{ "id": "bvi-vs-bahamas", "title": "BVI vs Bahamas Yacht Charter: Price, Weather, Licence", "question": "BVI or Bahamas: which is better for a yacht or catamaran charter?", "answer": "The BVI is the cheaper of the two for a catamaran charter in 10 of 12 months: 12 Knots' average weekly asking price runs €6,816–9,773 in the BVI against €6,591–10,799 in the Bahamas (updated October 2026). By our rules the best-weather months are December to May in both the BVI and the Bahamas; on licences both are \"No legal licence found; sailing résumé\" in our classification, and the Bahamas scores higher for families on our method (87 vs 80 out of 100).", "answer_markdown": "The BVI is the cheaper of the two for a catamaran charter in 10 of 12 months: 12 Knots' average weekly asking price runs €6,816–9,773 in the BVI against €6,591–10,799 in the Bahamas (updated October 2026). By our rules the best-weather months are December to May in both the BVI and the Bahamas; on licences both are \"No legal licence found; sailing résumé\" in our classification, and the Bahamas scores higher for families on our method (87 vs 80 out of 100).\n\nSources: ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/bvi/catamaran-charter), checked 27 Oct 2026); ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/bahamas/catamaran-charter/), checked 27 Oct 2026); ([NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/), checked 28 Oct 2026); ([NOAA National Hurricane Center](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked 29 Oct 2026).", "checked": "2026-10-29", "sides": [ { "key": "bvi", "name": "the BVI", "slug": "bvi", "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/bvi/", "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=bvi&pos=api" }, { "key": "bahamas", "name": "the Bahamas", "slug": "bahamas", "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/bahamas/", "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=bahamas&pos=api" } ], "cheaper_months": { "bvi": 10, "bahamas": 2, "same": 0 }, "verdicts": [ { "id": "V1", "traveller": "On a budget, flexible dates", "pick": "bvi", "why": "Mean of 12 Knots' monthly prices: €8,200 in the BVI and €8,965 in the Bahamas a week (9.3% apart, our arithmetic); cheapest month September (€6,816) in the BVI and September (€6,591) in the Bahamas.", "rule": "On a budget, flexible dates: the side with the lower 12-month mean of 12 Knots' average weekly asking prices (our arithmetic). A gap under 5% of the lower mean is \"about the same\" (our choice).", "sources": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ] }, { "id": "V2", "traveller": "Fixed dates", "pick": null, "why": "Cheaper by month (12 Knots, our arithmetic): The BVI: October to July; The Bahamas: August and September.", "rule": "Fixed dates: no single pick. We list the months in which each side has the lower 12 Knots price (our arithmetic).", "sources": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ] }, { "id": "V3", "traveller": "Summer holidays (July and August)", "pick": "tie", "why": "Mean of the July and August prices: €7,158 in the BVI and €7,487 in the Bahamas (4.6% apart, our arithmetic); both are in the Atlantic hurricane season (NOAA).", "rule": "Summer holidays: the side with the lower mean of the July and August prices; a gap under 5% of the lower figure is \"about the same\" (our choice).", "sources": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "noaa_season" ] }, { "id": "V4", "traveller": "Christmas and New Year (December)", "pick": "bvi", "why": "December: €8,885 in the BVI and €9,554 in the Bahamas (7.5% apart, our arithmetic).", "rule": "Christmas and New Year: the side with the lower December price; a gap under 5% is \"about the same\".", "sources": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ] }, { "id": "V5", "traveller": "Families with children", "pick": "bahamas", "why": "Best-month family score on our method: 80 in the BVI (April) and 87 in the Bahamas (May) out of 100.", "rule": "Families with children: the higher best-month family score on our published method (calm wind, short hops, warm sea, season); scores within 5 points are a tie (our choice). No pick where a score is partial (Thailand) or both sides share one dataset (Mallorca and Ibiza).", "sources": [] }, { "id": "V6", "traveller": "First charter, no sailing licence", "pick": "tie", "why": "The BVI: No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé. The Bahamas: Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings). Same rule in both. Beginner scores on our method: 76 in the BVI and 85 in the Bahamas out of 100. Operators can still ask for more than the law, so confirm before