Destination recomendation

[superiorvoyager]

I am looking for a recommendation for a Destination for a Bareboat charter with friends this winter. I am an RYA Offshore Yatch Master (1985) have chartered in the BVI, California,and Asia (years ago) and run a charter business on the Canadian North Shore of Lake Superior so I have the experience that way but I haven't done a lot of Chartering in different locations so don't know the areas (I worked off the coast of Africa in the 80's but don't think we will go there) It will be my wife and I (lots of experience) and another couple with very limited experience. What we are looking for is somewhere that is inexpensive but warm, good sailing and where we can also do some diving. I was thinking about Florida as it is inexpencive to fly there and only a 35 hour drive if we decide to go that way. But wonder what the costs would be for everything else. Basically looking for a good value on sailing and diving.

[TQA]

Bahamas ticks all your boxes.

Better diving than Florida for sue.

[sck5]

Grenadines has better sailing than the Bahamas and really good diving. Harder to get to but that means no crowds.

[svzephyr44]

A couple of assumptions:
1) Asia is going to be too expensive to get to.
2) Med is out due to weather.

Thoughts:
Exotic: Canaries - Tenerife. Beautiful weather, some challenging sailing sometimes (wind can be a real issue) lots of islands to explore - foreign culture.
Diving: Belize. Best reef diving in the Americas. Warm, beautiful water. Down side - long trip down the Yucan Channel with adverse current. Don't know much about availability of charters. If you plan to go check flights thru Canada - they are usually much cheaper than direct US.
Guatemala: Lots of boats in the Rio Dulce. You might be able to charter one. South end of Belize is 10 Nm from the entrance to the Rio Dulce. Down side - very long trip from Airport - will take a full day. Plus a day to sail down to Rio.
Florida Keys - good choice, great diving, lots of night life. Don't know much about charter opportunities.
Would not do the East Coast of Florida - Jacksonville to Miami - all open ocean sailing, have to deal with the Gulf Stream.
Bahamas - agree it is beautiful but you will be paying a premium to get into the country and for day to day living for an experience that would be very similar to being in the Florida Keys.

[denverd0n]

Cheapest place that meets your needs would be the Florida Keys. Bahamas would be my second choice. Beyond that they all get increasingly difficult, and more expensive, to get to.

[superiorvoyager]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am looking into what people had to say. Surprisingly it looks like flying to the BVI is quite cheap right now and I can get some really good deals on Boat rentals through some connections so I may just look at that. BVI has always been reasonable price but getting their was costly. Looks like with slightly lower costs for flights and much lower for charter boat it may be about the same as or less than florida.

[superiorvoyager]

Maybe a question I can ask to help is who would people suggest in Florida to charter from (looking for inexpencive but good service, doesn't have to be brand new)

[gts1544]

Check out Shared Corporate Owner Membership under Classifieds - Partnership. May meet your needs year in, year out.

[NVCATS]

There is a company I booked with this year Seabbatical currently all there boats in in the BVI. They have monohulls and catamarans... they are cheaper than most companies I have come by but that is because they offer longer charters and the longer you go the cheaper it is. We just booked flight through St Thomas and St Martin. Stt was a bit cheaper than SXM but had to change flights a few time where SXM was one change from Toronto. Airfare was 800 return including taxes + the lait flight was $250 Stt was around 700 all in.

[TQA]

Spirit Air CAN be cheap getting to the BVI via the USVI plus a ferry. Gotta weigh up the extra cost of a hotel night though.