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Catamaran or Motor Yacht in St Barts? The Swell Question

Type

Yacht

Catamaran or Motor Yacht in St Barts? The Swell Question

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

Catamaran or Motor Yacht in St Barts? The Swell Question yacht is a yacht.

Most St Barts charters we book are motor yachts, and the honest reason is comfort, not glamour: the island’s high season runs December through March, which is exactly when the Caribbean’s winter ground swell arrives, and a large motor yacht with zero-speed stabilizers is the boat that simply ignores it. A catamaran still works here, and for some groups it is the better week, especially on the St Maarten, Anguilla, and St Barts triangle with a captain planning anchorages around the forecast. Everything below is about private crewed charters of a week or more, not the half-day boats that crowd this search.

Most of the St Barts crewed fleet is motor yachts, many of them 40 to 70 meter boats that summer in the Mediterranean and cross for the winter.
The reason is ground swell: long north swell arrives in episodes from December through March, the heart of the season, and rolls the exposed anchorages.
Zero-speed stabilizers cancel roll at anchor. That, not cabin finish, is the real comfort gap between the 2 platforms here.
A catamaran still earns its place: crewed cats start around $60,000 to $80,000 a week here versus $80,000 to $100,000 and up for motor yachts, and the triangle route plays to a cat’s strengths.

Why the St Barts Scene Skews Motor

The fleet tells the story before any broker does. The yachts you see off Gustavia in winter are largely the same boats that spend summer between St Tropez and Sardinia: they cross the Atlantic when the Mediterranean season ends, so the caliber on this island is South-of-France-grade, and it is overwhelmingly motor. Our own bookings follow the same line: on the St Maarten, Anguilla, and St Barts run, our brokers close more motor yacht charters than catamarans, and the internal brief for this island has always been big motor yachts, because of the swell and because of what the week is for. St Barts evenings are hosted evenings: guests come back aboard dressed for dinner, and a motor yacht’s deck spaces are built for exactly that. Browse the current St Barts motor yacht fleet to see what winters here.

Nadja Asmus Senior Charter Broker, Associate CYBA Member

The Swell Question, Answered Honestly

Ground swell is long-period swell generated by storms in the North Atlantic, sometimes thousands of miles away. It needs no local wind: a flat, sunny, windless day in St Barts can still carry a long northerly swell rolling in from a gale off Canada 3 days earlier. The season runs from roughly December through March, with edges either side, which is precisely the charter high season.

Two honest details keep this in proportion. First, swell comes in episodes, not as a permanent state: a typical event runs 2 to 3 days, occasionally up to a week, and plenty of winter days are glassy calm. Second, it is directional: north- and west-facing anchorages take it while the opposite coast stays quiet. Colombier, the island’s signature anchorage, is beautifully sheltered from the trade winds but open to exactly this northerly swell in winter, which is the local example of the whole phenomenon.

What matters for your week is what gets done about it, and this is a solved problem: swell shows up on forecasts days in advance, so captains here plan anchorages around it as routinely as they plan lunch. When a north swell is running, the fleet shifts to the protected sides and the itinerary flexes a few miles; when it is not, everything is open. On a stabilized motor yacht, most guests never learn a swell episode happened at all.

What Stabilizers Actually Change

Zero-speed stabilizers (fins or gyros that work at anchor, not just underway) are the single biggest comfort difference between the 2 platforms in this specific place. They actively cancel roll while the yacht sits at anchor; Seakeeper, the best-known gyro maker, claims up to 95% of roll eliminated at anchor, and while that is a manufacturer’s figure, the practical effect is real: dinner on the aft deck goes ahead during a swell episode instead of the boat relocating or the plates sliding. Crews upgrade specifically for this season.

Crew insight

It can get a bit of a chill in the Caribbean winter, and we have just had our stabilizers upgraded to the new zero-speed Quantum XT system to make that more comfortable for the guests at anchor.

Crew of the 238ft Lurssen CORAL OCEAN

A catamaran plays by different physics. It does not roll the way a monohull does, and in normal trade-wind chop it is famously steady; that reputation is earned. In a running ground swell, though, a cat pitches: the swell lifts the bows and sterns in turn, a motion sailors call hobby-horsing. It is gentler than rolling, but it is not the stabilized stillness of a big motor yacht, and there is no gadget that switches it off. The cat’s answer is positioning: be in the right anchorage, which in this triangle is almost always a short hop away.

When a Catamaran Still Works in St Barts

The honest pro-cat case is strong for the right group. The water between the 3 islands is day-hop water: St Maarten to Gustavia is about 13 to 17 nautical miles, Anguilla similar, and no leg in the triangle needs more than about 21. Our 8-day St Martin, Anguilla and St Barts itinerary plans the whole route at a 10-knot average precisely so any platform can run it, well inside our 2 to 3 hours of cruising a day rule.

A cat also does things the motor fleet does not. The shallow draft opens the sandbanks and beach anchorages of Anguilla properly, the trampoline and swim platforms make it the easiest boat afloat for kids and swimmers, and the cockpit-saloon layout keeps a family in one shared space all day. And the money is real: crewed catamarans here start around $60,000 to $80,000 for the week against $80,000 to $100,000 and up on the motor side, which is the difference between reaching this island and not. See the current St Barts catamaran options, and the full tier breakdown in our St Barts cost guide.

