US Virgin Islands Yacht Charters
Sailing the US Virgin Islands (USVI) archipelago offers you the chance to experience one of the world’s most wonderful cruising grounds, as well as some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.
What’s on this pageHighlights
-
Easy travel from the US
-
Underwater snorkel trails
-
Virgin Islands National Park
Yacht Hire St. Thomas
The US Virgin Islands comprise St. Croix, St. John, Water Island and St. Thomas, where you’ll find our base at Compass Point Marina. The USVI also have many idyllic smaller islets and peaceful cays. While the islanders speak English, the culture is a unique blend of European, American and Caribbean influences.
While the USVI have much to offer as a destination, including expanses of powdery white sand and seven national parks, the islands are also the gateway to the British Virgin Islands. And this is where most of our customers choose to spend their sailing time.
From our base, sail to the nearby island of St. John, which has some of the most beautiful and best-protected beaches in the world. The island is a favorite destination thanks to its lush surroundings, national park and clear waters full of turtles and rays.
If you just want to swim and relax, you’ll be spoilt for choice on your Virgin Islands yacht charter. Popular choices to explore by boat include Honeymoon Beach, Caneel Bay, Oppenheimer Beach and Maho Beach in Francis Bay. With abundant coral, Leinster Bay and Watermelon Cay offer awesome opportunities for snorkeling.
Choose charter type below to see available charters options
Easy crewed
The simplest, hassle-free way to charter a crewed private yacht.
Fully crewed
Your own private yacht for an all-inclusive luxury sailing vacation.
Cabin cruise
Reserve a private ensuite stateroom on a modern catamaran.
SailShare
Low package rates for island-hopping aboard a sailing yacht.
Aqualodge
Get closer to nature on the perfect self-catering Caribbean holiday.
Power Catamaran
Cruise faster and see more on the perfect charter boat.
US Virgin Islands Things to do
Explore the National Park on St. John
Take your pick of some of the finest beaches in the USVI and quiet overnight anchorages while sailing the Virgin Islands.
Discover Magen’s Bay on St. Thomas
Head to this immense mile-long, white sand beach; one of the island’s most popular. Make sure you get there early, it’s one of our favorite things to do in the US Virgin Islands.
Visit a beach club at Lovango Cay
Enjoy music, beach games, great food and watch the awesome sunset. More mooring balls are being added here.
Snorkel Waterlemon Cay
Enjoy the warm waters or, if you feel energetic, hike to the Annaberg ruins, a sugar plantation, during your St. Thomas sailing holiday.
Experience pizza with a difference
On Great St. James, at Christmas Cove, which is only accessible by boat, you will find floating restaurant Pizza Pi. Don’t miss it while on your Virgin Islands yacht charter and keep an eye out for turtles and spotted eagle rays.
Discover the Spanish Virgin Islands
Sail to Culebra or Vieques and enjoy those unique and tropical islands. Long, uncrowded beaches, gentle sea breezes, near-empty anchorages, rare flora and fauna, and world-class snorkelling: everything you’ve been hoping for.
Weather insights
When is the best time to go to the US Virgin Islands?
The best time to visit the US Virgin Islands is between December and May, when trade winds are the most steady and temperatures are comfortable, although the USVI have pleasant weather for most of the year.
Temperatures in the USVI are around 75°F to 82°F all year round. August, September and October are the warmest months, with hardly any wind, which makes it feel even hotter. The low season is summer time, when it is less crowded. The hurricane season is between June and October.
What are the sailing conditions in the US Virgin Islands?
The Virgin Islands sailing conditions include easy passages that suit all experience levels, particularly novice sailors. You’ll find gentle and near constant winds most of the year, calm seas at 3 to 4 feet and easy line of sight navigation.
The Virgin Islands wind systems include the trade winds season between November and June and the famous Christmas winds in December and January, which can keep you going for several days.
In the BVI, winds are mainly from east or northeast, depending on the time of year. The sailing area is less crowded when the winds are lighter. Groundswells can occur between December and March after particularly strong winds, so be careful.
Sailing US Virgin Islands with Dream Yacht Charter
USVI charters
Sail the US Virgin Islands and enjoy one of the world’s most special sailing destinations. Choose our bareboat yacht charters with cutting-edge catamarans and monohulls.
US Virgin Islands skippered charters
Can’t sail? Hire a skipper and make the most of your holiday by sailing the islands of the USVI. Your skipper will sail you and your guests while you relax.
USVI sailing itinerary
Take a look at our US Virgin Islands sailing holiday suggestions
USVI 7 Days
Other Itineraries
7-day itinerary US Virgin Islands
7-day itinerary Spanish Virgin Islands
Useful information for Virgin Islands yacht charters
How do I get to the US Virgin Islands from the US?