booking.", "rule": "First charter without a sailing licence: the side whose licence regime is lower in the order none, résumé, not confirmed, licence required (our classification of the sources); the same regime is a tie. Beginner scores on our method are printed beside it.", "sources": [] }, { "id": "V7", "traveller": "Wants steady wind, or wants calm", "pick": null, "why": "Force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, our calculation): 5.8 at Road Town, Tortola (the BVI) and 19.5 at Marsh Harbour, Abaco (the Bahamas); the Bahamas has more. Windiest months by mean wind: February, June and July in the BVI, December, January and February in the Bahamas.", "rule": "Steady wind or calm: no single pick. We print each side's force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, 2016–2025, our calculation) and which side has more; a gap within 2 days is a tie (our choice).", "sources": [ "nasa_power_monthly" ] }, { "id": "V8", "traveller": "Warm water, snorkelling", "pick": "bvi", "why": "Months at 24 °C or more (NOAA mean sea temperature): 12 (all year) in the BVI and 9 (April to December) in the Bahamas.", "rule": "Warm water, snorkelling: the side with more months at 24 °C or more by NOAA's mean sea temperature at our reference point; equal counts are a tie.", "sources": [] }, { "id": "V9", "traveller": "Seasonal weather risk", "pick": null, "why": "The BVI: The BVI's hurricane risk runs with the Atlantic hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA); in 1991–2020 a tropical storm or hurricane passed within 100 nm of Road Town, Tortola in 9 of 30 Augusts, and none in December to May (our count from NOAA's HURDAT2). The Bahamas: The Bahamas' hurricane risk runs with the Atlantic hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA); in 1991–2020 a tropical storm or hurricane passed within 100 nm of Marsh Harbour, Abaco in 6 of 30 Augusts, and none in December to May (our count from NOAA's HURDAT2).", "rule": "Seasonal weather risk: no pick. We quote each side's weather-risk answer and link its page.", "sources": [ "noaa_season", "wr_nhc_glossary", "wr_nhc_hurdat2" ] }, { "id": "V10", "traveller": "Fishing from the boat", "pick": null, "why": "The BVI: Yes, for visitors (recreational licence). The Bahamas: Only on a foreign-owned boat; flats need a personal licence. We do not give a price for the Bahamas sport fishing permit. Official Bahamian pages list different fees. The fishing FAQ on bahamas.com, the official tourism site, also says online pre-registration is preferred, but that the permit cannot be bought online and must be obtained at the port of entry. Confirm the fee and the process with Bahamas Customs or the Department of Marine Resources before you go.", "rule": "Fishing from the boat: no pick. We quote each side's licence rule and any warning from our fishing pages.", "sources": [] } ], "months": [ { "month": 1, "name": "January", "a_eur": 8813, "b_eur": 9410, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 597, "diff_pct": 6.8 }, { "month": 2, "name": "February", "a_eur": 9390, "b_eur": 10126, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 736, "diff_pct": 7.8 }, { "month": 3, "name": "March", "a_eur": 9773, "b_eur": 10799, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 1026, "diff_pct": 10.5 }, { "month": 4, "name": "April", "a_eur": 9097, "b_eur": 10601, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 1504, "diff_pct": 16.5 }, { "month": 5, "name": "May", "a_eur": 8222, "b_eur": 9670, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 1448, "diff_pct": 17.6 }, { "month": 6, "name": "June", "a_eur": 7848, "b_eur": 8967, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 1119, "diff_pct": 14.3 }, { "month": 7, "name": "July", "a_eur": 7448, "b_eur": 8261, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 813, "diff_pct": 10.9 }, { "month": 8, "name": "August", "a_eur": 6868, "b_eur": 6713, "cheaper": "bahamas", "diff_eur": 155, "diff_pct": 2.3 }, { "month": 9, "name": "September", "a_eur": 6816, "b_eur": 6591, "cheaper": "bahamas", "diff_eur": 225, "diff_pct": 3.4 }, { "month": 10, "name": "October", "a_eur": 7134, "b_eur": 7377, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 243, "diff_pct": 3.4 }, { "month": 11, "name": "November", "a_eur": 8100, "b_eur": 9505, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 1405, "diff_pct": 17.3 }, { "month": 12, "name": "December", "a_eur": 8885, "b_eur": 9554, "cheaper": "bvi", "diff_eur": 669, "diff_pct": 7.5 } ], "table": [ { "label": "Average weekly price, cheapest–priciest month", "a": "€6,816–9,773", "b": "€6,591–10,799", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Cheapest