A round trip from Martinique to the Grenadines and back – with just one airport for arrival and departure. Via St. Lucia with the Pitons and St. Vincent we sail into the Grenadines: Bequia, Mustique, the Tobago Cays, Union Island and the tiny sand island of Mopion. Turquoise water over bright sand, reefs for snorkelling and anchorages that you only find here.
On the return, we sail north with the trade wind to Martinique. The circular route with a single connection point is one of the most popular formats of our Caribbean season – getting there is simple, and on one trip you experience two very different faces of the Lesser Antilles: the green volcanic islands of the Windwards and the flat reef islands of the Grenadines.
The Lesser Antilles extend from the Virgin Islands to the coast of Venezuela. Our trip leads through the Windward Islands from Martinique via St. Lucia and St. Vincent into the Grenadines – and back the same way. The islands lie in the trade-wind belt, tropical to subtropical: air temperature 25–29 °C throughout the year, water constant 26–28 °C. The northeast trade wind blows steadily at 4–6 Bft — sailing pleasure is guaranteed. The best and driest time to travel is between November and April. The people are friendly and open-minded, and the Caribbean way of life of reggae, rum and good humour is everywhere.
A round trip with just one airport: we start and end in Le Marin on Martinique – arrival and departure run through the same airport, which makes planning simple and flights often cheaper. This combination of a circular route and a single connection point is one of the most popular trip formats of our Caribbean season.
After boarding, provisioning and the safety briefing in Le Marin, we set course south. First stop is St. Lucia: Marigot Bay, a narrow, palm-fringed bay that only opens up when you are almost inside – and the Pitons, the two volcanic peaks that rise straight out of the sea as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Continuing south we reach St. Vincent and anchor in Cumberland Bay, where the rainforest reaches the water. Then the Grenadines begin: Bequia with Port Elizabeth and the wide Admiralty Bay, Mustique with Basil’s Bar right on the beach – and finally the heart of the trip, the Tobago Cays. Behind Horseshoe Reef we lie at anchor in the national park, snorkel with sea turtles and have Mayreau right next door.
Via Union Island we head to Mopion, a tiny sandbank with a single palm-frond umbrella – there is no more island than that. Then we turn and sail back north to Martinique on the trade wind.
Around 210 nautical miles: southwards predominantly beam reach and broad reach courses, on the return northwards close-hauled and beam reach courses – a trip on which you sail every point of sail. Sailing experience is welcome, but not a requirement. On-board languages are German and English.
For anyone collecting miles towards their next sailing certificate: as we sail down the Windward Islands to the Grenadines and back on this trip, a good number of nautical miles go into the logbook. Naturally, we will issue you an official mileage confirmation at the end of the voyage.
Our Galini travels the world – and you can be part of it! With us you are not an anonymous guest on a standard route, but part of a real crew that discovers new horizons together. We are not a classic charter company that runs the same tour every week. Instead, we sail together, experience real boat life and embrace the adventure that the sea holds in store for us.
Step aboard a beautifully equipped, lovingly maintained boat and enjoy something special: with us, nothing is off the peg. Every trip is unique – sometimes spontaneous, sometimes planned, always full of surprises. Unplanned experiences are just as much a part of it as relaxed days on deck.
Would you like more than just sailing along? Together we take care of the technical side on board, and you can lend a hand yourself if you wish. You can turn a holiday trip into a real experience on a long-distance cruising yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our trips combine holiday, experience, mindfulness and real boat life. Become part of our crew and experience a special time on Galini – authentic, communal and full of adventurous spirit.
Our beautiful GALINI is a very fast, large and comfortable yacht. She spent the winter in the Caribbean and crosses the Atlantic in April/May.
She is a modern Hanse 575 with 4 double cabins and a skipper’s cabin. Each cabin has its own bathroom with electric toilet. Wi-Fi via Starlink (optional), multi media, generator 220 V / 7 kW, (230 V in all cabins), washing machine, air fryer and coffee machine. She has large solar panels, radar, AIS, a watermaker, hydraulic bathing platform and a tender with outboard motor. An abundance of safety and navigation equipment and much more – everything needed to travel self-sufficiently without having to call at a supply port. A yacht that meets the highest demands for safety, design and comfort.
The sailing characteristics are also outstanding! The Hanse was designed by Vovo Ocean Racers and is the fastest yacht in her class. The joy of sailing is guaranteed!
The northeast trade wind blows in the Windward Islands and the Grenadines at 4–6 Bft and is the steady engine of this trip. Water temperature around 27 °C, air temperature 28–29 °C. March is still in the dry and reliable sailing season; short showers usually pass through as quickly as they came. Between the islands there is an open Atlantic swell – on the passages we sail briskly, in the bays we lie calmly.
Anyone can help with sailing if they wish, even take the helm from time to time, or simply enjoy the beautiful nature and the day. In addition, everyone is jointly responsible for the crew’s wellbeing. This means that everyone takes a turn preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Usually the hobby chefs on board quickly emerge, and those who are not so keen on cooking simply hold back and do the washing-up. When berthing and casting off, everyone generally lends a hand according to their abilities and after instruction from the skipper. The boat must be kept clean by the crew during the trip. The final cleaning, however, is done by the marina staff.
All crew members (except the skipper) pay an amount agreed together into the crew kitty. This kitty covers all shared expenses incurred during the trip (e.g. diesel, harbour fees, deposit insurance, transit log, visitor’s tax, national and nature park fees, service pack for the provided bed linen, final cleaning, gas, marina charge for the first and last night in harbour, etc.). In keeping with old seafaring custom, the skipper is fed by the crew during the trip.
Berth charter is the best opportunity for anyone who wants to get to know life under sail. Previous knowledge or your own sailing experience is not necessary. Perhaps you have already gained sailing experience, completed sailing training and want to deepen it? – Then the skipper will give you the chance to try yourself out and help you gain future confidence. The crew can help shape the course of the trip, and your wishes will be heard, subject to safety and weather. On such a trip you meet like-minded people, can make new acquaintances and have an experienced skipper at your side who takes care of all nautical matters. The cabins on the yacht are usually fitted out differently but very similarly. The berths are allocated by the skipper, taking crew wishes into account. Whole cabins can be chartered by individuals, couples or families. You pay per person and don’t have to worry about anything else.
We want to make sailing more sustainable and environmentally friendly. On GALINI we test various products that provide a great sailing experience while placing less strain on the environment. At the same time, she is on a journey to explore the world. Her home port is on Poros, Greece. Usually, however, she is on a long voyage. Our small team of skippers looks forward to a real sailing experience together with you!
