What Makes This Trip Special?

• Landscapes, food and trade history that change with every island. Salt pans in St Martin, sugar mills on St Kitts and Nevis, a Swedish-named harbour at Gustavia: Europe’s powers fought over these islands for their salt, sugar and position on the trade winds, and you can still see the evidence ashore. You’ll sail from dry, low-lying St Martin to volcanic peaks and rainforest in Guadeloupe, and eat your way through the story as you go. French pastries in Gustavia, saltfish with spicy plantains on St Kitts, goat water on Montserrat, Creole colombo curry and rum in Guadeloupe.
• Quiet islands most visitors never see. Nevis and Montserrat get far fewer visitors than St Martin or St Barths. Expect empty beaches, small bars and local people with time to talk.
• Sailing beneath a living volcano. Montserrat’s Soufrière Hills eruption buried the old capital, Plymouth, in ash, and the island’s story is unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. Take a trip to Eric Clapton’s old recording studio and the volcano exclusion zone.
• History and a French finish. Brimstone Hill Fortress on St Kitts is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Charlestown, on Nevis, is where Alexander Hamilton was born. Guadeloupe ends the trip with French markets, rainforest and a chance to snorkel in the Cousteau underwater reserve.

Is This Trip for Me?

This is a trip that covers over 100 nautical miles, distances between islands are longer so beginners may find some days quite daunting. This is an active sailing holiday, not a cruise. You’ll help sail the boat, and most guests say that’s the best part.

This trip suits you if:

• You want to hoist sails, take the helm and learn, whether you’re a complete beginner or an improver.
• You like small groups, shared tasks and making friends over home-cooked meals.
• You’re happy with a simple, comfortable boat rather than hotel-style service.

It probably isn’t for you if:

• You want to be waited on, or to be a passenger.
• You need a massive space with air-conditioning like a resort.
• You aren’t physically fit and able to manage your own bodyweight.

What “participatory” means day to day: preparing the boat for sailing, hoisting sails, trimming and winching, steering, putting everything away at the end of the day, keeping shared spaces tidy, and taking a turn clearing dishes. Your skipper teaches as you go, and nobody is expected to know anything on day one.

Travelling solo? Book your own cabin or bunk with an ensuite bathroom (some are shared) and join a small, mixed group.

Sailing the Caribbean – No Experience Necessary

Meet up with your shipmates and stow your gear for the sunshine sailing trip of a lifetime, perfect trade wind sailing from island to island, snorkel spot to watering hole.  The Leeward Islands are a sailing dream with short passages between the anchorages and bars & restaurants located at most night-time spots to cater to your every holiday whim. Even if you’ve never sailed before, you won’t fail to be enchanted by the beauty of this area and your Skipper will soon have you pulling the ropes like a pro!

Have a Sailing Adventure

Our 10-day sailing holiday includes glorious blue water sailing, great home-cooked food, fantastic snorkelling and evenings under the stars. New sailors and improvers are assured of a relaxed and unhurried learning experience, and single travellers will make firm friends amongst their fellow boat buddies.

Our itinerary will take in all the island highlights; you’ll do plenty of sailing, whilst allowing time for relaxing and exploring.

Sunshine & Warm Seas

Warm sunny weather is practically guaranteed; there are often showers in this part of the world but they never last long, and hey, it’s warm rain! Temperatures in the high 20s are the norm, and there’s always a cooling breeze on board. The sea is a wonderful shade of blue, and with some of the best snorkelling in the Caribbean….prepare to be amazed.

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Sailing With YOU

The following shipmates are already booked on this trip:

Come and join the crew!

Please Note

The following itinerary is subject to changes due to weather forecasts and group preferences.

Choosing a CABIN

We will be running Ibis V on this trip with up to 6 guests and 1 skipper.  To find out more about Ibis, please follow this link.

The prices below reflect the sizes of the cabins on the boat; please make your selection when Booking.

