Most people start in the BVI. If you have done it a few times and want something new, or you just want to compare before you book, here is where else to charter, from two captains who have sailed every island in the Windwards and Leewards and cruised the Bahamas on their own boat.
The eight cruising grounds, side by side
Our scores out of five, from sailing all of them. Five is the easiest or the best. No ground wins every column, which is the whole point: pick the columns your crew cares about.
| Cruising ground | Easy sailing | Shelter | Moorings | Paperwork | Boat choice | Food ashore | Empty anchorages | Longest normal leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The BVIBeginner friendly | About 8 nm | |||||||
| St. Martin, St. Barths, AnguillaIntermediate | 15 to 20 nm | |||||||
| Antigua and BarbudaIntermediate | 17 nm, 30 to Barbuda | |||||||
| Martinique and St. LuciaEasy to demanding | About 22 nm | |||||||
| St. Vincent and the GrenadinesA step up | 10 to 25 nm | |||||||
| Grenada and CarriacouAdvanced | About 33 nm | |||||||
| Dominica, from Guadeloupe or MartiniqueA step up | 20 to 40 nm | |||||||
| The BahamasModerate to advanced | About 30 nm |
- Easy sailing: Short legs, flat water, simple pilotage
- Shelter: A safe anchorage close by when it blows
- Moorings: Overnight mooring balls you can count on
- Paperwork: 5 means no clearances in a week
- Boat choice: Number of charter companies and boats
- Food ashore: Restaurants and provisioning
- Empty anchorages: How easy it is to get away from other boats
Why most people start in the BVI, and why we still send them there
We will tell you straight when another island suits you better. For most crews, and nearly every first-time skipper, the BVI still wins on four counts.
The largest selection of bareboats
No other Caribbean base comes close for choice. More charter companies, more boats, more sizes and more layouts means you can find the right boat for your crew and your budget, and you have options when your first pick is already booked.
The most protected cruising grounds
The islands ring the Sir Francis Drake Channel and break up the Atlantic swell. Most hops are an hour or two, you can see where you are going before you leave, and there is almost always a sheltered anchorage close by if the weather turns. Down island, the passages between islands are open ocean.
The best support
When something breaks, and on a charter boat something will, help is close. The charter bases are a short run from anywhere in the cruising ground, so a fix is usually hours away, not days.
The least amount of headaches
One country, one clearance, mooring balls in most anchorages, and a whole territory set up around visiting boats. Elsewhere you may clear in and out of a new country every couple of days, anchor in deeper water with more swell, and work a lot harder for your sundowner.
Ready for something new?
Every one of these is worth the trip. None of them is as easy as the BVI, and each guide tells you exactly where the work is.
St. Martin, St. Barths and Anguilla
French food, St. Barths glamour and Anguilla’s empty beaches inside one week. The catch: it is a different country at almost every stop, so you clear in and out again and again, and the hops between islands are open water. Read the St. Martin guide.
Antigua and Barbuda
English Harbour, Nelson’s Dockyard and reef-ringed lagoons, with Barbuda’s empty beach a day sail north. One country and no paperwork. The catch: reefs you pilot by eye, and you anchor almost every night. Read the Antigua guide.
Martinique and St. Lucia
The best provisioning in the Caribbean and a properly French island. The catch: leaving it means a real open-water channel crossing, not a hop across a sheltered sound. Read the Martinique guide.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Bequia, Mustique and the Tobago Cays are as good as Caribbean sailing gets. The catch: boat boys meet you in most anchorages, and the southern islands are still rebuilding after Hurricane Beryl. Read the Grenadines guide.
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique
The southern end of the chain and the back door to the Tobago Cays, with Carriacou a day sail north. The catch: that day sail is upwind, up-current and passes an active underwater volcano. Read the Grenada guide.
Dominica, from Martinique or Guadeloupe
The most beautiful island we have sailed to: rainforest, rivers, waterfalls and whales. The catch: there is no charter base, so you sail in from Guadeloupe or Martinique, and its two deep anchorages roll. Read the Dominica guide.
The Bahamas: Abacos and Exumas
Not the Caribbean, but the question we get most. The clearest water anywhere and more beaches than boats. The catch: it is shallow, tidal and run by the weather forecast. Read the Bahamas guide.
Not sure which one is for you?
Tell us your dates, crew and experience and we will tell you straight. Same price as booking direct.