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The Grenadines span the 50 nautical mile arc between St Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south, a chain of 32 named islands and cays divided politically between St Vincent and the Grenadines (the northern islands including Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, the Tobago Cays, Union Island, Petit St Vincent, and Palm Island) and Grenada (the southern islands including Carriacou, Petite Martinique, and Ronde Island). A 40m motor yacht working the Grenadines in February runs $115,000 to $155,000 per week before APA. The cruising structure delivers 4 to 12 nautical mile line-of-sight passages between most anchorages and works at anchor-to-anchor sailing-charter pace rather than the longer-passage Leewards motor-yacht pace.
The point of the Grenadines on a Caribbean charter week is the Tobago Cays marine park, the Mustique private-island product, and the working sailing-charter rotation through the dense island cluster. The Tobago Cays (5 uninhabited cays inside a horseshoe reef on the eastern Atlantic side of the chain, declared a marine park 1998, declared a national protected area 2008) hold the canonical southern Caribbean anchor with mooring fields, a turtle sanctuary at Baradel, and the Atlantic reef line breaking the easterly trade swell. Mustique (the 5.7 square kilometre private island under the Mustique Company management since 1968, with the 100-villa rental inventory and the Cotton House and Firefly Mustique hotel base) holds the high-end Caribbean private-island product including the Basil's Bar at Britannia Bay (the canonical Mustique waterfront restaurant since 1976).
The cruising structure runs at sailing-charter pace. A standard 7 to 10 day rotation absorbs Bequia (the working southern Caribbean charter town at Admiralty Bay), Mustique (the private-island weekend), Canouan (the Mandarin Oriental and Soho Beach House cluster), Mayreau and the Tobago Cays (the marine park days), Union Island and Palm Island (the working southern Grenadines), Petit St Vincent (the PSV private-island resort), and the run south to Carriacou and Grenada. The structure works on sailing yachts cleanly given the trade-wind lee on the western anchor side and the short crossings between most islands.
When to charter the Grenadines
December 15 to January 5. Christmas and New Year peak. Water 26 degrees Celsius. Trade winds 18 to 25 knots from the east-northeast. Mustique villa inventory and the Cotton House at peak utilisation (Mustique villas book 12 to 18 months out for Christmas); the Bequia Admiralty Bay anchor at moderate to peak density. Rates at peak; book 9 to 12 months out.
January. Shoulder through January 15 (rates 10 to 15 percent below peak), returns to peak from January 20. Water 26 degrees. The Bequia Music Festival runs late January (typical dates January 29 to February 1) at Frangipani Hotel and the Plantation House and delivers the working Bequia calendar peak.
February. Peak. Water 26 to 27 degrees. The strongest non-NYE Grenadines window. The Tobago Cays at full mooring inventory and the Mustique villa calendar at standard peak.
March. Peak through Easter. Water 26 to 27 degrees. The Grenada Sailing Festival in late January and the Bequia Easter Regatta absorb the on-the-water calendar. The strongest charter inventory across the southern Caribbean.
April. Peak through Easter, shoulder from the week after Easter. Water 27 degrees. The Easter Regatta at Bequia and the Carriacou Maroon and String Band Festival absorb the regional calendar. Trade winds tapering from April 15.
May. Shoulder. Rates 20 to 30 percent below peak. Water 28 degrees. The charter fleet begins Mediterranean repositioning. The cleanest non-peak Tobago Cays window with moderate mooring density.
June to November. Hurricane season. Most crewed inventory closes. The Carriacou Carnival in early August absorbs the local calendar. The southern Grenadines run at the southern edge of the hurricane belt with reduced storm frequency relative to the Leewards.
The Grenadines cruising zones
Bequia (Admiralty Bay). The working charter base of the northern Grenadines. The 18 square kilometre island sits 9 nautical miles south of St Vincent with Admiralty Bay holding the working anchor in 5 to 12 metres of sand with 50 to 100 yachts at peak density. The Port Elizabeth waterfront, the Frangipani Hotel, the Plantation House, the Bequia Boutique Hotel, and the Belmont Walkway hold the on-shore product. Local restaurants include the Frangipani, the Mac's Pizzeria, Maria's French Terrace, and the Whaleboner. The Bequia model boat-builder workshops at Sargeant Brothers and Mauvin's at Lower Bay deliver the working Bequia heritage product.
Mustique (Britannia Bay). The Mustique Company-managed private island. The Cotton House (the 17-room hotel at the centre of the island, the Bryan Adams-owned property), the Firefly Mustique (the 5-suite Britannia Bay hotel, the canonical Mustique bar at the cliff-top), and the 100-villa rental inventory hold the on-island product. Basil's Bar at Britannia Bay (founded 1976, the canonical Mustique waterfront restaurant, rebuilt and re-opened 2022 after the 2020 reconstruction) anchors the on-shore calendar. Mooring at the Britannia Bay buoys (no anchoring, mooring fees $200 to $300 per night for charter yachts depending on LOA, plus the Mustique Company charter fee structure). Anse Lalay anchor on the southern side delivers the protected daytime swim. The Mustique calendar includes the Mustique Blues Festival in January and February (multi-night residency at Basil's Bar) and the standing Wednesday cocktail party at the Cotton House.
