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3 Suggested Itineraries
The French West Indies & Magnificent DominicaHISTORICAL
SAILING CRUISES |
The
Caribbean was the haunt of explorers, famous admirals and pirates.
Cruise through the historic Leeward islands of Guadeloupe, Îles
des Saintes (the Saints islands), Dominica and the Windward
Island of Martinique. Scattered through these islands are impressive
fortifications each with a story to tell about the Colonial
history. The natural beauty beneath the waves and high above
in the volcanic slopes is phenomenal. Snorkel or scuba dive
on pristine reefs and old shipwrecks and trek the rain forest
in the company of tropical birds and exotic plants. The French
West Indies offers sun soaked beaches, secluded coves, cozy
restaurants with superb French / Créole cuisine and fabulous
festivals and nightlife!
 Day 1Departing from Le Marin Martinique, on Saturday afternoon, sail pass the famous Diamond Rock which was commissioned as the English warship H.M.S. Diamond during the Napoleonic Wars. Ships' guns were hauled up the rock to take pot shots at passing French boats. The story goes that the French sent an unmanned boat full of barrels of rum to the rock one night and after the liquor-starved English sailors drank themselves unconscious, the French managed to recapture the rock. Your first port of call is Petit Anse D'Arlet where you can anchor and swim and snorkel. In the evening, dinghy to shore and explore this charming little French Caribbean town. Dine at the superb restaurant 'Le Gormier'. Proprietor Bruno Perrier serves an exotic Créole meal. A specialty is the exquisite dorado (mahi mahi / dolphin fish) served in spicy sauce with wonderful local yams, sweet potatoes and plantains. After dinner, sip a coffee or a digestive on the bow of the yacht gazing up at the Caribbean stars. Day 2 Day 3
Day 4 Day 5 Day 6The options are to stay in the splendor of the Saintes for another day or to continue to Base Terre in Guadeloupe. Base Terre is the best location to see more rain forests on Mount Soufrière. Moor stern-to in the marina Rivière Sens and get to town by bus or taxi. It is a twenty-minute walk for those who like to hike and you can see Fort St. Charles, souvenir shops and many restaurants. A minibus can be arranged to get up to Soufrière from Base Terre.
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The
next day, get underway after a refreshing morning swim and sail
north along the coast of Martinique to the famous town of St.
Pierre. In 1902, Mount Pélé erupted sending a fireball of hot
gasses down onto St. Pierre which was one of the largest ports
of the Caribbean at the time. Thirty thousand people were killed
in the disaster, which some blamed on a curse placed by the
last Carib Indians of Martinique. Walking through the old town,
you can trace out the foundations of houses destroyed in the
eruption. There is a museum, an old fort, a theater and a jail
featuring artifacts from the time of the disaster, as well as
a typical Caribbean fish, meat and vegetable market to explore.
For the more adventurous, a hike through Mount Pélé's tropical
rain forest will introduce you to the local exotic plants and
wildlife. There is also superb scuba diving on seven shipwrecks
that sunk in the harbor during the 1902 eruption. For those
who just want to relax, you can swim in the bay or suntan on
the volcanic black sand beach. For dinner, sample more Créole
cooking at 'La Vague' restaurant on the waterfront, which features
special local seafood dishes. 
The next morning, follow the coast of Martinique around to La
Peric and cross the 26-mile channel to Dominica. This is a spirited
sail for at least 4 hours. You will get a feel for the Atlantic
swell and the famous trade winds as the yacht is no longer in
the lee of an island. Your destination is Roseau where you can
anchor and clear customs. Moor at the Anchorage Hotel were you
can decide on rain forest minibus tours, hiking, scuba diving
or to simply relax by the pool. After enjoying some afternoon
activities, enjoy an inexpensive yet elegant meal in this colonial
style hotel overlooking the yacht in the bay. 
*On
Dominica there are numerous 'boat boys' who visit yachts and
try to sell services. They appear on small punts with outboard
engines. They may also row up to your boat. It is essential
to seek one of them out and make sure that he carries a government
license which bares his photo. Choose one of these boat boys
and stick with him. He will help you with docking, he will get
what you need in the way of provisions and land based services,
and he will also guard your yacht while you are gone. It is
not very expensive ($5-$10 for help with a mooring) but very
important to select 'one man' otherwise they will all flock
around your yacht. Once they understand that you are doing business
with one individual they will all disappear. 
Some of your crew can jump ship at Roseau for a land tour on
Dominica and rejoin the yacht at Portsmouth or sail up the coast.
The land tour can include a visit to the last existing Carib
Indian settlement in the Caribbean, spectacular waterfalls (hot
and cold), Boiling lake, Emerald pool and Syndicate forest -
the best example of rain forest in the Leewards and home to
the rare Sisserou and Red-Necked parrots. Full day land tours
are around US$ 60.00 per person - they usually include lunch,
a minibus and a government certified guide. The best anchorage
at Portsmouth is stern-to at the Portsmouth Beach Hotel (same
owner as the Anchorage Hotel in Roseau) or on anchor at the
Purple Turtle, two and a half miles across town at the safest
weather anchorage in Portsmouth. In Portsmouth, you can walk
around the very well preserved Fort Shirley, a veteran of the
Napoleonic wars, then trek through Cabrits National Park. Another
unforgettable experience is a dugout canoe trip up the Indian
river or you can snorkel and scuba dive on nearby coral heads.