We book these weeks ourselves: we have routed catamaran groups on the St Maarten, St Barts, and Anguilla loop over New Year’s, and the formula is always the same: a captain who treats the swell forecast as gospel, and a group that prizes space and water access over absolute stillness at anchor.

How We Route Each Boat Type

The 2 platforms get 2 different weeks, on purpose. A motor yacht week anchors on St Barts itself: Gustavia evenings, Colombier and the nearby bays for the days, short repositioning hops, and the boat as the fixed luxury address for the event-scene half of the trip. A catamaran week runs the triangle: start in St Maarten, the quiet sands of Anguilla early, and St Barts as the crescendo at the end, with anchorage choices made day by day around the forecast. Same islands, same distances, different center of gravity.

If the Budget Says Catamaran First

One more honest route. If the brief is really a catamaran brief (space, kids, water toys, value) and the budget sits under the St Barts floor, the better answer is usually not a compromise boat here but a great boat somewhere built for cats: the BVI, where the cruising ground is sheltered, the cat fleet is the deepest in the Caribbean, and the same money buys the top of the market. We broker there too, so we will say so when it is true. When St Barts is the dream, we make St Barts work; when the boat is the dream, we put it in the water that suits it.

Cat week or motor yacht week? Tell us your group, your dates, and honestly, how much you care about motion at anchor. We will tell you straight which platform fits, then shortlist St Barts yachts that prove it, with the swell question already answered.

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Christmas Week vs New Year’s Week in St Barts: Which to Charter?

Type

Yacht

Christmas Week vs New Year’s Week in St Barts: Which to Charter?

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

Christmas Week vs New Year’s Week in St Barts: Which to Charter? yacht is a yacht.

Book New Year’s week in St Barts when the scene is the point: the harbor packed with superyachts, the parties, the fireworks over Gustavia, and you can commit early and pay the peak for it. Book Christmas week when the trip is really about your family on a yacht: availability is far friendlier, premiums are softer and often negotiable, and the island is dressed up without yet running at full volume. We book both weeks every season, and they are different enough that we treat them as 2 different products.

Christmas is the family week; New Year’s is the event week. Same island, different trips.
Availability: New Year’s fills first and completely. Christmas fleets often still have real choice months later.
Price: the same yacht usually costs more for New Year’s week, and Christmas premiums are far more negotiable.
Deciding late? Christmas forgives it. New Year’s does not: serious briefs are placed up to a year out, and our St Barts New Year’s page covers that playbook.

Nocturno family yacht charter - dinner served

Two Weeks, Two Different Trips

The pattern behind everything else in this article is simple, and a central agency put it to us plainly: most people spend Christmas with the grandparents around a tree, then want to be somewhere spectacular for New Year’s. So the demand piles onto one week, and the other week quietly becomes the best-kept opening in the festive Caribbean.

Christmas week on the water looks like the charter you originally imagined: quiet mornings at anchor, swim stops, long lunches, the harbor filling day by day, dinners aboard that actually feel like Christmas because the crew makes them feel that way. Ashore, the island is decorated, the shops and restaurants are in full holiday dress, and you can still get the tables you want.

New Year’s week is an event you attend by yacht. The Caribbean’s superyacht season compresses into one harbor for a few days, tenders run constantly, the beach clubs and restaurants book out alongside the boats, and the night itself ends with fireworks over Gustavia. Our brokers who have spent New Year’s there describe it the same way our clients do: it is the place to be, and it feels like it.

Availability: What Books Out First

The availability curve is the real decision clock, and it is steeper than most clients expect. In our brokers’ experience, the large Caribbean superyachts are largely spoken for at New Year’s the season before: by late summer, the overwhelming majority of the boats you would actually want are already holding bookings for that week. By mid-November, realistic New Year’s options in a normal budget bracket are simply gone, and inquiries turn into cancellation-watching.

Christmas behaves differently. Central agencies tell us it is common for their fleets to be only half booked for Christmas while New Year’s is completely full, which means a Christmas client in October can still choose between genuinely good yachts rather than take what is left.

One more reality worth knowing: the fleet does not flex to meet late demand. A well-booked yacht will not reposition to St Barts for a single festive week, so what is on the island in December is what was planned months earlier. If New Year’s is the brief, the fix is not luck, it is time: tell us the week early and we place it while there is still a shortlist, and if you are late we watch cancellations, which do happen every season.

The Price Difference, Framed Honestly

St Barts festive charters start from the island’s normal winter band of $80,000 to $150,000 and go up from there; the festive weeks then carry a premium on top. Industry-wide, festive surcharges run roughly 15 to 25% above already-elevated winter rates, and on the same yacht New Year’s week prices above Christmas week. One third-party market example makes the shape clear: a 76ft catamaran listed at $79,990 for Christmas week and $95,000 for New Year’s week, the same boat, 7 days apart.

The part that matters more than the sticker: negotiability. We see owners and central agencies waive or trim Christmas premiums to fill the week. New Year’s premiums, almost never. Some owners also bundle the 2 weeks or set longer minimums for festive bookings, which is worth knowing before you anchor your plans on exactly 7 nights. The full budget picture for the island is in our St Barts cost guide.

