St Lucia is a Windward Islands base and a different proposition from the British Virgin Islands. The islands here are big and volcanic with real ocean between them, the passages are longer, and the sailing is genuinely sailing rather than an afternoon hop. It is the base for charterers who want the boat to move.
Ask several charter companies what your week costs
Boat charter St Lucia: what the Windward week is
Rodney Bay north to Martinique, or south to the Pitons, Bequia and the Grenadines if you have more than a week. The legs between islands are open water with trade wind swell, and the lee of each island brings acceleration zones and then calm. It is more demanding than the BVI in every respect and considerably more rewarding for a crew that wants to sail.
What it costs
No company in this record publishes a St Lucia rate. The published Caribbean anchors are the British Virgin Islands: The Moorings publishes $3,284 to $49,584 for a 7 day charter for 2 people and Sunsail publishes about $3,500 for a low-season bareboat monohull rising to about $10,000 for a high-season catamaran. The Windwards broadly track those figures with a smaller fleet.
What to check before booking
Whether one-way itineraries are permitted, because a St Lucia to Grenada run is a natural week and companies charge for repositioning. Whether the boat is cleared for inter-island customs, since these are separate countries with separate formalities. And what the base's experience requirement is, because the passages here are longer than most bareboat crews have done.
Questions people ask about yacht charter St Lucia
How much do St Lucia private boat charters cost?
No St Lucia rate is published in this record. For the Caribbean, The Moorings publishes $3,284 to $49,584 for a 7 day BVI charter for 2 and Sunsail about $3,500 low season for a monohull.
Is St Lucia harder sailing than the BVI?
Considerably. The Windwards have open passages with trade wind swell between big volcanic islands, against the BVI's sheltered line-of-sight hops.
Can I sail one-way from St Lucia?
Often, to Grenada or up to Martinique, but it needs the company's permission, a repositioning charge and inter-island customs formalities.