U.S. Virgin Islands Sailing
Imagine sailing the Caribbean in your own sailing charter, island hopping the days away in the Virgin Islands. Virgin Island sailing offers hidden harbors, beaches, and dive spots. Charter operations provide trips from a half-day to many weeks, power or sail, crew or uncrewed. You can find sailing charters at each of the three Virgin Islands. St Thomas sailing, St Croix sailing and St John sailing all have plenty of options to choose from and you are sure to find some of the best sailing cruises in the USVI.
Popular Anchorages
Caneel Bay, Francis Bay, and Maho Bay are popular anchorages for overnight stays. Anchor in sand well away from coral and seagrass beds or use moorings. Anchoring is not permitted in Saltpond, Great Lameshur, Little Lameshur, and Reef Bay; moorings must be used in these areas. Living aboard a boat in the National Park waters is limited to 14 days in any 12-month period.
Coral is very fragile and easily damaged by anchors, human touch, feet, and flippers. Coral damage by one person can take hundreds of years to regrow. Remember, “If it is not sand, don’t stand.” Coral and other sea life can also cause injury to people when touched.
US Virgin Islands Charters
The Virgin Islands have many visitors that come just for the sailing. The combination of good weather, protected waters, and good anchorages not too far apart has served to help build the virgin islands charter industry. Pioneers of the Virgin Islands boat charter business have built it from the bottom up.
For yacht charters virgin islands it is best to plan your itinerary at least six months in advance if you’re interested in peak times like February, March, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The poorest sailing conditions for sailboat charter virgin islands run from August through October. Bring Dramamine in the unlikely event that you get seasick.
US Virgin Islands Sailing Pricing
For a Virgin Islands yacht charter you can expect to spend between $1,000.00 – $2,000.00 per person for an eight day/seven night cruise with all meals, alcohol, and use of sports equipment included. Most boats are heavy displacement vessels with a lot of momentum. You should have adequate experience skippering this type of boat as well as good basic comprehension of inboard engines. Another alternative is to pre-book a skipper for your holiday.