The Horizon Group
The Horizon Group
Planning a sailing vacation in the stunning St. Vincent and the Grenadines? Our SVG FAQs answer the most common questions, helping you prepare for a smooth, stress-free, and unforgettable charter experience.
Whether you’re curious about travel logistics, packing tips, provisioning, or the need for a skipper, we’ve got you covered. Browse the answers below, and if you don’t see your question, just get in touch — we’re always happy to help you make the most of your time in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Our office is open 8.30 am – 5.00 pm; however, this varies according to workload!
You will find the Horizon dock directly in front of the Horizon Yacht Charters office at Blue Lagoon Marina. If you are coming to the boat directly after your flight arrival, our taxi driver will meet you at the aiport, bring you to our base, and show you on board after hours. He will point out the showers, bar, restaurant, and other resort facilities and make sure you are settled.
We offer a full provisioning service for our guests, which incurs a 20% service charge. You can also choose to just buy beverages at the rate listed on our provisioning lists. Or you can provision yourself from one of our well-stocked supermarkets.
The taxi ride is 20-25 minutes with light to normal traffic.
You can pay for your charter one of several ways:
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds within 90 days of your charter start date unless we can re-sell your reserved dates. Please review our Cancellation Policy below:
The charter fee or any portion thereof paid herein shall only be refundable provided that the Charterer submits to the Company written notice of their intention to cancel at least ninety (90) days prior to the start date of the charter. In the event of a cancellation made within ninety (90) days of the charter start, the charter fee or any portion thereof paid herein shall be refunded provided that the company is able to rebook the Yacht for the same charter dates under such terms and conditions at least as favourable to the Company as those set forth herein. There will be a $200.00 cancellation fee in the event of any refund. It is strongly recommended that a trip cancellation policy is taken by Charterer as this Cancellation Policy is strictly adhered to.
As we adhere to this policy, we strongly suggest that Trip Cancellation Insurance be purchased as it protects you, should anything unforeseen occur before your holiday.
Anytime is good to charter! Some guidelines:
The most popular time is mid-December to the end of April – the “traditional” Caribbean season. Dry season runs from January – May, but expect a quick shower at any time. It is coolest from Jan – March. Anchorages can get busy, but are never crowded out. Winds are normally from the NE between 15 – 25 knots but can occasionally reach 30 knots, as in what is known as the “Christmas Winds”.
Between May and December is the rainy season caused by periodic tropical waves crossing the islands. This brings showers and thunderstorms but does not normally last more than a few hours. Temperatures are slightly higher than the winter months, but the breeze keeps things cool, especially on a boat. Anchorages can be very quiet with small numbers of yachts – perfect for getting away from it all. June – November is hurricane season but the chance of being affected by one in the Southern Caribbean is very low.
Yes, we offer one-way charters starting at our base in St Vincent and finishing in Grenada or Union Island. We recommend a minimum of 10 nights for this trip. Our current fees for one-way charters are (in addition to the charter fee):
With every bareboat charter, you'll be required to submit a sailing resume for our review. With our decades of experience, we will be able to determine whether you need a skipper or not and will happily provide you with a skipper. If we, or you, feel that you may only need a skipper to help you refresh, we can provide a checkout skipper who will happily spend an extra couple of hours with you on a one-to-one basis. Before your charter, you will have an in-depth chart and boat briefing to familiarize you with your cruising grounds and yacht.
Absolutely! We are an American Sailing-accredited sailing school offering learn-to-sail liveaboard charters.
We offer Captained and Captain & Chef charters in the beautiful Grenadines! Their fees do not include food and beverages, and optional gratuity. Crew gratuities are usually based on 10 to 15% of the charter fee.
Only if you are sailing between Grenada and St Vincent territories. We print all the required paperwork for you and will guide you through the process. Only the captain or representative needs to present themselves at customs and immigration, which gives the remainder of the crew the chance to stock up on ice/ provisions or enjoy a drink ashore while the process is going on.
There's a reason St Vincent has been our home for over two decades – it is one of the loveliest, most unspoiled Caribbean islands! It is one of the very best cruising areas anywhere, and has a tremendous amount to offer in terms of nature, history, and what the real Caribbean is like. St Vincent also has almost all the facilities that you would expect of a Caribbean tourist destination – excellent hotels, restaurants, spas, and good shopping.