Canouan (Grand Bay). The 7.5 square kilometre island 8 nautical miles south of Mustique. The Mandarin Oriental Canouan at Carenage Bay, the Soho Beach House Canouan at Grand Bay, and the Sandy Lane Yacht Club and Residences at Glossy Bay hold the on-island product. The Glossy Bay Marina at the south end holds 30m to 100m+ slip inventory with the deep-water inner basin and the Mandarin Oriental private dock for resort-guest yacht arrivals. The Canouan Estate Villas above Mahault Bay hold the working high-end villa rental inventory.
Mayreau and Salt Whistle Bay. The 4 square kilometre island 6 nautical miles south of Canouan. Salt Whistle Bay on the north side holds the protected horseshoe anchor in 4 to 8 metres of sand with the on-shore Robert Righteous and de Youths beach bar and the Last Bar Before the Jungle. The Saline Bay on the south side holds the Mayreau village anchor. The working sailing-charter overnight at Salt Whistle Bay is the canonical Mayreau product.
Tobago Cays marine park. The 5-cay marine reserve 2 nautical miles east of Mayreau. Petit Bateau, Petit Rameau, Baradel (the turtle sanctuary), Jamesby, and Petit Tabac (the Pirates of the Caribbean filming location) hold the cay cluster inside the horseshoe Atlantic reef. The mooring field on the western side of the cays accepts 30 to 60 yachts at moderate density and the Atlantic reef line breaks the easterly trade swell. The on-shore product is the lobster lunch from the working boat boats (the local fishermen who deliver the lobster to the yacht from the beach grill). No on-shore infrastructure; the marine park fee runs $10 USD per person per day at standard inventory.
Union Island (Clifton Harbour and Chatham Bay). The 8 square kilometre island 4 nautical miles south of the Tobago Cays. Clifton Harbour on the east side holds the customs clearance for the southern Grenadines and the working town product (the Anchorage Yacht Club, the Aquarium restaurant, the Happy Island Bar on the small offshore conch-shell island). Chatham Bay on the west side holds the protected anchor in 8 to 18 metres of sand with the on-shore Sun, Beach & Eat Beach Bar.
Petit St Vincent (PSV). The 45 hectare private-island resort 1 nautical mile east of Petite Martinique. The Petit St Vincent Resort (the 22-cottage cliff-top and beach resort, the Hazen Richardson-managed property since 1968) absorbs the cleanest single private-island product in the Grenadines outside Mustique. Anchor in 8 to 12 metres at the west bay; tender access to the PSV jetty.
Palm Island. The 53 hectare private-island resort 1 nautical mile west of Union Island. The Palm Island Resort (the 43-room resort, the Kraus family-managed property) absorbs the second working private-island stop south of Mustique.
Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The Grenadian Grenadines. The 34 square kilometre Carriacou (the largest of the Grenadines) holds the Hillsborough working town anchor and the Tyrrel Bay protected charter anchor on the southwest coast. The 600-resident Petite Martinique sits 1 nautical mile north of PSV.
A standard 10-day Grenadines charter (St Lucia or Grenada embark)
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Rodney Bay (St Lucia) board | Boarding afternoon, evening Marigot Bay, overnight Marigot Bay |
| Sun | Pitons day | Sugar Beach mooring at the Pitons, Jade Mountain lunch, overnight Anse Chastanet |
| Mon | Cross to Bequia | Overnight passage 50 nautical miles south to Bequia Admiralty Bay, customs clearance, evening at the Frangipani, overnight Admiralty Bay |
| Tue | Bequia day | Lower Bay morning swim, Mac's Pizzeria lunch, Princess Margaret Beach afternoon, overnight Admiralty Bay |
| Wed | Mustique | Cross south 12 nautical miles to Mustique Britannia Bay, Cotton House lunch, Basil's Bar dinner, overnight Britannia Bay |
| Thu | Mustique to Canouan | Anse Lalay morning swim, cross south 8 nautical miles to Canouan Glossy Bay Marina, Mandarin Oriental lunch, overnight Glossy Bay |
| Fri | Salt Whistle Bay | Cross south to Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay, beach bar lunch, snorkel afternoon, overnight Salt Whistle Bay |
| Sat | Tobago Cays | Mooring at the Tobago Cays, Baradel turtle swim, beach lobster lunch, overnight Tobago Cays mooring |
| Sun | Union Island and PSV | Cross south 4 nautical miles to Clifton Harbour clearance, Happy Island Bar lunch, cross east 8 nautical miles to PSV, overnight PSV anchor |
| Mon | Carriacou and Grenada | Cross south to Tyrrel Bay Carriacou, clearance into Grenada, run south to Sandy Island lunch, cross 30 nautical miles south to St George's Harbour, disembark Grenada |
This is the canonical Grenadines 10-day one-way. The structure delivers the full chain on a sailing yacht cleanly and on 30m to 60m motor yachts. The 50 nautical mile St Lucia-to-Bequia cross is the longest single passage; most charter clients run this overnight on day 2 or day 3. The reverse direction (Grenada to St Lucia) absorbs the same structure with the northbound trade-wind beat replacing the southbound run.