To get to the US Virgin Islands for your St. Thomas boat charter, fly into Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas. There are direct flights from many US cities, but some are only on weekends. Most flights connect through Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Atlanta.
You can also connect through Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) at San Juan in Puerto Rico, which is the nearest international airport. Several airlines operate flights from SJU to STT, including Seaborne and Cape Air.
What language is spoken in the US Virgin Islands?
The language spoken in the US Virgin Islands is English.
What is the currency for the US Virgin Islands?
The currency in the US Virgin Islands is the US Dollar (USD).
What documents do I need to sail the US Virgin Islands?
UK citizens will need a passport to enter the US Virgin Islands which must be valid for another six months from date of entry). Visas may be required for citizens from other countries, so check with the tourist board.
Talk to us to make sure you have the correct documents before you travel.
How do I get around the US Virgin Islands?
You can get around the US Virgin Islands easily with advance planning. The cab fare is $15 per person from the airport to Compass Point Marina and some cab companies charge a fee for your luggage.
We recommended arranging your transfer a few days before arrival. This means you won’t have to share an open-air cab or large van with other travelers.
We recommend the following taxi companies:
- Rachel Brown Taxi & Tours: (340)-771-2986
- A&P Taxi Service: (340)-642-4966
- Big Love’s Taxi: (340) 201-7299
- Mr. Nice Guy Taxi: (786) 296-8767
- Prestige Taxi: (340) 643-7002
If you want to provision your boat, you may want to consider renting a car instead of hiring a taxi – remember we drive on the left. You can leave the car at the marina and the car rental company will pick it up. We recommend Paradise Rental Car™ (340-643-2692) or Discount Car Rental (340-776-4858).
What is the Wi-Fi like in the US Virgin Islands?
There’s no Wi-Fi access at Compass Point Marina and, while some yachts have Wi-Fi onboard, it will not work until within range of a cell tower. Add an international package to your cell phone account with your provider so you can hotspot. There are Wi-Fi hotspots and internet access in some cafes, but you may need to pay.
What regulations are there in the US Virgin Islands?
The USVI banned the import, sale and distribution of all sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, as they cause harmful bleaching to coral reefs. Anyone found using a non-approved sunscreen will be fined $1,000.
One of the most popular sunscreen brands here in St .Thomas is Bare Republic, which you can buy at our office. Other reef-safe brands include All Good, Babo, Badger, Raw Elements, Manda, Kokua Sun Care, Mama Kuleana, Raw Love, Think Sport, Sea & Summit and Stream2Sea.
Please note, spray sunscreens are strictly forbidden onboard due to discoloration to the boat over time. Avoid Coppertone products or those with self-tanners or bronzers as they will damage the boat.
In the USVI, night sailing is not allowed. We ask you to be settled at a mooring by 5pm. If you are sailing the St. John National Park, please visit the park’s website for information and regulations on mooring, anchoring and fishing. For overnight anchoring or mooring between the hours of 5pm and 7am, there is a self-registration fee. Overnight fees must be paid prior to spending the night at one of the many payment station rafts.
Please note that due to regulations enforced by the BVI authorities it is not allowed to take your charter boat from the US Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands (and vice versa).
Where can I find weather forecasts in the US Virgin Islands?
You can find US Virgin Islands weather forecasts on the Windguru website ahead of your sailing holiday.
What provisioning is there in the US Virgin Islands?
There is plenty of choice for reliable and affordable provisioning on St. Thomas, but you must be onboard to accept delivery. Please do not arrange delivery before your arrival at Compass Point Marina. For more information, please see the Base Guide in the Downloads section.
What baggage can I take on my sailing holiday?
Please only take soft bags and not suitcases as they are too cumbersome on board.
What is the electrical current in the US Virgin Islands?
The electrical current in the US Virgin Islands is 110V.
What is the dialing code for the US Virgin Islands?
The dialing code for the US Virgin Islands is +1 340.
FAQ
See all our FAQsWhat is the cancellation policy for Sail Share?
We highly recommend you arrange travel insurance in case you need to cancel for an unexpected reason to cover non-refundable deposits.
Our Sail Share cabin cancellation fees are:
- More than 90 days before original embarkation date: 25% of the charter fee
- 89 – 60 days before original embarkation date: 50% of the charter fee
- 59 – 30 days before original embarkation date: 75% of the charter fee
- Fewer than 29 days before original embarkation date: 100% of the charter fee
How flexible is the itinerary for a Sail Share charter?