Chris de Kock Charter Broker, Sales Broker, Active CYBA Member

What the Island Feels Like Each Week

Christmas week: the anchorages are calmer in every sense. The Christmas Winds (the fresh 20 to 25 knot trades of late December) are a sailing rhythm, not a problem; the captain simply picks the sheltered side of the island and the days stay easy. Reservations ashore are still bookable on normal notice, the harbor is filling but not full, and evenings can go either way: dinner aboard in decorations, or a table in Gustavia while it is still relaxed. For when the island’s whole season peaks and quiets, see our best time for a St Barts charter guide.

New Year’s week: Gustavia’s berths are first come, first served (there is no advance booking, which is why captains position early; the New Year’s page covers berth-versus-anchorage strategy). Tables and beach clubs book out with the yachts, tenders crisscross the harbor from late afternoon, and the fireworks are watched from the water by one of the most impressive gatherings of yachts anywhere. Days, meanwhile, stay surprisingly normal: swim stops, short hops, lunch on deck. If you want the full triangle around the event, our 8-day St Martin, Anguilla and St Barts itinerary shows how the quiet days fit.

Can You Do Both?

The honest luxury answer: a 10 to 14 day charter spanning both weeks dissolves the choice entirely, and it often fits how owners already sell the season, since some price the festive fortnight as one booking. You get the family Christmas at anchor, the build-up as the harbor fills, and the event itself, with the transition between the two as part of the show.

If it has to be one week: family-first, book Christmas and enjoy the choice of yachts. Scene-first, book New Year’s and start early enough to have a real shortlist.

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St Barts or the BVI: Which Caribbean Charter Fits You

Type

Yacht

St Barts or the BVI: Which Caribbean Charter Fits You

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

St Barts or the BVI: Which Caribbean Charter Fits You yacht is a yacht.

Pick the BVI when relaxed catamaran cruising, sheltered water, and value are driving the trip: most of our BVI clients book between $30,000 and $60,000 for the week, and no cruising ground in the Caribbean is easier to live on. Pick St Barts when the week is built around a serious motor yacht and a serious shore scene: our St Barts charters start around $80,000 to $100,000 and most land between $80,000 and $150,000, with New Year’s week in a pricing universe of its own. We broker crewed charters in both places (mybvicharter.com is our site too), so this is how we actually route clients, not a pitch for either island.

A typical BVI booking with us runs $30,000 to $60,000; a typical St Barts booking runs $80,000 to $150,000.
The BVI is the Caribbean’s easiest cruising ground: short, sheltered hops and a fleet built around catamarans. St Barts is open Leeward Islands water, big migratory motor yachts, and the most polished harbor town in the Caribbean.
Neither destination charges VAT on the charter fee. Both quote plus APA (25 to 30% for fuel, food, drinks, and dockage), and each has its own small local fees.
You can combine them in one charter of 10 days or more; our brokers route it through Spanish Town to clear customs.

Everything here is about private crewed charters: the whole yacht, your group only, a professional crew. Day boats and bareboat sailing are different products, and neither is what we arrange.

The Short Answer, by Trip Type

Families and first-time crewed charterers: the BVI. The islands wrap around the Sir Francis Drake Channel, so most days are 1 to 2 hour hops on protected water, and the catamarans this market is built on give kids and grandparents space to spread out.
Groups who want the scene: St Barts. Gustavia in winter is the Caribbean’s answer to the Riviera: French restaurants, beach clubs, shopping, and a harbor full of yachts worth looking at. If dressing for dinner is part of the dream, this is the island.
Budgets of $30,000 to $60,000: the BVI, honestly. That money books a genuinely good crewed catamaran week there. In St Barts it does not clear the floor, and we would rather tell you that now than show you a compromise boat in the most expensive corner of the Caribbean.
Motor yacht clients from $80,000 up: St Barts. The winter fleet here crosses from the Mediterranean and it shows: this is where the Caribbean’s South-of-France-caliber boats spend the season.
New Year’s: St Barts, booked early. The festive week is the island’s signature event. Our St Barts New Year’s page covers how we plan it; the short version is that serious briefs are placed up to a year out.

What a Week Actually Costs in Each

In the BVI, crewed catamarans start around $30,000 for the week and quality motor yachts from about $40,000 to $50,000; most of our BVI clients book between $30,000 and $60,000, and the band we steer stronger groups toward is $60,000 to $100,000, where the crew and finish step up noticeably. The full breakdown is in our BVI cost guide.

In St Barts, the realistic entry point is $60,000 to $80,000 for a crewed catamaran and $80,000 to $100,000 for a motor yacht, with most bookings between $80,000 and $150,000 and the top of the market far above that. The gap is not a markup for the postcode. It is the product: the St Barts winter fleet is largely 40 to 70 meter motor yachts that summer in the Med and cross the Atlantic for the season, so you are comparing different boats, not different price tags on the same boat. Our St Barts cost guide breaks the tiers down properly.

Both markets quote plus APA: budget 25 to 30% on top of the charter fee for fuel, food, drinks, and dockage, with receipts.

The Tax Line Nobody Explains

Here is the pleasant surprise: neither island charges VAT on your charter fee. The small print differs, and it is worth 60 seconds.

The BVI has no VAT at all. What it does have is per-person government fees: a cruising tax of a few dollars per person per day on BVI-based yachts (currently around $4 to $6, and $16 per person per day on yachts based outside the territory), plus a modest national parks permit for the mooring fields. On most quotes these fees are small line items; our BVI cruising tax guide has the current numbers.