month", "a": "September (€6,816)", "b": "September (€6,591)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Priciest month", "a": "March (€9,773)", "b": "March (€10,799)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "12-month mean", "a": "€8,200", "b": "€8,965", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": "our arithmetic" }, { "label": "Boats in 12 Knots' sample (listed / unique)", "a": "446 / 412", "b": "108 / 88", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Charter + food only per person, 6 people, cheapest month (like-for-like)", "a": "€1,276–1,416 (September)", "b": "€1,239–1,379 (September)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": "our arithmetic" }, { "label": "Charter + food only per person, 6 people, priciest month (like-for-like)", "a": "€1,769–1,909 (March)", "b": "€1,940–2,080 (March)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": "our arithmetic" }, { "label": "True cost per person, 6 people, cheapest month", "a": "€1,276–1,416 (September) (partial: charter + food only)", "b": "€1,239–1,379 (September) (partial: charter + food only)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": "our arithmetic" }, { "label": "True cost per person, 6 people, priciest month", "a": "€1,769–1,909 (March) (partial: charter + food only)", "b": "€1,940–2,080 (March) (partial: charter + food only)", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": "our arithmetic" }, { "label": "Skipper per day", "a": "not verified (destination-specific)", "b": "not verified (destination-specific)", "source_ids": [ "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Security deposit, catamaran", "a": "€4,000–10,000 (general range)", "b": "€4,000–10,000 (general range)", "source_ids": [ "globesailor_costs" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Best-value months (3 cheapest)", "a": "August to October", "b": "August to October", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas" ], "derived": "our rule" }, { "label": "Best-weather months", "a": "December to May", "b": "December to May", "source_ids": [ "nasa_power_monthly", "noaa_season", "tahiti_tourisme" ], "derived": "our rule" }, { "label": "Sweet spot", "a": "December, January and May", "b": "December, January and May", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "nasa_power_monthly" ], "derived": "our rule" }, { "label": "Months to avoid", "a": "February to April on price; August to October for weather", "b": "February to April on price; August to October for weather", "source_ids": [ "k12_bvi", "k12_bahamas", "noaa_season", "tahiti_tourisme" ], "derived": "our rule" }, { "label": "Mean air temperature, warmest month (°C)", "a": "29 °C (September, Road Town, Tortola)", "b": "29 °C (August, Marsh Harbour, Abaco)", "source_ids": [ "nasa_power_monthly" ], "derived": "our calculation" }, { "label": "Force 6 days per year", "a": "5.8 days (Road Town, Tortola)", "b": "19.5 days (Marsh Harbour, Abaco)", "source_ids": [ "wr_nasa_power_daily" ], "derived": "our calculation" }, { "label": "Warm-sea months (24 °C or more)", "a": "12 (all year)", "b": "9 (April to December)", "source_ids": [], "derived": "NOAA mean sea temperature, our count" }, { "label": "Seasonal hazard", "a": "Hurricane season June, July and November; Peak August to October", "b": "Hurricane season June, July and November; Peak August to October", "source_ids": [ "noaa_season", "wr_th_ldd_climate", "wr_pf_meteofrance_climat" ], "derived": null }, { "label": "Licence", "a": "No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé", "b": "Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings)", "source_ids": [], "derived": "our classification of the sources" }, { "label": "Fishing licence for guests", "a": "Yes, for visitors (recreational licence)", "b": "Only on a foreign-owned boat; flats need a personal licence", "source_ids": [], "derived": null }, { "label": "Family score, best month", "a": "80 (April)", "b": "87 (May)", "source_ids": [], "derived": "our method" }, { "label": "Beginner score, best month", "a": "76 (April)", "b": "85 (May)", "source_ids": [], "derived": "our method" }, { "label": "Average hop on our 7-day route (nm)", "a": "11.7 nm", "b": "10.1 nm", "source_ids": [], "derived": "our calculation" }, { "label": "Longest leg (nm)", "a": "26.6 nm (Anegada → Jost Van Dyke)", "b": "19.5 nm (Green Turtle Cay → Marsh Harbour)", "source_ids": [], "derived": "our calculation" }, { "label": "Nearest airport to base, straight line", "a": "4.9 nm / 9.1 km (Terrance B. Lettsome Airport (Beef Island))", "b": "2.0 nm / 3.8 km (Marsh Harbour Airport)", "source_ids": [ "cmp_osm_nominatim" ], "derived": "our