Our yacht itineraries are designed by our destination experts and are set to showcase the best of the destination’s highlights. They are set and not flexible, even if you book all the cabins.
What happens if the weather changes while sailing on a Sail Share charter?
The skipper may decide to change the itinerary if there is bad weather.
Can I choose which cabin I want when I book a Sail Share?
Choose a double cabin with shared bath, or private bath for an additional fee.
Are there child or age restrictions for Sail Share?
Minimum Age: 16 years old
Get inspired! #MyDreamYacht
Follow our customer’s journeys & share your own amazing experiences on Instagram
Absolutely amazing! Fred + Isabelle were so accommodating and did so much for us. Isabelle’s food was incredible. Thanks so much!
Laura
Exumas CabinExcellent. Very professional and great service!
Thomas
Antigua BareboatJust what we needed coming out of a year of lockdown, to see new places and connect with nature. Highly recommended for your next sailing adventure!
Johan
St. Martin BareboatExcellent cruise and very good stay. Skipper attentive, very pleasant and very professional.
Maxime
Guadeloupe SkipperedJust returned from another fantastic sailing week at your base in Pula and I would like to thank everyone involved for making this possible on such short notice and without any problems.
Mathias
Croatia BareboatThe marina itself is a perfect starting point with great facilities! The Lagoon 42 was in good condition and the skipper was amazing and very knowledgeable of the area.”
Jonathan
Spain SkipperedWhat an AMAZING experience. We’ve just returned from a week long skippered charter from Corfu, sailing around the beautiful islands of the Ionian. Paxos, Antipaxos and Corfu Old Town were beautiful and the secluded bays we had the pleasure of visiting thanks to our local skipper, Nicholas, were simply overwhelming. Fly and flops are no longer for us – we’ll be chartering with DYC for the foreseeable future.
David
Greece SkipperedOur group of 10 had an AMAZING time in French Polynesia from May 21-28, 2022! The food was amazing, our captain and chef, husband and wife: Henry and Mehee (sp), were incredible and the whole experience on board was a dream! We can’t wait to book another trip through DYC
Katie
Tahiti Crewed PremiumDYC provided a great sailing experience for my extended family on 2 monos out of Scrub Island. The boats were in great shape and preformed perfectly and the staff were friendly and helpful. Having worked for a number of charter companies over the years DYC is one of the best.
Charlie
British Virgin Islands BareboatBaja is my favorite place now. There was something for everyone: sailed under northerlies with mostly calm evenings, snorkeled, fished, bummed it on the sandy beaches, enchanted by pelicans feeding, greeted by the barking sea lions and explored the Ispiritu Santo island geology. DYC La Paz base provided competent professional support with a well provisioned and maintained boat. We were nourished well by an onboard cook arranged with DYC freeing us all for more play. A vacation and an adventure connected with nature.
Taiyoko
Mexico Crewed PremiumAll staff were fantastic and made our trip very memorable. Incredibly friendly and welcoming, the food was amazing. The service throughout the trip was always first class!
Tommy
Thailand CabinAbsolutely recommended. Perfect service and set up. Will charter again and will recommend Dream Yacht Charter anytime.
Zahradnik
Turkey BareboatI just returned from 3 weeks of amazing sailing with my family on one of your catamarans in Sardinia. I would like to express my thanks to our skipper Simone and Daniela, our hostess.
Giles
Sardinia BareboatFor a first cruise as a skipper, the Mediterranean is great. The Dream Yacht Charter service is too!
Thomas
France BareboatWe had an incredible trip and actually got engaged on the first night of our sail! We will certainly be back one day. Thank you for getting us ready for our charter. We were definitely beginners but he gave us a very thorough but very easy to follow training and it gave us a lot of confidence.
George
AustraliaThe on board experience was way beyond our expectations. Isabelle provided exceptional three course meals. We could not believe her creativity and delicious meals. Thomas was an excellent skipper. He was always on the lookout for our needs. Thanks guys!” Spira, New Caledonia bareboat with crew charter
Spira
New Caledonia BareboatYet again another fantastic sail with another great crew. Thanks again to a great captain and cook. Was totally fantastic.
Connie
Seychelles Easy CrewedIt’s always a pleasure sailing with DYC in the UK. Great team, great boats, great sailing. Very flexible and work hard to make your trip a success. Many thanks.
Derek
Brittany CabinUnforgettable spots to snorkel and beaches. Very experienced crew. Highly recommend.
Simone
No Country Selected Bareboat Cabin
What’s new?
Stay up to date with news and events or get some inspiration for your next yacht charter and pick up useful tips by reading our latest blogs.
Go to Blog