St Barts is French, which makes people assume EU-style VAT. It does not apply: the island sits outside the EU VAT area, and we have had this confirmed directly with a fiscal agent on the island, including for EU-flagged yachts. The 5% tourist tax you may have read about is an accommodation tax for villas and hotels, not for your charter. What you will see instead are small port and clearance fees, itemized on the quote.

Different Boats, Different Water

The BVI is a catamaran cruising ground, and that is a physical fact before it is a market fact. The islands form a ring around protected water, legs run 1 to 2 hours, and anchorages are everywhere, which is exactly what a sailing or power cat is built to enjoy. The fleet followed the geography: the BVI market is built around catamarans, from family boats at the entry tiers to large crewed cats that rival small motor yachts for space.

St Barts is open Leeward Islands water. The legs are still day-hops (St Maarten to Gustavia is about 13 to 17 nautical miles, Anguilla similar), but the water is exposed, and in winter the north swell arrives in episodes that can make unprotected anchorages rolly. That is the honest reason the fleet here skews toward large, stabilized motor yachts: a boat with zero-speed stabilizers sits still at anchor while a swell episode runs. It is also why our own bookings on this island skew motor. We wrote up the whole catamaran-or-motor-yacht question for St Barts separately, swell and all.

Either way, we plan the same daily rhythm: 2 to 3 hours of cruising a day at most, because you came for the islands, not the transit.

Land Life: Barefoot vs Polished

The BVI’s luxury is what is not there. No big resorts, no casinos, and jet skis are banned outright (charter yachts cannot even launch one they carry). You get beach bars, empty sand, world-class snorkeling, and quiet anchorages under real stars. Our clients who love the BVI love exactly this.

St Barts runs the other way. The island is small, French, and polished: serious restaurants, beach clubs that feel more European than Caribbean, and shopping worth going ashore for. The yacht is your front-row seat to it. Days still look like a charter (swim stops, short hops, lunch on deck), but the evenings are the point, and Gustavia at dusk is the best harbor walk in the Caribbean.

Neither version is better. One of the fastest ways we route clients is one question: when you picture the best evening of the trip, are you barefoot on a beach or dressed for dinner?

Both in One Trip: The 10-Day Answer

This comes up constantly, and it genuinely works: the 2 destinations are about 100 nautical miles apart, and our brokers run the combination as a standard route. Start in St Maarten (easy flights, easy provisioning), spend nights 2 and 3 in St Barts, then cross to Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda to clear into the BVI, and you are at The Baths the same day. From there the North Sound, the Drake Channel islands, and an easy finish in the BVI or St Thomas. Yachts based in St Maarten are generally happy to drop off in the Virgin Islands, and the boats that run this route start around $80,000.

2 honest rules. First, give it 10 days or more: the crossing plus customs takes real time out of the schedule, and on 7 days you would feel it. Second, build the St Barts nights around the front of the trip; the BVI half then gets more relaxed, not less. For the St Barts side of the route, our 8-day St Martin, Anguilla and St Barts itinerary is the building block we start from.

When the BVI Is the Right Call, Honestly

We run both brokerage sites, so we have no reason to talk anyone up the price ladder. The BVI is the right answer when the group is young families, first-time charterers, snorkelers, and cat people; when the budget is $30,000 to $60,000; and when the dream is nature, not nightlife. St Barts is the right answer when the boat itself and the life ashore are the trip, the budget starts at $80,000, or the date is New Year’s.

The one-sentence version: the BVI is the easy-water, catamaran, and value answer; St Barts is the motor-yacht, scene, and festive-week answer; and the 10-day combination means you may not have to choose at all.

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Best Time for a St Barts Yacht Charter, Month by Month

Type

Yacht

Best Time for a St Barts Yacht Charter, Month by Month

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

Best Time for a St Barts Yacht Charter, Month by Month yacht is a yacht.

The best time for a St Barts yacht charter is December through April. That is when the weather is at its most settled, and just as important, when the world-class charter fleet is actually in the Caribbean. Within that window the choice comes down to what you want from the week.

New Year’s is its own event, with its own pricing and its own booking calendar
January through April is the sweet spot for settled weather and the widest yacht choice
Late April into May is the value window, before the fleet leaves for the Mediterranean
June through November is the honest no: the fleet is in the Mediterranean, and we will happily send you there with it

Why the Calendar Matters Here: The Fleet Moves

Most best-time guides for St Barts talk about weather and stop there. For a charter, the bigger fact is that the yachts themselves run a 2-ocean year. The 40 to 70 meter boats you charter here spend the summer in the Mediterranean, cross the Atlantic in late autumn, work the Caribbean season, and cross back in late spring.

So when we say December through April, we are not repeating a weather almanac. We are telling you when the boats worth chartering are physically anchored off Gustavia. Pick a month outside that window and the question is no longer “is the weather good,” it is “is there anything to charter at all.”

December: The Season Opens, Then Detonates

Early December is one of our favorite quiet moments. The fleet is arriving from the crossing, the island is warm and dry, and rates have not yet gone festive. If you want St Barts polished but not yet performing, the first 2 weeks of December are a genuinely smart booking.

Then the festive weeks arrive, and the island flips into its most extreme version. New Year’s in St Barts is the Caribbean’s defining yacht event: the biggest charter yachts in the hemisphere in one small harbor for one week.

