The Moorings just opened its large charter base in St. Lucia on July 1, providing crewed and bareboat power and sail boats for cruising in some of the most beautiful waters in the Caribbean.
The Moorings’ base is in Rodney Bay Marina on the northwest tip of St. Lucia, and it is an easy jumping off spot for exploring St. Lucia itself, with its enchanting mix of African, English and French culture, or heading north to nearby Martinique or south to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with Bequia and Mustique. Navigation in the area is straightforward, and the winds generally range from a gentle 10 knots to a stronger 25 knots.
One of the Windward islands, St. Lucia is home to banana plantations, small villages and beautiful harbors with white-sand beaches. It is a volcanic island, with hiking trails winding through dark-green forests with tropical birds, wild orchids and giant ferns. One popular spot: the Soufriére volcano, where you can hike to the crater.
St. Lucia is known for its lush landscapes, historic sites and water sports, everything from kayaking to windsurfing. Marigot Bay is a beautiful cruising destination on the west coast of the island, while farther south the Pitons rise as landmarks above the sea.
Rodney Bay is a small town with a white-sand beach and a modern, upscale, full-service marina with 253 slips; it’s the southernmost of the Caribbean marinas operate by the IGY group. It has a hotel, restaurants, pool, supermarket, bank, and a chandlery. You can clear customs there.
For a charter, you can reserve water toys to go with your boat, and they will be waiting for you on board; the Moorings provides snorkeling gear, including flippers, masks and snorkels.
As an example of the charter fleet, you can reserve a three-cabin Moorings 433 power catamaran for seven nights starting Sept. 18, for two people, for $6,999. You need to check with the authorities for the current Covid restrictions. Read more:
