From Martinique we sail northwards through the Lesser Antilles to St. Martin. The passage leads past the natural paradise of Dominica with its hot springs and the Champagne Reef, via the picturesque Les Saintes and the Butterfly Island of Guadeloupe to Antigua with its 365 beaches, then on to the volcanic mountains of St. Kitts and Nevis, to the glamorous St. Barthélemy and finally to the divided twin island of St. Martin.
Crystal-clear water, warm trade winds and the relaxed Caribbean way of life accompany us throughout the voyage – and Easter Sunday falls right in the middle of the passage.
We decide our stops in harbours and anchorages together. We are a crew that plans the route according to preferences, wind and weather.
The Lesser Antilles stretch from the Virgin Islands to off the coast of Venezuela. Our passage leads through the Leeward Islands from Martinique to St. Martin. The islands lie in the trade-wind belt, tropical to subtropical: air temperature 25–29 °C all year round, water constantly 24–25 °C. The north-east trade wind blows steadily at 4–5 Bft — sailing pleasure is guaranteed. The best and driest travel season 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 all-pervasive.
Our Caribbean sailing adventure begins on Martinique, the Flower Island with the volcano Mont Pelée. After embarkation, provisioning and a safety briefing in Le Marin, we cast off and set course northwards.
The very first leg already leads to a highlight: Dominica. We snorkel over the volcanic bubbles of Champagne Reef and relax in the island's hot springs, surrounded by dense rainforest. Further north, we anchor off Les Saintes, in one of the most beautiful bays in the Caribbean, before Guadeloupe, the Butterfly Island, welcomes us with rainforest and thundering waterfalls.
Via Antigua with its legendary 365 beaches – one for every day of the year – we sail to St. Kitts and Nevis, where volcanic mountains and traces of the colonial era await us. In Gustavia on St. Barthélemy we drop anchor among glamorous yachts and boutiques and sample French flair.
Easter Sunday falls in the middle of this passage – we spend it on board, in a bay we choose together. The journey concludes with St. Martin, the divided twin island with its Dutch and French parts.
Around 350 nautical miles on the classic Antilles route northwards, predominantly reaching and close-hauled courses, with calm legs in the lee of the islands in between. Sailing experience is welcome, but not a requirement. The language on board is German and English.
For anyone collecting miles towards their next sailing certificate: as we sail through the Lesser Antilles from south to north on this passage, a good number of nautical miles go into the logbook. Of course, we will issue you an official mileage confirmation at the end of the trip.
Our Galini is travelling 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 the sea has in store for us.
Step aboard a wonderfully equipped, lovingly maintained boat and enjoy the special: with us, nothing is off the peg. Every passage 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? We look after the technology on board together, and you can pitch in yourself if you like. You can turn the holiday passage into a genuine experience on an ocean-going yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our passages combine holiday, adventure, mindfulness and real boat life. Become part of our crew and experience a special time on Galini – authentic, communal and full of a spirit of adventure.
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 swim platform and a tender with outboard motor. An abundance of safety and navigation equipment and much more – in short, everything needed to travel self-sufficiently without having to call at a supply port. A yacht that meets the highest standards of safety, design and comfort.
The sailing characteristics are also outstanding! The Hanse was designed by Volvo Ocean Racers and is the fastest yacht in her class. The joy of sailing is guaranteed!
The north-east trade wind blows mostly at 3–6 Bft and is the steady motor of our Caribbean passages. It makes the warmth feel pleasant. Average air temperature 29 °C, water temperature 27 °C. March still lies in the middle of the dry and reliable sailing season – the values differ hardly from those in January; brief showers occasionally provide some cooling.
Anyone can, if they want, help with sailing, take the helm now and then, or simply enjoy the beautiful nature and the day. In addition, everyone is jointly responsible for the crew's well-being. This means that everyone takes their turn preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Usually the hobby cooks on board quickly emerge, and those who are not so into cooking simply stand 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 members during the voyage. The final cleaning, however, is carried out by the marina staff.
All crew members (except the skipper) pay an amount agreed together into the kitty. During the voyage, this kitty covers all joint costs incurred (e.g. diesel, harbour fees, deposit insurance, transit log, tourist tax, national and nature park fees, service pack for the provided bed linen, final cleaning, gas, marina fee for the first and last night in harbour, etc.). In keeping with old seafaring tradition, the crew also covers the skipper's food during the voyage.
Berth charter is the best opportunity for anyone who wants to get to know sailing life. Prior knowledge or your own sailing experience is not necessary. Perhaps you have already gained sailing experience and completed sailing training and want to deepen it? – Then the skipper will give you the opportunity to try things out for yourself and help you gain future confidence. The crew can help shape the course of the voyage and their wishes will be heard, subject to safety and weather. On such a trip you meet like-minded people, can make new pleasant acquaintances, and have an experienced skipper at your side who takes care of all nautical matters. The cabins on the yacht are mostly different, but very similarly equipped. The berths are allocated by the skipper taking crew wishes into account. Whole cabins can be chartered by individuals, couples or families. Payment is per person and you 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 putting less strain on the environment. At the same time, she is on a journey to explore the world. Her base is on Poros, Greece. Most of the time, however, she is on a long voyage. Our small team of skippers looks forward to sharing a real sailing experience with you!
