Skinny Vacations in the Caribbean
June 5th-12th, 2010
First boat “SOLD OUT”
It is a 7 day cruise so you are on the boat from Saturday afternoon and we disembark the following Saturday morning.
Last time we flew out of L.A. on a red eye, Friday night, to Miami and caught a connecting flight to St. Maarten and we were able to make it to the boat with plenty of time to spare.
Read the complete description of the trip, the boat and the plan below and then email or call us 1.800.680.2803 if you want to G.O.Y.A. with us in the Caribbean. The dates are June 5th -12th, 2010 Total price per Cabin, which includes all you can eat and drink (yes alcohol as well) for 2 people, $4500.00 Does not include Airfare. There are no refunds of any kind for any reason period. 2 videos for you to watch Skinny Vacations Goes To The Caribbean in 2010
This is a sample itinerary.
Arrival Day
Embarkation is at 5pm, however you can check in and drop off your luggage once you arrive on St Maarten. Your catamaran will be moored at Port de Plaisance marina in Cole Bay on the Dutch side of the island. Upon arrival at our office in the Marina, you will be greeted by our operations manager who will take you through the check in procedure. At 5pm, you will be introduced to your crew and fellow sailors. After a refreshing welcome cocktail you will be shown to your cabin and helped to settle in to to your new home for the week. Enjoy a delicious dinner aboard. Your yacht remains in the lagoon for the evening to allow you to either enjoy a relaxing time onboard or head off to sample the shops, clubs and casinos.
Cruising Day 1
Following breakfast, we exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon through the lifting bridge. After a short briefing of all safety aspects, we set sail for the beautiful isle of Ile Fourche. Lunch is served in the beautiful surroundings of the marine park, before we go snorkelling amongst the amazing coral reefs. Diving is incredible here for you bubble lovers, and for everyone else an opportunity to soak up the sunshine and relax. The party starts at 5:30 when the Captain serves cocktails and then your First Mate presents another incredible dinner.
Cruising Day 2
After a scrumptous breakfast, be prepared for the delights of the French Isle of St Barths, as we sail into the stunning port of Gustavia. With plenty of shops and a lively atmosphere, St Barths is a real gem of the Caribbean. Once lunch has been served back on board, we hoist the sails and head to the unique island Ile Tintamarre. Full of historical treasures, this is the perfect spot to enjoy some snorkelling and diving. Stunning anchorages offer the perfect spot to soak up the sunset and wind down with another of the Captain’s special concoctions. What a backdrop to another glorious Caribbean day as your First Mate prepares your evening meal.
Cruising Day 3
Breakfast in the morning sunshine leaves plenty of time for a bit more snorkelling before your crew pull anchor to sail round to the amazing Ille Pinel. You’ll be snorkelling and diving in some of the Caribbeans finest corals, whilst a multitude of fish swim within touching distance. Lunch gives you a chance to recharge, before the short sail to the stunning bay at Anse Marcel. Maybe you’ll catch a fish or two on the way, or just relax to the sound of the waves and seagulls. The protected bay at Anse Marcell, coupled with the white sandy beach is a fine place to kick down and live the Caribbean dream. After taking on water, your next port of call is the delightful town at Grand Case. Get ready to be amazed as you dock in this wondrous and lively town. Here, you’ll get to sample the French cuisine, whilst your crew get the chance to spruce up your boat (and get a night off from clearing up!).
Cruising Day 4
After a fantastic breakfast your crew will take you snorkelling at the famous Creole Rock. This is the best spot to get ready for the sail across to Anguilla, home to the Caribbeans finest beach and more incredible sea life. If you want to participate in the handling of the yacht and sails you can do so, but if you prefer, just lie back and relax; it is all up to you. After the captain has cleared customs into this British island, we spend the day at the secluded Prickly Pear Cays. In the crystal clear turquoise waters it is paradise to snorkel , with many turtles and rays to admire. A sumptuous lunch is served onboard. While some guests relax on the stunning beaches, you can enjoy a trip on the kayak to explore the area. In the afternoon, we sail to Road Bay on the north shore of Anguilla. Dinner is served onboard, and afterwards; go for some dancing in the sand by “Johnno’s” Bar and Restaurant.
