The Grenadines Crewed Yacht Charters

The Grenadines is one of the most peaceful sailing destinations in the Caribbean.

Thirty-two islands are spread between St. Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south, most of them small and only reachable by boat.

Grenadines yacht charters move through the chain of islands in short hops, each new island in sight of the last.

A typical week covers Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, the Tobago Cays Marine Park, and Union Island. The Tobago Cays are the highlight - five uninhabited islands inside a horseshoe-shaped reef, with green turtles in the shallows.

Longer one-way itineraries continue south to Palm Island, Petit St. Vincent, Carriacou, and St. George's in Grenada, or start north in St. Lucia and travel the full chain.

Key Highlights

• Best time to go: December to May, with the steadiest winds and calmest weather from January through April. Late-spring weeks offer the same sailing with fewer yachts on the water.

• Best for: Guests who love sailing and want to visit new anchorages each night.

• Don't miss: the Tobago Cays Marine Park - the highlight of the Grenadines. Enjoy snorkeling with green turtles and stingrays.

• The route: There are 32 islands between St. Vincent and Grenada. A week covers six to eight of them. The one-way charter from St. Lucia to Grenada sails the full length of the island chain.

• Getting there: Argyle International (SVD) on St. Vincent is the main gateway, with connections via Barbados (BGI) or Grenada (GND). Island airstrips serve Canouan, Union Island, and Mustique.

Why Charter a Yacht in the Grenadines

Most of the islands in the Grenadines have no airports or road links.

Mayreau has one road and fewer than 300 residents. Palm Island has no road access - guests arrive by dinghy from the anchorage. Mopion is a single sandbar just off Petit St. Vincent, and the Tobago Cays are uninhabited and only reachabled by yacht.

Without a yacht, guests can only reach a few islands with airstrips or ferry service, like Bequia or Canouan. A yacht charter reaches them all. Most days, guests sail for two or three hours and spend the rest of the day at anchor.

A resort holiday in the Grenadines means picking one island and staying there for the week. A Grenadines sailing charter means a new anchorage each night, with no ferry transfers between islands.

The Best Islands and Anchorages in the Grenadines

St. Vincent is the largest island in the chain and the starting point for most charters. The main marina at Blue Lagoon sits on the south coast, a short drive from Argyle International. Most groups board the yacht here and sail south.

Bequia has a long history of whaling and boatbuilding. It is the busiest after St. Vincent, with restaurants and bars lining the boardwalk in Admiralty Bay.

Mustique is the most private island in the chain, built around a small list of villas with very little activity outside them.

Canouan is the most developed of the smaller islands, with a golf course and a casino. Mayreau has fewer than 300 residents and a single road, with Saltwhistle Bay as the main anchorage. Union Island is the southern hub, with Clifton Harbour for restocking and Chatham Bay for a quiet anchorage on the west side.

Past Union, the chain crosses into Grenada's waters. Palm Island is a private resort island reachable only by boat. Charter guests anchor off the west side and can come ashore for lunch or drinks at the resort.

Off Petit St. Vincent is Mopion, a sandbar with a solitary thatched umbrella in the middle of the sea; the postcard image of the Grenadines.

Carriacou is the largest of Grenada's outer islands and is known for boatbuilding - the village of Windward still builds wooden sloops by hand. It is also home to some of the best diving in the chain, with unspoiled reefs and a few shipwrecks off Sandy Island.

St. George's, at the southern endpoint, is a colonial harbor town with Port Louis Marina at one end. The Dragon Bay marine reserve is ten minutes away from St. George's. It has black volcanic sand and coral formations close to shore - one of the better snorkel stops on this side of the chain.

Tobago Cays Marine Park

The Tobago Cays are five uninhabited islands inside a marine park between Mayreau and Union Island. Horseshoe Reef wraps around four of them and breaks the open Atlantic into a calm lagoon where the yacht can anchor for the night.

The marine park is a spectacular snorkeling site - you can see green turtles grazing the seagrass off Baradel, and stingrays and eagle rays passing through the shallows.

Guests can snorkel straight from the swim platform, and the crew can set up a beach barbecue on one of the islands. Most charters spend one or two nights here before continuing south.

Things to Do on a Grenadines Yacht Charter

Most guests come to the Grenadines for water activities, especially snorkeling.

The best snorkeling spots are Devil’s Table, Mayreau Gardens, and Mopion Reef. Devil’s Table is just off Bequia - a shallow reef thick with sponges, sea fans, and tropical fish. For shipwrecks, Mayreau Gardens has the Puruni, a British gunboat sunk in 1918, sitting upright in 40 feet of clear water. Mopion Reef off Petit St. Vincent is known for occasional nurse and reef shark sightings.

For those who don’t want to snorkel, there’s paddleboarding and kayaking in the flat-water lagoons at Mustique and Mayreau.

Foodies can drop by Bequia - it has the most restaurants on the island chain, with fresh seafood at the open-air spots along the Admiralty Bay boardwalk. Another option near Union Island is Happy Island. It’s a small bar built on a sandbar of conch shells in the middle of Clifton Harbour. Guests dinghy over from the anchorage for sunset drinks.

The yacht crew can also arrange private beach barbecues on secluded beaches throughout the Grenadines, including the uninhabited cays, subject to local regulations and marine park guidelines.

Luxury Charter Yachts Available in the Grenadines

Ritzy Yachts’ Grenadines fleet covers the full range of yachts, but most of those are sailing catamarans.

Catamarans have a shallow draft, which makes it easier to anchor in the Tobago Cays and smaller lagoons in the chain. They also stay flat in the water instead of heeling (leaning with the wind) , which is comfortable for guests who haven't sailed before. They also have more deck space and separated cabins than a monohull of similar size.

Monohull sailing yachts suit guests who want a more traditional sailing feel. They heel with the wind and move faster in heavier weather. Motor yachts and superyachts move faster between islands, which is perfect for groups who want to combine the Grenadines with St. Lucia or cover more ground in a week.

Best Time to Charter a Yacht in the Grenadines

The Caribbean charter season runs from December to May. The weather stays dry through these months, which makes for predictable sailing days and calm overnight anchorages. January through April is peak season, when the islands are busiest and the winds are most reliable. Charters remain available into June and July for guests who prefer quieter waters.

May into early June is the shoulder season. Conditions stay close to peak but with fewer yachts on the water and easier access to the anchorages most charters want, including the Tobago Cays. Ritzy Yachts arranges most Grenadines charters in this window.

The wider Caribbean’s hurricane season lasts from August through November, and charter activity slows across the region. Most yachts move north or reposition during these months.

How to Get to the Grenadines

Most guests fly into Argyle International Airport (SVD) on St. Vincent, which has direct flights from Miami and connections through New York, Toronto, and London. From there, it's a short drive to Blue Lagoon Marina on the south coast, where most charters board the yacht.

Two other gateways work as well. Barbados (BGI) connects to most major US and European cities and has frequent short flights down to St. Vincent or Union Island. Grenada (GND) sits at the southern end of the chain. It suits one-way charters that start at the southern islands and finish in St. George's.

Island airstrips at Canouan, Union Island, and Mustique take small connecting flights from St. Vincent, Barbados, or Grenada. These suit guests who want to board the yacht further down the chain instead of starting in St. Vincent.

What’s Included in a Grenadines Yacht Charter

Whether you choose an all-inclusive or a plus expenses yacht charter, your vacation begins with a private luxury yacht, a professional crew, and full access to the yacht's onboard amenities and water toys.

The yacht charter fee does not cover airport transfers, onshore tours and excursions, dockage (where it applies), anything bought ashore, and crew gratuity. Gratuity is optional but customary in the Caribbean at 15 to 20 percent of the charter rate.

Most charters in the Grenadines are aboard sailing catamarans or monohulls, which are typically offered on an all-inclusive basis. Your charter includes a professional crew, gourmet meals, a standard ship's bar, and everything you need for a seamless week on the water.

Larger motor yachts and some higher-end yachts in the chain charter on a plus-expenses basis instead. Guests pay the base rate plus an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), which covers food, beverages, fuel, dockage, and other consumables during the week. The APA is usually 20 to 25 percent of the base rate for sailing yachts and 30 to 35 percent for motor yachts.

At the end of the charter, the captain provides a reconciliation of expenses against the APA. Any unused balance is returned, and any extra is settled at that time.

Your charter broker will walk you through exactly what's included and any additional expenses, ensuring everything is clear before you book.

Grenadines Yacht Charter Prices

Grenadines charter prices vary by yacht size, age, season, and inclusion type.

A 45-foot all-inclusive catamaran in May has a different rate from a 120-foot motor yacht over the winter holidays. When deciding between yachts, consider the weekly rate, the APA (where applicable), and the customary 15 to 20 percent gratuity.

Our team will create a complimentary charter proposal tailored to your travel plans, matching the best yacht, itinerary, travel dates, and charter style to your group's needs. Please note that Grenadines yacht charters have a one-week minimum booking requirement.

How to Book Your Grenadines Yacht Charter with Ritzy Yachts

1. Share your vision. Tell us about your ideal charter, including your preferred destination, travel dates, group size, and the type of experience you're looking for.

2. Review your curated options. Based on your requirements, we'll present a tailored selection of yachts and destinations, along with expert recommendations from our charter team.

3. Select your yacht. Once you've found the right fit, we'll guide you through the charter agreement and place the yacht on hold while arrangements are finalized.

4. Confirm your charter. Your charter is secured upon signing the agreement and submitting the initial deposit.

5. Personalize every detail. Before departure, we'll coordinate your preferences, including dining requests, beverages, activities, special occasions, and itinerary considerations to ensure a seamless experience onboard.

Your broker will be your point of contact from inquiry through to the end of the trip.

Get in touch when you're ready to start a conversation.

Ready to Charter a Yacht in the Grenadines? Plan Your Charter with Ritzy Yachts

Ritzy Yachts brokers design each Grenadines charter around the group, the dates, and the islands guests most want to include - from a round trip out of St.

Vincent to a one-way down the chain to Grenada. Each proposal includes yacht options, sample itineraries, and a clear breakdown of what's included.

Speak with one of our brokers at Ritzy Yachts to begin planning your Grenadines yacht charter.