First things first, pick a crew. Charter yachts range from about 10 - 18 meters (30-55 feet) and can comfortably hold well over 10 people. The more friends and family who sign up, the cheaper the per person cost quickly becomes. Once you know the size of your crew, then you can decide on the type of boat. While it is possible to hire a captain to sail you and your friends around, that will undoubtedly increase the overall price of the trip considerably.
Once you have a crew, start looking at potential dates. The farther in advance you can reserve a boat, the better. Most charter companies have a limited fleet and the nicer boats book up sometimes 12 months in advance. For the Virgin Islands, there are typically three to four rates depending on the time of the year, with the late December through middle February holiday season being the most expensive. The lowest rates tend to fall over the summer months and early winter. Some charters also have deals in the slow months, including additional free nights if a minimum number of nights is reserved.
When reserving a boat, you typically have two options – a catamaran or your traditional “monohull”. Both boats have their pros and cons that cater to the type of adventure you are seeking. Catamarans, thanks to the two hull design, are much more stable at sea thus
offering a more comfortable ride. They tend
to be wider (more beam), which means more room for everyone to relax and/or hold gear like scuba gear, surfboards, etc. The major downsides to catamarans are, first and foremost, cost. Due to all the increased creature comforts catamarans are
significantly more expensive to
charter. Catamarans are also significantly slower and poorly designed for
sailing. While this may not sound bad at first, it tends to mean more motoring between islands and thus burning a lot more fuel that you’ll have to pay for when your trip ends. In contrast, charter rates for traditional monohulls are far more affordable and often more enjoyable. Monohulls are much more efficient for sailing and motoring and can still comfortably fit up to 12 people. Not only will you save money by typically burning less fuel during your trip, but you’ll also reduce your carbon footprint and have a less negative impact on the marine environment. In general, monohulls are the better option if the crew is looking forward to both enjoying the natural beauty of the Caribbean, but also having the opportunity to sail larger and nicer boats than usual.
It is important to consider a few additional points when selecting a charter company. For starters, carefully chose your air travel. The largest airport in the Virgin Islands is on St Thomas on the US Virgin Islands, but many of the charter companies operate out of the British Virgin Islands. Not only does this mean you have to organize transportation from the US Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands, but it also means you must pass through the immigration offices upon arrival and departure in both countries. If flying into the US Virgin Islands, selecting a charter operation on either St Thomas or St John can save significant time that you can spend on the water instead.
22 - SEVENSEAS