The first time we experienced BVI/SXM Yacht Charters, it was a up-and-down experience. We booked thru the Catamaran Company for a trip between Christmas and New Years – the craziest time of the year. The CatCo told us our yacht was in St. Martin at St. Martin Yacht Charters, but they would bring it to the BVI for our trip and originate out of BVI Yacht Charters.
When St. Martin Yacht Charters said they would allow us to sail it from SXM to BVI with their professional captain, we jumped at the chance. The overnight said from Marigot to Tortola was a remarkable experience.
But there were a number of unique issues during that trip that made that charter less then flawless. Because this was the LAST boat available in the Caribbean that week, it was a little older and not as well maintained. Was that the fault of the Catamaran Company, St. Martin Yacht Charters or BVI Yacht Charters. Probably none of them.
That said, it seemed like we need to go in for maintenance almost every other day. On most all trips we have been on, something breaks and a maintenance call is needed. Because this was the busiest week of the year, things that should have been quick and easy to fix took seemingly forever. Waiting for maintenance from a team of guys who were overworked for the week is not typically how we want to spend our vacation
We walked away from that trip expecting that we would not charter thru any of the three companies (CatCo, SXMYC or BVIYC) again. Fortunately for us, they offered us a great “last minute deal” and we went for it. Our second trip was remarkably better.
For both BVI Yacht Charter and St. Martin Yacht Charter, their best-selling feature is their location. In the BVI, their dock is well protected, easy to get in and out, walking distance from the ferry terminal and – best of all – right across the street from the grocery store. In St. Martin, the base is on the Marina St. Louis – outside Simpson Bay Lagoon. From our experience with Dream Yacht Charters, being outside the lagoon is critical. It has dozens of impacts on your trip that you might not naturally think of. We would never again charter in St. Martin where we had to take delivery inside the lagoon.
Don’t get me wrong, they have a vast selection of yachts, which are all well maintained (above example exempted). The staff is friendly and dedicated to making sure you have a great vacation.
There are a few things where we would like to see both bases step up their game.
This is mostly related to the BVI base, but like most smaller, independent charter companies (i.e.: NOT Moorings, Sunsail, Dream, etc.), their base is fairly utilitarian. They don’t have a big restaurant, adjoining hotel, restroom and shower court, water toys, and the like. The upside of this spartan base facility is that you are not paying higher charter fees for spa facilities, a gourmet coffee shop or a wood fired pizza bar you probably won’t use.
That said, if you are planning to sleep aboard the night before you set sail, you have to rely on the base bathrooms and showers. If we were going to make one change to the BVIYC base, it would be to upgrade their facilities to include large, resort style, CLEAN bathrooms and showers you can feel good about sending your most particular guests to use the night before they spend a week aboard a yacht taking “island showers.” A nice restaurant in walking distance would be an added plus.
To be fair: All of our experiences with the SXM and BVI bases were what should be considered B.I. (Before Hurricane Irma). We plan on going back down in June of 2019 and will update this review accordingly.