A Beginner’s Guide to Chartering a Yacht

Sailing has a ring of romance to it and a promise of wonderful adventures to be had. Sailing in the Caribbean takes us even further in our imagination to a place where the warm sun, clear blue waters and palm-fringed white beaches offer up a piece of paradise that’s as different as can be from our daily lives and duties.

Turning that happy state of mind to a real-life experience is easier than it may seem for someone who has never chartered before, never sailed before or travelled to the Caribbean before. If you’ve ever booked a vacation of any sort, you’re more than half-way there.

What exactly is a sailing charter?

We’ll cover a few basics first – starting with what exactly is a sailing charter? Essentially, it’s a yacht rental. The period can be for a daysail or for a longer, liveaboard vacation. At Horizon, we specialize in liveaboard sailing charters on monohulls (single-hulled yachts ranging from 34’-55’ft in length) or catamarans (yachts with two hulls ranging from 40’ – 51’ft in length, often preferred by non-sailors/first-timers for their stability and spaciousness).

The yachts in the Horizon fleets are curated from leading manufacturers including Nautitech, Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot catamarans and Bavaria, Jeanneau and Beneteau yachts through Horizon Yacht Sales. All of Horizon’s yachts offer spacious indoor/outdoor living areas, comfortable cabins (bedrooms) and heads with showers (bathrooms). They are chartered with linens, towels, a comprehensively equipped galley (kitchen) and thoughtful extras to make your stay aboard more than comfortable. Discover what’s included in a Horizon BVI or a Horizon SVG charter.

We have a 5-night minimum requirement but may be able to accommodate shorter-term charters – just ask our reservations teams.

What experience do you need to sail with Horizon? The answer is none. That’s right, no experience needed. When you go on a sailing vacation with Horizon in the BVI or SVG as a non-sailor, you have the choice of booking a skippered (captained) sailing charter or a fully-crewed yacht charter, which includes a captain and chef (and sometimes a third or fourth crew member depending on the size of the yacht). You can also make your charter an American Sailing certification, liveaboard charter with Horizon Sailing School – an ASA sailing school offered in both destinations. If you’re an experienced sailor (with a strong sailing resume), you can book a bareboat charter as captain of the yacht.

Are sailing charters for adults only? Sailing vacations are customisable for everyone and every age: It’s a romantic getaway for two, a multi-generational celebration trip, a family vacation, a friends’ reunion, an active adventure with options to dive, kite, wing, SUP, kayak, hike or snorkel every day. It’s whatever you want it to be!

How can I find the right charter for me?

The Horizon Yacht Charters’ professional and experienced reservation teams are based at the destination marinas of Nanny Cay on Tortola, BVI and Blue Lagoon Marina in St Vincent. They love their homes and are perfectly placed to guide you on the islands, the weather, things to do and see, and the best yacht for your sailing charter. And for non-sailors, they can help guide you on whether a captained, or luxury crewed charter is more your style!

We’ll ask how many are in your party, the age groups and the time period you’re looking to go on your sailing holiday. We’ll establish if you’ll need a captain and then discuss if you’d like a monohull or catamaran. We’ll let you know which yachts are available that fit your needs and share information and links to the boats so you can explore the layouts, browse the galleries and go on a virtual walkthrough of the yachts before you decide on the perfect one.

What is the booking process?

Once decided, and you’re more than 90 days out from your charter start date, you’ll simply place your yacht of choice on hold for a $500 non-refundable deposit while you confirm plans with your party and sort out your flights.

We’ll be guiding you through the whole booking process and answer all your questions. We’ll share information on how to get to the BVI, provisioning (grocery shopping), itinerary planning and more.

Ultimately, we want you to love your Horizon yacht charter: With our 26 plus years of experience, we’ll help you build the ideal Caribbean vacation for a hassle-free and wonderfully memorable sailing charter from start to finish.

Start your journey now!