We keep this section short on purpose, because New Year’s deserves its own guide and has one: our St Barts New Year’s charter guide covers the timing, the Gustavia berth decision, and the yachts we rate for the week. The one thing to know here: most of the serious yachts are spoken for many months out, so if that week is the dream, start 9 to 12 months ahead. And if you are weighing the holidays but not sure which week, Christmas and New Year’s are genuinely different products; we compare them in our guide to Christmas week vs New Year’s week in St Barts.

Superyachts at anchor off Gustavia for St Barts New Year's celebrations

January to April: The Prime Months

January is the exhale. The New Year’s fleet is still in the Caribbean but the festive premium is gone, which makes January one of the best choice-to-price ratios of the season. The trade winds often blow freshest around the holidays into January, which the motor yacht fleet shrugs off, and it keeps the anchorages comfortable.

February and March are the most settled months of the year: the driest skies, the calmest seas, water around 26 to 27 C, and the full fleet in place. If your only goal is the best possible week on the water, this is where we point you. One date to plan around: the Bucket Regatta in mid-March, when Gustavia fills with racing superyachts for a few days. From the deck of a charter yacht it is one of the great spectacles in yachting; if you want a berth in the harbor that week rather than a front-row anchorage, tell us early because space gets tight.

April is still prime season winding down gracefully. The weather holds, the crowds thin after Easter, and the fleet begins eyeing the Atlantic.

Late April and May: The Value Window

Here is the play most clients never hear about: the last weeks before the fleet crosses to the Mediterranean. Same island, same boats, noticeably softer rates, because a yacht would usually rather take a fair charter than sail for Palma empty. The weather in May is warm and mostly dry; you trade the February guarantee for real savings. For clients who want St Barts without festive-season pricing, this is our first suggestion, and our St Barts charter cost guide shows what the season does to the numbers.

June to November: The Honest Answer

We will not sell you a summer St Barts charter by omission. Two things are true at once. First, this is hurricane season, which officially runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks August through October; direct hits are rare, but it is the risk window and insurance, crews, and owners all treat it that way. Second, and more decisive for a charter: the fleet is simply not here. The boats are in the Mediterranean, which is exactly where we would rather send you in July, often on the very same yachts you would have chartered in St Barts in February.

So the summer answer is not “be brave,” it is “be flexible on one axis.” Hold the summer dates and we will move the destination to where the fleet is. Hold the destination and we will move you into December through April. Both weeks end up excellent; only the combination of St Barts and August does not.

November is the in-between: boats begin arriving back across the Atlantic and the island is at its quietest. There is early-bird value here for flexible clients, but do not expect a full fleet for Thanksgiving. Repositioning a well-booked yacht for a single week is not something that happens, so choice stays thin until December.

How We Would Pick Your Week

You want the scene: New Year’s, booked 9 to 12 months out, on the New Year’s guide’s terms.
You want the best water and the widest choice: February or March, booked a few months ahead.
You want the value: early December, or late April into May.

If you are still deciding, tell us the month you are considering and we will tell you honestly what the fleet and the harbor look like that week; that is the conversation that saves people from a beautiful island with the wrong boats. For a feel of what a prime-season week actually holds, see our 8-day St Martin, Anguilla and St Barts itinerary, or browse the St Barts fleet.

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How to Get to St Barts (and Why Charter Guests Skip the Ferry)

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Yacht

How to Get to St Barts (and Why Charter Guests Skip the Ferry)

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

How to Get to St Barts (and Why Charter Guests Skip the Ferry) yacht is a yacht.

There is no direct long-haul flight to St Barts. Nearly everyone arrives through St Maarten (SXM), then covers the last 15 or so miles by small plane, by ferry, or by boat. Our charter clients use the third option without thinking about it: the yacht boards them at Simpson Bay in St Maarten and delivers them to Gustavia, which turns the hardest part of a St Barts trip into the first afternoon of the holiday.

The 3 ways in:

Small plane: a 10 to 15 minute hop from SXM to St Barts (SBH) on Winair or St Barth Commuter
Ferry: 45 to 90 minutes across from Philipsburg or Marigot, honest but often rough
Your charter yacht: board at Simpson Bay, step off in Gustavia, no baggage limits and no connections

Plain flying low over Maho Bay, SINT Martin

Step 1 Is Always St Maarten

St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International (SXM) is the big-jet hub for this corner of the Caribbean, with nonstop flights from the US mainland and good European connections. It is the reason we structure St Barts charters around it: your long flight lands somewhere built for long flights, and the tricky last leg becomes someone else’s job.

Coming from New York or the East Coast, the math is simple: a morning nonstop into SXM has you in the islands by early afternoon, with time to make the last leg the same day. Coming from the West Coast or Europe, look hard at arrival time before you book, for a reason we will get to in a moment.

Option 1: The Small Plane to SBH

The flight from SXM to St Barts’ Gustaf III Airport (SBH) takes about 10 to 15 minutes on Winair or St Barth Commuter, and Tradewind Aviation runs a premium connection via San Juan. The landing is famous: the runway is only about 650 meters long, one of the shortest in commercial use anywhere, so only small turboprops fly here and the pilots carry a special certification for the approach over the hill.

