day Martinique Dream Sailing Cruise. According to Seafarer, “you will be pampered by your crew and chef who will prepare exquisite recipes with fresh local produce, especially tropical fruits, vegetables and fish.”

Dream Yacht Charter is another company that has an extensive range of By the Cabin Yacht Charter options for up to 11 days aboard a luxury catamaran in the Caribbean. Choose either the Bwritish Virgin Islands, St Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, or Cuba.

One of the largest selections of By the Cabin charter is offered by The Globe Sailor with destinations such as The Grenadines, British Virgin Islands (Tortola), and Guadeloupe. For the adventurous sailor, this company also offers 20-day transatlantic voyages from France to Martinique, plus sailing instruction courses around the Caribbean.

For something different and a truly luxurious trip, take a look at Kraken Travel’s Antigua to Sint Maarten Cruise aboard an Oyster 62, or the company’s otheroptions, which include the Classic French Caribbean Highlights cruise, or Tobago Cays Discovery.

ABOVE

Sunsail is one of the many companies to offer British Virgin Island charter

BELOW

The lush tropical island of St Lucia and one of its many sheltered paradise bays

Time to book

A surge in winter sun interest is already underway with companies like Seafarer Sailing that organises Caribbean charter holidays in the BVIs, Grenada, St Martin, Antigua, Martinique, and Cuba experiencing higher than usual demand. Commenting on interest so far for the 2022/23 winter season, Seafarer Sailing’s Joe Snowden said the demand is actually way higher than usual for this time of year: “We have seen steady demand for Caribbean charters with two week durations either as a charter or a sail & stay combination proving popular. February and March appear to be the busiest months. It is the top end of the market that has proved the most resilient, with demand for catamarans and larger yachts. Also after a hesitant start, the deluxe cabin charter is going well.”

Useful Contacts

Borrowaboat.com Click&boat.com Dreamyachtcharter.co.uk Helm.yt Island-sailing.com Kraken.travel Moorings.co.uk Nautilusyachting.com Plainsailing.com Sailgrenadines.com Seafarersailing.co.uk Sunsail.com Sunscapeyachting.co.uk Theglobesailor.com