St Vincent FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Wifi is available at Horizon Yacht Charter’s base at Blue Lagoon. In the cruising area wifi is 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/ ipad etc. up. The two local providers are Flow and Digicel.

Almost all mobile devices will work in St Vincent and the Grenadines. i-phones and i-pads will work as well. Currently data services are not as fast as the USA or UK but are improving.

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 a data SIM in an i-pad

It is a ‘pay as you go’ mobile phone. You purchase phone credit from us and we can top you up as required.

Normally yes, 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 Island 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$0.45 per minute to the USA, £0.39 to the UK, CAD 0.58 to Canada and € 0.40 per minute to the rest of the world (rates correct as of Jan 2020).

Yes, we offer 3 different packages. Alternatively, if you just want us to order from your own list, there is a 20% service charge. You can also just buy beverages at the rate listed on the provisioning lists.

Are coals for BBQ’s supplied without provisioning? You should pick up your own BBQ coals and lighter fluid if you have not asked us to provision for you.

Yes.

We offer a full provisioning service for our guests. For more information visit our provisioning page. Or you can provision yourself from one of our well stocked supermarkets.

We often get asked, “how much ice do I need to bring?” That will depend on your requirements and the capacity of the fridge on board the yacht. Every yacht also carries a deck cooler and we recommend stocking this with drinks and adding a bag of ice each day to keep you in stock with cold drinks. We give you 2 complimentary bags at the start of charter, and you are welcome to buy more. Ice is generally available in most anchorages you will visit. Block ice is not generally available.

There are some excellent beach-side restaurants both in St Vincent and through the Grenadines. Please see our Welcome Club listings for recommendations.

We do not advise that you drink tap water from the water tanks. Bottled water is widely available.

Found yourself wondering “What is the taxi fare?”  The taxi transfer is 20-25 minutes and costs EC$65.00/US$25.00 for up to 3 persons with each additional person over that number paying EC$13.00/US$5.00

Here are some brief tips on how to travel to St Vincent. For more detailed information on how to travel to St Vincent please visit our “How to Get Here” page.

Travel to St Vincent from USA:

• American Airlines from Miami
• Caribbean Airlines from New York
• Various flights from the US via Barbados, connecting with Liat airlines

Travel to St Vincent from Europe:

• British Airways, Virgin Atlantic via Barbados, connecting with Liat airlines

Travel to St Vincent from Canada:

• Air Canada from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport
• Caribbean Airlines via Trinidad
• Various flights from Canada via Barbados, connecting with Liat airlines

James and Jacqui Pascall

Airport departure tax is now included in the price of all airline tickets.

You will find the 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 then our taxi driver will meet you and 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.

8.30 – 5.00pm normally but this varies considerably according to workload!

St Vincent has almost all the facilities that you would expect of a Caribbean tourist destination. Excellent hotels, restaurants, spas, good shopping.

Yes, we offer one-way charters starting from St Lucia, and finishing in Grenada or Union Island. We recommend a minimum of 10 nights for this trip. Please ask for more information. Our current fees for one way charters are (in addition to the charter fee):

• Union US$800
• Grenada US$1500

Not between each and every island, just 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 need present themselves 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. The clearance process should not take longer than 20 minutes or so.

Yes, of course. The best method is to trail a line using either a hand line or rod. All fish is safe and delicious to eat. You can rent rods from our base for US$55 per week, subject to availability.

One of the loveliest, most unspoiled Caribbean islands but then you could say that we’re biased. It is safe to say that St Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the very best cruising areas anywhere, and St Vincent has a tremendous amount to offer in terms of nature, history and what the real Caribbean is like.

We rent good quality snorkel equipment (mask/ snorkel/ fins) for US$15 per week.

There is excellent diving in St Vincent and some very good locations in the Grenadines.

For diving in the Grenadines check LumbaDive, Deefer Divingin Carriacou or Dive Bequia

We can rent stand up paddle boards (SUP’s), and single or double kayaks. See our Watersports page for more information.

