From Martinique we sail northwards through the Lesser Antilles to St Martin. The voyage takes us past the natural paradise of Dominica with its hot springs and the Champagne Reef, via the picturesque Les Saintes and the butterfly-shaped island of Guadeloupe to Antigua with its 365 beaches, on to the volcanic peaks 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 journey – and Easter Sunday falls right in the middle of the voyage.
The Lesser Antilles extend from the Virgin Islands to the coast of Venezuela. Our voyage takes us 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 a constant 24–25°C. The north-east trade wind blows steadily at force 4–5 – 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 – reggae, rum and good spirits – is everywhere.
Our Caribbean sailing adventure begins on Martinique, the flower island with the volcano Mont Pelée. After boarding, provisioning and a safety briefing in Le Marin, we cast off and set a course northwards.
The very first leg leads to a highlight: Dominica. We snorkel over the volcanic bubbles of the 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-shaped 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 soak up the French flair.
Easter Sunday falls in the middle of this voyage – we spend it on board, in a bay we choose together. The voyage concludes in St Martin, the divided twin island with a Dutch and a French side.
Around 350 nautical miles on the classic Antilles route northwards, mostly on the beam and close-hauled, with calm stages in the lee of the islands in between. Sailing experience is welcome but not essential. The on-board languages are 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 voyage, plenty of nautical miles go into the logbook. Of course, we will issue you with an official miles 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 discovering new horizons together. We are not a classic charter company running 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 beautifully equipped, lovingly maintained boat and enjoy something special: with us nothing is off the peg. Every voyage 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.
Do you want more than just to sail along? Together we look after the technical side on board, and you can lend a hand yourself if you like. You can also turn the holiday voyage into a real experience aboard a long-distance cruising yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our voyages combine holiday, experience, mindfulness and genuine boat life. Become part of our crew and experience a special time aboard 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 will cross 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), multimedia, 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 extensive inventory of safety and navigation equipment and much more besides – in short, everything you need to operate self-sufficiently without having to call at a port for supplies. A yacht that meets the highest demands in terms of safety, design and comfort.
The sailing qualities 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 north-east trade wind blows at force 3–6 and is the steady engine of our Caribbean voyages. It makes the warmth feel pleasant. Average air temperature 29°C, water temperature 27°C. March also lies in the middle of the dry and reliable sailing season – the values hardly differ from those in January; short showers occasionally provide cooling.
Anyone who wants to can help with the sailing, 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 well-being. That means everyone takes turns preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Usually the hobby cooks on board quickly emerge, and those who are not so into the art of 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 is to be kept clean by the crew members during the voyage. The final cleaning, however, is done by the marina staff.
All crew members (except the skipper) pay an agreed amount into the crew kitty. During the voyage, this kitty covers all shared 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 fees for the first and last night in harbour, etc.). In keeping with old seafaring tradition, the skipper is fed by the crew during the voyage.
Berth charter is the best way for anyone who wants to get to know sailing life. Previous knowledge or sailing experience of your own 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 opportunity to try yourself out and help you gain confidence for the future. The crew can help shape the course of the voyage, and your wishes will be heard, subject to safety and weather. On such a voyage 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 similar. The berths are allocated by the skipper, taking crew preferences 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 offer a great sailing experience while putting less strain on the environment. At the same time, she is on a voyage to explore the world. Her home base is Poros, Greece. Most of the time, however, she is on a major voyage. Our small team of skippers looks forward to a real sailing experience together with you!
