US Virgin Islands Yacht Charter: St Thomas, St John and St Croix
No passport needed for US citizens. Bareboat from $4,500 a week, crewed all-inclusive from $20,000 — plus the one question to ask before adding a BVI leg. Brokers since 1992.
The easiest Caribbean charter to reach if you are American: no passport, no customs, and a flight from the mainland straight into St Thomas. Bareboat monohulls start near $4,500 a week and crewed catamarans from around $20,000 all-inclusive. The cruising ground is compact — Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay is under 8nm — and about two-thirds of it is national park. Brokers since 1992.
Eight questions, about a minute · No obligation, and no fee to you for using a broker
Hansel and Adrian Sneed — your enquiry goes straight to them, not a call centre. Sneed Tropical Yacht Charters has been placing clients on these boats since 1992.
Where do you sail in the US Virgin Islands?
The core cruising ground is tiny, and that is the point. Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay is under eight miles. Red Hook to Cruz Bay is about three. You can sail a whole week here without a passage longer than an hour, which makes the USVI the least demanding charter in the Caribbean and a good fit for a family week or a first bareboat.
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Charlotte Amalie · Red Hook · STT airport · every charter baseSt Thomas
Where almost every USVI charter starts. Charlotte Amalie is the commercial harbour and cruise port, Red Hook the east-end ferry and sportfishing hub, and the marinas sit between them.
Provisioning is the best in the Virgin Islands — full American supermarkets rather than an island grocery — and the airport takes nonstops from seven mainland carriers.
Two-thirds national park · $26/night moorings · 3nm from Red HookSt John
About two-thirds of St John is Virgin Islands National Park, and it is the reason people charter here. Caneel, Maho, Francis, Leinster and Waterlemon are strung along the north shore within a few miles of each other.
The park keeps the shoreline undeveloped in a way nothing else in the Virgin Islands matches — but it comes with mooring rules that catch charter crews out.
Honeymoon Beach · 20 minutes from base · the pizza boatWater Island and Christmas Cove
The fourth Virgin Island, just off Charlotte Amalie, with Honeymoon Beach on its west side.
Christmas Cove at Great St James is the classic first or last night of a USVI week — twenty minutes from the base, protected, and with a pizza boat anchored in it.
32–40nm south · STX airport · no charter baseSt Croix
The largest of the US Virgin Islands and by far the least chartered. No operator bases a fleet here, and reaching it means a genuine open-water passage south — the only one in the Virgins.
The reward is Buck Island Reef, its marked underwater snorkelling trail, and Christiansted’s Danish colonial waterfront. Read more on sailing to St Croix →
How the national park moorings actually work
This is the single biggest practical difference between the USVI and the BVI, and the thing most charter crews get wrong. There is no reservation system. If you have chartered in the BVI and used BoatyBall to book a mooring from your phone, none of that exists here.
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Park entrance | Free. No pass required to enter the park by boat. |
| Overnight mooring | $26 per night, half price for US Senior and Access pass holders. That was the rate as last published by the National Park Service; confirm it on arrival. |
| Booking | First come, first served only. Pay on site by scanning a QR code at a floating self-pay station, or by envelope where there is no signal. No refunds, no changes. |
| Payment deadline | Before 7am. |
| Stay limits | Seven consecutive nights per bay, thirty nights per calendar year. |
| Anchoring | Only two designated anchorages in the whole park — Francis Bay and Lind Point. Anchors must be dropped in sand and must not touch coral. You may not deploy an anchor while on a mooring. |
| Boat size | White with blue stripe for vessels up to 60ft; larger white-and-blue balls for 61 to 100ft. Blue with a white stripe are commercial, and permit holders have priority. |
Plan your day around it. Because there is no way to reserve, popular bays fill from mid-afternoon in high season. The practical answer is to move early and accept a different bay than the one you planned, rather than arriving at Maho at five o’clock expecting a ball to be free.
There is no reservation system. If you have chartered in the BVI and booked a mooring from your phone, none of that exists here.
When is the best time to charter in the USVI?
December to April is prime: steady east to north-east trades of 12 to 20 knots, temperatures around 77 to 81°F, and the least rain. It is also when park moorings fill fastest and rates peak, particularly over Christmas and New Year.
May to August is shoulder — lighter winds of 10 to 15 knots, far fewer boats, noticeably lower rates. September and October sit at the peak of hurricane season and many operators reduce or close their fleets; the Atlantic season officially runs 1 June to 30 November.
Two dates worth planning around: the USVI Charter Yacht Show takes over Yacht Haven Grande in mid-November, when crewed boats are committed to the show and Charlotte Amalie berthing is tight; and St John Celebration around the 4th of July fills Cruz Bay’s moorings and anchorages more than any other week of the year.
What does a USVI yacht charter cost in 2026/27?