Grenadines yacht size guidance
25m to 40m. The clean fit. Full Admiralty Bay anchor inventory, Mustique mooring at Britannia Bay, Canouan Glossy Bay Marina, Salt Whistle Bay protected anchor, Tobago Cays mooring at the inner field, Union Island Clifton Harbour and Chatham Bay, PSV and Palm Island anchor inventory. The Tobago Cays mooring field accepts to 40m at the inner buoys.
40m to 60m. Workable on full inventory. Glossy Bay Marina at Canouan handles to 70m, Tobago Cays mooring at the outer field, Mustique Britannia Bay mooring at the outer field, Bequia Admiralty Bay anchor at the outer positions.
60m to 80m. Glossy Bay Marina at Canouan primary inventory (the working 60m+ Grenadines base), Mustique Britannia Bay outer mooring at standoff, Tobago Cays outer mooring at the deep-water positions. Bequia Admiralty Bay anchor at 18 to 25 metres of swing. The cruising pace stays sailing-charter rather than motor-yacht given the short crossings.
80m and above. Glossy Bay Marina at Canouan primary inventory (accepts to 100m+ at the deep-water inner basin), anchor at standoff outside the Tobago Cays and Bequia at the deep-water lee positions. Most 80m+ Grenadines charters use Glossy Bay as the working overnight base with the daytime tender absorbing the on-shore product.
Grenadines charter cost math
| Line item | Range (40m motor yacht, February peak) |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | $115K to $155K |
| APA (28% to 32%) | $32K to $50K |
| Glossy Bay Marina Canouan (per night, 40m) | $1K to $2K |
| Glossy Bay Marina Canouan (per night, 80m) | $3K to $6K |
| Mustique mooring (per night, 40m) | $0.2K to $0.3K |
| Tobago Cays marine park (per person per day) | $0.01K |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines port and harbor fees | $0.2K to $0.5K per clearance |
| Grenada port and harbor fees | $0.2K to $0.5K per clearance |
| Restaurant ashore at Basil's Bar or Cotton House (per visit) | $0.3K to $0.8K |
| Tobago Cays beach lobster lunch (per person, from boat boats) | $0.05K to $0.1K |
| Gratuity (10% to 15%) | $11.5K to $23K |
| Full check | $165K to $245K |
The Grenadines run at the cleanest peak-season Caribbean charter rates on a like-for-like yacht basis given the high anchor-to-mooring ratio and the limited marina inventory outside Glossy Bay. APA at the Grenadines runs 28 to 32 percent at peak with the higher band reflecting the Mustique mooring premium and the Canouan marina fees.
What we passed on
We pass on the Grenadines as the working week for a motor yacht prioritising marina overnight. The chain holds only one major marina (Glossy Bay at Canouan) and the working overnight pattern runs anchor and mooring across 8 of 10 nights. If marina-overnight is the working requirement, weight toward Antigua, St Martin, or the BVI.
We pass on Mustique as the working anchor for guests not booked into the Mustique Company channel. The mooring inventory at Britannia Bay is controlled with the Mustique Company charter fee structure delivering the working mooring assignments; charter clients arriving without the channel relationship face mooring availability constraints at peak. The cleaner approach is to book Mustique via the broker working the Mustique Company allocation, or to time the visit for the shoulder weeks.
We pass on Tobago Cays overnight in the trade-wind acceleration windows (typical late January through mid-March). The Atlantic reef line breaks the easterly swell but the 20+ knot trade window delivers the working chop on the mooring field; clients prioritising the calmest single overnight should time the Tobago Cays for the morning and afternoon and run the overnight to PSV or Salt Whistle Bay.
We pass on the Grenadines as a charter week without sailing-charter pace. The 4 to 12 nautical mile crossings between anchorages absorb best at 6 to 8 knots with the trade-wind lee on the western anchor side; the motor-yacht charter that runs at 18+ knots on the leg passages spends more time at anchor than at the wheel and converges with the sailing-charter use case. The cleanest single charter structure for the Grenadines is a 40m to 50m sailing yacht or a crewed catamaran.