It is a genuinely fun way to arrive. It also comes with 2 catches worth knowing before you build a tight itinerary around it:

Daylight only. The runway has no lights, and the airport closes 15 minutes after sunset. A delayed afternoon arrival into SXM can mean an unplanned night in St Maarten.
Small planes, strict baggage rules. The aircraft are 9 to 19 seaters with small holds. Limits are enforced, and overweight or oversized bags often follow on a later flight, which is not how anyone wants to start a week that involves evening reservations.

Neither catch is a reason to avoid the flight. Both are reasons to plan it with someone who does this weekly.

Option 2: The Ferry, Honestly

Ferries run daily from St Maarten: Great Bay Express from Philipsburg does the crossing nonstop in about 45 minutes, and Voyager sails from Marigot in about an hour or more depending on the boat. It is the budget-sensible option, and on a calm day it is a pleasant ride. (Note if you researched this a while ago: the Edge ferry stopped operating in April 2026, so there are fewer departures than older blog posts suggest.)

The honest part: the route runs east into the trade winds, and the outbound crossing has a well-earned seasickness reputation. Crews hand out bags for a reason. If you are flexible, travel light, and pick a settled day, the ferry is fine. If you are arriving for the most anticipated week of your year, it is a rough way to open it, and there is a better option.

Option 3: Let the Yacht Deliver You

This is how we run nearly every St Barts charter we book. Your group lands at SXM and boards the yacht at Simpson Bay, a few minutes from the airport. Nobody weighs your luggage. Lunch is served while the crew casts off, and the same water that makes the ferry miserable feels completely different on a 100 ft yacht that was built for it. Depending on the afternoon, your captain might drop a first swim stop at Anguilla or Tintamarre on the way, and you arrive in Gustavia as guests who are already on holiday rather than travelers finishing a journey.

The yacht is the transfer, the hotel, and the trip in one move. That is the practical reason St Barts weeks start in St Maarten, not just broker convention: the provisioning, the flights, and the fuel all favor it. You can see how the full week unfolds from there in our 8-day St Martin, Anguilla and St Barts itinerary, and what that week costs in our St Barts charter cost guide.

Which Way Should You Choose?

Villa or hotel stay, light luggage: fly. 15 minutes, a story to tell, book a daylight arrival.
Budget-flexible and unhurried: the ferry works, eastbound stomach permitting.
Charter week: you already have a boat. Board it at Simpson Bay and skip the whole question.

One timing warning: around New Year’s, every seat, berth, and ferry ticket in this corner of the Caribbean is under maximum pressure at once. If that is your week, arrivals get planned months ahead alongside the yacht itself; our St Barts New Year’s guide covers how early the good options go.

Tell us your dates and where you are flying from, and we will build the arrival into the charter itself, from the St Barts fleet to the Simpson Bay pickup. It is the part of the trip our clients say they should have stopped worrying about sooner.

Specifications

Type: Yacht

◆ Begin a brief

Tell us the week you have in mind.

We respond within four hours during business hours, with yacht options matched to your guests, dates, and destination.

[ YACHT ]

Epic 8-Day St Martin, Anguilla & St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary

Type

Yacht

Epic 8-Day St Martin, Anguilla & St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary

Price Terms: Plus Expenses

Yacht Description

Epic 8-Day St Martin, Anguilla & St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary yacht is a yacht.

What Makes this St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary so Special?

This epic 8-day St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary, tailor-made for luxury motor yachts, takes full advantage of 4 incredible islands across 2 countries—all within close proximity, meaning you won’t spend hours at sea to reach new destinations.

Enjoy cocktail sipping, seafood dining, and awesome water activities while visiting iconic locations like Maho Beach on St Martin, Tintamarre Island, Colombier Beach on St Barts, not to mention Gustavia, one of the world’s top superyacht hubs, perfect for fine dining and high-end shopping.

MAHO BEACH,
ST MAARTEN

ROAD BAY,
ANGUILLA

TINTAMARRE ISLAND,
ST MARTIN

GUSTAVIA,
ST BARTS

COLOMBIER BEACH,
ST BARTS

ANSE MARCEL,
ST MARTIN

JEAN BAY,
ST BARTS

MARIGOT,
ST MARTIN

Day 1: Phillipsburg, Dutch St Maateen – Maho Beach

You will ease into your St Barts Yacht Charter with a short jump up the coast to Maho Beach. Maho Beach is unlike any other in the Caribbean. Sure, the soft sands and crystal-clear waters are quintessential Caribbean, but the main attraction here isn’t the sea—it’s the planes!

At Maho, you’re directly under the flight path of jets landing at Princess Juliana International Airport. It’s a rush like no other, with massive airliners like KLM’s 747s passing just 100 feet above your head.

The intense jet blasts are known to send beachgoers into the sea (safely if you’re careful). Timing your visit with the arrival schedule posted at the nearby Sunset Bar enhances the experience.

While the main draw is aviation, don’t miss Maho’s vibrant nightlife—Mykonos Nightclub is a favorite of both locals and tourists.

Distance: 6nm

Duration: 40m

Charter Broker Nadja Asmus from DMA Yachting and My St Barts Yacht Charter

Ready to Start Your St Barts Yacht Charter?

“It works like this: You tell us what you want, and we find the best options for you—and it does not cost you anything extra! How? Because we get all our commission from the yachts.”