Generally we do not charter yachts for racing.

The taxi ride is 20-25 minutes with light to normal traffic.

It’s normal practice if you feel he’s done a good job!

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!

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 for 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. You will use the Chris Doyle Guide to Windward Island which is sent to you complimentary upon booking with us. 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.

Have you found yourself excitedly wondering “How early can we board?” Well, you’ll be glad to hear you may board the yacht at noon (charter contracts start and finish at noon). Allow 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 5pm.

If your arrival is scheduled outside of hours, we will arrange 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. Please enquire about this option should you require it.

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, the main places being Petit Martinique, Union Island and Bequia. We will give you more information on this during your chart briefing. Fuel top 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 water unless you boil it first. You may prefer to purchase bottled water for daily consumption.

Eastern Caribbean dollar – EC$
Approximate exchange rates are:
1US$ = 2.7 EC$ (N.B. the EC$ is pegged to the US$)
1£ = 3.55 EC$
1CAD = 2.07

You can pay in one of several ways:

• Visa or Mastercard, however a surcharge will apply. We do not accept American Express
• Wire transfer to our account. Please ask for details.

Have you found yourself thinking “What happens if I cancel my charter?” Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds within 90 days of your charter start date unless we can re-sell your reserved dates. As we adhere to this policy, we strongly suggest that Trip Cancellation Insurance is purchased.

We do not offer spinnakers or cruising chutes on our yachts. Most sailing is reaching from island to island so there is no need for a spinnaker

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.

We often get asked, “am I able to get a rigid bottomed dinghy?” Don’t worry, ll of our yachts are equipped with RIB’s

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.

Yes, we provide a lock with a padlock. Please make sure you check this off on your inventory sheet, it is either in the kit bag or on the dinghy which you sign for at the beginning of the charter

The dinghy can be carefully pulled up 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.

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.

The fridge performance and capacity varies 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 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, laptops 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.

If you’re wondering “are there mosquito nets on the yacht?” Unfortunately, no. We don’t provide nets but the spray is effective. When anchored or moored out in bays mosquitos are very rare anyway. If you are prone to mosquito bites, then please take advice from your doctor before you leave home.

Anytime is good to charter! Some guidelines:

• The most popular time is mid December to end April – the “traditional” Caribbean season. Dry season runs 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.

You should also note the regattas and other activities that happen in the Grenadines – for more information see our “What’s Happening” page

“Do I still require a skipper?” If you are unsure on whether you have the necessary experience to sail the area of your choice, please submit a sailing resume and we will be happy to assist you. We can provide a full chart and boat briefings to familiarize you with your cruising grounds and yacht.  With prior notice, we can also provide a checkout skipper who will be happy to spend an extra couple of hours with you on a one-to-one basis.

Absolutely. We are an ASA credited sailing school. For more information see our Learn to Sail page.

Yes of course, we can provide professional skippers and cooks at all our bases. Their fees do not include food and beverages and optional gratuity. Crew gratuities are usually based on 10 to 15% of the charter fee.

Moorings are available in some locations such as:

• Moliniere Marine Park, Grenada west coast. NO anchoring here.
• Sandy Island, Carriacou
• Tobago Cays (but most boats still anchor)
• Canouan (in front of Tamarind Beach Hotel only)
• Mustique (no anchoring allowed here)
• Bequia
• Saltwhistle Bay, Mayreau

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.

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.

The Grenadines is an area for the more experienced sailor – some open water sailing, good breezes, navigation straightforward but must be aware of where reefs are.

• Anchoring rather than mooring.
• Navigation – but every boat has a chart plotter.
• Two experienced crew.
• Ability to sail boat and to motor sail effectively

We have many possible itineraries and they are all available online! Please see our Sample Itinerary page for more information and links.

We are always very happy to discuss your cruising plans with you and make specific recommendations. We are experts on the area after all!

None in St Vincent but you will find in Union, the 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!

No – apart from the occasional Johnny Depp look alike.

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. For UK visitors, you can find information such as this here.

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.