Multi-region pairings
The St Lucia-Grenadines 10-day southern charter is the canonical northern entry. We cover the St Lucia side on the St Lucia page. The St Lucia days absorb 2 to 3 of the 10-day rotation with the Bequia-and-south Grenadines days absorbing 7 to 8.
The Grenada-Grenadines 10-day northern charter is the canonical southern entry. Board at St George's Harbour on Grenada, run north through Carriacou, PSV, Tobago Cays, Mustique, and Bequia, disembark Bequia or continue north to St Vincent.
The Martinique-St Lucia-Grenadines-Grenada 14-day down-island sailing-charter delivers the full Lesser Antilles rotation. The structure works on sailing yachts cleanly and absorbs the working southern Caribbean sailing-charter inventory.
The Antigua-down-island 14 to 21 day southern run absorbs the Grenadines as the southern half of the working southern Caribbean rotation. Board at Antigua at the start of the Caribbean season (mid-December, post-Charter Yacht Show), run south via Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, the Grenadines, Carriacou, and Grenada; disembark Grenada or return north on a one-way structure.
The cross-pillar question (villa or charter)
The Mustique villa inventory (the 100-villa rental pool under the Mustique Company management) runs $5K to $50K per night with the high end at the Indian Snowball, the Stardust, and the Macaroni Beach Estate. For clients prioritising Mustique as the destination, the villa is the only working answer at peak weeks (the Cotton House and Firefly inventory tightens to a handful of rooms in the December and February peaks). The charter is the working answer for the full Grenadines rotation through Bequia, Tobago Cays, Mayreau, PSV, and Carriacou. Many charter weeks pair a 7-night Mustique villa stay with a 7-night charter through the rest of the chain.
The Canouan villa inventory at the Mandarin Oriental Reserve Residences and the Sandy Lane Yacht Club Residences runs $4K to $40K per night with the working high-end Canouan rental inventory at the Patrick Pheloung-developed Estate Villas. For Canouan-focused charter weeks, the resort base at the Mandarin or the Soho Beach House is the cleaner answer; the charter pairs well as the southern-Grenadines extension.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Mustique villa inventory, the Canouan Estate villas, the Bequia hillside homes at Mount Pleasant, the Carriacou private homes, and the Petite Martinique villas. HotelsForKings covers the Cotton House Mustique, the Firefly Mustique, the Mandarin Oriental Canouan, the Soho Beach House Canouan, the Petit St Vincent Resort, the Palm Island Resort, the Bequia Beach Hotel, and the Liming Bequia. RestaurantsForKings covers Basil's Bar at Mustique, the Cotton House Beach Cafe, the Firefly Bar, the Frangipani at Bequia, the Mac's Pizzeria, Maria's French Terrace, the Aquarium at Union Island, and the Happy Island Bar. BarsForKings covers Basil's, the Firefly, the Belmont Walkway, the Whaleboner, the Last Bar Before the Jungle, and the Happy Island.
FAQ
What size yacht works best at the Grenadines? 30m to 50m sailing yacht or crewed catamaran. The chain works at sailing-charter pace with 4 to 12 nautical mile crossings between most anchorages. Motor yachts up to 80m work via the Glossy Bay Marina at Canouan as the working overnight base with daytime tender access to the smaller anchors. Above 80m the working structure is Glossy Bay as the base with daytime cruising into the Tobago Cays and Mustique.
When are the Grenadines at their best? Mid-January through mid-April. Water 26 to 27 degrees, the Tobago Cays calendar at peak, the Mustique inventory at standard peak rates rather than NYE peak, and the trade winds delivering the working sailing-charter water. February is the strongest non-NYE month.
Should I charter Mustique through the Mustique Company or independently? Through the channel. The Mustique Company manages the mooring allocations at Britannia Bay and the villa rental pool; charter weeks routed through the channel deliver the working mooring assignments, the Cotton House Wednesday party access, and the Basil's Bar reservation calendar. Charter brokers working the Mustique Company channel are the standing entry point.
How do the Grenadines compare with the BVI? Different products. The BVI deliver the dense bareboat-style anchor cluster on the 30 nautical mile chain at trade-wind lee with the Bitter End and Foxy's calendar. The Grenadines deliver the longer-spread chain with the Mustique private-island product and the Tobago Cays marine park anchor. The BVI run more accessible for first-time Caribbean charter clients; the Grenadines run more rewarding for repeat Caribbean charter clients. We cover the BVI on the BVI page.
Is the Tobago Cays anchor really worth the trade-wind crossing? Yes. The 5-cay cluster inside the Atlantic horseshoe reef holds the canonical southern Caribbean anchor at moderate density and the working snorkel and turtle product at Baradel. The trade winds deliver chop on the mooring field in the late-January to mid-March window; clients prioritising the calmest single Tobago Cays day should time the visit for late-March through April.