Yacht Charter Caribbean The Small Antilles

Sea & Coast
A large volcanic arc of islands in the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea, the Lesser Antilles are also sometimes known as the Caribbees. The islands themselves are divided by the Yacht Charter community into two separate groups: the Windward (in the south) and the Leeward Islands (in the north), names given by sailors soon after discovery, after the prevailing winds of the region.

Some of the more famous islands that make up the Lesser Antilles are from south to west the Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Barbuda, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and La Tortuga. All these also double up as flourishing Yacht Charter tourist havens thanks to their infrastructure, climate and overall position within the Lesser Antilles.

A less known fact to the hoards of Yacht Charter visitors that come here each year is the fact that the islands were formed thanks to a complicated tectonic process that involves the Caribbean and the North American Plates, a process which also is responsible for the earthquakes and the volcanic activity in the region. What that means to the seaman navigating these waters is that most of the islands have fairly high altitudes and thus can be easily spotted from out at sea.

The vegetation is varied due to the tropical climate but also due to the numerous types of landscape found on many of the islands, which varies from high mountain peaks to marshy plains and wide plateaus. Depending on which island you may find yourself together with your Yacht Charter crew, you might encounter a thick jungle, a mangrove forest or even a lush savanna. Some of the larger and more populated islands have extensive sugarcane plantations, banana trees and other aromatic plants that were used in the colonial trade.

The weather is very influenced by the trade winds which blow regularly throughout the year, forming separate seasons. Also, the position of the islands along the western edge of the Atlantic ensures that for six months a year, they get doused with plenty of rain and even occasional hurricanes in summer months. The best time for Yacht Charter sailors to visit would be between December and April.

Culture & History
Among the Caribbean islands, the Lesser Antilles are probably the most popular for tourism and Yacht Charter activities, but this wasn’t always so. They easterly position within the archipelago ensured that were the first reached by the European settlers and the worst affected by their dominance from all points of view.

Larger islands such as Martinique, St Lucia and Guadeloupe manage to attract large numbers of Yacht Charter guests with their colonial history and culture that extends to day to the local events, the architecture, the cuisine and the overall life cycle. A mixture of populations from back in the colonial age, today the Lesser Antilles are a tropical paradise of European descent (the French and British cultures can still be seen) that also brings elements from as far as China and Africa thanks to the slaves that were brought here to work the plantations long ago.

Seamanship & Experience
Since they cover a wide stretch of the Caribbean Sea, the Antilles offer varied sailing conditions, but there are a few common traits the Yacht Charter skipper can expect when travelling to this part of the world. One thing you can always count on are the famous trade winds that split the Lesser Antilles into 2 distinct groups: the Leeward group where winds blow predominantly from the east and the Windward group where winds blow predominantly from the northeast.

Other than that, hurricanes are the biggest threat to your Yacht Charter sailing holiday but they can be easily avoided if you don’t choose to book a trip during the summer hurricane season and choose the Lesser Antilles as a destination in winter or in spring when temperatures are lovely.