Cruising Day 5
After a delighful breakfast, we sail over to Sandy Island, a small off-lying cay with a circular coral reef surrounding it. Lunch is served onboard next to the coral atoll. After lunch, we sail up to Crocus Bay, a part of the Anguilla Marine National Park. The fish and bird life is astounding. Take the kayak for exploration of the cliffs teeming with bird life and cactus plants or laze on the tiny secluded beach. The barbeque is lit and we will serve another wonderful dinner at this stunning anchorage. In this location the light pollution from the islands is virtually non existent. Your captain may invite all guests up on deck for a night cap and a late evening of some amazing stargazing.
Cruising Day 6
In the morning, we get the chance to snorkell again in these pristine waters, before hositing the sails for the trip Marigot. We anchor off the long golden beach, where lunch is served. The bridge opens in the early afternoon, allowing us back into the lagoon. Once we reach dock, you’ll have the chance to freshen up and enjoy some more of your Captain’s wonderful cocktails, before dining ashore at one of the many water front restaurants of Simpson bay.
Departure Day
After breakfast onboard, it is time to gather your belongings and memories. At 9am, be prepared to shed some tears as you’re exchanging fond farewells and email addresses. Your crew will arrange transport back to the airport before bidding you adieu. You’ll already be planning your next Tradewinds adventure….
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Life aboard
All our yachts are catamarans (two hulls) and these are much more stable in the water than mono hulls (one hull). Catamarans have a shallower draft than similar length mono hulls; hence we can get you right up to the most remote of beaches.
Aboard, you will find huge spaces on deck and easy access in and out of the water making the catamarans easy and comfortable to navigate whether you want to relax on deck or take a quick dip.
Ever wanted to sail a catamaran over open waters? Now is your chance. Our Captains will happily introduce you to the art of sailing. Whether you want to raise the main sail, navigate from island to island or take the helm, our Captain will be on hand to guide you. Of course, if you prefer, just relax with a good book and a great cocktail. That’s fine too!!!
You’ll find ample space inside, even if you are 6 foot tall! Each yacht in the fleet has a unique interior layout of tables, chairs, galley and navigation equipment.
Down a few stairs on either side of the main room is the sleeping quarters. Here you enter your own room with double bed, shower and head (toilet). Each room has ceiling hatches and a fan so you can fall asleep under a sea breeze and wake up to the morning sun bright and awake in time for breakfast.
Life aboard is fun and relaxing. Whether you want to lie on the trampolines or take the helm our crew we will assist you in making your vacation a dream vacation.
Our Royal Capes
The Royal Cape 45 Catamarans are built in South Africa. They are 14 meters long and 8.30 meters wide. They dispace 18 tons. Mind you, numbers can never begin to describe them. It’s easy to forget that these are sailing vessels when you look at some of the equipment they are packing.They have all the labour saving devices in the galley such as a microwave and the fridge freezer. Equally, in your stateroom you have easy to clean, en-suite shower units.
The Royal Cape 45 can make 10 knots under sail quite comfortably using around 118 m2 sail area and from 21m up at the top of the mast they give a breathtaking view, regardless of where you are. (And yes, we’ve been up there. Many times.)
When we need to motor fast, (although here in the Caribbean we never need to do anything fast) they are equipped with either two 60 hp Volvo or Yanmar engines, which aren’t quite enough for water skiing but they’re not far off. Royal Capes will hold 400 gallons of water.
Royal Capes sleep 12 comfortably, including two crew members and they are smooth to control.
We can promise you an unforgettable experience on your Royal Cape.
Our Marquises
Expansive, wide and ultimately comfortable the Marquise 56’s are, apart from Explorer, our biggest and most luxurious catamarans. Over 4 years of design and building experience have gone into the Marquise line and it shows in every detail.Coming aboard from the teak-lined transom sugar scoops, up the stairs to the cockpit with its twin folding tables beckons one to sit, relax and enjoy the Caribbean in the shade provided by our custom-designed awnings. Or, walk around the yacht feeling safe and secure with wide deck space and lifelines leading you to the large trampolines in front. Sunbathe and get ready to enjoy the exhilaration of a quick sail, even a splash or two from the waves lapping the hulls as we make our way to our next destination. Keep your eyes open for the odd dolphin or whale!
Upon entering the Salon through sliding doors, you will notice that it is divided into 4 sections each with its own functionality providing you, our guests, with the ability to have an uncluttered common area. The horseshoe table with ample seating for 8 people makes dining, as well as game playing or just relaxing, a more ’spacious’ experience.