Weekly rate bands from published operator rate cards for the 2026/27 season, low season to high.
| Type of charter | Low season | High season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bareboat monohull, 42–49ft | $4,500 | $7,600 | Generator, watermaker and air conditioning are standard on these fleets. |
| Bareboat catamaran, 39–51ft | $5,500 | $18,900 | Wide spread — a 39ft four-cabin sits near the bottom, a 51ft ten-berth at the top. |
| Crewed catamaran, all-inclusive | $20,000–$50,000 | 50 to 60ft taking six to ten guests. New 58–60ft boats in peak weeks reach $58,000. | |
| Motor yacht, 60–120ft | $50,000–$150,000 | Usually plus expenses with an APA of 20–35%, rather than all-inclusive. | |
On top of the headline rate expect a deductible reduction of around $100 a night, fuel as used, and on some fleets an essentials pack covering insurance, cleaning, linens and permits at roughly $600 to $1,100 a week. A skipper on a bareboat runs about $300 a day plus meals and gratuity. On crewed charters a 15 to 20% crew gratuity is expected on top of everything.
Neither the USVI nor the BVI charges VAT on yacht charters, against 20% or more in the Mediterranean. The USVI does levy a 5% gross receipts tax on businesses, which operators build into their rates rather than adding at checkout. If you are quoted a separate double-digit “USVI tax”, ask to see it in the contract — it does not correspond to any territorial rate we can verify.
We only send you boats whose operators are licensed to cross
Since June 2025 many USVI-based yachts can no longer enter BVI waters. We check the licence before the boat reaches your shortlist.
Can you add the BVI to a US Virgin Islands charter?
Until 2025 this was barely a question. Tortola is a couple of hours from St John and crossing over for a few days was routine. That changed on 1 June 2025, when the BVI raised licence fees on foreign-based commercial vessels — overwhelmingly boats based in the USVI — by as much as 4,000% in some categories. Annual licensing for a foreign-based operator now runs from $7,500 to $24,000, against $800 to $4,000 for a BVI-based boat.
If your operator is licensed, the crossing itself is straightforward but it is a real international border. Everyone aboard needs a passport — there is no ID-only option, whatever your citizenship. You clear into the BVI at Jost Van Dyke, West End, Road Town or Virgin Gorda, pay the $10 environmental levy and the cruising permit, and clear back into the USVI on return.
Coming back into the US, US citizens can generally report through the free CBP ROAM app. Two exceptions matter: anyone who needs an I-94, requires a cruising licence, or has duties to pay must report in person. And crewed or commercial charter yachts are not on the ROAM pathway at all — they file electronic manifests instead, which is the operator’s responsibility rather than yours.
If anyone aboard is not a US citizen, raise it with the operator early. The long-standing position in the trade is that a charter yacht is not a recognised carrier for US entry, meaning a visa-national guest who sails to the BVI may need to return by scheduled ferry or air rather than on the boat. We have not been able to confirm this from a current CBP source, so treat it as a question to put to CBP St Thomas or your operator rather than a settled rule — but do not discover it on the day.
Where does a USVI charter start?
Effectively all USVI bareboat chartering starts on St Thomas, at three marinas within a short drive of the airport.
| Base | Who is there | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frenchtown Marina, Charlotte Amalie | Waypoints (formerly CYOA) | Closest to the airport — the operator markets it as airport to anchorage in under two hours. |
| Compass Point Marina, East End | Dream Yacht, Virgin Islands Yacht Charters, Go Sail VI | A calm, well-protected harbour on the east end. |
| Yacht Haven Grande, Charlotte Amalie | Crewed and megayacht | 46 megayacht berths, up to 656ft and 25ft draft. Customs and immigration on site by appointment, plus a ROAM kiosk. Hosts the USVI Charter Yacht Show. |
| American Yacht Harbor, Red Hook | Sportfishing and day charter | 123 berths, up to 120ft and 10ft draft. More a day-charter and ferry hub than a bareboat base. |
| Green Cay Marina, St Croix | No bareboat fleet | 154 slips attached to a resort, but no operator bases a charter fleet on St Croix. |
What about St Croix?
St Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands and by far the least chartered, for three concrete reasons. No operator bases a bareboat fleet there. Its airport has direct mainland service from only Miami and Atlanta, against seven carriers into St Thomas. And unlike everything else in the Virgins, reaching it means a genuine open-water passage — roughly 32 to 40 nautical miles south from St John or St Thomas, with the return leg to windward.
What it offers in return is Buck Island Reef National Monument a mile and a half off the north shore, with an elkhorn barrier reef and a marked underwater snorkelling trail, and Christiansted’s Danish colonial waterfront. Anchoring at Buck Island is currently permitted without a permit in the designated area on the west side, and the Park Service has said updated permitting will be announced later. All extractive use is banned there — and note that merely having fishing gear aboard within the monument boundary is prohibited, which is a genuine trap for a charter boat with rods in a locker.
Check before you plan it. We could not confirm from any operator’s terms whether bareboat contracts permit the St Croix crossing. Given the passage length and the beat home, assume it needs prior approval and ask before you book a week around it.
