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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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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 St Lucia
St Lucia is a lush tropical treasure island with beautiful anchorages and plenty going on ashore.
St Lucia is a perfect holiday destination, with gorgeous palm-fringed beaches, miles of unspoiled rainforest and the majestic Piton Mountains. Plan a romantic getaway with tropical cocktails under a vast starry sky. Or take the kids and discover rainforest skyrides, mountain biking and eco-tours. St Lucia is one of the top sites for scuba diving in the Caribbean, especially at Anse Cochon and Anse Chastanet where the shallow coral reefs are home to a profusion of colourful tropical fish. Check out the world-famous Jazz festival every May or the Gros Islet street party every Friday.
St Lucia has some of the most beautiful anchorages in the Caribbean, including Rodney Bay, a short walk from the perfect Reduit beach and Marigot Bay, the perfect backdrop to that sunset rum punch. Its most famous and breathtaking sight has to be the Pitons in the southwest, twin volcanic peaks rising majestically and dramatically from the water. This area is a magnificent marine park with excellent snorkelling.
Sailing in St Lucia
From St Lucia you can sail north to Martinique or south to the Grenadines but you may be tempted to linger on this lush island paradise. In 1 week you can explore the west coast of St Lucia and visit Martinique, some 20 miles to the north, an easy sailng itinerary with plenty of time for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing.
For a 2-week itinerary head south to the Grenadines. This involves longer sailing passages, especially between St Lucia and St Vincent and although the southbound trip is a lovely broad reach, the return passage into wind can be gusty, so less experienced crews may consider a one-way trip dropping their yacht "down-island" at St Vincent or Grenada at extra cost.
DAY 1 : Board your yacht at Rodney Bay Marina, the finish point for the ARC Transatlantic Rally, with supermarkets, shops and plenty of bars and restaurants.
DAY 2 : All set for the 3 hour sail south along the west coast of St Lucia to the towering twin peaks of the Pitons (15nm). Take a mooring outside Bennies Restaurant and Benny will look after you and your yacht. This area is a magnificent marine park with excellent snorkelling.
DAY 3 : After a visit to Soufriere in the morning, head up to Marigot Bay (10nm), one of the Caribbean’s spectacularly beautiful anchorages.
DAY 4 : A fast reach almost due north about 6 hours brings you to Grande Anse D’Arlet (32nm) on Martinique. Anchor overnight at this quaint fishing village set in a white sandy beach.
DAY 5 : Anchor off Anse Mitan, part of the Trois Islets area (8nm). This place is humming with yachts, people, beaches, boutiques, bars and restaurants. Take the fast ferry across to Forte de France for customs clearance – check in and out at the same time and there’s no charge!
DAY 6 : Sail south around Diamond Rock to Ste. Anne (20nm), a delightful seaside town. Relax on the beach or take a day ticket at Club Med. Good market, great restaurants and excellent snorkelling on reefs.
DAY 7 : The nice easy reach back to Rodney Bay (22nm) takes about 4 hours. Anchor off Pigeon Island and hike up to the old naval fort. Head back into the marina, there’s still time for a late swim off the perfect Reduit Beach.
Sailing Conditions
Temperatures in St Lucia remain around 30°C all year with short tropical rain showers. Steady trade winds blow from the north-east at 20-25 knots during the peak winter months. Experience Level 2-3 depending on itinerary.
SAIL & STAY IN ST LUCIA: Extend your sailing holiday with a few days or a week ashore in a beach hotel in St Lucia.
Yacht charter in St Lucia
Yachts are based at Rodney Bay Marina on the north-west coast of St Lucia. 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 ST LUCIA:
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have direct flights from Gatwick. Transfer time to Rodney Bay Marina 45 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 ST LUCIA:
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have direct flights from Gatwick. Transfer time to Rodney Bay Marina 45 minutes.
Rodney Bay Village is located in northwest St Lucia. With a beautiful beach, numerous restaurants and a spacious marina, it is the area with the most tourist activity. The marina is the centre of yachting on the island and is a short walk from restaurants, cafes, shops, Bay Walk Mall, night clubs and casino.
Gros Islet, a small fishing village, comes to life every Friday night. What's called a ‘jump up’ in all the tourist glossies, is the town’s major transformation. Expect an abundance of dancing, delectable seafood, and Caribbean rhythms in this carnival-like spirit.
Eco-adventures are on offer all over St Lucia to get close to the rain forest which covers most of the island. You can hike, mountain bike, ride a sky-tram or glide along a zip wire. Visit the volcano and mudbaths at the Pitons or the botanical gardens and mineral baths at Diamond Falls.
"We have just returned from our family holiday to the Ionian and I wanted to let you know that we had a fabulous time. Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, being able to stop and swim in some very beautiful bays. Seeing a pod of dolphins on two separate occasions is also a very special memory for all of us."
Lefkas 2012 - J.R.
