Caribbean Sailing Vacation

Agreed.

I’ve got a client doing that next year on a 50’ catamaran. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m gonna try to make it down there next summer or fall.

They do a great job.

Make sure you have a generator for AC at night.

Buy twice as much alcohol and water as you think you need.

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Hire a captain and chef?

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Most of those boats have a captain and cook combo that work, often times a husband and wife

It’s a lot of husband and wife combos that live on the boats. Having a chef really makes a difference and the price isn’t much different

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Hire a captain and chef?

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The chef also provisions food and restocks along the way. I wouldn’t want to waste time shopping before and during the trip. The chef will keep the boat clean and do all the dishes. Depending on the size of your group that can be a ton of work. Then there’s cooking in a small galley with marine rated appliances. The chef is worth every penny and a fat tip at the end.

I’ve been on 2 BVI sails (7 day & 10 day). We’ve tried several restaurants, some very pricey, and the food onboard has always been better than onshore. The chef’s cooking is one of the most memorable parts of the trip.

The captain is also worth every penny. His role is just as much as your tour guide. He knows bar & restaurant owners, excursion guides and knows all the great places to moor or anchor. Will reserve mooring balls in advance. Communicates with other boats about weather or crowded/deserted areas. A wealth of knowledge.

Spent a summer working at a sailing camp in the bvis 23 years ago. Been back a few times since most recently last summer. Bareboated as friend is a very experienced sailor and worked at said camp for many years. So that saved a lot of money. We rented a 50.- Oceanis. Had 6 adults and 6 kids under 10. The boat got smaller and smaller each day but a great vacation. Spent one night ashore at a resort (Scrub Island) which helped get some space.

Chartered through Dream Yacht Charters, for 9 days boat was around $9k. Then add on fuel, ice, provisions, mooring balls (they have an online reserve ahead pay thing), etc… it was around $6k a family before flights.

Do echo that you may get more miles out of chartering with a captain/chef. It is one of the most magical, naturally beautiful parts of the world to me. The sailing is all relatively easy to get from island to island. Once you go, you’ll want to go back all the time.

Family of 4 assuming you need 2 cabins then you can get a 7 day charter starting between $16-18k for a 7 day all inclusive. Plenty of options from there but add 15-20% for tips plus flights to get there.