Boat Name	Cabin Type	Price (EUR)
Ibis V	Shared Twin Cabin (Up and Down Bunks – same gender allocations)	€1,800
	Twin Cabin for Sole Use	€2,750
	Double Cabin with Ensuite for Sole Use (2 available)	€3,250
	Double Cabin with Ensuite for Couple (2 available)	€4,350

Insurance

You should ensure you have a good travel policy that covers you for flight delays and lost/delayed baggage – this is particularly important if any part of your travel includes a LIAT or Air France flight!  During this sailing holiday we will never be more than 12 miles from shore and coastal sailing like this is usually part of the standard travel cover for most policies; please ensure that your travel policy doesn’t specifically exclude this.

Expenses & CURRENCY

The currency on the French side of St Martin, and in St Barth’s is the Euro, Dutch St Maarten takes US dollars; however US dollars are accepted everywhere.  Make sure you do have a small supply of cash; the ATM’s are not as frequent as you might think!  Credit cards are accepted in most bars and restaurants but not all.

We provide filtered drinking water on board and we carry fruit juices for breakfast time.  You will need to provision with any soft drinks, alcohol and mixers you need when you arrive and there are small supermarkets in Marigot where you can do this.  Guests often club together and have a kitty for these costs, but you may prefer to buy your own.

You should budget for between $15 to $35 for a main course in a restaurant when we eat out plus drinks and service charge.  The restaurants serving in US dollars often add 10% or more to the bill automatically (grrr) and with local taxes the supplement to the menu prices can be as much as 25%!!  French restaurants operate a more European tipping system – add what you feel is justified.  We promise to take you only where we’ve had good value for money!

Participation

Unless otherwise stated, sailing holidays with Yacht Ibis are participatory and you should expect to get involved.  We don’t carry passengers!  This will include:

• Preparing the boat for sailing
• Hoisting sails, pulling ropes, winching, steering and generally sailing the boat
• Putting all the ropes away at the end of the day
• Helping to keep the communal spaces tidy and clear of personal belongings
• Taking a turn on clearing away dishes after a meal

This is all part of living aboard a sailing boat 🙂

Other Questions

Hopefully any other questions you may have are covered in our frequently asked questions here or in our Pre-Arrival Booklet which can be downloaded here.

Booking TERMS and Conditions

These can be found at this link and you should be familiar and comfortable with them before making a booking, thank you.

FLIGHTS

We recommend that you organise a flight in and out of SXM – Sint Maarten’s Princess Juliana Airport.  If it becomes necessary to re-organise itineraries, SXM is a central hub with connections throughout the Caribbean and internationally.

If you prefer not to use a travel agent, Flight Connections is a great starting point to find out about flights.  From here, you can contact the airlines directly, or use a flight search engine like Bravofly or Skyscanner to find alternative routes that may work out cheaper.

Getting to the BOAT

Firm details will be notified nearer the time, however please note the following for arrival to St Martin.

The airport in St Maarten is around a 15 minute taxi ride from Marigot Bay, where our boat(s) will be anchored.  Please ensure you provide your arrival information as soon as you can and keep us updated of any changes; we will try and hook you up with fellow crewmates who might be arriving at the same time so that you can share a taxi.  Please pack light, and using a lightweight, collapsible bag with wheels if possible.  Hard suitcases must not be brought on board, we simply have no room to store them!

ARRIVING and Departing

You should aim to arrive around midday on the first day of your trip, and we will aim to finish at midday on the last.  To facilitate travel, we offer a complimentary extra night on board at either the beginning or the end of the trip.  Additional nights can be provided at a cost of EUR €95 per person per night on a bed and help yourself continental breakfast basis.  If you’d like to stay for any additional nights please add them to your booking.  We do need the days in between trips to prepare the boats for the following trips, so please keep this in mind, thank you!

Accommodation Nearby

A short taxi ride away you will find Le Petit Hotel in Grand Case which is on the stunning beach at Grand Case. The Love Hotel and les Temps des Cerises are also lovely places to stay.

Mary’s Boon Resort is right next to the airport, but also on the beach at Simpson Bay for those with little time to spare.