Day 2: Road Bay, Anguilla

After the high-octane start at Maho Beach, it’s time to start indulging in that real relaxing yacht vacation you have dreamt of for so long. You will head towards Road Bay, located on the north side of Anguilla Island. You will go eastway around Anguilla Island, with a possible lunch stop at Scrub Island for some divine diving or snorkeling.

Arriving at Road Bay after enjoying a day of water activities, it is time to chill, and you have arrived at the right place for that! Apart from being a very picturesque beach—Road Bay is also a portal to some of Anguilla’s best music and dining.

Dune Preserve, owned by reggae legend Bankie Banx, offers an unbeatable Caribbean vibe with live music under a rustic driftwood structure. –It does not get much more Caribbean than this!

The waters are generally calm and ideal for watersports like paddleboarding and kayaking. If you’re feeling up for more adventure, take a short ride to Sandy Island, a tiny offshore cay famous for snorkeling and beach barbecues.

Distance: 30nm

Duration: 3h

Distance & Duration

The travel times in this St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary are calculated for motor yachts cruising at an average speed of 10 knots, which is the minimum standard for most motor yachts. For catamarans or sailing yachts, expect slightly longer travel times, but all distances are manageable for any yacht type.

Total distance of Itinerary: 135 nautical miles
Average daily cruising time: 1 hour and 40 min.

Day 3: Ile Tintamarre

Tintamarre Island is one of the most magical stops on your itinerary. It’s perfect for history buffs and nature lovers! The island is part of the St. Martin nature reserve; it is uninhabited, giving you a sense of isolation and raw natural exploration. Interestingly, this now-deserted isle once had its own airline and a small community that thrived on agriculture.

The real treasure here, though, is under the water. Turtles and rays are commonly spotted in the calm waters, and the shallow coral reefs offer great and easily accessible snorkeling opportunities, even for newbies. It’s a peaceful break after the buzz of Maho and Road Bay.

Distance: 18nm

Duration: 1h 50m

Charter Broker Marcel Hailwax from DMA Yachting and My St Barts Yacht Charter

The Perfect Private Yacht Destination!

“St Barths, St Martin, and Anguilla are perfect for a 1-week luxury yacht charter because they are located very close together and have so much to offer, from secluded nature reserves with teeming coral reefs to fine dining and high-end shopping. Plus, they are easy to get to!”

Day 4: Gustavia Harbor, St Barts

From the moment you anchor in Gustavia’s harbor, you’re surrounded by mega-yachts, high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton and Cartier, and world-class restaurants.

This is the perfect day to plan a meal ashore and perhaps a little taste of the Caribbean nightlife. For a 5-star meal, make a reservation at Bonito. This fusion of French and South American cuisine offers a lively atmosphere, delicious cocktails, and dishes like ceviche and roasted sea bass.

Alternatively, you can dine at L’Isola, an upscale Italian restaurant –This is perfect for romantic dinners. Its menu features gourmet dishes like homemade pasta, fresh seafood, and an extensive wine list.

Sunset time at Gustavia, St Barts — Gustavia, St Barts

If you are looking to explore the local nightlife, try Bagatelle, located in the heart of Gustavia. Bagatelle is Known for its lively party scene, great music, and flowing champagne; it’s a hotspot for both locals and visitors.

If you are looking for a more laid-back option, check out the legendary Le Select, known as the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” –it’s an iconic venue!

Shell Beach, St Barts

Not to be missed is Shell Beach, located on the edge of Gustavia town, only a 5-minute walk from the port. Shell Beach is unique for its shoreline covered in millions of tiny seashells. This scenic spot is perfect for a sunset swim, followed by cocktails at the iconic Shellona Beach Club, an excellent place to see the sun go down while sipping away.

Distance: 16nm

Duration: 1h 40m

Want Help with Finding Your Perfect Charter Yacht in St Barts?

It is completely free to inquire with our brokers. If you tell them what you are looking for, they will send you a list of available yachts that match your requirements. This is a great place to start!

Why Does This St Barts Yacht Charter Itinerary Start in St Martin?

With more direct international flights and better provisioning options, we recommend beginning your St Barts yacht charter itinerary in St Martin. However, if you’re already in St. Barts or planning a land stay, that’s no problem. We can easily arrange a pick-up or adjust the itinerary to fit your plans.

Day 5: Colombier Beach, St Barts

After a night in Gustavia, there is a chance you might need a little respite, so you will now head to Colombier Beach, which is only a short hop up the coast.

Often referred to as Rockefeller’s Beach, Colombier is secluded and accessible mainly by boat, which makes it a favorite for yacht-goers. The beach was part of David Rockefeller’s private estate, adding an air of exclusivity.

The hike to Anse de Colombier rewards you with great panoramic views of St. Barts Island, but it’s the calm bay that really steals the show. This is the place for snorkeling, where you can swim among schools of fish and spot sea turtles. With no amenities or crowds, it’s a true escape.

Distance: 3nm

Duration: 20m

Charter Broker Daniel Asmus from DMA Yachting

Make Your St Barts Yacht Charter Search Easier!

“Inquire with us, and we will get back to you ASAP with a list of St Martin and Barts yacht charter options explicitly selected to match your personal preferences.”

Day 6: Anse Marcel, French St Martin

You are now headed back up to St Martin, this time to the French north side.

