Saint Lucia
Yacht Charter & Sailing Vacations

St. Lucia • Where to go • When to go • What you should know • How to Book

St. Lucia –“The Jewel of the Windwards”

A Saint Lucia yacht charter offers an unforgettable sailing vacation with the ultimate of Caribbean tropical bliss.  With its iconic twin peaks, year-round sunshine, steady trade winds, diverse scenery, St Lucia provides something for everyone and every type of sailor– luxury, romance, relaxation, history, nature, beaches, adventure, and even a drive-through volcano.

What is a sailing vacation, yacht charter, etc..? Learn more here ›

St. Lucia Yacht Charter - tropical delights
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SAINT LUCIA YACHT CHARTER SUMMARY

We’ve been there!

We highly recommend a Saint Lucia yacht charter as a sailing vacation. We’ve been there – twice!

Endless blue waters are perfect for watersports, snorkeling, and diving or you can relax on the surrounding white sand beaches. Hiking, volcanos, waterfalls—the scenery is stunning.  And don’t miss the fun local street parties, resorts, or exclusive restaurants.

St. Lucia is a great place to explore or launch yourself to the surrounding islands. 20 nm to the north is Martinique which offers endless sailing and anchoring opportunities while 25 nm to the south is friendly St. Vincent – the kick-off for all of the Grenadines. So St. Lucia can be a perfect starting and ending point OR a good place to start then end farther south in Grenada on a one-way drop-off trip. But if you’re doing that, allow a minimum of 10 days or even 2 weeks (3-weeks in this area is not out of the question).

Sailing Requirements

Saint Lucia Bareboat charter requirements:

✔ Sailing Resume

✖ Certification

✖ License

Learn more at Yacht Charter Resources ›

Sailing Skill Level

Knowledge – Skills – Experience:

✔ Intermediate Plus

*Saint Lucia yacht charter note:  confident navigation skills are required because of the distances between island and several reefs as you get down into the Grenadines.   Strong trade winds from the east can require reefing. Take careful note of charts and watch radar and weather prediction apps for thunderstorms.
Sailing Skill Levels ›

When to go?

St. Lucia is a year-round sailing destination. Tidal range is minimal.

  • Best times to charter are between December and May.
  • June and October/November are “shoulder seasons” with less expensive prices and fewer crowds.
  • September and October offer the calmest winds though trade winds are fairly consistent out of the northeast.
  • St. Lucia is south enough to be “mostly” out of the hurricane zone.

Climate

St. Lucia boasts a typical tropical climate with pleasant warm temperatures year-round and decent humidity. The dry season is February to June while the wet season where occasional thunderstorms are more likely is from July through January – although sunshine hours remain fairly consistent throughout the year.  Temperatures range from 73-77 oF (23oC –  25oC) from December through May and from 77-90oF (24oC –  32oC) from June through November.

The sea around Saint Lucia is warm enough to swim year-round ranging from 80-84 oF  (27 – 29 oC)

Cuisine and Provisionng

Saint Lucia cuisine is an eclectic mix of flavors. The island’s national dish is green figs (green bananas) and salt fish, the island’s national dish. Best complimented with a Piton (the country’s local beer) or Chairman’s Reserve (the island’s local rum). In and around St. Lucia, you are likely to find some of the best Jerk Chicken dishes in the Caribbean.

In Rodney Bay Marina there is a grocery store called The Marketplace. In Marigo Bay, the grocery is not so close and it is better to ask your yacht charter agent or charter company about provisioning for you or what your options are.

Must See & Do

Attend a festival. Carnival.  Jazz Fest.  Flower Festival.  Dive Fest.  Creole Heritage Month.  Mango Bowl Regatta. Bill Fish Tournament.  Festival of Lights.  There’s a party every month!

 Nightlife.  Dance and enjoy the party atmosphere at Rodney Bay Village or join the Friday eve Gros Islet street party or the Saturday nights at Dennery’s and its fish fiesta.

Explore.  St Lucia makes for a perfect base to enjoy some open water passages as you explore the other isles of the Windwards such as St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, and Martinique.  Many charter companies offer ‘one-ways’ which allow for a disembark at St. Vincent or Grenada.

Water activities. It’s a marine playground in and around St. Lucia with plenty of spots for snorkeling and diving.  Corals, fish, reefs, turtles, lobsters, and eels.   Popular spots include Piton Wall, the Pinnacles, Anse Cochon for diving, and Anse de Pitons, Virgin Cove, Anse Chastanet, and Reduit Beach for snorkeling.

