Hi, it's Matt with the Yacht Warriors, the only newsletter that makes sure you get that anchor set on your first attempt.

Here's what I have for you today!

• Exploring my next yacht charter Destination: Antigua & Barbuda
• BVI to receive first direct flights from mainland US
• Top 10 mistakes to avoid on a bareboat charter trip
• Spanish Virgin Islands & USVI trip report: as promised, here's the link to my full write-up about my November yacht charter trip

Antigua & Barbuda: my next yacht charter destination

Our Yacht Warriors crew has recently spent a lot of time in the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, so it's time to spice it up with something new.

Our pick...Antigua & Barbuda! We just inked the contract for a trip this coming May on a Lagoon 50.

Here's why I'm excited about it:

• Beautiful beaches (they attest to having 365 of them)
• Some British naval history with English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard
• Barbuda offers an escape from it all, home to less than 2,000 residents and the longest beach in the Caribbean
• A deep enough bareboat charter fleet with competitive prices
• Multiple non-stop flights from mainland US

Interest you? Read more about my planned sailing itinerary in this post.

AA to begin nonstop Miami flight to Tortola, BVI

I recently wrote about how the BVI vibe is changing. One aspect I discussed was how it is becoming more difficult to travel there.

A big factor? Lack of direct flights from the US mainland. The Beef Island runway is short and it can't support larger aircraft.

However, American Airlines recently announced they would begin service. It's a direct flight from Miami to Tortola (MIA-EIS) which will begin June 1, 2023, on an Embraer E175.

This certainly isn't a large aircraft, but it's a step in the right direction.

Here's the catch: for now it is only one flight per day which carries ~75 passengers. And, it doesn't look like these flights will be year-round.

If it goes well for AA, it's possible they add additional flights and perhaps, other airlines like Delta could follow suit. This is an encouraging development, but it is far from fixing the problem.

Top 10 mistakes to avoid on a bareboat charter trip

We all make mistakes. Yes, I’ve wrapped the dinghy line around a prop. I'm not proud of it, but it can happen on bareboat trips.

Avoid these mistakes and you'll be ahead of 3/4 of other skippers:

1. Arriving to your anchorage too late
2. Entering off-limits, red lined areas
3. Running a single line through the mooring ball
4. Not conserving water
5. Forgetting to pull the dinghy line in when mooring/anchoring

Find out what 6-10 are by checking out my the full Top 10 Mistakes post.

Anchorage of the month: Magens Bay, St. Thomas

This picture is of a Lagoon 46 from my recent November trip. Magens Bay was absolutely gorgeous. We enjoyed the beach bar ashore and had the place to ourselves later in the evening.