Nice yacht charter locations - Autumn

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Elemental

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My partner and I are planning a 2 week charter in the autumn and I'm canvassing for ideas for a location. We probably prefer bareboat but will consider flotilla (I've plenty of exeprience of both in the Med).

We want somewhere warm, not crowded with a good, varied cruising ground. We don't mind where abouts really - hence the post here.

Current candidates include the BVI/USVI but I'm thinking the wind can be a bit light (hurricanes excepted... :) I've already cruised the Windward Isles about 25 years ago (but don't mind going back) but there must be other spots worthy of consideration...

I hold a YM Offshore so should be able to charter pretty much anywhere.

Any ideas or experiences to share would be much appreciated.
 
Depends what you mean by Autumn. In September Croatia is lovely and not crowded but is busy earlier, as is most of the Med. If that rules out the Med, and you want something of a change from the Caribbean, we really enjoyed The Abaco Sea in the Bahamas but also enjoyed The Seychelles if you want something very different from the Med or the Indies but not as far away as Thailand etc

Richard
 
If Western Med a possibility come and see us in Alcudia Mallorca, Menorca 35 Nm away. Sept is probably my favourite month water at warmest any crowds gone and we still get our sea breeze most days which dies away to flat calm for the evening. Variety of places including the Calas on this coast. Website and all yachts below, you would of course be very welcome. Good luck.
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
Stay away from the Abacos or any other Bahamas in the hurricane season ... look it up!
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Is it really that dangerous a time to go? (Not arguing with you at all - I'm very grateful for the input. Just wondering...)

The hurricane season is often, cited as a "whatever you do - don't go there, then..." style reason to avoid somewhere. Sure, the risk of a storm hitting is increased but it still seems to be a fairly rare event. I'm not especially looking to take risks with holidays (or at all really) but the history of storms hitting as described here is not that great.
The HS may well be a good reason to avoid a location, but I'd hate to rule somewhere out on the basis of inflated perception of risk.
 
There are loads of options, but a lot depends on your budget, what sort of sailing you want to do, and how long you are propared to travel for to get there.

If you want "mooch around in the Solent" type of sailing (bar to bar), then it's hard to beat the BVI, and November is a great time of year to go (not too busy). If you want to do some "proper sailing", then try Antigua instead (you can sail to Barbuda, St. Martim, Guadalope, St. Kitts, etc.), and it also has the benefit of direct flights from the UK (so 10 hours travelling, rather than 15-20 to the BVI).

The Med is still nice in September/October if you want somewhere closer.

Further afield you have Thailand, Aus, etc.
 
I adore the Windward Islands although we've tended to go in Janaury when the winds are highest and sometimes too high for comfortable anchoring.

I'm not a fan of Croatia in September as it happens becuase we had dismal bura (cold wet northerly gales) weather on 2 out of the 3 consecutive Septembers that we went for a week, and with bars and restaurants closing by the day. However we were always cheerfully told the weather had been fantastic the week before and was due to brighten up again the day after we flew back, so it can't be all bad. After September everything is shut but I've been in January a couple of times to work on the boat and both times it's been T-shirt weather and worth a sail during the afternoons and nice jumper weather the rest of the time.

Eastern Greece (Thessaloniki and Sporades ) a lot more reliably warmer even from February although 2016 was a bit odd - either way round it's not chartering weather ( I think ) after October, and a week of rain is always possible and dramatic.

Canaries are great fun with high winds and waves between islands but lots of sheltered (even if not very yachty) harbours with La Gomera my favourite.
 
We often chartered in the BVI's in mid November and had no hurricanes, the worst month is September. Bear in mind the USVI's and Puerto Rico require a B1/B2 visa for skipper and crew that arrive on a yacht, Jane and I had them. For the best prices go to www.latesail.com and follow the prices for each charter company book six months ahead when long haul flight prices are the cheapest, short haul is three months.
 
KellysEye said:
We often chartered in the BVI's in mid November and had no hurricanes, the worst month is September. Bear in mind the USVI's and Puerto Rico require a B1/B2 visa for skipper and crew that arrive on a yacht, Jane and I had them. For the best prices go to www.latesail.com and follow the prices for each charter company book six months ahead when long haul flight prices are the cheapest, short haul is three months.
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All good advice, but you won't want to go to the USVI or Puerto Rico. The furthest you'll get is Anegada.
 
We're deliberating over the Windward Isales versus the Virgin Isles. I've been to the WI about 30 years ago and thoroughly loved it.
Both offer a nice mix of short and longer passages. Both seem to have reasonable conditions in Oct/November (don't mind rain showers, not too concerned about Hurricanes). We do like "unspoilt" - but I'm anticipating that both areas have plenty of relatively unspoilt locations. Would anyone consider one better than the other at that time of year (eg is the VI overly busy at the end of November - thanksgiving?)
 
Sea_Spray said:
We're deliberating over the Windward Isales versus the Virgin Isles. I've been to the WI about 30 years ago and thoroughly loved it.
Both offer a nice mix of short and longer passages. Both seem to have reasonable conditions in Oct/November (don't mind rain showers, not too concerned about Hurricanes). We do like "unspoilt" - but I'm anticipating that both areas have plenty of relatively unspoilt locations. Would anyone consider one better than the other at that time of year (eg is the VI overly busy at the end of November - thanksgiving?)
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BVI gets busy mid-December through to April. November is nice and not too windy, and the water is still very warm (but the jellyfish have all gone).

Grenadines is another option, but with both there and BVI, travel time is ling and flights are expensive.

Antigua is easier and cheaper to get to, and you can spend a couple of great weeks there. You can do short hops to places like Nonsuch Bay, English Harbour/Falmouth Harbour, Jolly Harbour, St. John. Barbuda is about 25 miles north, which is a morning sail, and you have St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barts, and Guadaloupe all withing 40-60 miles from Antigua.

So if you want to mix a few passages with some port-hopping, and like the thought of a direct 8-hour flight, then I would recommend Antigua. Horizon have a base there, and I've known Al & Jackie Ashford who run it for many years. If you ping them an email and tell'um "Captain Bob sent you", they'll look after you and give you a good charter rate.

This is my boat anchored off Lowe Bay in Barbuda (amazing spot).
barbuda.jpg
 
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I would consider a one way charter from St Lucia to Grenada. There are direct flights to both islands well some do UK - St Lucia - Grenada and back to the UK.

You are likely to be beam reaching or better on all major passages. Lots of variety in the islands and the anchorages.

It is part of my chosen retirement area. It is good out here.
 
I wonder who told you that

In practice Belize is the same as anywhere else in the Caribbean, at dusk and after, if the wind drops the mosquitoes and the “no see ems” come out to play in a few places


I can remember being murdered by the little b*****rds in Tobago and in Roatan!!
 
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