St Vincent or Grenada — which Grenadines charter start is right for you?
Short answer. Start in St Vincent for a classic seven-night Grenadines charter — you are five hours' sailing from the Tobago Cays, and the whole chain is close to you. Start in Grenada if you want ten or more nights, are combining Carriacou and the Grenadines, or have found much better flights into Maurice Bishop.
The two bases are about 75 nautical miles apart with the Grenadines strung out in between, so the choice mostly decides which end of the chain you see first and which way the wind blows on your longest day.
Getting there
| St Vincent (SVD) | Grenada (GND) | |
|---|---|---|
| Direct flights | UK (seasonal), Miami, New York, Toronto, Barbados hub | UK, US, Canada, more year-round options |
| Airport to yacht base | 20–30 minutes to Blue Lagoon, around US $30–40 by taxi | 20–30 minutes to Port Louis or Clarkes Court |
| Time to first anchorage | 2 hours to Bequia | 4–5 hours to Carriacou |
| Best for | 7 nights in the Grenadines | 10+ nights, or Grenada plus the Grenadines |
Starting in St Vincent
Blue Lagoon and Ottley Hall are the charter bases, and the geography is in your favour: Bequia is nine miles south, Mustique fifteen, and the Tobago Cays about thirty. Every leg is a reach in the trade winds, the anchorages get better as you go, and you finish the week by working back north with the same wind on the other quarter.
Provisioning is easy — Kingstown's supermarkets and market, or SIPS delivering direct to the yacht as you board. For a seven-night charter this is the base we recommend to nearly everyone.
Starting in Grenada
Grenada has the better flight schedule, particularly from the UK and North America, and the yacht bases at Port Louis and Clarkes Court are excellent. The catch is the first day: Grenada to Carriacou is a 35-mile beat or motor-sail into the trades, which is a hard opening day with children aboard. On a ten-night charter that is absorbed easily and you are rewarded with Carriacou, Sandy Island, Petite Martinique and PSV before you even reach the Cays.
Grenada itself is worth two days — the Underwater Sculpture Park, chocolate and rum distilleries, and the best provisioning in the southern Caribbean.
One-way charters
The best of both, and under-used. Start in St Vincent, sail south with the wind, and finish in Grenada — or the reverse if you would rather beat first and cruise home. Expect a one-way fee of US $500–1,500 depending on the boat, and add customs clearance between the two countries (straightforward, done at Union Island and Carriacou). For ten nights this is our favourite routing.
Our recommendation
Seven nights, first Caribbean charter, family aboard: St Vincent. Ten nights or more, or flights that make Grenada dramatically cheaper: Grenada, and consider finishing one way in St Vincent. Either way we will check both sets of flights before we quote the boat — the airfare difference occasionally outweighs everything else.
See our seven-day and ten-day itineraries, and tell us your flight options and we will tell you honestly which base works out better.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it better to start a Grenadines charter in St Vincent or Grenada?
- St Vincent for a seven-night charter — Bequia is two hours away and the whole chain is downwind. Grenada suits ten nights or more, or better flight connections.
- Can I sail one way from St Vincent to Grenada?
- Yes. Expect a one-way fee of US $500–1,500 plus customs clearance at Union Island and Carriacou. It is our favourite routing for ten nights.
- How far is Grenada from the Tobago Cays?
- About 45 nautical miles, usually broken with a night in Carriacou or Petite Martinique.