Quick answer: A USVI-only yacht charter boards in St Thomas, at Yacht Haven Grande in Charlotte Amalie, Crown Bay Marina, or the east-end marinas around Red Hook. In the main season, December to April, the best five stops are Christmas Cove, Leinster Bay, Maho and Francis Bay, Cruz Bay and Trunk Bay, in that order. Swell decides the order for overnight stops; the town and day stops come after. The two US-flagged St Thomas-based yachts in this guide start from $32,000 per week, all-inclusive, as listed on October 31, 2026.
Stay in US waters for the week and the charter itself crosses no border. No ferry, and no clearing in on day one. If you fly in from outside the US, you still clear at the airport as usual.
The route itself, day by day, is in our 7-day itinerary from St Thomas. Costs, transfers and the planning decisions are in the 6 things to get right before a USVI charter.
How we made this list: ranked for a winter week. First, how well the stop holds up when north swell reaches St John, roughly December to March. Then what it gives you for the night or the day. The captain still sets the route each morning by the swell forecast.
- 1. Christmas Cove, Great St James
- 2. Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay, St John
- 3. Maho Bay and Francis Bay, St John
- 4. Cruz Bay, St John
- 5. Trunk Bay, St John
1. Christmas Cove, Great St James
Christmas Cove is on the west side of Great St James, the small island off the east end of St Thomas.
It faces away from St John’s north shore. When the north swell is running, this is the quiet night.
It is a short hop from the east end of St Thomas, so it works as a first night or a last night.
The cove is a designated marine sanctuary. Pizza Pi, a sailboat pizzeria, floats here and delivers to your swim platform. It opens daily from 11am to 5:30pm and is back for the season from 2 November, so plan it as lunch or an early supper.
Christmas Cove anchorage guide
2. Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay, St John
Leinster Bay is on St John’s north shore, east of Mary Point, with Tortola across the water.
Cruiser reports name it as the north-shore bay to pick when a long north swell is forecast. It still takes chop when the trade wind blows.
Waterlemon Cay, in the bay, is the snorkeling stop. The park has a floating fee station here.
3. Maho Bay and Francis Bay, St John
Maho and Francis sit side by side on the north shore, inside Virgin Islands National Park.
Outside the swell months they are a classic night on St John. Turtles graze the seagrass in Maho Bay.
Cruiser reports say that in a big north swell they can roll, and the dinghy run to the beach gets wet. Francis has the park’s floating fee station, and offshore Francis Bay is one of the park’s two designated anchorages.
4. Cruz Bay, St John
Cruz Bay is St John’s town, on the west end. It ranks fourth because it is a town stop rather than a quiet night: take one evening ashore here in a week of evenings aboard.
It is also a US port of entry, so it is one place to clear back in if your week includes the BVI. US Customs and Border Protection at Cruz Bay is open from 8:00am to 5:30pm, every day, which means the last leg back from the BVI has to land in office hours. We confirm the clearance port for your route.
For the night, Lind Point, just outside the harbour, is one of the park’s two designated anchorages.
The park’s visitor center is here too, with a mooring pay station on the finger pier.
5. Trunk Bay, St John
Trunk Bay is the beach on the postcards, with an underwater snorkel trail off its small cay.
Treat it as a day stop. It is the open north-facing beach and takes a north swell with no shelter. It has no overnight pay station: the park’s stations are at Cruz Bay, Caneel Bay, Francis Bay, Leinster Bay, Saltpond Bay and Great Lameshur Bay.
Saltpond Bay and Great Lameshur Bay are on St John’s south shore, facing away from a north swell. If the north shore is rolling, ask your captain about a night there instead.
Swim the trail in the morning, then move on for the night.
Where you board in St Thomas
Yacht Haven Grande, Charlotte Amalie. On the harbour in town, on the same side of the island as the airport.
Crown Bay Marina. West of town, about ten minutes from the airport.
Red Hook and Compass Point, east end. American Yacht Harbor is in Red Hook. Compass Point Marina is in Benner Bay, a few minutes away. This is the short side for St John and Christmas Cove, and the long side from the airport: roughly 35 minutes by taxi, depending on traffic. Board in town and the first leg to St John is longer.
Taxis in St Thomas charge per person on the VI Taxicab Commission’s rate schedule. Airport to Red Hook is $17 per person for two or more; a single rider pays more, and bags are charged per piece. Ask the driver for the posted Commission rate.
Of the two yachts below, DANTE is based in Red Hook. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL is listed as St Thomas-based; we confirm her boarding marina when you book. Check the boarding marina with us before you book flights.
The park rules in numbers
- Overnight on a park mooring or at anchor: $26 per night, paid before the night.
- White moorings with blue stripes: yachts up to 60 feet.
- White moorings with red stripes, the big-boat moorings: 61 to 100 feet.
- Anchoring only in sand, and only in the designated anchorages, offshore Francis Bay and Lind Point.
- No more than 7 nights in one bay, and 30 nights a year.
- Trunk Bay: $5 per person aged 16 and over, sunrise to sunset.
Yachts over 60 feet use the big-boat moorings, for 61 to 100 feet, at the same $26 per night, or a designated anchorage, so the order of bays can change.
Can the yacht stay in US waters all week?
Not every yacht can. A charter that starts and ends in the USVI needs a yacht cleared to charter in US waters.
The flag and the crew’s licensing decide it, so check both before you choose a boat. A BVI-flagged catamaran based in St Thomas was left out of this guide for that reason. Both yachts in this guide are listed as US-flagged. For any yacht, we confirm US-flag and USVI charter status for your dates before you book.
If you add the BVI, each crossing means clearing out of one territory and into the other, and everyone aboard needs a passport.
As of October 2026 the two governments are still disputing the BVI charter fee: a USVI-based yacht has to pay it or stay out of BVI waters, and many of them now stay out. Confirm it before you book. That is the real reason to settle the plan before you pick the boat. Our sister site’s guide to the BVI charter fee explains it.
Two St Thomas-based, US-flagged yachts
As listed on October 31, 2026: SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL (72ft catamaran, 8 guests, US flag, St Thomas) and DANTE (54ft catamaran, 8 guests, US flag, Red Hook). Both charter all-inclusive. Card prices are the 2-guest rate. For 2 to 8 guests, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL runs from $33,000 to $39,000 per week and DANTE from $32,000 to $35,000 per week.
Prices shown are listing snapshots dated October 31, 2026. Availability and the final weekly rate must be confirmed for your dates.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a US Virgin Islands yacht charter start?
In St Thomas: Yacht Haven Grande in Charlotte Amalie, Crown Bay Marina, or Red Hook and Compass Point on the east end. Your yacht’s listing names her base marina.
Which St John bays are best in winter?
From about December to March, north swell can reach St John’s north shore. Cruiser reports put Leinster Bay as the best of the north-shore bays in a swell. Christmas Cove, off St Thomas, faces away from it. Trunk Bay is best kept for a morning swim.
Is there customs on a USVI-only charter?
Not for the charter itself. A week that stays in US waters crosses no border. If you go into the BVI, you clear out and back in, and everyone aboard needs a passport, children included.
What does a St Thomas-based yacht cost?
The two in this guide start from $32,000 per week for 2 guests, all-inclusive. With 8 guests, DANTE is $35,000 per week and SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL $39,000 per week. Fuel, food, drinks and standard running expenses are in the rate. Gratuity is at your discretion, and we confirm whether park fees are included.
Tell us your dates and your group. We will find the yacht that is already in St Thomas.
Last updated: October 31, 2026.
iMessage
WhatsApp
