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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Explore one of these glorious holiday destinations in your own sailing yacht.
FLOTILLA SAILING HOLIDAYS: Sail your own yacht with the added support of a lead boat crew.
LEARN TO SAIL HOLIDAYS: Start from scratch or brush up your skills.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Sail your yacht in any one of our glorious holiday destinations and explore at your own pace.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
- PLAN YOUR TRIP
AIRPORT PARKING & HOTELS: Save up to 60% when you book airport parking & hotels in advance.
BOOKING CONDITIONS: Check our Booking Conditions.
CAR RENTAL: Rent a car instead of an airport transfer or if you add a week ashore.
CRUISING GUIDES: Start planning before you travel with a cruising guide or chart to your sailing destination.
PASSPORTS & VISAS: Check the passport & visa requirements of your sailing destination.
SAILING LOGS: Read our reports on sailing holidays we've been on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Don't travel without adequate insurance. We offer single trip or Annual multi-trip travel insurance.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN: Read our handy hints on taking small children on a sailing holiday.
USEFUL LINKS: Check these websites for more information on your sailing destination.
WHAT'S ONBOARD: Standard inventory for all charter yachts.
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CONTACT: Check our details and opening hours.
REQUEST A BROCHURE: Order our latest brochure.
WHO WE ARE: Meet the Nautilus team.
WHY BOOK WITH US: How do you benefit?
- OWNERSHIP
Are you thinking of buying a new yacht and putting her with a charter fleet? Speak to us about the best deal for you. Nautilus Yachting has been arranging sailing holidays throughout the Mediterranean & Caribbean since 1992 so we are ideally qualified to advise you on yacht charter management. Find out more
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Sailing Holidays in Antigua
With 365 palm-fringed beaches and numerous anchorages, Antigua offers excellent sailing holidays around the island.
Antigua is part of the Leeward Islands and boasts a spectacular choice of picturesque coves and bays, with fine sand, blue seas and some of the best watersports in the Caribbean. Anchor in crystal clear blue water alongside 11 miles of pristine white sand.
At Nonsuch Bay you'll discover several superb and uncrowded anchorages. Green Island is so beautiful the locals call it the Garden of Eden. Dickenson Bay and North Sound are great places to gunkhole, snorkel and enjoy the beach. Five Islands Harbour is a completely unspoiled sanctuary. Drop anchor along the southwest coast in time to watch the sun set over Nevis - unforgettable.
Explore Nelson's Dockyard, a working 18th century Georgian dockyard and relive naval history. Enjoy the mix of lively bars and restaurants with the peace and tranquility of numerous offshore islands.
Sailing in Antigua
For a 1-week yacht charter holiday there’s plenty of idyllic anchorages around Antigua to keep you busy.
On a 10-day yacht charter you could include the magical island of Barbuda in your sailing itinerary. Barbuda is a 30 mile easy reach away, remote and incredibly beautiful. Along the leeward shore, 11 miles of beach are littered with tiny shells that give it a luminous pink glow. See turtles basking in the shallows while you swim in crystal clear water.
For a 2 week sailing holiday more experienced skippers can plan a sailing itinerary to include St Kitts & Nevis (45nm) or Guadeloupe (48nm). One way yacht charters to St Martin are also available at extra cost, visiting St Kitts & Nevis and St Barts, each island as different as the last.
DAY 1 : Embark at Jolly Harbour Marina. Jolly Harbour offers a well-stocked supermarket, fuel dock, banks, post office and several good restaurants. With direct flights you'll arrive mid-afternoon so there's time for a short sail round to Deep Bay in the beautiful, protected Five Islands Harbour. Dine ashore to the accompaniemant of a calypso band.
DAY 2 : Snorkel on the coral-encrusted Wreck of the Andes, before you set sail to North Sound. Anchor at Great Bird Island and explore the sheltered bays by dinghy.
DAY 3 : Relax in this magical area and in the afternoon drop anchor in Dickenson Bay, a long beach with watersports, bars and restaurants.
DAY 4 : A brisk sail along the rugged southeast coastline, past the unusual rock formation of the Pillars of Hercules, brings you to Falmouth Harbour, built by Lord Nelson. Visit the famous Nelson's Dockyard. Take a short taxi ride up to Shirley Heights for a magnificent view of the sunset. On Sundays, you can enjoy BBQ and live music there.
DAY 5 : Follow the couth coast round to Nonsuch Bay and drop anchor at West Bay on uninhabited Green Island. Take your dinghy inside the reef for some of the best snorkelling in the area.
