GALINI discovers the world: Caribbean northbound – from Martinique to St Martin

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From Martinique we sail northwards through the Lesser Antilles to St Martin. The trip leads past the natural paradise of Dominica with its hot springs and Champagne Reef, via the picturesque Les Saintes and the butterfly island of Guadeloupe to Antigua with its 365 beaches, on to the volcanic mountains of St Kitts and Nevis, to fashionable 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 voyage — and Easter Sunday falls right in the middle of the trip.

Highlights

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

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

Dominica — natural paradise with hot springs and Champagne Reef for snorkelling

Les Saintes — picturesque archipelago with Caribbean charm

Guadeloupe — butterfly island with rainforest and waterfalls

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

St. Kitts & Nevis — volcanic mountains and traces of the colonial era

St Barthélemy — Gustavia, French flair and dream beaches

St Martin — two cultures on one island, destination of our Caribbean adventure

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 Martinique, the flower island with the volcano Mont Pelée. After boarding, provisioning and safety briefing in Le Marin, we cast off and set course northwards.

The very first leg leads to a highlight: Dominica. We snorkel over the volcanic bubbles of 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 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 amongst fashionable yachts and boutiques and sample French flair.

Easter Sunday falls right in the middle of this trip – we spend it on board, in a bay we choose together. The voyage concludes at St Martin, the divided island shared between Dutch and French territories.

Around 350 nautical miles on the classic Antilles route northwards, predominantly beam and close reaches, interspersed with calmer passages in the lee of the islands. Sailing experience is welcome but not essential. Languages on board are German and English.

For those collecting miles for their next sailing licence: as we sail the Lesser Antilles from south to north on this trip, a good number of nautical miles go into the logbook. Naturally, we'll provide you with an official mile confirmation certificate 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 north-east trade wind blows at mostly force 3–6 and is the steady engine of our Caribbean sailing trips. It makes the warmth pleasantly bearable. Air temperature averages 29 °C, water temperature 27 °C. March also falls right in the middle of the dry and reliable sailing season – the figures differ little from those in January; brief showers occasionally provide cooling.

The yacht

Our beautiful GALINI is a very fast, large and comfortable yacht. She was in the Caribbean over the winter and is crossing 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 head 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 dinghy with outboard motor. A comprehensive array of safety and navigation equipment and much more besides – in short, everything you need to be self-sufficient on the go without needing to call at a provisioning harbour. A yacht that meets the highest standards for safety, design and comfort.

The sailing characteristics are outstanding too! The Hanse was designed by Volvo Ocean racers and is the fastest yacht in her class. Sailing pleasure guaranteed!

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