Sailing Vacation in Antigua

NauticEd offers Yacht Charters in Antigua via its affiliated Yacht Charter Companies. We don’t charge you a fee for going through us, You get the same price as direct but rather we fill you with our expert advice and hold your hand (as much as you want) throughout the booking and getting there process. Plus we are experts at clearing your sailing resume through the yacht charter company so you have no concerns about having to hire a skipper at the last minute.

Visit our sailing-vacation page to make a inquiry about going on a sailing vacation in and around the waters of Antigua.

Antigua is an island in the West Indies, in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the sovereign state of Antigua and Barbuda. The area is nicknamed “Land of 365 Beaches,” and some call it the sailing capital of the Eastern Caribbean.

Antigua was not affected by Hurricane Irma or Maria. Barbuda 30 miles to the north was hit pretty bad.

Antigua

Antigua provides diverse offerings for charterers: beaches, nightlight, shopping, wildlife, historic preservation, and land and water sports.

AIRPORT

VC Bird International Airport in NE Antigua. Travel times are approximately 35-45 min to English Harbour (DYC/Sunsail/Moorings bases) and approximately 25 minutes to Jolly Harbour (Horizon Yacht).

YACHT CHARTER COMPANIES

There are three main charter companies that sail out of Antigua—Horizon Yacht Charters, Dream Yacht Charters, and Sunsail/Moorings.

HORIZON YACHT CHARTERS

• Located in the Jolly Harbour Marina at “B” dock in front of Melini’s Restaurant.
• Boarding is at noon typically with a briefing that morning.
• Provisioning can be done by Horizon or you can do it yourself at the Epicurean Market in the Jolly Harbor commercial center (with delivery too).
• The Jolly Harbor marina area also offers restaurants as well as shopping places.
• Click here to make a booking with Horizon Yacht Charters

DREAM YACHT CHARTERS

• Located in Jolly Harbor.
• Boarding is 5:30 pm with a short orientation prior and a full briefing the next morning.
• Provisioning can be done by Dream Yacht or at the larger Epicurean Market in Jolly Harbour about 45 min. away.
• Click here to make a booking with Dream Yacht Charters

SUNSAIL/MOORINGS

• Located in English Harbor in historic Nelson’s Dockyard.
• Sunsail has a 6 pm boarding time so that the first evening is a sleep-aboard. Moorings provides either a noon or 6 pm embarkation. Sunsail requires return to the base at the end of the charter at 11 am and Moorings disembark time is noon.
• Provisioning can be done by Sunsail/Moorings or at the larger Epicurean Market in Jolly Harbour about 45 min. away.
• Click here to make a booking with Sunsail or Moorings

ITINERARY/PLACES OF INTEREST

• Depending on your chartering dates and interests, you can customize your Antigua charter. Ask the charter base for more information if you’re interested in a particular place or activity.
• In addition to chartering around Antigua, some charterers use Antigua as a starting point for a one-way trip to Dominica, Guadeloupe, or St. Martin.

Some points of interest for an Antigua charter:

• Shirley Heights
• Green Island
• Deep Bay
• Jumby Bay
• Dickenson Bay
• Great Bird Island
• Carlisle Bay
• English/Falmouth/Jolly Harbours
• Nonsuch Bay
• Barbuda
• Picarts Bay
• Five Islands Harbour

Here is an interactive map for further detail

Scuba/Snorkeling: There are numerous companies. Ask the base manager for a recommendation. Popular scuba and snorkeling sites include Cades Reef, Deep Bay, Great Bird Island, Long Bay, Sunken Rock, Cape Shirley and Barracuda Reef.

Nightlife: Antigua is a very lively island both during the day and at night. For the best in nightlife, check out : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/caribbean/antigua-and-barbuda/articles/antigua-nightlife/

Additional travel guide and recommendations: https://www.wanderlustchloe.com/antigua-travel-guide-caribbean/

Licensing: You don’t need a bareboat charter license to skipper a sailing yacht in Antigua but you do need a solid sailing resume. Skippers are advised to take the NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master bundle of courses and attain the NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master Rank which is accepted 100% by all yacht charter companies worldwide. NauticEd has a free resume building tool online when you login.

Visit our sailing-vacation page to make an inquiry about going on a sailing vacation in and around the waters of Antigua.