GALINI discovers the world: New Year's Eve & New Year – from Martinique to St Martin

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New Year's Eve and New Year aboard: We celebrate the turn of the year in the Caribbean and sail northward 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 islands with their dream beaches and the northern islands with their dramatic topography.

We raise a toast whilst palms rustle in the warm evening breeze 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.

Highlights
We decide our stops in harbours and anchorages together. We're a crew that plans the route according to preferences, wind and weather.

New Year's Eve aboard — turn of the year in a Caribbean anchorage

Martinique — the flower island with Mont Pelée, vanilla and rum

Les Saintes — picturesque island group off Guadeloupe

Dominica — natural paradise with hot springs and rainforest

Champagne Reef — snorkelling over volcanic bubbles

Antigua — 365 beaches, one for every day of the year

St Barthélemy — Gustavia, French flair and dream beaches

St Martin — two cultures on one island

Sailing area
The Lesser Antilles stretch from the Virgin Islands to the coast of Venezuela. Our trip leads through the Leeward Islands from Martinique to St Martin. The islands lie in the trade wind belt, tropical to subtropical: air temperature year-round 25–29 °C, water constantly 24–25 °C. The northeast trade wind blows steadily at 4–5 Bft — sailing pleasure is guaranteed. The best and driest travel season lies between November and April. The people are friendly and welcoming, the Caribbean way of life of reggae, rum and good spirits is omnipresent.

Trip
Our Caribbean sailing adventure begins on Saturday in Martinique with embarkation, provisioning and safety briefing. Martinique welcomes us with the scent of vanilla, rum and exotic flowers.

As soon as the lines are off, we set course northward. 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 in the Champagne Reef, where volcanic activity causes bubbles to rise from the seabed.

We celebrate the turn of the year aboard, in an anchorage we choose together. Further north we reach Antigua with its 365 beaches, then St Kitts and Nevis with traces of their 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 changeover day.

Around 350 nautical miles, reaching on the classic trade wind route. Sailing experience is welcome but not essential. Language aboard is German.

For everyone collecting miles for their next sailing licence: As we cross open water on this trip, plenty of nautical miles go into the log. We will of course issue you with an official mile confirmation at the end of the voyage.

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 boatlife and embrace the adventure the sea has in store for us.

Step aboard a superbly equipped, lovingly maintained boat and enjoy what makes us special: with us nothing comes off the peg. Every sailing trip 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 to do more than just sail along? We look after the boat's systems together, and you can pitch in yourself if you'd like. You can also turn it from a holiday sailing trip into a real experience on a long-distance yacht and become part of life at sea.

Our sailing trips combine holiday, experience, mindfulness and real boatlife. Become part of our crew and experience a special time on GALINI – authentic, communal and full of a spirit of adventure.

Wind & climate
The northeast trade wind blows at mostly 3–6 Bft and is the constant engine of our Caribbean trips. It makes the heat feel pleasant. Average air temperature 29 °C, water temperature 27 °C. December and January lie in the middle of the dry and most reliable sailing season; brief showers occasionally provide cooling.

Marine Infinite
We want to make sailing more sustainable and environmentally friendly. On GALINI we test different products that give you a great sailing experience whilst placing less strain on the environment. At the same time she is on a voyage to explore the world. Her base is on Poros, Greece. Usually, though, she is away on long voyages. Our small team of skippers looks forward to sharing a real sailing experience with you!

Services
Cabin charter with experienced skipper

Berth on the yacht

Sailing instruction

Mileage confirmation (on request)

Additional costs
Onboard kitty (harbour fees, transit log, provisions, diesel, internet, final cleaning etc.): approx. 300 EUR per week/person