choice of airport; our calculation" } ], "weather": { "a": { "place": "Road Town, Tortola", "elev_m": 2.74, "temp_c": [ 26.2, 25.9, 26, 26.5, 27.4, 28.2, 28.6, 28.9, 29.1, 28.8, 28, 27 ], "wind_kn": [ 12.6, 13.5, 12.2, 11.8, 12.3, 13, 14.3, 12.8, 10.8, 10.2, 11.5, 12.9 ], "sea_c": [ 26.4, 26.1, 26.1, 26.7, 27.3, 28, 28.1, 28.6, 28.9, 28.8, 28.2, 27.2 ], "force6_days": [ 1.1, 0.5, 0.2, 0.3, 0, 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, 1.6, 0.2, 0.2, 0.5 ], "force6_days_annual": 5.8, "same_point_as_ibiza": false }, "b": { "place": "Marsh Harbour, Abaco", "elev_m": 0.44, "temp_c": [ 22.6, 23, 23.2, 24.2, 26, 27.8, 29, 29.3, 28.9, 27.4, 25.4, 23.8 ], "wind_kn": [ 12.1, 11.8, 11.6, 11.7, 10.3, 9.3, 9.1, 9.4, 9.1, 11.7, 11.2, 11.8 ], "sea_c": [ 23.6, 23.3, 23.5, 24.5, 26, 27.7, 28.9, 29.4, 29, 27.7, 25.8, 24.6 ], "force6_days": [ 3.9, 2.6, 2.6, 0.6, 0.8, 0.2, 0, 0.5, 1.8, 1.7, 2.5, 2.3 ], "force6_days_annual": 19.5, "same_point_as_ibiza": false } }, "distances": { "a": [ { "route": "bvi", "label": "from Tortola", "total_nm": 70.2, "average_hop_nm": 11.7, "longest_leg": "Anegada → Jost Van Dyke", "longest_leg_nm": 26.6, "airport_to_base": { "label": "Nearest airport to base (our choice)", "from": "Terrance B. Lettsome Airport (Beef Island)", "to": "Road Town, Tortola", "nm": 4.9, "km": 9.1 }, "second_airport_line": null } ], "b": [ { "route": "bahamas", "label": "the Abacos", "total_nm": 50.5, "average_hop_nm": 10.1, "longest_leg": "Green Turtle Cay → Marsh Harbour", "longest_leg_nm": 19.5, "airport_to_base": { "label": "Nearest airport to base (our choice)", "from": "Marsh Harbour Airport", "to": "Marsh Harbour", "nm": 2, "km": 3.8 }, "second_airport_line": null } ], "extra_lines": [ { "label": "BVI: from Tortola", "from": "Terrance B. Lettsome Airport (Beef Island)", "to": "Road Town, Tortola", "nm": 4.9, "km": 9.1 }, { "label": "Bahamas: the Abacos", "from": "Marsh Harbour Airport", "to": "Marsh Harbour", "nm": 2, "km": 3.8 } ], "method": "Great-circle distance between OpenStreetMap (Nominatim) coordinates, Earth radius 6,371.0088 km, 1 nm = 1.852 km. Straight lines: the sailed distance is longer." }, "licence": { "a": { "regime": "resume", "short": "No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé", "answer": "Usually not: no BVI government text we found requires a skipper's licence, and Anchor and 12 Knots say Caribbean charter companies ask for a sailing résumé instead (the base manager checks it). This rests on secondary sources, and The Moorings rates the BVI as its Level 1 (résumé-based) destination." }, "b": { "regime": "resume", "short": "Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings)", "answer": "It depends on the operator: we found no Bahamian government text requiring a skipper's licence, Anchor says none is required by law and a sailing résumé is enough, but 12 Knots says some Bahamas charter companies require a valid sailing certificate as company policy. The Moorings lists the Bahamas among regions requiring formal certification, so bring your certificate and résumé and ask before you book." } }, "true_cost": { "a": { "complete": false, "cheapest_month": { "month": "September", "per_person_eur": { "min": 1276, "max": 1416 } }, "priciest_month": { "month": "March", "per_person_eur": { "min": 1768.8333333333333, "max": 1908.8333333333333 } }, "not_verified": [ "Current cruising permit rate after the changes reported since 2017.", "National Parks Trust permit price." ] }, "b": { "complete": false, "cheapest_month": { "month": "September", "per_person_eur": { "min": 1238.5, "max": 1378.5 } }, "priciest_month": { "month": "March", "per_person_eur": { "min": 1939.8333333333333, "max": 2079.8333333333335 } }, "not_verified": [ "Whether the Bahamas Customs cruising permit applies to a Bahamas-based charter boat.", "Marina rates in the Bahamas." ] }, "any_partial": true }, "constants": { "tie_pct": 5, "tie_score": 5, "tie_f6_days": 2 }, "method": { "V1": "On a budget, flexible dates: the side with the lower 12-month mean of 12 Knots' average weekly asking prices (our arithmetic). A gap under 5% of the lower mean is \"about the same\" (our choice).", "V2": "Fixed dates: no single pick. We list the months in which each side has the lower 12 Knots price (our arithmetic).", "V3": "Summer holidays: the side with the lower mean of the July and August prices; a gap under 5% of the lower figure is \"about the same\" (our choice).", "V4": "Christmas and New Year: the side with the lower December price; a gap under 5% is \"about the same\".", "V5": "Families with children: the higher best-month family score on our published method (calm wind, short hops, warm