Got the shape of the week? Tell us your dates and we will send what is genuinely available →
What a USVI week looks like
Because nothing is far from anything, a USVI week is shaped by where you want to wake up rather than by how far you can sail. This is the common shape of a seven-night charter from St Thomas.
| Day | Route | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base to Christmas Cove, Great St James | 5nm, 45 min |
| 2 | Across to St John — Caneel or Honeymoon Bay | 5nm, 1 hr |
| 3 | North shore — Maho, Francis and Waterlemon | 4nm, 45 min |
| 4 | Round the east end to Coral Bay | 8nm, 90 min |
| 5 | Back west, Lameshur or Reef Bay on the south shore | 6nm, 1 hr |
| 6 | Water Island, Honeymoon Beach | 8nm, 90 min |
| 7 | Back to base | 3nm, 30 min |
A four-day short break works well here in a way it does not in the BVI — St Thomas out to St John and back, with two nights in the park, is a complete trip rather than a rushed one.
Things to do ashore and at anchor
The distances here are so short that a USVI week is shaped more by what you do ashore than by how far you sail. These are the stops worth building the days around.
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St John · CBP terminal · park visitor centreGo ashore at Cruz Bay
The only real town on St John and the practical stop on any park itinerary — provisions, restaurants, the CBP terminal and the national park visitor centre are all within a few streets of the dinghy dock.
It is also the busiest anchorage on the island, so most crews tender in from Caneel or Honeymoon rather than trying to lie off the town.
St Thomas · Yacht Haven Grande · duty-free townCharlotte Amalie and Yacht Haven Grande
The last proper provisioning before a week in the park, and the best of it in the Virgin Islands — full American supermarkets rather than an island grocery.
Yacht Haven Grande has customs and immigration on site by appointment plus a ROAM kiosk, which is useful to know if you are coming back from the BVI.
Great St James · Water Island · 20 minutes from baseA night at anchor off St Thomas
Christmas Cove at Great St James is the classic first or last night of a USVI week — protected, twenty minutes from the base, and with a pizza boat anchored in it.
Honeymoon Beach on Water Island is the other easy one, close enough that a late flight still leaves you a night on the water.
What a charter week actually costs
Fuel, provisioning, moorings, permits, the damage waiver, and how an APA really works — set out so you can build a realistic budget before you speak to anyone. No obligation, and no fee to you for using a broker.
US Virgin Islands charter FAQs
Do I need a passport to charter in the USVI?
Not if you are a US citizen arriving from the mainland or Puerto Rico — the USVI is US territory and that is domestic travel. Since May 2025 air passengers over 18 do need a REAL ID-compliant licence or a passport to board the flight. The moment your itinerary touches the BVI, everyone aboard needs a passport.
Can I take the boat to the BVI?
Only if your operator holds a current BVI commercial licence. Since June 2025 the fees on foreign-based vessels rose steeply and many USVI operators have stopped offering BVI itineraries. Ask for written confirmation before booking if the BVI matters to you.
Do I need to book national park moorings in advance?
You cannot. Virgin Islands National Park moorings are strictly first come, first served, paid on site before 7am, at $26 per night as last published. There is no equivalent of the BVI reservation apps, so plan to move early rather than counting on a specific bay.
Can I anchor instead of taking a mooring?
Inside the national park there are only two designated anchorages, Francis Bay and Lind Point, and anchors must be set in sand clear of coral. Outside park waters anchoring is more open, but the park covers most of what you came to see.
What permits should my operator hold?
A current Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs business licence, which must be aboard the vessel; DPNR vessel registration, renewed annually on 1 July; a Coast Guard certificate of inspection and a licensed captain for crewed charters; and a park permit if the itinerary includes St John. It is reasonable to ask.
Is the USVI or the BVI better for a first charter?
The USVI if you are American and want the simplest possible trip — no passport, short flights, tiny distances, and the national park scenery. The BVI if you want more islands, more variety of anchorage and a livelier bar scene, and do not mind the border formalities.
Get a USVI shortlist for your week
Tell us the dates, the number of people and roughly what you want to spend. If you want a BVI leg, say so — we will only send you boats whose operators are licensed to cross.
What happens next: a broker reads this personally and comes back within 24–48 hours with three to five boats that genuinely fit your dates and budget — not an automated list.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-561-463-6840. We have been brokering Caribbean charters since 1992, and there is no fee to you for using a broker.
Keep planning
The US Virgin Islands are one of three territories in a Virgin Islands charter. The Virgin Islands overview compares all three, or read about the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgin Islands.
Last updated 25 August 2026. Rates and rules checked for the 2026/27 season against operator rate cards, the National Park Service fee schedule and US Customs and Border Protection.
Ready to plan your USVI week?
Tell us your dates, your group, and whether you want a BVI leg. Within 24–48 hours you will have three to five boats that are genuinely free that week — and if the BVI is on your list, only operators licensed to cross.
Get my shortlist →Prefer to talk it through? 1-561-463-6840 · No fee to you for using a broker