If you are thinking about taking a vacation in the Caribbean with the idea of sailing among beautiful islands and sunny beaches, we have some tips that will help you find the best places where you can rent the sailboat that is right for you.
Everything depends on the type of seas and island you are seeking to know and with whom you are going to take on this adventure. If you are going with your family and you want to discover dreamy places, the most recommended thing to do is to charter a crewed catamaran; this way you won’t have to worry about anything else than enjoy the crystal clear waters and paradisiacal beaches while sailing on a very stable sailboat. Multiple are destinations in this case and, according to your wishes, you can go to any island between Grenada and Antigua in order to start your holidays.
One of the best options is chartering a crewed boat with Footloose Yacht Charters, based in Grenada. They specialize in cruising the beautiful Grenadines – an excellent place to sail with either family or friends, with pristine beaches, calm waters and rich local culture.
If on the other hand you think about taking on a trip with some friends with sail experience, the ideal will be a classic bareboat monohull with which you will be able to explore latitudes like those in the Atlantic side of Antigua where winds and boisterous seas can put the crew to a test anytime.
Luckily, the recent hurricanes haven’t affected neither of the islands between Antigua and Grenada which will make this season another great sailing season for each one of you.
When it comes to prices, the range varies; it depends mainly from your choice, monohulls starts at 2000 euros while catamarans starts at 5000 euros. On islands like the Grenadines, Martinique and Antigua you can find a monohull for 6 people at 2000 euros while in places like Guadeloupe, Saint Lucia and the Virgin Islands prices starts at 3000 euros. The most expensive islands to chart a sailboat are Barbados and Grenada where the offer is usually lower and prices starts at 5000 euros. A hostess and a skipper will cost you an additional 300-350 euros per day and most of the sailboats have a minimum rent of a week.
With all that said and after consulting with experts in the sailboat charter area, we can say that the best place to chart a sailboat seems to be Antigua, the fact that the rent offer is high, that the prices are the lowest among the Caribbean islands and that you have the opportunity to choose between a calm or a more challenging sea, makes the island visited by Columbus in 1493 the main destination if you are looking to sail in the Caribbean no matter if with family or expert sailor friends. Of course, in case you are looking for something more exclusive and less visited, we think that Barbados and Grenada could be best suited for you, the white beaches and the calm sea will let you and your family enjoy the best on water vacation you could have only dreamed of.