From St. Martin we sail southwards through the Lesser Antilles to Martinique. The voyage takes us past bustling island capitals, hidden anchorages and some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean – from the divided twin island of St. Martin to the glamorous dream islands of St. Barthélemy and the volcanic landscapes of St. Kitts and Nevis, on to the natural paradise of Dominica and finally to the flower island of Martinique.
Crystal-clear water, warm trade winds and the relaxed Caribbean way of life accompany us throughout the voyage – a sailing trip straight out of a picture book.
The Lesser Antilles stretch from the Virgin Islands to the coast of Venezuela. Our voyage takes us through the Leeward Islands from St. Martin to Martinique. 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 4–5 Bft — sailing pleasure is guaranteed. The best and driest travel time 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.
Our Caribbean sailing adventure begins on St. Martin – the divided twin island with Dutch and French parts. After boarding, provisioning and the safety briefing, we cast off and set a course south.
The very first stop is a cracker: in Gustavia on St. Barthélemy we anchor among glamorous yachts and boutiques and soak up French flair. Then we continue to St. Kitts and Nevis, where volcanic mountains and traces of the colonial era await us.
Via Antigua with its legendary 365 beaches – one for every day of the year – we reach Guadeloupe, the Butterfly Island with dense rainforest and thundering waterfalls. In the offshore Les Saintes we anchor in one of the most beautiful bays in the Caribbean.
One highlight of the voyage is Dominica: we snorkel over the volcanic bubbles of Champagne Reef and relax in the island's hot springs. The finale of our journey is Martinique, the flower island with the volcano Mont Pelée – here vanilla, rum and Caribbean joie de vivre beckon before the voyage ends in Le Marin.
Around 350 nautical miles, mostly on beam reaches and broad reaches on the classic trade-wind route south. Sailing experience is welcome but not required. The onboard language is German and English.
For anyone collecting miles for their next sailing certificate: as we sail the Lesser Antilles from north to south on this voyage, a good number of nautical miles go into the logbook. Of course, at the end of the trip we issue you with an official mileage confirmation.
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 that does the same trip every week. Instead, we sail together, experience real boatlife and embrace the adventure the sea has in store for us.
Step aboard a wonderfully 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 sailing along? We take care of the technical side on board together, and you can lend a hand yourself if you like. You can turn a holiday trip into a real experience on a long-distance yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our voyages 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 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), 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 extensive array of safety and navigation equipment and much more – in short, everything needed to cruise 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 outstanding too! 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 usually blows at 3–6 Bft and is the steady engine of our Caribbean voyages. It makes the heat feel pleasant. Average air temperature 29 °C, water temperature 27 °C. January lies in the middle of the dry and most reliable sailing season; short showers occasionally provide some cooling.
Everyone can, if they want, help with sailing, take the helm occasionally, 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 at preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Hobby cooks usually emerge quickly on board, and those who are not so keen on culinary arts 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 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 kitty. This fund covers all shared costs incurred during the voyage (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 port, etc.). In accordance with old seafaring custom, the skipper is provided with meals by the crew during the voyage.
Berth charter is the best opportunity for anyone who wants to get to know sailing life. 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 voyage, and your wishes will be heard, subject to safety and weather. On such a voyage you meet like-minded people, can make new friends 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 bunks 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 reducing the impact on the environment. At the same time, she is on a journey to explore the world. Her home base is Poros, Greece. Mostly, however, she is on a long voyage. Our small team of skippers looks forward to sharing a real sailing experience with you!
