During this magnificent cruise you will get away from it all and take quality time off: sunshine in abundance, warm seas, coconut palms, dolphins, turtles, tropical fish, the Creole way of life, all in all an unforgettable holiday is assured...
Day 1
Transport from Fort de France airport to the marina at Le Marin (45 minutes).
Boarding your catamaran and a Ti Punch welcome.
Please note: if you are landing late in the day, you can have your boat stocked up with provisions before your arrival by a local tradesman, who is a cruise-supplies specialist.
Day 2
Departure from Le Marin and a heading for the island of Saint Lucia, 4 hours' sail away. With the tradewinds coming in from the east, you will arrive from the south and your catamaran will use the crosswinds to slip gracefully towards the northern point of Saint Lucia and the shelter of the magnificent Rodney Bay. Tucked away here is the marina, where you can land and sort out your customs clearance as well as making a withdrawal of the famous local currency "The East Caribbean Dollar" at an ATM. An hour's sail further south, you will come across the picture postcard creek at Marigot Bay, with its well-known JJ'S bar...
Day 3
You will set sail early in the morning and head for Bequia, an enchanting island, where the custom once a year is to hunt whales in the local wooden fishing craft to keep up native traditions - the islanders have legitimate authorisation to do this, which is carried out according to 200-year-old ways, and many of them make a living from the few whales they catch.
You will sail along the coast of Saint Vincent and arrive at The Grenadines after about 8 hours of navigation during which flying fish, dolphins and maybe even whales will swim alongside your catamaran. The main mooring is at Admiralty Bay, which is a pretty cove edged with coconut palm beaches and where there is a very pleasant ambiance on shore, with boutiques, a local market, restaurants...It is here that you will pass through customs on entry to The Grenadines and there is a variety of more untouched anchorage points available, (depending on the wind direction) at Petit Nevis, Isle à Quatre...
Day 4
Mustique island is 2.30 hours' sail away and life jackets should be worn during this stage of the voyage. I can highly recommend a visit to the famous Bazil Bar, where you might well rub shoulders at the bar with Mick Jagger or other famous stars who own a second home on the 'island of the millionaires'! You can rent a jeep and head off to drive past their luxury properties and end up on Macaroni Beach on the east coast of the island.
Day 6
A short sail of 1.30 hours will take you to Mayreau and its tiny inlet, Salt Whistle Bay. This cove is highly sought-after by kite surf and windsurfing enthousiasts, with its turquoise creeks and soft sandy beaches. The shallow water also makes it particularly accessible to catamarans. You can walk to the nearby village along a small, steep road which will take you past typical Caribbean houses and up to a magnificent small church from which you will have uninterrupted views over the Tobago Cays reserve. You could even have some light refreshment at Robert's bar, where he will have you dancing to reggae rhythms in no time!
Day 7
1 hour's sail from here will take you to the impressive natural protected site of Tobago Cays. It is a sight to feast your eyes on. Life jackets should be worn at all times as the moorings are in open waters and can be a bit rough – nonetheless, the seaworthy design of our catamaran will maintain a comfortable voyage aboard. The underwater diving area is sheltered by a coral reef and possesses exceptional marine life, with turtles all the length of the islet of Baradal, Leopard whiprays, multicoloured fish...you will be swimming in a real underwater aquarium! Local fishermen will come by with their catches of lobster, local fish, beach barbecues...all that you could wish for during your dream holiday!
Day 8
It's time to turn back for Martinique. You can either sail via Union island, or you can benefit from your customs stopover on leaving The Grenadines by going directly to Saint Vincent Island, 8 hours' sail away. Here, you can either drop anchor at Wallilabou Bay, where you will see the old-style set from the film The Pirates of The Caribbean and you can also visit a waterfall that's only 5 minutes' walk away; or, you can stopover at Cumberland Bay, just to the north, with its luxuriant forest and its typical Tahiti-style mooring where you quite literally tie-up the catamaran to a coconut palm with the help of the locals to prevent the boat turning, and where you will be welcomed by them in their canoes from which they will sell you fruit, vegetables and souvenirs...(If you choose to stop at Cumberland, you can complete all customs formalities at Wallilabou with the help of a boat boy).
Jour 8
À environ 6h de navigation, partez à la découverte de la magifique baie de Cumberland à Saint Vincent. En longeant l'île, prenez au large, puis en arrivant dans la baie de Cumberland allez sur la gauche.
Le mouillage à la tahitienne est un peu particulier, car vous mouillez de façon classique et passez un bout au cocotier par l’arrière afin d'éviter que le bateau ne tourne. Vous serez aidés par les locaux pour cette manœuvre. Ils vous accueilleront dans leur pirogue et vous proposeront fruits, légumes et souvenirs… N'hésitez pas à demander l'aide de Luggy pour cela. Guide national diplômé, il se fera un plaisir de vous organiser une visite dans les forêts luxuriantes de l'île, pour aller voir les cascades et autres points d'intérêt.
Vous pourrez déguster le mojito local ainsi que les chips de plantin "home made" du restaurant situé derrière le cocotier ! Un moment magique dont vous vous souviendrez longtemps...
Day 9
Continuing the voyage along the coastline of Saint Lucia towards Martinique, which is 8 to 9 hours' distant. Your final night will be spent just at the entrance to the port of Le Marin, in the bay of Saint Anne, a small village where you can buy your final postcards and souvenirs...