Scenery.  Visit Diamond Falls with its lush gardens, hiking trails, waterfall, and mineral baths.  Hike the UNESCO world heritage site of St. Lucia’s twin peaks- the Pitons.  And don’t forget to stop by the world’s only drive-in volcano, Sulfur Springs.  Or soak in the mud baths of the Soufriere Volcano.

How to get there?

There are two main marinas: Rodney Bay in the northwest and Marigot Bay about midway down on the west coast.  Most charter companies operate out of Rodney Bay.  There is a customs office in Rodney Bay marina. There are two airports on the island of St. Lucia. Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort (UVF) is located on the southern end of the island and is about 1 hr 30 min away from Rodney Bay Marina.  George Charles Airport (SLU), formerly known as “Vigie Airport”, is located on the outskirts of Castries in the north and is about 15 min away from Rodney Bay.

St. Lucia Bareboat Charter Sample Itineraries

Where to go on a Saint Lucia yacht charter and sailing vacation?

Scroll below for sample itineraries or use the map to explore.

Sample Itineraries:

A Saint Lucia yacht charter has so much to offer that you just want to wander the west coast for a week.

Or perhaps you want to explore the whole St. Vencent and the Grenadines and Grenada areas aswell. We recommend a minimum of 10 days to do this but preferably 2 weeks as many spots you’ll want to stay 2 nights especially in Tobago Cays.

In the interactive map above, click the left top box. This gives you options to visit other itineraries and turn them on and off. Enjoy!

St. Lucia and the Grenadines Related Blog Posts

A SAINT LUCIA YACHT CHARTER SOUNDS AMAZING!
I’D LIKE TO…

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NauticEd are St. Lucia yacht charter agents. We don’t charge you a fee and can more than likely save you money on all your sailing vacations. We search the world’s databases for over 8,000 yachts in 55 destinations. We give expert advice on where and when to go – likely, we’ve been there. Make an inquiry and book your sailing vacations through NauticEd Sailing Vacations.

NauticEd Saint Lucia Yacht Charter and Sailing Vacations

Additional Notes

Sailing Skill Levels

Local Knowledge + Education: as Sailing Vacation Experts, NauticEd’s team has chartered and sailed in almost all these locations – providing you with the “local knowledge” you need when planning a sailing vacation. And, as the leader in sailing education, NauticEd assigns different skill levels based on the knowledge-theory and practical/experience needed for chartering in different sailing locations.

Recommended Knowledge-Theory Courses for chartering: Bareboat Charter Master Bundle (six bareboat and near coastal courses), Catamaran Sailing Confidence (if chartering a Cat), Yacht Charter Crew Course (for your crew).

Skill Levels notably emphasize the overall practical experience and competency that is required to sail in certain areas. Of course, the “devil’s in the details” on specifics, and we recommend you contact us when planning a sailing vacation. We’ll save you money on your vacation – which is great – but being prepared to have safe fun experiences that will last a lifetime is priceless!

• Intermediate = Near Coastal <5nm within sight of land, some navigation hazards (always be aware), and generally mild weather conditions. Good seapersonship (i.e., “seamanship”) skills, knowledge, and experience apply.

• Intermediate +Plus = Near Coastal <15nm, within sight of land in clear atmospheric conditions, moderate navigation hazards, and/or challenging weather. Good seapersonship skills, knowledge, and experience apply.

• Advanced = Near Coastal <20nm, within sight of land in clear atmospheric conditions, many navigation hazards, and/or potentially difficult weather. Expert seapersonship skills, knowledge, and experience apply.

*Atmospheric conditions: from the deck of a sailboat, your “visible horizon” is about 12nm on a clear day (considering typical freeboard + your height). Visibility is decreased by haze, fog, rain, smoke, and similar atmospheric considerations. Navigating by line of sight is obviously greater if your destination has features such as mountains, lighthouses, tall buildings, etc…

*Navigational hazards may include features such as rocks, shoals, rough inlets or anchorages, challenging tides and currents, lee shores, commercial traffic, etc…

*Weather: examples of challenging or difficult weather include thunder/lightning storms, areas prone to high winds, or even seasonal risks such as excessive heat.

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Last updated on October 9th, 2023