TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean St. Vincent Bareboat Advice

We are planning a bareboat charter either from St. Lucia to Grenada or St. Vincent and surrounding islands this early July. Any recommendations of smaller charter companies? For reference, we like chartering with BVI Yacht Charters in the BVIs.
We've sailed these islands pre-COVID, if any sailors have chartered in the last few months would love any tips or recent closings/openings.

We have chartered from St. Vincent numerous times and are booked with Barefoot for 10 days in June. If you are considering them, I would recommend one of their newer boats. Horizon also has a small fleet of older boats from St. Vincent as well. It used to be an adventure to get to St. Vincent via Barbados and then direct on Liat (need I say more), or with SVG Air with pit stops in Union, Canouan, and Bequia before you get to St. Vincent. With the new airport, AA now has non-stops from MIA to AIA.

My preference is to start/stop from St. Vincent or do a one way and drop the boat in Grenada. The advantage I see in starting from St. Lucia is a stop at the Pitons. There is not much else on the west coast of St. Vincent besides Keartons and the Rock Side Cafe I'd recommend.

We’re doing a one way in April from St Lucia to Grenada. Nine nights, Moorings 48' cat
We have a tentative itinerary and greatly looking forward to it. It will be first time transiting multiple countries and C&I.
Any insight and advance help is welcome.

One question just came up…is Petit St. Vincent access for boats? I know it is a resort, one site said boaters not welcome 100 dollar charge?

We plan on skipping St. V, going straight from Pitons to Bequia. Wonder if a stop in Mustique is worth it as the three night mooring charge applies. I’m thinking two nights in Bequia instead after that long haul.

You may wish to break up the run from Pitons and spend the night in Blue Lagoon on the southern end of SVG. There is customs clearance there as well as at least 2 restaurants. From there to Bequia is about 2 hours and have plenty of time to visit the turtle sanctuary and the fort.

I have seen the notice on PSV from Doyle Guides- not sure what this means. They give an an email to write to and a phone, In the past we have been able to go ashore but only to Goatie's with no problem. The rest of the resort has been off limits. That aside it is a great anchorage and an easy dinghy ride to Mopion and Punaise.

As for Mustique, we have only been there once. it is very nice, but a bit upscale for our tastes, YMMV. Personally I would not bother and use the time to spend an extra day in the Cays or at Salt Whistle.

If you have never been to this area, where there are moorings there are normally no pennants on them. As always, it is a good idea to dive and check it out as some of them are of questionable provenance. There will most always be a local in a dinghy nearby to help with your lines. If you toss them EC$10 and a beer for their help they will be at your disposal. If you order bread/ice, etc. from them, negotiate the price in advance and be sure if you are talking about USD or EC as they will accept both. Also, in many places the dinghy docks are a bit of an adventure - look before you grab something or jump out.

Dogs…as long as you aren’t the Ga Dawgs variety,

Thanks for the info. Let’s keep sharing🤪

JPhart - being from the Northeast, we are not of the GA Dawg variety.

The Grenadines and SVI are our favorites though we have spent a lot of time in the USVI/BVI. The area is a bit quirky but we enjoy it. If you would like to discuss send me a PM.

Hi - starting to plan our distinguished gentleman’s (not!) sailing trip for next April have done Grenada and Grenadines twice but this will be the first time coming from the north. Any insights, tips etc welcome. At the moment thinking of going with Sunsail. Anybody have any idea what sunsail charges for a one way?

Thanks!

I recently looked at the St. Lucia to Grenada one way. Sunsail was charging $1,950 for the drop off fee.

Yikes. That sure adds to the cost of charter. Can’t believe how expensive bareboat charters are these days. Our last charter was last May in the BVI but that was honouring 2020 pricing delayed due to COVID…
Thanks for the heads up.

Also looking at chartering in the Exumas as another option…

Barefoot charges about $1,000 for a one way from St. Vincent to Grenada. I suspect that Horizon, with bases in St. Vincent and Grenada at True Blue would be similar.

Matt,

Just back from a Moorings sail cat one way Rodney Bay to Grenada 19-28April2023

I priced this several times in 2022 and kept getting different pricing from Moorings on the one way fee. Even though quote/price base was always for a sail cat, they sometimes charged the Power cat drop fee of $1,900. Claimed booking agent error when I called em down on it,
Final charge was $1,500 as originally quoted. But I had to push back several times. (We paid $750 fifteen years ago from Canaouan to Grenada)

Good intel jp. Thanks.

Exumas are great, but you'll likely find they are among the most expensive charter destinations right now.