The Virgin Islands offer some of the world's best sailing and yachting opportunities

The Virgin Islands are known around the world for their incredible sailing and fishing. Here it seems the water is always warm, and conditions are always picture-perfect. From hardened sailors to those just acquiring their sea legs, many people travel via yacht each year to explore these beautiful islands, participate in annual races, or just enjoy the Caribbean's wintertime warmth.

As perfect as the waters off the Virgin Islands can be, there are some important guidelines travelers shouldn't miss out on to help them in their journey. Watching for coral reefs and unfavorable trade winds is just the beginning. Travelers on the northeastern sides of the islands will be facing the rougher wateers of the Atlantic, and those choosing to travel any time from January through March will experience the best conditions the Caribbean has to offer - and the highest prices as well. But, travelers seeking a summer vacation may find rains and even hurricane season getting in the way of their plans.

Charter Type

When chartering a yacht, prospective charterers have several options:"bareboat,""skippered bareboat," or a"crewed charter." Experienced sailors may choose to be both captain and crew on a bareboat, while skippered bareboats mean a captain is hired, but no crew. Crewed charters are fully-staffed ships, including a cook.

Those who can prove their bareboat qualifications may be given a tutorial of the seas surrounding the Virgin Islands, including reefs and safe harbors. However, some companies may insist that travelers bring along a skipper, at their own cost, for at least the first days of the journey. The skipper is paid by the day, and lends his own knowledge. This can be a personal choice as well for travelers uncomfortable with their skill level.

Chartering a yacht with a crew means that the captain is in charge. The travelers decide on the itinerary, but the captain is in charge of the ship's operation. While there are rarely obstacles to travel in the Caribbean, when this happens the captain will make a final decision about the safety of you, and the ship. This may mean they will need to change the itinerary, but experienced captains and crews can often offer excellent and safe alternatives.

Almost every charter will offer travelers the option of having food provided by the charter company, or providing their own food. Remember that on a crewed charter you are responsible for providing food for everyone onboard, and stocking a ship can be difficult. It can be a hassle to get foods through customs into your departure country if leaving from a country other than your own.

Charter Companies

There are many charter companies throughout the Caribbean region, and these are divided in two manners. Larger and smaller companies offer different fleet sizes, which can be a good or a bad thing. Larger companies may not have such dedicated customer service, but, should any problems arise with your charter, will have a much easier time replacing your ship with another one, sometimes larger. These are more often recommended for first time charterers. Two different tiers also divide charter companies, those these divide companies by age of their ships. Those with ships no older than 4 or 5 years are first tier companies, while second tier companies often buy the best maintained older ships from the fleets of first tier companies. The biggest difference here is age, but this plays a part in the number of extras included in the ships, and also in the cost. The most popular large yacht charter companies currently serving the Caribbean region are The Moorings and Sunsail. Both are located in the British Virgin Islands.

Charter Brokers

Charter brokers can help vacationers find the perfect yacht if going through a company isn't in the cards. Selecting a crewed charter can be difficult if you find you're not compatible with the crew, and charter brokers can help with this, as well as provide quotes from several different companies, much like a travel agent. They are paid by the ship's owners, so their services are available at no cost to the traveler.

The two most common charter broker trade organizations are the American Yacht Charter Association (AYCA) and Charter Yacht Broker's Association (CYBA). Members of the AYCA and/or the CYBA include the following outfits:

Choosing a Yacht

Cost can be effected by many different factors, as can your comfort. When choosing a yacht, you'll want to note these considerations to help you find a balance:

• Larger ships are more costly, as are ships with more extras.
  

• Travelers often prefer to charter a yacht with one more room than they intend to use, for their comfort.
  

• A three cabin/two bath monohull, which ranges in size from 36 to 50 feet, is the most popularly chartered boat size.

• Experienced sailors often prefer monohull boats, but families and groups may want to consider their design: Thin plywood walls are far from soundproof between rooms.
  

• Families and first time sailors may consider catamarans the best option, as they generally experience less roll in port and are said to have more comfortable cabins.
  

• Other additions may include a power windlass for anchoring, canvas tops for cockpit sun protection, and kayaks, windsurfs, and electronic extras like GPS. These may come at an additional cost, but can be worth the fees.
  

Costs and Paperwork

Each type of charter will come with its own expenses:

• Bareboat charters include only the cost of the charter.

• Skippered charters will cost vacationers the charter rate, and an additional per-day fee for the skipper. These usually range between $80(USD) and $120(USD) per day, but will vary skipper to skipper.

• Crewed charters will cost more than bareboats to begin with, but the crew is also tipped at a rate of 10 to 15 percent of the charter's total cost.. Traveler's tip: These tips make up 30 to 50 percent of a crew's income, so this is an important addition to remember.

Other additons can also cost travelers, though crewed charters often come with more extras. Food will always be a concern, but feeding more people on a crewed charter can make it more expensive - though these charters also include a chef to prepare all of the meals. High season chartering will cost more than off-season charters as well. Travelers picking up a yacht far from home will also need to consider the cost of airfare to their pickup location. Customs and luggage fees are sometimes added as well.

Travelers should make sure they've read all the fine print. While this is always a good idea, deposit and insurance fees can be added to the cost of a charter. It is suggested that these charges may best be made on a credit card, in case of mistakes or problems. Cancellation policies can also be and important and overlooked piece of the fine print.

Those interested in sailing to and around the Virgin Islands can find their perfect choice in charter yachts available throughout the region.

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