Starting to plan the trip of a lifetime. One-way north to south in the Grenadines. Easiest airfare is St Lucia and Grenada. Looking for a captained cat. We've bareboated the BVI 2X so we're not exactly newbies but want an experienced guide/captain and maybe even a 1st mate that own their own yacht. Flying down from BOS so hoping for an 8 day charter. Must see Palm Island and Tobago Cays.

Any suggestions? - THANKS!

As you are experienced, you should be able to do this on your own. (unless just the two of you or age, physical issues. Good cruising guide for the area. Cost of capt/mate offset the one way charges.
Great cruising grounds. Did it once, wanna do it again!

Tobago Cays a Must! Palm Island, not very cruiser friendly. St.Lucia has had problems and so does St. Vincent. but Mayreau Island, Chatham Bay on Union. Bequia. are all great.
Sandy Island, Carriacou is a fav of ours. Moorings, Sunsail, Horizon all have charter bases in Grenada. I'm sure they provide Capt & Mate/Cook. Much different cruising than the BVI's. Not the beach bar kind of enviorment. Much longer distances between places and a lot of blue water sailing. Some neat snorkeling in Grenada at Molinare Underwater Park.

This is why there are charter yacht brokers like St. Somewhere Yacht Charters. They know the boats, the captains, the sailing grounds. You just show up and have fun!

Full disclosure: Leslie is a dear friend and we have been sailing with them all over...

What kind of problems are you referring to in St. Lucia & St. Vincent?

There was a really bad incident in Vieux Fort St. Lucia. And some other lesser in Rodney Bay. Most recently boardings and death threats.
ST. Vincent has been ridden with issues from the boat boys to break-ins.
We try to avoid both.

Here's a link to my trip reports from last winters holiday charter (7th time through the Grenadines) http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/s...e=9#Post1588209
If you avoid St. Vincent you will be missing some of the best nature oriented sites in the Windwards. A hike up La Soufriere volcano is highly recommended, but it is quite strenuous and takes a full day. Dark View Falls is also nice and a lot easier to get to. If you have any specific questions just send me a pm and I will be glad to try to answer them. Skyelark is currently in the Whitsundays and will remain in the Pacific till next spring, their next Windwards charter will be in December 2015.

LOVE the Grenadines. Very different from the BVI, as others have said, but you can still get great beach bars and where there are no beach bars you get uncrowded paradise. You can also get lots of fresh seafood which isn't as abundant in the BVIs. Don't be afraid of the boat boys as they can be very handy. We have bought delicious fish, lobster and freshly made banana bread from the boat boys along with ice and garbage disposal. Always greet them politely (a good morning, afternoon, etc. is the norm) and if you don't need anything tell them "no thank you" and they will usually leave you alone. My recommendation is to start in St. Vincent and follow the chain down to Grenada and have the boat brought back up after you fly away home. Must stops are: Bequia (great character and they still make wooden boats on the beach there) Tobago Keys (stay for 2 nights and do a lobster dinner on the beach one night). Petit St. Vincent (my favorite island as a kid), St. George's on Grenada (do not miss Grenada) and dock at Port Louis Marina where you can dingy into town (have a roti at the Nutmeg) and visit Grand Anse beach. Great Beach Bars: Frangipani, Bequia; Happy Island Bar, Clifton, Union Island; Lazy Turtle, Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, etc. Have fun! Trying to get my family back to the Grenadines next year. They just love the BVI too much as it appeals to the social lives of the college kids, nephews and nieces.

Salt Whistle Bay.

Saline Bay was nice too...much quieter. The only other people we saw there was a couple nude sunbathing on the beach. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We went over to Palm Island, figuring it is still low season and planned to spend the night there. The anchorage is 65ft. Deep. So not anchoring there. We went back out to the Cays instead.

We loved the Grenadines. Our cruise club has a base on St. Vincent, and cruises down to Union Island and back in the week. Favorite was the Tobago Cays... and diving Mayreau Gardens. The hike over Mayreau was fun... stop at Righteous Roberts. www.trade-winds.com

Horizon Yachts out of Grenada did a fabulous job for us last month. We'd done one bareboat charter with a captain in the BVI's previously, and my husband and I had no trouble sailing a 37 foot monohull for 7 days throughout the Grenadines.

Horizon provides you with all the necessary custom forms. It was a wonderful, trouble free vacation!

I highly recommend.

If you are set on having a captain on board, Selwyn came highly recommended.

Stay away from Chateaubelair, too much crime there.