Tucked into a cove surrounded by rolling hills, Anse Marcel is your hideaway for a lazy day. Unlike the bustling tourist spots on the island, Anse Marcel is wonderfully serene, with gentle waves and shallow waters perfect for a peaceful swim or paddleboarding. This spot is particularly great for families with young kids, as the sheltered bay keeps the waters calm.

The luxurious Anse Marcel Beach Resort offers beachside dining and beach bar, where you can enjoy French-Caribbean cuisine and cocktails with your toes in the sand. If you don’t already have it on your yacht, there is also the chance of booking some pampering time with the resort’s spa.

Distance: 16nm

Duration: 1h 40m

Day 7: St Barts Bay Hopping

After 2 days of relaxing beachside time, it is time for a more active day –You will now be heading back down to St Barts for some Bay hopping.

St Bart has over 20 beaches to explore, and there is no better way to do this than with your own private luxury yacht. Start with Saline Beach, one of the more remote and wild beaches, where the lack of development enhances its untouched beauty.

Then, cruise over to Gouverneur Beach, where you might spot a celebrity or two. If you’re into snorkeling, Corossol Beach offers fantastic underwater scenery, with reefs teeming with life.

In St. Jean Bay, the famous Eden Rock Hotel has a fantastic bar scene where yachties often mingle.

Distance: 19nm

Duration: 2h

Day 8: Marigot, French St Martin

End your voyage in Marigot, a blend of French sophistication and Caribbean ease. The colorful Creole architecture gives the town a vibrant, authentic feel, and it’s the perfect place for shopping—don’t miss the local market for unique crafts and spices.

If you are up for a last adventure, Climb up to Fort Louis for stunning views of the town and the neighboring Anguilla. Afterward, indulge in some of the island’s finest French cuisine at Le Pressoir, a romantic restaurant housed in a Creole cottage.

Marigot, St Martin

Distance: 27nm

Duration: 2h 40m

Book Well in Advance to Secure the Best Yacht!

The best crewed charter yachts are often fully booked long in advance, and it’s not unusual to see popular dates booked 2 summers ahead. Ideally, you would book your St Barts yacht charter 6–12 months in advance. For which weeks are worth those months, see our month-by-month guide to the best time for a St Barts charter.

See All St Martin & St Barths Yacht Charters

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What Our Clients Say

Our clients speak of unparalleled service, exquisite yachts, and a seamless booking process, highlighting the excellence of their St Barts yacht charter experiences.

★★★★★

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Specifications

Type: Yacht

◆ Begin a brief

Tell us the week you have in mind.

We respond within four hours during business hours, with yacht options matched to your guests, dates, and destination.

Anguilla’s First Superyacht Marina Opens in 2027

Yacht Description

What this means for your charter

What is being built at Port Nimara?

Our take

What to do next

Talk to a broker who books the Leewards

Specifications

Tell us the week you have in mind.

Tell us the week you have in mind.

Catamaran or Motor Yacht in St Barts? The Swell Question

Yacht Description

Why the St Barts Scene Skews Motor

The Swell Question, Answered Honestly

What Stabilizers Actually Change

When a Catamaran Still Works in St Barts

How We Route Each Boat Type

If the Budget Says Catamaran First

People also ask

Can you charter a catamaran in St Barts?

Why do most St Barts charters use motor yachts?

What is ground swell in the Caribbean?

Do St Barts charter yachts have stabilizers?

Specifications

Tell us the week you have in mind.

Christmas Week vs New Year’s Week in St Barts: Which to Charter?

Yacht Description

Two Weeks, Two Different Trips

Availability: What Books Out First

The Price Difference, Framed Honestly

What the Island Feels Like Each Week

Can You Do Both?

People also ask

Which is more expensive in St Barts, Christmas week or New Year's week?

How far ahead do you need to book New Year's in St Barts?

Is Christmas week in St Barts good for families?

Specifications

Tell us the week you have in mind.

St Barts or the BVI: Which Caribbean Charter Fits You

Yacht Description

The Short Answer, by Trip Type

What a Week Actually Costs in Each

The Tax Line Nobody Explains

Different Boats, Different Water

Land Life: Barefoot vs Polished

Both in One Trip: The 10-Day Answer

When the BVI Is the Right Call, Honestly

People also ask

Is a yacht charter cheaper in the BVI or St Barts?

Can you combine St Barts and the BVI in one charter?

Do you pay VAT on a charter in St Barts or the BVI?

Specifications

Tell us the week you have in mind.

Best Time for a St Barts Yacht Charter, Month by Month

Yacht Description

Why the Calendar Matters Here: The Fleet Moves

December: The Season Opens, Then Detonates

January to April: The Prime Months

Late April and May: The Value Window

June to November: The Honest Answer

How We Would Pick Your Week

People also ask

What is the best month for a St Barts yacht charter?

When is hurricane season in St Barts?

Is May too late for a St Barts charter?

When should you book a festive-season St Barts charter?

Specifications

Tell us the week you have in mind.

How to Get to St Barts (and Why Charter Guests Skip the Ferry)

Yacht Description

Step 1 Is Always St Maarten

Option 1: The Small Plane to SBH

Option 2: The Ferry, Honestly

Option 3: Let the Yacht Deliver You

Which Way Should You Choose?

People also ask

Can you fly direct to St Barts?

How long is the ferry from St Maarten to St Barts?

Can you land in St Barts at night?

Do charter guests need to book the ferry or the small plane?