What To Bring
When planning your private yacht sailing vacation, your broker at Barrington-Hall would have provided a wealth of knowledge from actually chartering in these islands for 5 years, so get as much information from him as possible. Planning the best one week to charter in the year is what they do. Selecting the best yacht for your private yacht charter is what they do best. Not all broker companies are the same, so make sure you have a company with the proper background. It certainly does affect the quality of the yacht vacation you are about to enjoy.
Basically, you would have selected this sail vacation to cruise the Caribbean Islands. There are many islands to select from and you may switch and change as you go along. Your best plan is to have a rough itinerary to guide your captain, then he will know how to get to most of the islands and anchorages you request.
Tourist Season
The season to do your sailing vacations is when it snows in the USA. North America's chilly period is November to April; this is when cabin fever digs into everyone's bones making the coconut palm tress, sunny white beaches and crystal clear warm tropical Caribbean sound so inviting. Generally, charter yachts and hotels offer discounted rates for May, June, July and October, so Caribbean sailing can be encouraged. To the seasoned broker, August 15 to October 15 each year is the hurricane period. Businesses close, shops close, banks close and many islands become a small ghost town for 2 months. Crewed sailing yachts normally get hauled out to do annual maintenance below the waterline, then the owner puts them back in the water around October 15th each year ready for November 1st, when the new yacht rental season kicks off again.
Your most comfortable sail yacht vacation periods to be in this location are the entire months of November, March, April, May, June and July. To me, May, June and July are the Caribbean's most magnificent months. We are dealing with the prime time in the Caribbean. The months mentioned are generally sunny, so no clouds or little clouds cooled by a wind generated by warm days and cool nights. This wind generation provides winds of 8-10 knots every day, which is just perfect weather. December and January normally have what we call the Christmas Winds. These winds gust upwards from 15 knots to 30 knots. These conditions are not good for this location, but so many days in between are excellent that many folks brave the Christmas Winds to head for St. Bart's, Anguilla, St. Martin and the surrounding islands.
The warm Caribbean water and sun are waiting to caress your body......Mother Nature created these unusual Caribbean islands so that you can explore them and enjoy their sandy coconut-lined beaches on your private crewed yacht. These tropical islands make for easy cruising, but be careful there remain some very tricky coral beds lurking just below the surface of the tropical sun. These are the points that keep some of these islands unspoiled by man and machine. The weather is perfect from April to November: From December to March the Christmas Winds can make sailing difficult some days, but the days in between are excellent
What to bring on sailing vacation charters
2 cameras: One $20 underwater camera and a good camera for shots during the day and the evenings.
On board: flip-flops, rubber-soled shoes to wear ashore and bare feet. If you wish to have shoes on board any yacht, then purchase a new pair of soft-soled rubber shoes and wear them on board only. T-shirts with short pants are fine for walking anywhere; possibly long pants and a lounge shirt with a blazer for one night at a restaurant.
Ladies: A simple summer dress or light slacks with possibly one cardigan for the evening. Ball caps and hats are essential for the noonday sun. Hair dryers are normally on board, so there is no need to bring them along.
Swimsuits: 2 or 3 for the week, as you will be in these most of the day.
If you have prescription drugs, bring them; make sure they remain in your carry bag. A soft bag is the best for stowing away suntan oils, etc.
Snorkellers and scuba divers: bring your favorite fins and mask. Divers can also bring their BC's and regulators. Generally, all these items are on board, and they are in excellent condition. If you do not wish to carry these items, make sure they are onboard for you. Bring some spending money, half in cash and half in travelers checks; bring your credit cards as well. Gratuity: Calculate 10-15% gratuity for your crew. This needs to be paid in cash or travelers checks only. The crew works for gratuity, and you will want to pay them a gratuity on the last day of your charter. Taxi drivers would enjoy a tip if they carry your bags; this goes for your crew as well. If they have performed over and above, then I feel they deserve their tip. Drugs: Prescription drugs are permitted. Not permitted are any mind-altering substances, such as marijuana or cocaine. Illegal drugs are strictly forbidden on board any charter yacht. Authorities will confiscate the entire yacht if these illegal drugs are found onboard. They will also jail guests for this offense. Sun Tan:
The cool wind and the warm water mask the intensity of the sun, so expect to burn. Use sunscreen; check with your broker the different suntan lotions which are normally used on board. Long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses all protect your body. Generally guests sit in the shaded areas of the yachts when they feel they have been kissed by the sun.
Green Flash This we have seen 5 times, but each afternoon before the sun goes down look at the horizon and see if clouds will hamper the sun disappearing behind the blue waterline. Clouds normally hamper the sighting of the famous Green Flash. As the sun goes down below the horizon, that yellow has not changed until the last quarter can be seen, then the yellow of the sun changes to lime green and it is gone within one second. Keep your eyes open for that Green Flash. Fishing The British Virgin Islands are one of the few places where a fishing license has to be paid for; the cost is $45 per person. This is well worth the price if you like to fish, but a waste of money if you are half-hearted about fishing. When sailing in the Leeward Islands, have your captain rig a line attached to your yacht; this is done with a clothespin, a lure and 100 yards of 50-pound line. When a fish takes your lure, the line straightens out and snaps the clothespin. You have a fish on the line. Most yachts have fishing gear onboard, so your fishing pole will scream when you have a fish. Do not eat fresh fish unless your captain says it is fine. Spear fishing is banned in the Leeward Islands. Children Some crews do not like to have children under the age of 6 on board, but 90% of the crews enjoy children of all ages. Make sure your crew likes children; we at Barrington-Hall enjoy joining the right crew with the right guests for their charter. If crews do not wish to have children under the age of 5-6 onboard, then how can they deal with grown-up folks? Our company tends to work with captains and crews who love to have children; these are normally the folks who get along with everyone. Scuba Diving: Scuba diving can be done with 2 different methods. Some yachts carry scuba gear on board. This means qualified divers can dive with the dive master on board right from their charter yacht wherever they are. The second group is yachts which do "rendezvous" scuba diving. Your captain would call a land-based company, and that land-based company would send a speedboat out to rendezvous with your charter yacht and take the guests scuba divining. There is a cost for this, around $100 per person for a 2-tank dive. Divers without their certification card can not use the scuba dive gear; these folk can do a resort course at a cost and then go scuba diving.
Basically, you would have selected this sail vacation to cruise the Caribbean Islands. There are many islands to select from and you may switch and change as you go along. Your best plan is to have a rough itinerary to guide your captain, then he will know how to get to most of the islands and anchorages you request.
Tourist Season
The season to do your sailing vacations is when it snows in the USA. North America's chilly period is November to April; this is when cabin fever digs into everyone's bones making the coconut palm tress, sunny white beaches and crystal clear warm tropical Caribbean sound so inviting. Generally, charter yachts and hotels offer discounted rates for May, June, July and October, so Caribbean sailing can be encouraged. To the seasoned broker, August 15 to October 15 each year is the hurricane period. Businesses close, shops close, banks close and many islands become a small ghost town for 2 months. Crewed sailing yachts normally get hauled out to do annual maintenance below the waterline, then the owner puts them back in the water around October 15th each year ready for November 1st, when the new yacht rental season kicks off again.
Your most comfortable sail yacht vacation periods to be in this location are the entire months of November, March, April, May, June and July. To me, May, June and July are the Caribbean's most magnificent months. We are dealing with the prime time in the Caribbean. The months mentioned are generally sunny, so no clouds or little clouds cooled by a wind generated by warm days and cool nights. This wind generation provides winds of 8-10 knots every day, which is just perfect weather. December and January normally have what we call the Christmas Winds. These winds gust upwards from 15 knots to 30 knots. These conditions are not good for this location, but so many days in between are excellent that many folks brave the Christmas Winds to head for St. Bart's, Anguilla, St. Martin and the surrounding islands.