DAY 6 : Heading back along the couth coast, drop anchor at St James' Club or Carlisle Bay, smart resorts with palm-fringed beaches and excellent restaurants.
DAY 7 : Continue your downwind sail inside Cades Reef, enjoying the calm turquoise waters on your way back to Jolly Harbour.
Sailing conditions
Best time to travel to sail in Antigua is from November to June, with temperatures around 30oC. Constant warm tradewinds blowing East-Northeast from 15 to 25 knots provide excellent sailing during the winter months. Experience level 2-3 depending on itinerary.
SAIL & STAY IN ANTIGUA: Extend your sailing holiday in Antigua with a week in one of the excellent beach hotels on the island.
Yacht charter in Antigua
Yachts are based at Jolly Harbour Marinaon the west coast of Antigua. Charters start and finish any day (minimum 5 nights), giving you total flexibility over your holiday dates.
Click on the yacht names below to view yacht layout & specification
2 cabin
3 cabin
4+ cabin
Catamarans
Yacht charter rates are shown WITHOUT flights giving you the flexibility to book your own flights.
If you want a flight-inclusive holiday Nautilus Yachting is a fully bonded ATOL tour operator and can book flights from the UK to fit your sailing holiday. Choose from a wide choice of airlines - we are not tied to any particular airline. All flight-inclusive holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under our ATOL 3016. Airport transfers can also be pre-arranged.
FLIGHTS TO ANTIGUA:
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have direct flights from Gatwick. Transfer time to Jolly Harbour Marina 30 minutes.
Whether you are an experienced sailor or setting foot on a yacht for the first time, we can offer you a holiday afloat to suit you. We have given all the sailing areas a level with 'Experience Level 1' suitable for less experienced crews and 'Experience Level 3' for the experts.
This takes into account the wind strength, tidal range and currents, distances between stops and ease of mooring. Of course even experts may choose to sail in Level 1 areas as they still offer stunning scenery and great sailing.
Experience Level 1: BVI, Bahamas, Florida Keys
Generally light winds Force 2-4, line of sight navigation, shorter sailing distances under 20nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 1 week or 100nm as skipper
Experience Level 2: Antigua, St Martin, St Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Belize
Stronger winds up to Force 3-5 with some longer passages up to 30nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 2 weeks or 200nm as skipper
Experience Level 3: Cuba. One way itineraries, eg Antigua to St Martin, St Lucia to Grenadines
Stronger winds up to Force 4-7 which can lead to bigger seas on long passages between the islands. You will be Coastal Skipper standard with experience to a higher level having sailed at least 4 weeks or 400nm as skipper.
To charter a yacht bareboat or on flotilla you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew.
At present you need an RYA Day Skipper qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for charters in Croatia, Montenegro, Mallorca, Tenerife and Malta.
The RYA ICC will be ever more required by overseas port authorities but if you have skipper experience it is easily obtained in a day from RYA sailing schools in the UK such as Hamilton Sailing or Brixham Sea School
Yacht charter rates are shown WITHOUT flights giving you the flexibility to book your own flights.
If you want a flight-inclusive holiday Nautilus Yachting is a fully bonded ATOL tour operator and can book flights from the UK to fit your sailing holiday. Choose from a wide choice of airlines - we are not tied to any particular airline. All flight-inclusive holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under our ATOL 3016. Airport transfers can also be pre-arranged.
FLIGHTS TO ANTIGUA:
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have direct flights from Gatwick. Transfer time to Jolly Harbour Marina 30 minutes.
Special packages are available to enhance your yacht charter in Antigua. A Day Pass to the Nonsuch Bay Resort is just US$100 and gives you unlimited access to the hotel facilities, including dinghy sailing, keelboats and kite surfing. Add an instructor to your yacht for just US$165/day and do a 5-day ASA Chartering course. Rent a 2-bedroom waterfront condo in Jolly Harbour Marina with a Bavaria 42 on your private dock.
Visit the famous Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour , the only remaining working Georgian Dockyard in the world. Wander around the beautifully restored buildings dating back to the early 18th Century and soak up the historical atmosphere. Include a visit to the museum.
Explore Nonsuch Bay, an unspoilt hideaway with plenty of excellent anchorages to spot redbilled tropicbirds and pelicans amongst the abundant bird life. Inside Green Island’s protective reef, you’ll find some of the best snorkelling in the area. Visit Harmony Hall, a converted Sugar Mill, which houses an excellent restaurant, together with a craft shop and art gallery.
"We all loved the week and found the guys in Gibraltar very professional and good fun. We all got what we wanted out of the week, and it was a real adventure."
Gibraltar Learn to Sail 2012 - S.C.
