Charter bases on St Thomas
The USVI charter fleet is concentrated on St Thomas. The main departure points are Red Hook (American Yacht Harbor, on the east end for the quickest hop to St John), Compass Point Marina near Frenchtown, and Crown Bay Marina and Yacht Haven Grande near Charlotte Amalie. Crown Bay in particular has excellent, recently upgraded facilities.
Anchorages & moorings
The USVI cruising is anchorage-and-mooring based rather than marina-berth based.
| Location | Highlight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Cove, Great St James | Snorkelling, pizza boat | Quick first-night stop from Red Hook |
| Caneel Bay, St John | National park, beaches | Protected, pristine |
| Maho Bay, St John | Turtles, calm water | Popular park mooring |
| Cruz Bay, St John | Town, provisioning, dining | St John's main hub |
| Magens Bay, St Thomas | Famous beach | Scenic, can be busy |
St John national park
More than 60% of St John is protected as the Virgin Islands National Park, and its bays use a well-managed mooring system (rather than anchoring, to protect seagrass and coral). Moorings are first-come and carry a modest fee. These are some of the most beautiful, best-preserved anchorages in the Caribbean — the highlight of most USVI charters.
Practicalities
No formal licence is needed for bareboat, but a sailing resume is required and base managers may ask you to demonstrate handling at check-in. Because it's US territory, there's no customs when moving between USVI islands or to the Spanish Virgin Islands — a genuine convenience. Provisioning is easy on St Thomas before departure. National park moorings carry small fees.