The warm Caribbean water and sun are waiting to caress your body......Mother Nature created these unusual Caribbean islands so that you can explore them and enjoy their sandy coconut-lined beaches on your private crewed yacht. These tropical islands make for easy cruising, but be careful there remain some very tricky coral beds lurking just below the surface of the tropical sun. These are the points that keep some of these islands unspoiled by man and machine. The weather is perfect from April to November: From December to March the Christmas Winds can make sailing difficult some days, but the days in between are excellent
Sailing Vacations
What to bring on sailing vacation charters
2 cameras: One $20 underwater camera and a good camera for shots during the day and the evenings. On board: flip-flops, rubber-soled shoes to wear ashore and bare feet. If you wish to have shoes on board any yacht, then purchase a new pair of soft-soled rubber shoes and wear them on board only. T-shirts with short pants are fine for walking anywhere; possibly long pants and a lounge shirt with a blazer for one night at a restaurant.
Ladies: A simple summer dress or light slacks with possibly one cardigan for the evening. Ball caps and hats are essential for the noonday sun. Hair dryers are normally on board, so there is no need to bring them along.
Swimsuits: 2 or 3 for the week, as you will be in these most of the day.
If you have prescription drugs, bring them; make sure they remain in your carry bag. A soft bag is the best for stowing away suntan oils, etc.
Snorkellers and scuba divers: bring your favorite fins and mask. Divers can also bring their BC's and regulators. Generally, all these items are on board, and they are in excellent condition. If you do not wish to carry these items, make sure they are onboard for you. Bring some spending money, half in cash and half in travelers checks; bring your credit cards as well. Gratuity: Calculate 10-15% gratuity for your crew. This needs to be paid in cash or travelers checks only. The crew works for gratuity, and you will want to pay them a gratuity on the last day of your charter. Taxi drivers would enjoy a tip if they carry your bags; this goes for your crew as well. If they have performed over and above, then I feel they deserve their tip. Drugs: Prescription drugs are permitted. Not permitted are any mind-altering substances, such as marijuana or cocaine. Illegal drugs are strictly forbidden on board any charter yacht. Authorities will confiscate the entire yacht if these illegal drugs are found onboard. They will also jail guests for this offense. Sun Tan:
The cool wind and the warm water mask the intensity of the sun, so expect to burn. Use sunscreen; check with your broker the different suntan lotions which are normally used on board. Long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses all protect your body. Generally guests sit in the shaded areas of the yachts when they feel they have been kissed by the sun.
Green Flash This we have seen 5 times, but each afternoon before the sun goes down look at the horizon and see if clouds will hamper the sun disappearing behind the blue waterline. Clouds normally hamper the sighting of the famous Green Flash. As the sun goes down below the horizon, that yellow has not changed until the last quarter can be seen, then the yellow of the sun changes to lime green and it is gone within one second. Keep your eyes open for that Green Flash. Fishing The British Virgin Islands are one of the few places where a fishing license has to be paid for; the cost is $45 per person. This is well worth the price if you like to fish, but a waste of money if you are half-hearted about fishing. When sailing in the Leeward Islands, have your captain rig a line attached to your yacht; this is done with a clothespin, a lure and 100 yards of 50-pound line. When a fish takes your lure, the line straightens out and snaps the clothespin. You have a fish on the line. Most yachts have fishing gear onboard, so your fishing pole will scream when you have a fish. Do not eat fresh fish unless your captain says it is fine. Spear fishing is banned in the Leeward Islands. Children Some crews do not like to have children under the age of 6 on board, but 90% of the crews enjoy children of all ages. Make sure your crew likes children; we at Barrington-Hall enjoy joining the right crew with the right guests for their charter. If crews do not wish to have children under the age of 5-6 onboard, then how can they deal with grown-up folks? Our company tends to work with captains and crews who love to have children; these are normally the folks who get along with everyone. Scuba Diving: Scuba diving can be done with 2 different methods. Some yachts carry scuba gear on board. This means qualified divers can dive with the dive master on board right from their charter yacht wherever they are. The second group is yachts which do "rendezvous" scuba diving. Your captain would call a land-based company, and that land-based company would send a speedboat out to rendezvous with your charter yacht and take the guests scuba divining. There is a cost for this, around $100 per person for a 2-tank dive. Divers without their certification card can not use the scuba dive gear; these folk can do a resort course at a cost and then go scuba diving.