After
breakfast, set sail on a beam reach to Les Iles des Saintes
(6 hours) where you can drop anchor at Pain de Sucre beach for
a swim and then moor for the night at Bourg des Saintes. Bourg
des Saintes is a charming little village with sun-bleached red
tile roofs and balconies overlooking the quiet waterfront. The
island Terre D'en Haut is small enough to be walkable and has
a number of attractions. You can visit the well-preserved Fort
Napoleon (1867) which looks down over the harbor. There is a
small museum housing antique furniture and French naval artifacts.
The best view of the island group is from Le Chameau lookout
tower which was built in Napoleonic times. There are a number
of great beaches both large and small scattered around the island.
After a leisurely afternoon exploring the sites, shopping in
the town, sunning at the beach or diving with a local dive operator,
it is time for pre-dinner drinks on board! The choice of restaurants
for dinner is almost endless - a mixed grill of seafood and
meat along with tropical salad can be had at Restaurant L'Escale,
Créole dishes and poached fish are the specialties at Les Amendiers
and delicious Caribbean style pizzas are offered at Pizzeria
le Genois. These are but a few of the inexpensive restaurants
found in Bourge des Saintes. After dinner you can sip a rum
punch at a waterfront bar or the more adventurous can go on
a night scuba dive! 
Day
7
The Windwards
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Day
1
Admiralty
Bay Bequia, to Tobago Cays in the Grenadines
Grenadines
to Petit Byahaut, St. Vincent 
Day
6
Day
7
St.
Annes - Le Marin, Martinique
British Virgin IslandsDay 1Depending on the actual departure time, the
first mooring is Honeymoon Bay on Water Island or Christmas Cove
on Great St. James Island. Enjoy a refreshing swim and a sunset
drink before dinner cooked on the BBQ. Night one is a relaxing
night under the stars to rest after your hectic day traveling
- it is not a sleep over in the marina like most first days on
charter holidays. Day 2
Day 3
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After
a morning swim and a wonderful breakfast the yacht heads out through
Current Cut to the US island of St. John (30-60 min.). A lunch
stop is made at Trunk Bay to snorkel at an underwater snorkeling
park. Wander on the gorgeous beach, snorkel, swim and relax. In
the afternoon, sail (20-30 min.) to the evening anchorage in Maho,
Cinnamon or Francis Bay. Drop anchor and get secure for the evening.
St. John is a national park and is easily the most beautiful of
all the Virgin Islands. Go ashore in the dinghy for a walk, or
swim and snorkel over the pink sand. After dinner relax with a
drink, join in a game of Trivial Pursuit or do some astronomy.
After
breakfast and a morning swim, the yacht sails to Soper’s
Hole on the British Island of Tortola and the crew secures the
bow line to a mooring ball. The crew can go ashore and the captain
will collect all guest passports and check in with customs obtaining
the required park permits. Shopping for touristy items and provisioning
can be done before a suggested lunch at Pusser’s - a well-known
watering hole and restaurant with great pub food. A must is the
local drink made from Pusser’s Rum called ‘The Pain
Killer’. Stay for the night or shove off for Pelican Rock
and the Indians region, for some great snorkeling and scuba diving.
The depths are from 3 to 30 feet and beginners will really enjoy
snorkeling if they have never had the experienced before. The
dive location offers caves, arches, grottos and a variety of coral
and sea life. After the dive and a healthy lunch aboard, the yacht
heads to the evening anchorage in Hurricane Hole for a quiet,
secluded anchorage. The Bight nearby offers guests the option
to party until dawn – you decide! The highlight of The Bight
is the well-known Billy Bones Bar featuring happy hour and volleyball.
After dinner take the dinghy over to the floating party boat Willy
T for drinks and dancing. The bartenders BJ & Kevin guarantee
a fun time for everyone. Skippers make sure that everyone is chauffeured
back and forth safely. If you are not into the nightlife scene
then enjoy a quiet time aboard, read, fish or go ashore and explore
on foot.
Day
4
After
breakfast and a swim or snorkel, sail past Ginger Island and Fallen
Jerusalem to The Baths. The Baths is the most popular site on
the trip. This geological wonder created by natural sea erosion
features a huge pile of granite boulders stacked on soft brown
sugar sand. A wonderful path winds through the giant boulders,
caves and small-secluded side lit pools - hence the name The Baths.
This is a great snorkel spot unless there is a swell. Most of
the day is spent at The Baths swimming, snorkeling and exploring
the labyrinth of boulders and caves. By mid-afternoon the crew
re-embark and sail to the evening anchorage at St. Thomas bay
or Spanish Town if more night-life is desired, or the Dogs or
Savannah Bay if peace, quiet and relaxation is the consensus aboard.
Day
6
After
breakfast, a challenging two hour sail along the north shore of
Tortola takes guests to one of two little idyllic deserted islands,
Sandy Key and Sandy Spit. The crew can lounge around sunbathing
on the beach or snorkeling until mid-afternoon. For a memorable
last night, two options are to head for Great Harbor on Jost Van
Dyke. Foxy’s Tamarind Bar and the Soggy Dollar Bar are world
famous. Option 3 is the beautiful Cane Garden Bay on Tortola and
Reimers Bar. Option 4 is a quiet anchorage off either island followed
by a sunset walk along the white sandy beaches. 
Early-bird
crew can help the skipper get away by 07:00 for a 2 hour sail
back to St. Thomas and Frenchtown marina. Breakfast will be eaten
underway and arrival at the marina is by noon. Guests are expected
to re-enter the US at customs, which can take 30 minutes. Bags
can be packed while underway or upon arrival at the harbor before
your transfer to the airport. 
