May or November

Hi - We are trying to decide between May and November to charter this year. Any thoughts on which would be the better month (sailing-wise? crowd-wise? Northern swells?). Anybody like either of those months for a particular reason? We have always gone in March in the past. Thanks for your help!

Love May, June even July down here.The swells should be gone, the cruise ships are virtually non existent..the weather is glorious and everything is still open and welcoming. November we get North Swells and have had some very rainy days in the past..

All things considered, May is probably the best month in the BVI. The weather is usually good, it is warm, the winds are not crazy, and there are relatively few visitors around.

November is usually the rainiest month in the BVI.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />
I have experienced entire weeks of rain in November in my 40+ years of living in the VI

I did a Cat Fight trip a few years ago the last week of Oct. and had maybe 20 seconds of rain the entire week. Then I did another charter right after that the first week of Nov. and it did nothing but rain the entire week.

To me, the period after Spring Break ends but before school lets out is the sweet spot. Usually good weather and less crowded. Also, everything is open.
Lew

Both! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

November is nice but you run the moderate risk of rain for days at a time. May before school is out would be my preference of the two.

May.
November can still have tropical storms.
Everything is still open in May.
Weather more settled in May.

Big difference between the beginning of November and the end of the month as far as weather. We have had great weather the past 10 years the week after Thanksgiving. Took my wife for her first trip May 2001. Nineties all week and no wind. Many good May trips since then. You just never know.

Both are great months

On average, there is 1 3/4 more hours of sunlight in May than in November: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/us-virgin/charlotte-amalie?month=5&year=2017

Is there an increase in crowds when school lets out in June? We are down this year end of June (usually hit Jan/Feb). Hoping it would be quieter end of June.
THannks!!

We have limited experience only having chartered in May and November each once, but for us the seas were much calmer in May and the rain was much less in May as well. When we charter again, it will be in May <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

I was wondering where the answers would fall. We are May people and it seems like many others are too! I'm cheap and May rates are good and I'd prefer fewer crowds, May has that too. The only downside for us it that just happens to be when we have our best weather at home but that's ok with us because May works so well for us in the BVI.

Really you just never know. We've done May, June, July, September, October and December at least once. We did get a hurricane to the south in September and held up in in Cane Garden some wind and rain that cost us almost 2 days. In December we had some swell I was surprised how many of our favorite anchorages the swell kept us out of. Neither happens in May. I'll take any month of the year, no problems but we just like May because it usually has the right stuff for us.

I have been down in May and November for several years. I have "enjoyed" 6 straight days of rain in November. On average, the weather is more settled in May. The loss of the north swell in May means the bubbly pool is quiet.

While many here have said that May is quiet, that is generally correct. The only exception that I am aware of is when the MIT MBA trip is on.

This affects space at some anchorages as well as ferry availability.

I know I saw here somewhere, but can't find now. When is the MIT trip this year?

This thread has me thinking more about the timing we've chosen. We'll be down in early-mid July. I thought I had recalled the winds being relatively light then, but not according to the link. Any other things to be mindful of in July?

Christmas in July is a big PR Holiday..as is much of the month from July 4th on..lots of our PR friends around..

Don't have experience in sailing in Nov. Have done the past two years sailing in May though. Both times had almost ideal weather! Only got rained on once last year with a couple of nights where we had to do the closing the hatches dance. One day last year we had a calm that I had never experienced, where the entire north and west side of Virgin Gorda was as flat as a mirror. Only happened one day though.

This year we are taking the kids so will be doing late June, hoping for much of the same weather in June as May! Love May!

Other than it will be HOT. There is zero ability to predict the weather in July. Hot, Humid, Unstable Tropical weather makes anything possible outside of a cold front. A passing wave or storm can bring wind and rain from any direction.

The plus the rates do not get much lower than July.

May can be a great month. For the boat owner if you boat stays for May it is likely to be unsafe to move it away from the Carribean before the next year. So the smart money folks use May to move yachts to Europe or back to the US Mainland in advance of hostile June weather.

November is historically the rainiest time in the Carribean with the chance of a sudden tropical wave or storm forming with little warning directly over the VI. Late in the season the storms no longer form off Africa and travel across the Atlantic. The late season storms form in our tropics and run North from there. For an important trip November is like playing Russian roulette. It is just a matter of time before any November week gets washed and/or blown out.

Have been coming down in may thru June for the last 13 years. Weather has been great. Coming down this year may 16 thru June 26.

Well, that should be interesting. Any suggestions for days of the week that are best for JVD and the SDB during that time? I know it tends to be a destination for the PR navy.

Chartered twice the week of Thanksgiving. Only rain we had was the brief late night showers that would wake you up to close hatch above your bed. Everything is open. Not crowded. Weather was great.

Either is great, Go when you can. May get some rain, or may be no rain. But I bet you will enjoy the trip, either month.

We chartered in May in 2015 & 2016 and loved it. Great weather, everything open so it didn't feel 'out of season'.

The first year we were there at the same time as the MIT hooligans but they didn't bother us at all, in fact we quite enjoyed Soggy Dollar with them! Good people just out for a good time. Just as long as you don't mind loud country music being played late into the night! And its easy enough to find their itinerary and avoid them if they do bother you.

A lot of people on this thread seem to be saying that May is a quiet time. We Chartered in January this year and didn't find it any busier than May to be honest. There just seemed to be a different ratio of privately owned yachts vs charter fleets.

We haven't been in November for about a decade...so can't really comment but would highly recommend May!

We were down during Xmas in July last summer. Not something I would worry about, but at least be aware that some anchorages might be a bit noisier than you expect. If you intend to sleep on the dock somewhere (scrub, Leverick) I would reserve in advance as both of those places were completely full.