The US Virgin Islands by yacht
St Thomas, St John's national park and quieter St Croix, with direct flights to St Thomas from the US mainland. December to April or May is the season. It suits families from the US most.
The USVI, the American half of the Virgin Islands, are three main islands: St Thomas, the busiest, with the airport and Charlotte Amalie's harbour; St John next door, two-thirds of it a national park; and St Croix, the largest and the quietest, a longer, open crossing to the south. For guests from the United States, St Thomas is a direct flight from several mainland cities. The British Virgin Islands are in sight, a short crossing away.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families: the easiest Caribbean charter to reach from the US mainland. St John's bays are calm, with snorkelling and green sea turtles in the seagrass of Maho and Francis bays, and the moves are short.
Couples: St John's north shore inside the park, with almost no buildings. St Croix adds a slower, more local island.
Friends: St Thomas has the town, the shopping and the restaurants. Add a day across in the BVI for the beach bars, and Buck Island off St Croix for snorkelling.
The honest limit: St Thomas is busy, and a cruise port, and the USVI alone is a small cruising ground. Most weeks include the BVI, which means clearing customs and immigration.
What's there
St Thomas
Charlotte Amalie's harbour and old town; Red Hook on the east end; Magens Bay.
St John
Cruz Bay, the small town. Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho and Francis bays along the north shore, with Trunk Bay's underwater snorkel trail. Waterlemon Cay. Coral Bay and its quieter south-east coast. Park moorings in many bays, paid night by night.
St Croix
Christiansted's harbour and its Danish-era buildings, now a national historic site; Buck Island Reef National Monument, with its underwater snorkel trail; Frederiksted on the west side.
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When to go
From about December to April or May, with steady trade winds. The Atlantic hurricane season runs officially from 1 June to 30 November, with most of its activity between mid-August and mid-October. The crossing to St Croix is more exposed; in strong trade winds it can be a lively few hours.
What it costs
The weekly fee is each yacht's own, shown "from" on her page and in her own currency, usually US dollars here. The USVI has no VAT, and its own taxes, where they apply, are shown in the quote. Where the yacht uses them, the national park's overnight moorings cost $26 a night. A week that crosses into the BVI adds the BVI's own charges for charter yachts and their guests. APA, the advance for fuel, food, drinks and moorings, is paid with the balance and accounted for at the end, with anything unspent returned; budget up to 40% of the charter fee for it, more for long or remote passages. Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
A sample week
The USVI only, with no customs crossing: St Thomas, St John and St Croix, and back. The yacht and the trade wind decide the real route.
Board in the afternoon. A short move to a quiet bay for a swim.
Trunk Bay's trail early, then Cinnamon Bay. A night at Maho or Francis Bay.
Turtles and reef at Waterlemon. Round the east end to Coral Bay's quiet side.
The longest leg of the week, across open water. Arrive at Christiansted for dinner ashore.
The underwater snorkel trail, and the beach. A private yacht needs an anchoring permit from the park's office in Christiansted before anchoring at West Beach or mooring at the trail, which the captain arranges.
Cross north, and spend a quiet last night in one of the park's bays.
Disembark in the morning. Alternatively, add the BVI and end in Tortola (see the BVI page).
The yachts
The yachts we show in the USVI are motor yachts, most of them over 40 metres.
Most of them also cruise the British Virgin Islands. The US coastwise laws do not apply to the US Virgin Islands (see the questions below), so a foreign-flagged yacht may run a charter here; a week that continues to Puerto Rico or the US mainland is different. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Do US citizens need a passport?
We go through the current entry rules with you. Bring one in any case if the week crosses into the BVI, where everyone needs a passport.
Where do we fly to?
St Thomas, which has direct flights from the US mainland. St Croix has an airport too.
Can every yacht start in St Thomas?
Usually, yes. US law does not allow a foreign-flagged yacht to carry passengers between US ports (46 U.S.C. 55103), but the US coastwise laws do not apply to the US Virgin Islands (46 U.S.C. 55101(b)(3)). So a foreign-flagged yacht may run a charter from St Thomas around the USVI and into the BVI. A route that also calls at Puerto Rico or the US mainland is different. We confirm each yacht's papers before we propose her.
What are the park moorings?
Moorings in St John's bays, run by the national park. The overnight fee is $26 a night, paid before the night, and a yacht may stay at most seven nights in one bay and 30 nights a year.
Is the crossing to St Croix rough?
It is open water. In strong trade winds it is lively. The captain picks the day.
Can we add the BVI?
Yes. The captain clears the yacht and you into the BVI at a port of entry, with the ship's papers and your passports, and back into the USVI at Cruz Bay or Charlotte Amalie on the way home. It takes part of a morning.
Is it good for children?
Yes: short moves on the St Thomas and St John side, calm bays and easy snorkelling.
Are there cruise ships?
Yes: they call at Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas and at Frederiksted on St Croix. St John's bays are far quieter.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family winter break, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
The US Virgin Islands.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.