The ABC Islands, comprising Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, occupy a privileged position just north of the Venezuelan coast, outside the main Caribbean hurricane belt. Motor yacht charters based in the ABC Islands offer reliable year-round conditions: consistent northeast trade winds, low annual rainfall, and seas calmer than most of the eastern Caribbean. A motor yacht, capable of covering the roughly 130 nautical miles of the island group in a day, can take in each island’s distinctive character within a single week.
The motor yacht fleet serving the ABC Islands ranges from fast sportscruisers of around 20 metres to full displacement vessels of 60 metres and above. Most carry eight to twelve guests in four to six cabins, with covered aft decks suited to the trade-wind climate and water toy packages that make the most of Bonaire’s fringing reef. Crew of four to six handle all operations and provisioning.
Weekly rates for motor yachts in the ABC Islands typically run from 45,000 to 350,000 euros depending on size. The advance provisioning allowance, generally 30 percent of the base fee, covers fuel, food, drink, marina charges, and national park fees for Bonaire’s marine park. Bonaire’s marine park entry fee applies to all snorkellers and divers.
A standard ABC Islands motor yacht itinerary begins in Aruba at Oranjestad or the anchorage off Eagle Beach, moves east to Curacao with a night in the Spanish Water Lagoon or at anchor off Willemstad’s waterfront, then continues to Bonaire where the best anchorage is off Kralendijk town. Klein Curacao, a flat uninhabited island halfway between Curacao and Aruba, offers a protected beach and clear water for swimming. Klein Bonaire, a small islet directly opposite Kralendijk, is surrounded by protected reef accessible by dinghy.
