Sail Martinique.

Martinique sits in the middle of the Windward Islands, which makes it a sensible place to start a Caribbean charter rather than an afterthought. Le Marin, on the south coast, is one of the largest charter bases in the eastern Caribbean, so provisioning, chandlery and boat support are all close to hand. The island is French — euros, baguettes, good coffee — with the trade-wind sailing and warm water you come here for. You can spend a week working Martinique's own coast and bays, or use it as a jumping-off point south towards St Lucia and the Grenadines. It suits sailors who want proper wind without long ocean passages between anchorages.

Most charters begin in Le Marin, a deep, protected bay full of moorings and marina berths. Ten minutes out you reach Sainte-Anne, a wide anchorage with a village ashore and a swimming beach — a common first night to shake the boat down. West along the south coast the water shallows over sand; Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Noire are quiet bays with snorkelling off the rocks. Round the south-west point and the leeward coast opens up: Les Trois-Îlets, the old capital Saint-Pierre under the volcano, and calmer water in the island's wind shadow. The windward east coast is exposed and reef-strewn; most charterers leave it alone. For a longer week, the run south to St Lucia is roughly 20-25 nautical miles across open channel — a proper reach in the trades.

The charter season runs December to May. This is the dry season, with the north-east trades blowing a steady 15-20 knots and occasionally more through the island channels, where they funnel and accelerate. Seas outside the lee of the land are 1.5-2.5m and the passages between islands can be lumpy — this is real trade-wind sailing, not flat-water pottering. Water sits around 26-28°C. From June onward humidity climbs and the Atlantic hurricane season begins, running officially to November; most bases wind down or reposition, and insurance terms change. If you want the reliable wind and the settled weather, aim for January to April. December and May are shoulder months — a little more chance of unsettled days, generally fewer boats.

We run bareboat charters out of Le Marin. That means you take the boat yourself, with a competent skipper in your party, and sail your own route. Bareboat suits crews who hold sailing experience and want the freedom to change plans with the wind. If nobody aboard is confident handling a yacht in 20 knots of trade wind and picking up moorings under sail or engine, a skippered arrangement is the honest choice — skipper hire can be arranged locally, subject to availability, and is charged on top of the boat. Crew and provisioning details are best confirmed on request rather than assumed. Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you plainly what's realistic for your dates.

Caribbean bareboat pricing moves with season, boat size and age, so we quote per booking rather than publish figures that go stale. As a guide, a monohull in the 40-45ft range in the Windwards typically sits in the low-to-mid thousands of euros per week; catamarans of similar length run higher, often well over double a comparable monohull. On top of the base fee, budget for fuel, a cruising tax or park fees where they apply, end-of-charter cleaning, and a security deposit held against the boat. If you hire a skipper, add their daily rate plus their food. Provisioning in Le Marin is straightforward and euro-priced. For firm numbers on specific dates, ask us — Price on request, and we'll come back with a real quote over WhatsApp.

A seven-day loop that keeps passages sensible:

Day 1 — Board in Le Marin, provision, motor out to Sainte-Anne for the first night. Swim, check the systems, sleep on the hook.

Day 2 — Short reach west to Grande Anse d'Arlet. Snorkel the point, lunch ashore, quiet anchorage overnight.

Day 3 — Continue up the leeward coast to Saint-Pierre under Mont Pelée. Walk the old town, dive or dinghy the wreck-strewn bay.

Day 4 — Cross the St Lucia channel, 20-plus miles on a beam reach in the trades. Anchor in the north of St Lucia; clear customs.

Day 5 — Sail down to the Pitons and pick up a mooring under the peaks — one of the better anchorages in the region.

Day 6 — Beat and reach back north across the channel to Sainte-Anne or Grande Anse. Last swim.

Day 7 — Short hop back into Le Marin, refuel, hand the boat back.

Drop the St Lucia leg if the crew wants an easier week entirely within Martinique — there's enough coast to fill seven days without a long channel crossing.