US Virgin Islands Sailing Charters

SAMPLE 7 NIGHT/8 DAY USVI-ONLY CHARTER

PLACES TO SEE AND THINGS TO DO WHEN SAILING IN THE USVI’S

Max Charters offers US Virgin Islands sailing charters that can be customized to your preference. Rather than mapping out a day-by-day itinerary for the US Virgin Islands, it really makes more sense to describe all the options and let you decide where you want to go and what works best for you.  Chartering in the USVI’s is a very different experience than what you will find when sailing the BVI's.  It's much quieter, far less crowded, and will save you a little money by avoiding any customs fees.  Even our guests who do sail to the BVI’s, spend a night or two enjoying St. John or Great St. James.  You will want to plan a little differently when provisioning for a USVI-only charter as you will most likely be eating more meals onboard, which can be quite nice.  You will be able to enjoy a great deal of privacy, pristine beaches, beautiful scenic hikes, as well as exciting nightlife, and amazing restaurants in Cruz Bay and St. John.

WITH THAT BEING SAID . . .

Here's what we would do on a week-long charter in the USVI’s:

Sleep aboard night - Casual dinner at The Tap & Still (by the marina) or a nicer dinner at XO Bistro

Day 1 - Sail around the East End of St. Thomas for Magen's Bay/Lunch ashore/dinner on board

Day 2 - Head to Caneel Bay for lunch at Zozo's. Sail along the North Shore of St. John/ Overnight at Hawksnest for snorkeling  & dinner on board

Day 3 Sail to Francis Bay for overnight/Maho Crossroads for lunch & drinks/live music, then dinner on board

Day 4 - Waterlemon Cay and Leinster for snorkeling and easy hike/sail to Hansen Bay (LimeOut), for lunch, make your way to Salt Pond or Lameshur for a quiet overnight and dinner aboard

Day 5 - Nice, longer sail to Water Island/lunch at Heidi's or Dinghy's 
Overnight in Lindberg Bay/dinner at Emerald Bay Resort (OR, choose to anchor in Long Bay/marina slip at YHG for dinner & shopping downtown)

Day 6 - Breakfast at Emerald Cafe/then head back east and motor through Long Bay for the scenery Pick up a ball on Honeymoon and spend some time in Cruz Bay for shopping and dinner

Day 7 - Pizza Pi in Christmas Cove for lunch and snorkeling/overnight on a mooring
OR, spend the afternoon and evening in Secret Harbor on anchor (it's VERY calm here)

Day 8 - Early breakfast at Cruzan Beach Club in Secret Harbor, then back to base (45 min. from marina) 

ST. JOHN - HAWKSNEST, TRUNK BAY, CINNAMON, FRANCIS BAY (Maho Beach)

One of the best things about starting and ending your trip in the USVI’s is taking advantage of spending some time on St. John.  With its long stretches of white sandy beaches and beautiful, mountainous terrain wrapped in rich foliage, as if draped in green velvet, St John is not to be missed.  As we leave the channel from Compass Point Marina, you will already have St. John in your sites.  Take special note as we sail by Great St. James and Christmas Cove, as this may be where you want to spend the last night of your charter.  As we make our way along the North shore, we will take some time to stop and enjoy the beautiful, clear water and stop in a few of the quiet cays for a snorkel or for lunch on board.  A great place for this is Hawksnest and Oppenheimer Beach, made famous because it was the former home of Robert Oppenheimer, father of the Atomic Bomb.  This property was eventually given to the people of St. John and is a spectacular, private recreation area.  Continue sailing (or motoring) past Trunk Bay, Cinnamon, and Peter Bay, where the scenery is spectacular.  We will overnight in Francis Bay, home to the new Maho Crossroads, where you can enjoy a bite to eat, cool Caribbean beverages, and most days, live music.  Sunday, Fun-Days, and full-moon parties are the best!  Plus, you're sure to see some turtles and donkeys!

WATERLEMON CAY & LEINSTER BAY

As we make our way through the cut at Mary Point, Francis Bay, we will begin sailing into the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  We will stop for a snorkel and/or hike at Waterlemon Cay/Leinster Bay, ranked the #1 St John Attraction on TripAdvisor.  Here you will find stunningly clear water, abundant coral, and boundless marine life - perfect  snorkeling for all levels.  There is also a beautiful and historic hike through the Annaberg Plantation.  A very flat walk along the shoreline makes for an easy, relaxing, self-guided tour of sugar mill ruins.  

