Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A crewed boat charter has a professional crew, which in-
cludes a captain and a cook. You can work with the captain
to determine your itinerary. Crewed boats include such sail-
ing ships as sloops, ketches, yawls, schooners and catama-
rans, as well as power boats. Work with a yacht broker to
determine the best size and any particular needs you have.
Again, rates vary by size, age of the ship, length of charter
and your itinerary.
Booking a Charter
If reading this section plants a seed in your mind, get infor-
mation immediately. Arrangements should be made and
confirmed long in advance of your arrival - often as long as a
year in advance. This is particularly true if you want to char-
ter during major holidays such as Christmas/New Year's,
Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, Easter and
Thanksgiving. At these times a minimum charter of one
week is usual. Consider chartering in late spring, summer,
or early autumn, when rates are lower and anchorages in
the area are underutilized.
Stocking Your Boat
Food and drinks (fuel too) are included in crewed yacht rates
and, unless you have some special needs or nighttime urges,
you can discuss stocking with your captain. Often, he will ar-
range for some meals ashore as well (split provisioning). If
you intend to provision your own yacht, rest assured that
there are many marinas with full provision shops and other
islands have small shops. Major provision shops are found in
Charlotte Amalie, Cruz Bay (St. John), Christiansted (St.
Croix), Road Town (Tortola), and in The Valley and on North
Sound (Virgin Gorda).
Charter Operators/Agents
Contact the following organizations to get details on how to
proceed.