Across from the large table is a two-seat couch designed for reading, comfort and relaxation. Just in front of the reading couch is a galley and wet bar with refrigerator, sinks, stove and storage areas. This allows easy access to cold drinks and snacks during the day and is used in cooking preparations for lunch and dinner.
From the Salon you descend a couple of steps to reach the private bedrooms with queen sized beds and en-suite bathrooms complete with hot and cold showers and heads (yacht speak for toilets). Beautiful wood joinery and highlights underline the beauty of these spacious cabins. The Marquise will sleep 8 with separate crew quarters.
No wonder we chose to extend our fleet of yachts with these beauties!
Our Privileges
The Privilege Catamarans are designed by the French, a nation of mariners and master yacht-builders. Although they are 5 feet longer than the Royal Cape, they sleep only 10 people including the crew so you feel you have plenty of room aboard.The Privileges and Royal Capes have very similar specifications but most members claim that they have no preference. They love them both equally. Some first mates tell us that they prefer the galley on the Royal Capes because it is adjoining the dining area so they can create their culinary masterpieces and still be part of the vacation experience for our members and their guests.
The food and beverage department is almost identical on both styles of catamaran, with microwave, ovens and fridge freezers throughout. There is also the additional storage space in the Privileges which means we can comfortably store scuba kits as well as all snorkel equipment and a tandem kayak.
Our guests have always caught big fish off the back of the Privilege. A 55 pound King Fish that the whole yacht wrestled with for nearly two hours is the current record holder. See what you think when you come and join us on a Privilege as it cruises around the Grenadines or Antigua one of these days. We look forward to seeing you.
Sea sickness
Our Caribbean waters are generally calm – so sea-sickness is extremely rare. If you are at all worried about this please bring some form of prevention – we have tablets onboard, but some people prefer to bring the patches which you stick behind your ears. After the first couple of days you should not even need these.
Cabin and yacht allocation
Generally we have two yachts sailing out of most TradeWinds bases most weeks in the year and cabin allocations are not done until just prior to sailing. For this reason it is not always possible to know in advance exactly which yacht you will be sailing on nor who your crew will be. If you have booked to sail on a specific yacht then we do our very best to ensure that you will cruise on that yacht. However, sailing yachts require extensive ongoing maintenance, and occasionally our schedules have to be altered to provide for this.
Onboard entertainment
All our yachts have car stereo-type sound systems. All have a good selection of books, playing cards and board games.
Electricity
We have electrical outlets onboard and are able to run hairdryers and electric shavers or charge batteries etc… for a limited period, using generator power. Some of our yachts have European voltage (220v) and some have USA voltage (110v). If you intend to bring any electrical appliances please make sure you have an adaptor / converter with you.
Our yachts can supply 12V DC electricity to your cabin (with prior notice). If you wish to bring aboard a machine such as a sleep apnea machine please ensure that you have your own battery pack (available from electrical stores such as Radioshack). These packs will run the machine for three nights before needing a charge. We can charge these for you from our 12V DC supply in the daytime.
Communications
Cell phones purchased outside the Caribbean are unlikely to work here unless they have “roaming” capacity. We do not have Internet access onboard the yachts, but there are many Internet cafes throughout the islands if you need to check email.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in the cabins or in the salon. Smoking is only allowed on the back steps to avoid disturbing the other guests.
Air conditioning
Some yachts have air con units installed, but as all cabins have hatches and fans we rarely need to use the air conditioning. We just let the cooling sea breezes keep everyone very comfortable.
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Imagine setting sail for the island of Anguilla where you’ll drop anchor at Prickly Pear Cays. You can get wet in the crystal clear turquoise waters, a paradise with many turtles and rays.
Imagine pulling up the anchor and setting sail for Crocus Bay, a part of the Anguilla Marine National Park. The fish and bird life is astounding. Take the kayak and explore the cliffs teeming with bird life and cactus plants or just laze on the tiny secluded beach till sunset.
Imagine hoisting the main sail and heading for an exhilarating downwind sail through the reefs protecting Orient Bay.
You drop anchor at Isle Pinel , a beautiful small island where you can take sunset with cocktails and snacks on the beach before dinner.
And that is not even half the cruise!
