US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas) bareboat & catamaran charter guide

Sailboats at anchor in Red Hook Bay, St. Thomas. Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Our cropped version is shared under CC BY-SA 3.0. All photo credits

A week on a 40–51 ft sailing catamaran from St. Thomas costs $5,500–12,500 in low season and $7,500–18,900 in high season at Waypoints. A Dufour monohull runs $4,500–5,100 in low season and $6,700–7,600 in high season. A US territory next door to the BVI, which makes it the simplest Caribbean trip for US travellers. Charters start from St. Thomas.

Looking for discounts? See the operator offers we checked by hand in This Week's Charter Deals #4.

What a week costs

Weekly charter fee for the whole boat, before extras. Charter prices change constantly. These are published ranges, not quotes.

Boat	Low season rate	High season rate	Source
Sailing catamaran, 40–51 ft, Waypoints (Frenchtown Marina)	$5,500–12,500	$7,500–18,900	^{[Virgin Island Sailing (broker)]}
Sailing monohull, Dufour 41–470, Waypoints	$4,500–5,100	$6,700–7,600	^{[Virgin Island Sailing (broker)]}

Waypoints extras: a mandatory deductible reduction of $100 a night plus the fuel you use. A skipper costs about $300 a day plus meals and gratuity. ^{[Virgin Island Sailing (broker)]}

When to go

WI Yachts lists the best season for the US Virgin Islands as December to April (steady trade winds, dry weather), high season November to April and low season May to November. ^{[WI Yachts]}
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. ^{[NOAA National Hurricane Center]}

See every month for USVI at a glance in our free best time to sail calendar.

What you need: licence or skipper

We haven't verified USVI licence or résumé rules yet. If you don't want to skipper yourself, Waypoints lists a hired skipper at about $300 a day. ^{[Virgin Island Sailing (broker)]}

Requirements vary by charter company. Always check with yours before you book.

Main charter bases

Waypoints Yacht Charters: Frenchtown Marina, St. Thomas. ^{[Virgin Island Sailing (broker)]}

Compare other charter destinations

Before you book, read how to read a charter deal.

Sources

Virgin Island Sailing (broker), Waypoints Yacht Charters USVI – Bareboat Charter Rates (checked 20 Oct 2026)
WI Yachts, Yacht charter US Virgin Islands: best time to charter (checked 26 Oct 2026)
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology (checked 26 Oct 2026)

Written by Maciej Chmura, a hobby sailor and the founder of Sailing Weekly.