The GALINI crew is heading to the Indian Ocean! Together we have already discovered many places and cruising areas in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Now it’s off to the Seychelles. Our friend Jens has been sailing there for many years and knows stunning spots. We are joining with a boat. Although we are not sailing with our GALINI (Hanse 575), we have a catamaran that also offers plenty of space.
We decide our stops in ports and anchorages together. We are a crew that plans the route based on preferences, wind and weather.
- Anse Lazio
- CurieuseGiant tortoises
- La Digue
- Bird Island
- Coco de Mer
Our voyage begins at the “Eden Island Marina”. This new and modern harbour is nestled between Eden Island and the island of Mahé. Eden Island has been developed in a super-modern way with apartments, shopping mall, shops, supermarket and a wide variety of bars and restaurants.
After loading the boat and completing the shopping, we set off. First, we will explore the main island of Mahé. South of Pointe Matoopa lies Port Launay, a calm and dreamlike anchorage. From here, the offshore islands of Île Conception and Île Thérèse are just a stone’s throw away. On the latter, a paradisiacal island idyll awaits us with a stunning beach and an offshore reef for snorkelling. From here, a side trip to the neighbouring island of Silhouette is also possible. Afterwards, we continue to Praslin. The Vallée de Mai Nature Park is a botanical garden and is world-famous for its Coco de Mer palms and its incredible biodiversity, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Moreover, Praslin boasts world-class beaches. For example, “Anse Lazio” has been voted the most beautiful beach in the world in many surveys. The island of La Digue is slightly smaller than Praslin and has retained much of its originality. There are hardly any cars here, and many things are still transported by ox cart. The main attraction is the beach “Anse Source d’Argent”. The gigantic rock backdrop combined with the white, fine sandy beach, washed by turquoise water, has been used for one or the other commercial or Hollywood movie. Praslin and La Digue are just 5 nautical miles apart. In the immediate vicinity of these two islands there are many small, mostly uninhabited islands, which also invite a day stop. Most of them are part of the Marine Park. From here, you can take countless excursions by catamaran, such as a visit to the bird island of Aride and much, much more. Everything is quite close together, so no long distances need to be covered. In recent years, the trip to Bird Island, which lies on the far northern edge of the inner Seychelles Plateau, has become an absolute highlight for everyone. Unlike most other Seychelles islands, the island is a flat coral island. Millions of seabirds live out here, and the island with its powder-sugar beaches is a pure nature and bird paradise. Esmeralda, the oldest and largest tortoise in the Seychelles, also lives here in complete freedom with her companions. The island houses a small bungalow resort, which is owned and operated by a long-established Seychellois family. We have a long-standing, trusting relationship with the operators and are always warmly welcomed with our crews. This gives us the privilege of being able to move freely on this dreamlike island. In the small lobby there is the island’s WiFi, showers, as well as a bar and a restaurant.
The many islands lie just 4° south of the equator in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles offer a fantastic sailing area, not overrun by mass tourism, and are therefore ideal for nature lovers and guests who want to really relax. However, one should not leave the island world of the Seychelles without having seen one of the legendary giant tortoises or Coco de Mer palms. After arrival and provisioning in Mahé, we first go for a snorkel. Then we sail with a stopover on the beautiful island of Silhouette to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Vallée de Mai Nature Park. This heart of Praslin harbours a remnant of the original palm forests of the Seychelles and has often been described as the “Garden of Eden” because of its lonely and mystical appearance.
Furthermore, on Praslin we see the long-standing top contender in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, Anse Lazio. But the competition here in the Seychelles is great. We will see for ourselves and vote. Due to the few marinas, we mostly anchor in bays and also spend the night there. Often we have the stunning starry sky and the bay all to ourselves. Let our dangling souls decide! Before the return flight, some time should also be planned for Victoria. The smallest capital in the world invites you for a leisurely stroll.
The climate in the Seychelles is tropical with high humidity. Air temperatures vary only slightly. Overall, the weather is quite pleasant in all seasons – not too hot, not too cold. A light breeze always blows. The main islands lie outside the cyclone belt and are therefore almost never hit by storms. When the tropical rain falls a bit more frequently in January and February, the sun can already be shining on the opposite side of the island. From May to October, the wind mostly blows from a south-easterly direction, bringing drier and cooler air. From December to March, the summer of the southern hemisphere, the air brought by the prevailing north-west monsoon is slightly more humid.
The Catamaran
On our Seychelles voyage, we sail with a comfortable and modern cruising catamaran of the type Lagoon 42 – one of the most popular premium catamarans in its class. This elegant vessel combines confident sailing characteristics with thoughtful design, state-of-the-art technology and exceptional living comfort.
The Lagoon 42 has 4 double cabins, each with its own bathroom, 2 crew cabins (single), thus offering space, comfort and privacy for up to 10 guests. Four of the cabins are particularly spacious, while two slightly smaller crew cabins are offered as standard cabins – ideal for solo travellers or guests with less space requirements.
The light-flooded saloon with panoramic views, the spacious flybridge with lounge and helm station, as well as the spacious cockpit invite you to relax and enjoy – perfect for experiencing the Seychelles at their most beautiful.
A powerful generator, air conditioning in all interiors and high-quality on-board equipment ensure maximum comfort even in tropical temperatures. Thanks to watermaker, solar system and modern navigation technology, the catamaran is largely self-sufficient and ideally suited for longer stays in remote bays.
The Lagoon 42 stands for comfort, safety and timeless elegance – a floating home under sail that leaves nothing to be desired.
Our GALINI is a modern, fast and comfortable Hanse 575 with:
4 double cabins and a skipper’s cabin, each with its own bathroom and electric toilet
WiFi via Starlink, generator (220 V/7 kW), washing machine, air fryer, coffee machine, large solar panels, radar, AIS, watermaker, hydraulic bathing platform, dinghy with outboard motor. An exceptional level of safety and navigation equipment – everything you need to be self-sufficient.
For safety, design and performance at the highest level – inspired by Volvo Ocean Racers, the fastest yacht in its class. Enjoyment of sailing is guaranteed!
✓ Included services
- Crewed charter with skipper
- Berth on the yacht
- Sailing instructions
- Trip management
+ Additional costs / boat fund
- Boat fund
- Arrival/Departure
What tasks does the crew have?
Everyone can, if they wish, help with sailing, take the helm from time to time, or simply enjoy the beautiful nature and the day. Additionally, everyone is jointly responsible for the crew’s well-being. This means that each person takes turns preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Usually, the hobby chefs on board quickly become apparent, and those who are not so keen on cooking simply step back and do the washing up. When mooring and unmooring, 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 trip. However, the final cleaning is done by the marina staff.
What does boat fund actually mean?
All crew members (except the skipper) pay a jointly agreed amount into the boat fund. From this fund, all shared costs incurred during the trip are covered (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.). According to old seafaring tradition, the skipper is catered for by the crew during the trip.
What does berth charter mean?
Cabin charter is the best option for anyone who wants to get to know the sailing life. Prior knowledge or your own sailing experience is not necessary. But perhaps you already have sailing experience, have taken sailing training and want to deepen it? – Then the skipper will give you the opportunity to try yourself and help you achieve future safety. The crew can help shape the course of the trip and your wishes will be listened to, 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 usually equipped with different but very similar cabins. The berths are allocated by the skipper taking crew preferences into account. Whole cabins can be chartered by single people, 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 our GALINI we test innovative products to combine a great sailing experience with the smallest possible ecological footprint. Our small team of experienced skippers looks forward to experiencing a real sailing adventure together with you. Our base is on Poros, Greece – from there we explore the most beautiful sailing areas in the world.
