Windward Islands and Grenadines yacht charter
Green volcanic islands in the north, then the Grenadines: small islands and reefs a few miles apart, sheltered anchorages, little ashore. The season is December to May. It suits families and couples who like their islands less polished.
The southern arc of the Lesser Antilles is greener and higher than the north: volcanic islands with rainforest, from Dominica and Martinique down through St Lucia and St Vincent. Below St Vincent the Grenadines run south to Grenada, a string of small islands and reefs a few miles apart. This is the Caribbean for people who like their islands less polished, with some of the clearest water anywhere in the region. It is one of the island groups on our Caribbean, Bahamas and Atlantic page.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
The Grenadines are made for it: short hops, sheltered anchorages, turtles in the Tobago Cays, and beaches with nobody on them. Older children enjoy St Lucia's volcano and Dominica's rivers.
Couples and honeymoons
Mustique, Petit St Vincent and the Tobago Cays are among the most remote-feeling places a yacht can take you in the Caribbean, with very little ashore.
Friends and celebrations
Bequia's Admiralty Bay and Mustique's bar are the social stops; the rest is about water, reef and long lunches. Groups wanting nightlife every evening do better in the Leewards.
Less suited to anyone who wants a different restaurant every night. Some of the best anchorages have nothing ashore at all.
The areas
The Grenadines
(page to follow). Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, the Tobago Cays, Union Island and Petit St Vincent, with Carriacou and Petite Martinique on the Grenada side.
St Lucia and Martinique
(page to follow). The two Pitons above Soufrière, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay; on Martinique, Le Marin, the Anses d'Arlet and Saint-Pierre under Mont Pelée.
Grenada
(page to follow). St George's harbour, the nutmeg island's beaches, and an underwater sculpture park.
St Vincent and Dominica
St Vincent is mostly the start for the Grenadines. Dominica is the wildest island in the chain: rainforest, rivers, and whale watching offshore.
When to go
Christmas and New Year are the peak.
The trade wind blows steadily from the east; the passages between the larger islands, such as St Lucia to St Vincent, are open water and can be lively.
The hurricane season runs officially from 1 Jun to 30 Nov, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Grenada and the southern Grenadines are not outside it.
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season; Christmas and New Year usually cost more.
- Taxes and fees differ by island and by the yacht's flag. St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, St Lucia and Martinique each have their own rules; marine parks such as the Tobago Cays charge a park fee. Each yacht's quote shows what applies.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance: money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, berths, park and clearance fees and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end, with anything unspent returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more.
- Currencies. Each yacht's rate is in its own currency, often US dollars outside Europe. St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Dominica use the Eastern Caribbean dollar; Martinique uses the euro.
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.
St Lucia to Grenada through the Grenadines
A one-way week south with the wind on the beam: one long day, then short hops. The yacht and the weather decide the real route, and the yacht's return north can add a delivery fee.
Board in the afternoon. A swim off Pigeon Island and dinner on board.
A night under the Pitons; ashore, the drive-in volcano and the botanical gardens.
The longest day, past St Vincent. Admiralty Bay and Port Elizabeth in the evening. The yacht clears into St Vincent and the Grenadines on the way, and the crew handles it.
Britannia Bay, then the beaches ashore.
A day among uninhabited cays inside the reef: turtles at Baradal, snorkelling on Horseshoe Reef. In the park, yachts use the moorings or anchor in sand, never on coral or seagrass, and nobody fishes.
Salt Whistle Bay in the morning, the evening off Petit St Vincent.
Clear into Grenada at Tyrrel Bay on Carriacou, then down to St George's to disembark.
The yachts that cruise here
Most of the yachts we show in the Windward Islands are motor yachts over 40 metres, with a few catamarans.
Many of the same yachts also cruise the Leewards. 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
Where do charters start?
St Lucia, St Vincent, Bequia, Grenada or Martinique, depending on the yacht and your flights. One-way weeks south or north are common.
How do we get there?
St Lucia's Hewanorra airport, Grenada's airport and Martinique's airport also take international flights. St Vincent's Argyle airport has direct flights from North America and London, and connects to the small strips on Bequia, Canouan, Mustique and Union Island. Mustique's own airline also flies in from St Lucia, Barbados and Martinique.
Do we clear customs between islands?
Yes, between countries: St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Martinique each have their own entry formalities. The crew handles them with your passports.
Is the sea rough?
Inside the Grenadines the hops are short and mostly sheltered by reefs. The channels between the big islands are open water with the trade wind. The captain chooses the hour.
Is it good for children?
Very. The Tobago Cays and Mayreau are among the best days a family can have on a yacht. Tell us the ages.
Can we visit Mustique?
Yes, by yacht, to Britannia Bay. It is a private island with a small village and a famous bar.
What does it cost to visit the Tobago Cays?
The marine park charges a fee under its published fee structure, paid from the APA.
Can we combine the Windwards with Barbados?
Barbados lies well out to windward, so most people fly between them rather than sail.
What about the hurricane season?
Charters run from December to May. In summer most yachts are in the Mediterranean or New England.
What should we pack?
Light clothes, reef-safe sun cream, and shoes for a rainforest walk if you want St Lucia's or Dominica's interior.
Windward Islands | Leeward Islands | |
|---|---|---|
Feel | Greener, wilder, more remote | Polished, beaches, restaurants |
Best known for | The Grenadines, the Pitons, the Tobago Cays | St Barths, Anguilla's sand, Antigua's harbour |
Passages | Short through the Grenadines | Short inside a group, open between groups |
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
Windward Islands and the Grenadines.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.