Every charter brochure leads with a weekly rate. That number, $2,800 for a 40-foot sailboat, $5,500 for a catamaran, is real, but it is not close to what you will spend. By the time you add the skipper, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, the customs permits, the marina fees, and the fuel, the total figure looks considerably different. This is not hidden. The costs are all documented. But the way charter fees are quoted strips out the variables, and most first-time charterers discover the full picture only after they have booked.
This breakdown covers actual costs across three Caribbean charter regions: the BVI, the Grenadines, and Venezuela (Los Roques). Real numbers, from people who have actually sailed these routes. You will not find broad ranges here, just the specific figures that appear on charter receipts and receipt books.
BVI bareboat rates in peak season (December through April, 2025 data): 38-42ft sailing yacht, $2,200-$3,500 per week. 43-48ft catamaran, $4,000-$7,200 per week. These are boat-only rates. To add a licensed skipper: $185-$245 per day, so $1,295-$1,715 for a 7-day charter. A cook runs $155-$195 per day. Crewed bookings add $1,200-$2,400 per week depending on experience level.
APA for a skippered BVI charter is typically 25-30% of the base charter fee. On a $3,000 bareboat with a $1,500 skipper add-on, APA at 25% of the combined charter total equals $1,125. From that APA, actual expenditure typically breaks down as: provisioning $45-65 per person per day (buy at Road Town before departure), fuel $150-250 for the week (BVI distances are short and the sailing is usually good), marina and mooring fees $150-300 total (many BVI anchorages are free, National Park buoys run $25-35 per night), and miscellaneous $100-200. A group of six on a catamaran can expect to clear an APA of $900-1,200 in actual expenses. Any unspent APA returns to you at checkout.
Required fees: Cruising permit $30-45 USD paid on entry at Road Town. National Park permit $30 USD, required for park mooring buoys at The Baths, Anegada, and other protected sites. Total mandatory fees: $60-75 USD per boat.
BVI total for six people, seven nights on a 43ft catamaran in peak season: charter $5,500 + skipper $1,470 (7 days at $210) + APA $1,743 (25% of combined fee) + permits $75 + end-clean $250 = approximately $9,038 total, or $1,506 per person. That is the real number.
Grenadines bareboat rates from Grenada or St. Vincent in peak season: 38-42ft sailing yacht, $1,800-$3,200 per week. 43-48ft catamaran, $3,500-$6,000 per week. Slightly cheaper than BVI for comparable boats, partly because the BVI fleet trends newer and partly because the Grenadines has less name recognition among first-time charterers.
The significant difference in the Grenadines is the international border crossing mid-route. SVG cruising permit: approximately EC$100 ($37 USD) per vessel. Grenada entry: approximately EC$65 ($24 USD). Tobago Cays Marine Park buoy fee: $10 USD per night. Total mandatory fees: roughly $75-80 USD per boat for a St. Vincent to Grenada one-way route.
Provisioning in the Grenadines costs more than in the BVI due to smaller populations and less competitive supply chains. Road Town has full supermarkets. St. George’s is comparable. On islands like Bequia, Mayreau, or Union Island, provisioning means small shops with limited selection at island prices. Budget $55-75 per person per day if eating primarily from the boat in the Grenadines, higher than BVI because shore dining on remote islands is limited and expensive.
Grenadines total for six people, seven nights on a 43ft catamaran in peak season: charter $4,800 + skipper $1,470 + APA $1,568 (25%) + permits $80 + end-clean $250 = approximately $8,168 total, or $1,361 per person. About 10% cheaper than BVI for a similar boat and itinerary.
Venezuela offers the lowest charter costs in the Caribbean. Los Roques-based operators, all local Venezuelan companies, offer 43-48ft catamarans for $3,200-$4,500 per week including skipper and cook, fully provisioned, all fees included. These are all-in prices, not bareboat rates. The all-in model makes Venezuela straightforward to budget: one number, almost no additional costs.
The national park entry fee ($27 USD per person) is paid separately on arrival at Gran Roque. A group of six pays $162 in park fees. There are no marina fees in Los Roques because there are no marinas. All anchorages are free, and the National Park prohibits permanent commercial waterfront infrastructure.
Total for six people, seven nights in Los Roques: approximately $4,000 all-in charter with skipper, cook, and provisions for a comparable catamaran + park fees $162 + flights from Caracas approximately $1,500 for the group ($250 per person round trip on the turboprop from Maiquetia) = approximately $5,662 total, or $944 per person. This is roughly 40% cheaper than BVI for a comparable boat.
The caveat: you need to reach Venezuela, which adds cost and complexity. From the eastern Caribbean, flights from Barbados or Grenada to Caracas and then the connection to Gran Roque add $400-600 per person. From the US or Europe, Venezuela requires transit through Caracas and a same-day domestic connection to Gran Roque. The logistics are manageable with planning, but they are an additional step that the BVI and Grenadines, both accessible by direct regional flights, do not require.
1. Book shoulder season. May-June and October-November in the Caribbean offer 20-30% discounts versus peak rates (December-April), often with better weather in June and November than the brochures suggest. Fewer boats, calmer anchorages.
2. Anchor out instead of marinas. BVI free anchorages and $25-35 buoy fees versus $60-120 per night marina fees add up over seven nights. Choose anchorages over marina stops and save $200-400 on a typical week.
3. Provision at the base before departure. Road Town, Tortola and St. George’s, Grenada both have full supermarkets. Provisioning at these large markets rather than on-island shops saves 25-40% on food costs. The biggest savings come on the first day’s shop.
4. Go east first then west. In the Grenadines, sail against the trades early in the charter when you have energy and patience, then ride the wind home downwind. The same logic applies in the BVI: getting to Anegada on day two means a comfortable downwind return for the rest of the week.
5. Split the skipper cost between couples. On a catamaran with two cabins and two couples, a shared skipper costs $90-120 per person per day instead of $185-245. This works well when the accommodation fits and both couples want the skipper option.
6. Last-minute bookings. Charter companies drop rates on unsold inventory, sometimes 25-30%, in the three to six weeks before the charter date. This requires total flexibility on dates, destination, and boat model, but the savings can be significant.
7. Compare base currencies. Some BVI operators quote in GBP, some in USD, some in EUR. The exchange rate effects are real and worth checking across all options before booking. A boat quoted in GBP with a favorable exchange rate can be noticeably cheaper than an apparently similar USD price.
Over 60 anchorages within a day’s sail, consistent trade winds, and island spacing designed for charterers. A complete guide to the world’s most popular bareboat charter destination.
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