sea, season); scores within 5 points are a tie (our choice). No pick where a score is partial (Thailand) or both sides share one dataset (Mallorca and Ibiza).", "V6": "First charter without a sailing licence: the side whose licence regime is lower in the order none, résumé, not confirmed, licence required (our classification of the sources); the same regime is a tie. Beginner scores on our method are printed beside it.", "V7": "Steady wind or calm: no single pick. We print each side's force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, 2016–2025, our calculation) and which side has more; a gap within 2 days is a tie (our choice).", "V8": "Warm water, snorkelling: the side with more months at 24 °C or more by NOAA's mean sea temperature at our reference point; equal counts are a tie.", "V9": "Seasonal weather risk: no pick. We quote each side's weather-risk answer and link its page.", "V10": "Fishing from the boat: no pick. We quote each side's licence rule and any warning from our fishing pages.", "airport": "Nearest airport to the base is our choice (not the airport with the best connections). Distances are straight lines between OpenStreetMap coordinates, our calculation; the road or ferry trip is longer. We make no claim about flights.", "truecost": "True cost per person = (12 Knots charter fee + fuel + 6 marina nights + mandatory extras + food at €20–40 per person per day) ÷ 6 people (our arithmetic, The Globe Sailor's September 2026 figures). Where a side has no Globe Sailor row (BVI, Bahamas, Thailand) the total is partial and the like-for-like row uses charter + food only for both sides.", "labels": "Verdicts are our rules applied to the data, not a ranking by any source. Means, differences, per-person totals, distances and verdicts are our arithmetic or our rules." }, "not_verified": [ "A later law-firm guide and later amendments report different cruising-permit rates; we could not read them, so the current rate is not verified.", "Whether the Bahamas cruising permit applies to a Bahamas-based charter boat.", "Flights and connections: we make no claim about them. The airport is our choice of the nearest one to the base." ], "sources": [ { "id": "k12_bvi", "name": "12 Knots", "title": "Catamaran charter in the BVI", "url": "https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/bvi/catamaran-charter", "checked": "2026-10-27", "note": "Page states \"Updated October 2026\"." }, { "id": "k12_bahamas", "name": "12 Knots", "title": "Catamaran charter in the Bahamas", "url": "https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/bahamas/catamaran-charter/", "checked": "2026-10-27", "note": "Page states \"Updated October 2026\"." }, { "id": "nasa_power_monthly", "name": "NASA POWER", "title": "Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M)", "url": "https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/", "checked": "2026-10-28", "note": "Monthly point data for 2016–2025 pulled on 28 Oct 2026 with scripts/fetch-weather.mjs (API v2.10.0, community RE, parameters T2M = temperature at 2 m in °C and WS10M = wind speed at 10 m in m/s; meteorological grid ½° × ⅝° per https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/methodology/). One request per reference point, in the form https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/monthly/point?parameters=T2M,WS10M&community=RE&longitude=&latitude=&start=2016&end=2025&format=JSON (coordinates in src/data/weather.ts). Route points for the Dubrovnik and Cyclades itineraries are in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026). Credit: https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/referencing/ . The pages we opened did not state a licence; NASA data is described to us as free for any use. Palma (Mallorca) reference point for the Mallorca vs Ibiza comparison in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026)." }, { "id": "noaa_season", "name": "NOAA National Hurricane Center", "title": "Tropical cyclone climatology", "url": "https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "No page date. Season 1 June–30 November; peak 10 September; most activity mid-August to mid-October; average season 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes (1991–2020).", "tier": "official" }, { "id": "wr_nhc_glossary", "name": "NOAA National Hurricane Center", "title": "Glossary of NHC terms (tropical storm, hurricane, hurricane season)", "url": "https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "No page date. Tropical storm 34–63 kt; hurricane 64 kt or more (1-minute sustained).", "tier": "official" }, { "id": "wr_nhc_hurdat2", "name": "NOAA National Hurricane