When to go to the BVI's?

D

Dalliance

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Jul 2005
Messages
246
Location
East Coast
Visit site
When to go to the BVI\'s?

Some friends have suggested we bareboat together in the BVI's next year /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. When's the best time to sail in the BVI's and can anyone recommend a good charter company?
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

Hurricane season (June-October) is the time to avoid for obvious reasons, and because a lot of places are shut.

October through to Thanksgiving is still low season and there are some good deals (cheap weekly rates plus 10 days for 7 offers)

Christmas to Easter is high season, so is more expensive and crowded.

The main charterers are Sunsail and Moorings, with second tier operators such as Horizon and TMM having good reputations.

Traveltalk's BVI forums are very American, but are great for information.

EDIT: This is how Horizon define the seasons.

2006/2007
Rates Season Season Season Season
Weekly rates (full 8 days / 7 nights) listed above daily rates. Charters start and finish at noon. Minimum 5 day requirement

Low July 10-Oct 31 10 days for price of 7

Low/Mid April 17-July 9

Mid Jan 5-Jan 30 Nov 1-Dec 17

High Dec 18-Jan 4 Jan 31-Apr 16
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

You will obviously want to avoid the hurricane season, which can now include all of July through to the first half of November. The Christmas period - Mid December to early January is sometimes known and the mini-hurricane season because winds across the Caribbean can be very strong - the BVI is less affected by this. The rest of January is good but expensive and this is true through to the end of March.

I think the most cost effective time to go is April and May. The weather is good and prices low or at least lower. Towards the middle of May it can get cloudy and rainy as the stable weather begins to break down in preparation for the hurricanes. This seems to be increasingly the case but I have had some very good experiences in both April and early May (plus one very bad one).
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

We were in the BVIs for a day at Easter. (The rest of the time we were further south in the Windward Isles). The BVIs are stunning; excellent weather but very busy. A bit like the Solent in the sun!!! The water is turquoise and clear... The winds were light 10 - 15kn but it is undeniably very pretty... (Not cheap though... Everything, like passing you a mooring line, is '10 EC' - about £2.20).

Good luck...
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

May I humbly suggest that in view of your sailing bio (I presume your friends have similar experience) you might have more fun in a location like the Grenadines, which are a wee bit more challenging than the BVIs?

As has been suggested above, the BVIs are basically a tropical Solent (if such a scenario can be imagined!)

OK, the cost is significantly more in 'winter' than summer (for both BVIs and Grenadines), but if there is a group who get on well with each other, the cost per person is quite reasonable - and IMHO January & February are the best time to escape from high latitudes for some winter sunshine.

Summer is cheaper, certainly, but the weather is relatively hot, muggy and humid. And perhaps more importantly, you have nice weather (or should have!) at home then.
Re the above comments concerning hurricanes - they sort of imply that the Windies get clobbered every other week in summer - just to put it in perspective, you probably have a much greater risk of a storm in England during the summer than the BVIs (or especially the Grenadines).
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

It's a good point about time of year.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that my trip was the last two weeks in October, which usefully missed the worst of the unstable summer weather while just squeezing into the low season.
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

Not a humble suggestion at all - thanks for bothering to check my biog. My thoughts of the BVIs were based on the fact that our sailing companions are complete novices and we will be taking their two children (8 & 10) as well so I wanted a really gentle introduction for them. I'll take a look at the Grenadines as well.
Thanks
M
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

Having done BVI march 06 with Sunsail & Grenada/grenedines march 07 with Horizon yacht charter, I would suggest BVI would be better with your party. Potentially shorter hops and a bit more on the land for the youngsters if they get "bored" with the water opportunities. Grenada however is a direct flight , the connections up to BVI can make it seem a long trip even for a grown up. Sunsail are their usual efficient self, but you pay for it. BVI are more expensive, though the earlier poster had a different experience to me- the currency is US dollar not EC and everything was in multiples of 25. Horizon were good and very cost effective though their boats may appear a little older, of course I didnt see their BVI fleet. Whichever you opt for it will be a great experience and total change from UK sailing
 
Re: When to go to the BVI\'s?

Or if considering the Grenadines, fly to Barbados and then hop on the puddle jumper to St Vincent and pick up a bareboat from eg Sunsail or Barefoot Yachts, both of whom are on Blue Lagoon.

One advantage of doing this is that you do not have the long slog from Grenada up to Carriacou - this can be a right sod in typical NE tradewind, especially with a current heading west.

And if say it is just a 1 week charter, then it would be very easy to spend the week just in the St Vincent Grenadines, without having to bother with all the hassle of clearing out and in with Customs in Union Island and Carriacou.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Hermit
Surveyor - Cowes
Replies
4
Views
282
mrangry
mrangry

Share this page

Top