EAST END, ST. JOHN

The Southeast Side of Coral Harbor has become one of the most popular spots on St. John because of the newly famous Lime Out, a floating artisan taco restaurant and cool hangout!  Hansen Bay is located on St. John's East End near the Coral Bay area.  It’s a great place for a lunch stop as we make our way to an overnight anchorage.  Lime Out was recently named #3 Best Restaurant in the Caribbean by USA TODAY Readers' Choice 2020. 

SALT POND and GREAT  and LITTLE LAMESHUR BAY, SOUTH SHORE, ST. JOHN

If you're really looking for privacy and beautiful, quiet cays, the South Shore is the perfect place, as long as the weather cooperates.  There is a great hike here up to Ram's Head with expansive views of the Atlantic.

Next to Salt Pond, you will find Great and Little Lameshur Bay.  Both are very protected except when there is a rare South wind or the seas are from the South.  In any of these bays, you will need to dine on board as there are literally no services available - just peace and quiet!

GREAT CRUZ BAY, HONEYMOON, AND CANEEL
This area is the most popular location among our charter guests for their last night. Since mooring or anchoring in Cruz Bay is prohibited because ALL of the balls are private, Honeymoon and Caneel offer plenty of options for those wanting to dinghy in to town.  Cruz Bay offers many dining and shopping options, as well as a vibrant nightlife, both in the downtown area, as well as Mongoose Junction.  It is definitely a good idea to make a reservation for most of the restaurants in St. John, so be sure to plan ahead and let our crew know what you would like to do. A few of our favorite restaurants are shown below, but there are many other choices.

GREAT ST. JAMES AND LITTLE ST. JAMES

Another nice spot to spend the last night of charter is Christmas Cove at Great St. James.  This area is only about 30 minutes outside of Compass Point Marina and is home to the world famous Pizza Pi, #4 on the USA Today Readers' Choice for Best Restaurants in the Caribbean.  We always see turtles here and quite often spot eagle rays.  Unfortunately, Little St. James has recently become quite the tourist attraction because of its infamous owner, Jeffrey Epstein. On the bright side, there's great snorkeling there! 

LOVANGO

One of the newest attractions in the USVI’s is Zozo's H2O, located on Lovango. Charter boats are welcome.

RED HOOK

On the far East End of the island, near our marina, you will find Red Hook, a small, but bustling area where most of the nightlife on the island takes place.  There are numerous restaurants with a wide-range of dining options, some cool retail stores, and a very nice grocery store/wine shop.  Most any night of the week, you'll also be able to find live music at one of the many bars in this vibrant and lively hot spot.   

SECRET HARBOR

One of our favorite places!  Secret Harbor is almost always calm, there is great snorkeling, a cool pool bar/restaurant, and a nicer restaurant, Sunset Grill, for the evening.  This is the closest bay to our marina, which makes it a great place to stay pre-or post-charter.  We have many guests who take advantage of this beautiful condo resort, especially given its convenient location and gorgeous setting.

CHARLOTTE AMALIE 

Surrounding Long Bay is the main "city area" that includes Havensight (cruise port area), Yacht Haven Grande (mega-yacht marina), Charlotte Amalie (downtown), and French Town.  All of these areas combined are a shopper's paradise with a wide-range of shops.  From high-end designer stores down to the bargain hunting mecca affectionately known as "Tent City", there's something for everyone.

WATER ISLAND

.This is one of the 4 islands that make up the USVI’s.  It's not as well-known as the big three, St Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, but it's very popular with those of us who live and work here.  It's a fun, yet quieter version of the BVI's White Bay.  Here you will find Heidi's Honeymoon Grill and Dinghy's Beach Bar.  There's always something great going on here including live music, Movies by the Sea, Dinner Under the Stars, and Sunday brunch.  You might want to consider renting a golf cart to cruise around the island and enjoy a few spectacular photo ops. 

Call or Book Online to Reserve Your US Virgin Islands Sailing Charters Plans.