Caribbean Catamaran Sailing Vacations
Crewed catamarans cruising the Caribbean Virgin Islands
Caribbean Seasons
Weather in the Caribbean is near-perfect almost all year. Temperatures vary from the high 80's to low 90's in the summer and from the low to mid 80's during the winter. Reliable trade winds blow from the northeast at 15 to 25 mph during the winter and shift to the southeast at 10 to 15 mph during the summer. However late summer and early autumn can bring unsettled weather. Mid-August to mid-October is the time that you are most likely to see a tropical storm occur, but they happen infrequently and always provide several days of advance warning. So despite the possibility of such weather, many people choose this time of the year to enjoy the quiet and solitude of the "off season".
Lying just over 1000 miles from the equator the Virgin Islands enjoys a balmy sub-tropical climate, plied by constant trade winds. Temperatures rarely drop below 77F in the winter or rise above 90F in the summer. The night temperatures vary by only 10F.
Our sailing year is characterized as follows:
Winter: While the US Mainland and much of Europe is locked in the icy grip of winter the BVI enjoys fresh trade winds and abundant sunshine. Daytime temperatures average 80 - 85F dropping to 75 - 80F at night. Winds average 10 - 20 knots providing exciting sailing conditions and cool night ventilation. Short localized rain showers may pass over us but these rarely last for more than 30 minutes. 
Spring: From the middle of April the winter trade winds begin to moderate and we experience a slow increase in daytime temperatures. Daytime highs average 90F, nighttime lows 80F and there is a 20% chance of short showers. The islands take on a fresh green lushness that heralds the arrival of a new season.
Summer:
July, August, September and October are the quietest months in the BVI. It is the warmest time of year with daytime highs of 95F but nights remain comfortable at 80F. We enjoy the tranquil anchorages and lazy sailing days and we have air-conditioning throughout the boat for those still nights.
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Information
Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks of the season (expect to pay a 10% or more, premium at these times), and the BVI high season is late December to mid June.
Most crewed yachts have only three pricing periods. The winter season begins December 15th and ends April 30th. The summer season starts May 1st and ends December 14th. In addition to these two seasons, most yachts charge a premium for Christmas and New Years. Normally this premium is about 10% but during the Millennium many yacht have successfully doubled their prices.
Hurricanes
are very rare and are most likely to occur from late August to the end of September.