New Year's Eve and New Year on board: we celebrate the turn of the year in the Caribbean and sail north from Martinique through the Lesser Antilles to St. Martin. From lush rainforests and majestic waterfalls to volcanic landscapes, each island reveals its own natural wonders. Along the way we experience the contrast between the southern islets with their dreamlike beaches and the northern islands with their dramatic topography.
We raise our glasses while palm trees rustle in the warm evening breeze in the background and the sea gently laps against the hull. Crystal-clear water, colourful coral reefs, local music and the relaxed way of life that makes this region so special.
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 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 cheer is omnipresent.
Our Caribbean sailing adventure begins on Saturday on Martinique with boarding, provisions and safety briefing. Martinique welcomes us with the scent of vanilla, rum and exotic flowers.
Once the lines are cast off, we set course north. The steady trade wind fills the sails. Via Les Saintes and Guadeloupe we reach Dominica, a natural paradise of incomparable beauty — we anchor in crystal-clear water, surrounded by rainforest and hot springs. A highlight is snorkelling at Champagne Reef, where volcanic activity makes bubbles rise from the seabed.
We celebrate the turn of the year on board, in a bay we choose together. Further north we reach Antigua with its 365 beaches, then St. Kitts and Nevis with traces of the colonial past. In Gustavia on St. Barthélemy we drop anchor, surrounded by luxury yachts and boutiques.
Finally we reach St. Martin — the divided island with Dutch and French flair forms the conclusion. We arrive on Friday evening; Saturday is crew-change day.
Approximately 350 nautical miles, beam reach on the classic trade-wind route. Sailing experience is welcome, but not a requirement. The onboard language is German.
For those who want to collect miles for their next sailing certificate: since we cross open sea on this passage, a good number of nautical miles go into the logbook. Of course, we will issue you an official miles certificate at the end of the trip.
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 discovering new horizons together. We are not a classic charter company that runs the same tour every week. Instead, we sail together, experience the real boat life and embrace the adventure the sea holds in store for us.
Step aboard a beautifully 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 being a guest? Together we take care of the technical aspects on board, and you can lend a hand yourself if you like. You can turn your holiday passage into a real experience on a long-distance cruising yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our passages combine holiday, experience, mindfulness and genuine 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 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 at mostly 3–6 Bft and is the steady engine of our Caribbean passages. It makes the warmth feel pleasant. Average air temperature 29 °C, water temperature 27 °C. December and January fall in the middle of the driest and most reliable sailing season; short showers occasionally provide a cooling respite.
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!