Center", "title": "Atlantic hurricane database HURDAT2, 1851–2025", "url": "https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/#hurdat", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "File hurdat2-1851-2025-092326.txt (updated 23 September 2026). Storm passes within 100 nm of our reference points, 1991–2020, are our calculation (scripts/fetch-hurdat.mjs).", "tier": "official" }, { "id": "globesailor_costs", "name": "The Globe Sailor", "title": "What it really costs to charter a yacht", "url": "https://www.theglobesailor.com/blog/what-it-really-costs-to-charter-a-yacht", "checked": "2026-10-28", "note": "Published 19 June 2026; table prices recorded September 2026 (boats under 5 years old, 4 cabins / 8 people). The tables do not state units for every column." }, { "id": "cmp_osm_nominatim", "name": "OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)", "title": "Nominatim search API: coordinates of airports and the Palma reference point", "url": "https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Queries in src/data/compare-points.json, run by scripts/fetch-compare-coords.mjs. Community map data, not an official gazetteer. Straight-line distances are our calculation.", "tier": "secondary" }, { "id": "wr_nasa_power_daily", "name": "NASA POWER", "title": "Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Daily API (WS10M_MAX, WD10M) and Monthly API (PRECTOTCORR)", "url": "https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/daily/", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "Pulled with scripts/fetch-weather-daily.mjs for 2016–2025 at our 10 reference points and 2 route points. WS10M_MAX is the highest hourly mean of the day in a ½° × ⅝° grid cell, not a gust. Strong-wind day counts and rainfall means are our calculation.", "tier": "official" }, { "id": "su_metoffice_beaufort", "name": "Met Office", "title": "Beaufort wind force scale", "url": "https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/coast-and-sea/beaufort-scale", "checked": "2026-10-29", "note": "UK national weather service. No page date. Force 2 (light breeze) 4–6 kn; force 4 (moderate breeze) 11–16 kn. We use 6 and 16 kn as the anchors of our wind score. Force 5 (fresh breeze) 17–21 kn; force 6 (strong breeze) 22–27 kn. We use 17 and 22 kn as the thresholds of our strong-wind day counts.", "tier": "official" }, { "id": "anchor_licences", "name": "Anchor (formerly Helm)", "title": "What qualifications do I need to charter a yacht?", "url": "https://www.anchor.yt/article/bareboat-licences", "checked": "2026-10-27", "note": "Updated 22 July 2026. Charter-industry article, not an official source.", "tier": "secondary" }, { "id": "lic_12k_caribbean", "name": "12 Knots", "title": "Caribbean bareboat charter requirements: do you need a sailing licence?", "url": "https://12knots.com/en/journal/caribbean-bareboat-charter-requirements/", "checked": "2026-10-28", "note": "Charter marketplace article dated 12 February 2026. Not an official source.", "tier": "secondary" }, { "id": "moorings_levels", "name": "The Moorings", "title": "Experience guide: Level 3 sail", "url": "https://www.moorings.com/experience-guide/level-3-sail", "checked": "2026-10-27", "note": "Charter operator guide, not an official source.", "tier": "secondary" }, { "id": "rya_icc", "name": "RYA", "title": "Evidence of competence abroad (ICC)", "url": "https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad", "checked": "2026-10-28", "note": "No page date shown. The RYA is the UK body that issues the ICC; it is a reference for acceptance by country, not a destination authority.", "tier": "reference" } ], "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/compare/bvi-vs-bahamas/", "markdown_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/compare/bvi-vs-bahamas.md", "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/compare/bvi-vs-bahamas.json", "derived": "Means, differences, per-person totals, distances and verdicts are our arithmetic or our rules; weather values are our calculation.", "weather_attribution": "Weather values are our calculation from NASA POWER data (https://power.larc.nasa.gov). Credit: data obtained from NASA Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division.", "coords_licence": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).", "attribution": "Cite \"Catamaran Index\" with a link to the canonical_url of the page the figure comes from, and name the original source listed with it.", "affiliate_note": "book_url links go through /go/samboat, an affiliate link: Catamaran Index may earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to the traveller. It never changes the data." }