Moorings are available in certain locations including:
Moorings normally cost around EC$50/ US$20 per night. Mustique charges around EC$200/ US$75 but you are allowed to stay 3 nights for this fee if you wish. Please note there are moorings in other locations also, but of doubtful quality and ownership (especially Clifton Harbour, Union Island). You will be advised during your chart briefing. In any event, you should always check the mooring for damage before trusting it.
Boat Boys are pretty common throughout the Grenadines, while you may not find any in St Vincent, they are around in Union, Tobago Cays, and Bequia. Generally, they are courteous and polite and move on quickly if you do not require their services. It is a great way to get warm, fresh bread in the morning when anchored in the Cays!
Yes, of course – all fish is safe and delicious to eat! The tried-and-tested best method is to trail a line using either a hand line or a rod. You can rent rods from our base for US$55 per week, subject to availability.
Luckily, you can find good-quality snorkel equipment (mask/ snorkel/ fins) available for rent at our base at US$15 per week!
There is excellent diving in St Vincent and some incredible locations throughout the Grenadines! We recommend getting in contact with a reputable diving company such as LumbaDive, Deefer Diving in Carriacou, or Dive Bequia.
Bottled water is widely available and recommended, as we do not advise that you drink water from the taps ashore or onboard.
We supply linen, towels, toilet tissue, soap and a Welcome Starter Kit. This includes:
While each yacht differs and has its own unique features, all our yachts have this equipment onboard:
All our yachts come with an inverter which is able to convert 12v boat supply to 110 or 240V AC. Some yachts have a portable inverter which are sufficient for charging camera batteries, laps etc. Some yachts have built-in inverters which are large enough to run other appliances such as a hair dryer or blender. Most of our yachts have 110V receptacles. We advise that you check with us first since the relevant information is dependent upon your yacht as well as which country you are visiting from. All yachts have 12V sockets.
The fridge performance and capacity vary from boat to boat. Some of our yachts have what can be termed as a proper freezer, but all have what can be termed as good yacht refrigeration. Please ask if you need more details on the yacht you have booked.
All of our yachts are well-equipped with safety gear. Items such as lifejackets, lifebuoy, flares, first aid kit, and liferaft are carried by every boat. In addition, we supply essential items such as engine spares, tool kits and other equipment for your convenience.
It is a ‘pay as you go’ mobile phone. You purchase phone credit from us and we can top you up as required. All the important numbers you may need are stored in the phone
Your yacht will be filled with fuel and water for your arrival. You can pick up water and fuel at a number of locations in the Grenadines. We will give you more information on this during your chart briefing. Fuelling up is not normally required during your charter, and we prefer to fuel the boats back at base to avoid picking up contaminated fuel. We recommend you do not drink the boat's water unless you boil it first. You may prefer to purchase bottled water for daily consumption.
We do not offer spinnakers or cruising chutes on our yachts in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Sailing between the islands is on a reach, so no spinnakers are needed.
We give you 2 complimentary bags at the start of the charter; however, you may want to buy more depending on personal preference as well as the capacity of the fridge on board your yacht. All our yachts have a deck cooler, which we recommend stocking with drinks and a fresh bag of ice each day to keep you in stock with cold drinks. Ice is generally available in most anchorages you will visit; however, block ice is not generally available.
All our yachts are equipped with a stove-top percolator. Some will also have electric percolators onboard
The standard size engine that we have is 5hp, or 9.8hp for catamarans. This is because we ask that you lift the engine off the dinghy (on monohulls) when you are sailing in slightly bigger seas – to ensure that the dinghy does not flip with the engine still on. Most of our catamarans have larger outboards – since the dinghy is lifted into davits and secured when the yacht is underway.
It is for you to use your own judgement on when you should decide to take the engine off, but this is standard practice on the longer passages such as St Vincent to Carriacou. You do not need to remove the outboard if you are chartering a catamaran, but the dinghy must always be lifted and stowed in the davits when underway.
The dinghy can be carefully pulled up onto the beach. Make sure you tie the painter off around a tree/ post, etc., as the effect of waves can easily re-float the dinghy, and it will drift away.
When you arrive at the office, please have your passports ready for copying – we will return these to you. We will then undertake the paperwork in terms of taking the Hull Damage Waiver, Security Deposit, and any provisioning payment that has been ordered in advance. You will be given the KIT BAG, which contains charts, binoculars, and safety equipment.
We will then undertake a chart briefing in the restaurant area, where you will be shown the white customer folder and will read through this with our customer service manager. After the Chart Briefing, you will receive your Boat Briefing. It is a good idea to save time to send some of the crew to the supermarket for provisioning while the briefing is going on.
You’ll be glad to hear you may board the yacht at noon (charter contracts start and finish at noon). Allow at least a couple of hours to complete the chart and boat brief procedure before you are ready to leave the dock. If you have arranged a sleep aboard prior to your charter start, then boarding is at 5 pm and your charter will start at noon the following day.
If your arrival is scheduled outside of hours, we will arrange for one of our taxi drivers to meet you and escort you to your yacht. We will then commence the briefing with you the following day at noon.
Since some flights arrive too late in the day for you to start your charter, where possible, we offer the option of a sleep aboard on your first night at an additional charge. Boarding is after 5.00pm, and the yacht will be prepared for your late arrival. One of our staff will meet you at the yacht to go over the basic sleep aboard procedures, which includes the operation of lights, heads, stove, and point out shoreside facilities etc.
Winter/ Spring. Dec – April. Cooler, drier (some showers), wind predominantly NE 15 – 25 knots. Sailing conditions and anchorages can be affected by northerly swell.
Summer/ Autumn. May – Nov. Slightly warmer, more humid. Wind E – SE 10 – 20 knots but varies with weather fronts. Calm seas generally. Low risk of hurricanes during season.
Many nationalities do not need a visa to travel to St Vincent and the Grenadines. Entry requirements for your nationality can typically be checked through your official government website.
Eastern Caribbean dollar – EC$ although US$ is accepted in most places too – remember to bring cash!
The taxi transfer between the airport and our base is 20-25 minutes and costs EC$80.00/US$30.00 for up to 4 persons with each additional person over that number paying EC$13.00/US$5.00. It's not normal practice to tip the taxi driver, but please do if you feel he’s done a good job!
WiFi is available at Horizon Yacht Charter’s base at Blue Lagoon. In the cruising area, WiFiis also available ashore at most of the more populated anchorages. For those of you requiring WiFi onboard, it is possible to buy a data package with one of the two cell network providers, and near 4G coverage is then possible in almost every location. This needs to be organized on arrival and will entail a visit to the local shop (there is one at arrivals at the airport) to set your phone/tablet etc. up. The two local providers are Flow and Digicel.
Almost all mobile devices will work in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Note that roaming and data fees can be very significant. It is possible to purchase a local SIM and insert it into your phone (if it is unlocked) or use an eSIM from a provider such as Airalo. When heading off-shore there is reasonable coverage up to around 10 miles offshore, depending on location. There are limited areas in the Grenadines where coverage is very poor. Chatham Bay, Union Islan,d is a great place to hide, for example.
If you are using your own phone on roaming this is likely to be significant and you should check rates with your provider. Using the local mobile Horizon Yacht Charters provide, current charges are around US$0.62 per minute to the USA, £0.46 to the UK, CAD 0.84 to Canada and € 0.62 per minute to the rest of the world (rates correct as of August 2025).
Airport departure tax is now included in the price of all airline tickets.
If your bag is delayed, you will have to report this to Customer Services desk at the airport after arrival. They will fill out a form and give you a copy with a reference number and a local telephone number. Please tell them that you are sailing with Horizon Yacht Charters and give them our office number (1 784 456 9395). Typically, your bag will arrive the next day. The airline will deliver your bag to wherever you are – so this will not hold up your sailing time.
REMEMBER: It is good to be prepared for this eventuality – pack some shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops, toothbrush, toothpaste and any medical supplies that you may need. This should not ruin the start of your holiday – so come prepared!
Technically, the law states that you may not bring in meat and vegetable produce, and you do risk a fine, but in the past, we have had clients bring meat in without any problem.
Our yachts are meticulously maintained and fully equipped for comfort, safety, and performance — ensuring a stress-free charter from start to finish.
As the leading independent charter company in the Caribbean with over two decades of experience, our teams provide expert knowledge and personalized support from the first time you contact us, through the end of your vacation.
From learn to sail, to bareboat to luxurious fully-crewed experiences, we offer a range of charter styles to suit your preferences, aspirations, and travel goals.
We pride ourselves on delivering warm, professional service that consistently earns rave reviews — and many returning guests year after year.
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