NB: Contact me if you wish to receive more details by clicking on the red button "contact the organizer". The price shown is for the double shared or saloon cabin. Possibility of privatizing a double cabin with a supplement: contact me or Sailsquare Customer Care to receive a quote!
The Caribbean has the particularity of having different islands, belonging to different countries. During our cruise to the Grenadines, you will therefore have to carry out the necessary customs formalities each time you enter and leave a country if you go ashore.
Internship program: The objective of this course is to acquire automatisms, learn techniques, understand the settings, improve in weather analysis , progress in "old-fashioned" navigation without electronics with only a nautical chart, a bearing compass and a Cras rule, in “modern” navigation using electronic instruments, to make maneuvers more fluid, all in all to acquire seamanship with a view to autonomy on board a sailboat.
Here is an example of an itinerary : the first day at Le Marin you will meet the crew and the skipper, then you will stock up on provisions for your cruise, supermarkets are present on the port for this. Wake up early the next morning for the first navigation towards Saint Lucia. It will take you about 4 hours of navigation before arriving at one of the magnificent anchorages on the island.
After a first bath in the turquoise water, you will spend the night there to wake up amazed by the beauty of the landscapes and the mountains that surround you. On the third day, go to Bequia (pronounced “Bekwé”) after sailing for about 7 hours, skirting the island of Saint Lucia and that of Saint Vincent .
Along the way, there is a good chance that you will come across flying fish and maybe even whales! You will arrive in the afternoon on the first island of the Grenadines. You will then anchor in front of the capital Port Elisabeth, in “Admiralty Bay”. Then you will have to go ashore to make your "clearance" and discover the very friendly local population and their culinary specialties, by tasting for example a grilled fish in one of the typical restaurants. After a good breakfast, we weigh anchor again for a short sail to Mayreau. Once there, the best place to anchor is probably the Salt Whistle Bay, which offers incredible colors and a large white sand beach filled with coconut trees. Some say that it is the most beautiful cove in the Grenadines archipelago.
You can eat fresh lobster on the beach, and go up to the village to enjoy a superb view allowing you to see your next stopover: the Tobago Cays. At daybreak, we set sail for the Tobago Cays, the famous paradise islands often used to represent the Caribbean.
The lagoon formed by the huge coral reef is protected and will allow you to swim with turtles while observing exotic fish. This precious lagoon encircles the 5 small islands of the Tobago Cays archipelago, it is one of the paradises on earth for sailors and divers. It is reputed to be the most beautiful lagoon in the Caribbean. Impossible not to stop there! There are also often many sailboats at anchor. The next morning, you can anchor in front of the island of Petit Tabac, very small but no less paradisiacal and relatively little known. The movie Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed in the Grenadines, and Petit Tabac is the island where Jack Sparrow hangs out all night with Elizabeth.
On day eight, set sail for Union. On the way, you can stop on Ile de Morpion, a heavenly sandbar, then have lunch in Palm Bay, a small island just opposite Union. A bath in the water at 28º before returning to Union. On this island, considered the "capital" of the Grenadines, you will then be able to fill up with water, fuel and food. In the meantime, we stop at the port of Clifton in Union for a last turn ashore, and why not an evening to the Caribbean rhythm, lulled by Steel Band or Reggae music. In the early morning, it's off again for a whole day of navigation towards Saint-Vincent. During this day, you will go along the island of Canouan, which is less touristy.
Then, you will continue the road to climb to the Wallilabu Bay anchorage for the clearance and then to Cumberland Bay, with a “Tahitian style” anchorage (mooring an additional line to a coconut tree from behind to avoid turning). From Cumberland or Wallilabu, you can easily walk to a nearby river, allowing you to discover a magnificent spectacle: a waterfall plunging into lush vegetation. It will then be time to set sail for Martinique for a final anchorage in Sainte Anne before returning the boat the next morning. We estimate the costs of cash on board at around €20/day/person (excluding food, bars and any restaurants) including any stopover costs (buoys, ports, clearances) and consumables (inboard diesel, outboard petrol, kitchen gas), on-board cash box which will be managed by the skipper (provide for the cash supplement), the costs of cleaning the boat at the end of the course are borne by the organizer.
For the Grenadines, we would then advise you to change €200 into Caribbean dollars (the local currency in Dominica, Saint Lucia and the Grenadines is the Caribbean dollar, called BIWI or EC: 100 Caribbean dollar = 40 US dollars = 35 €) for the on-board cash box at the captaincy of Le Marin for example or in Bequia (Grenadines) and keep around €100 in cash.
Our first POGO 12.50 is the "double bar" version, completely redone at the end of 2019.
This configuration, completed with a cockpit table, provides a lot of comfort without compromising the sensations.
3 cabins version
- Lifting keel
- Double wheel bars
- Carbon mast
- Carbon bowsprit
Comforts
- Cockpit table
- Lowering hood
- Windlass
- Hot water under pressure
- Deck shower (hot water)
- Reinforced cooling unit
- 2 burner oven
- Heater
- Black water tank
- Mp3 player
Our itinerary
Our trip starts here
Le Marin, Martinica
Monday 27 February from 16:00
until Monday 27 February at 16:00
Our trip ends here
Le Marin, Martinica
Wednesday 8 March from 9:00
until Wednesday 8 March at 9:00
Fantastic experience in Biscay, Atlantic French coast, the boat Pogo 1250 is very performant, we had wind from moderate to fresh with waves and smooth sea, the skipper Nicolas is very skilled and very kind in teaching. I suggest to everyone this stage, Antoine and his company are very good!
Our skipper was David.
David is an experienced skipper and was simply perfect.
Thanks David!
As to the overall experience, the Pogo is a competition boat: very fast and fun.
We did not have much wind and it was still possible to sail quite often thanks to its performances. Perhaps it is not the most comfy 40feet in the market, but no racing object is focussed on that.
We visited great places: many parts of the French Riviera and several islands, really beautiful.
Very formative and fun experience. We were skippered by David, who was very experienced and happy to teach us many aspects of sailing. Great choice if you want to sail the entire day and improve your skills.
Perfect agreement between the man, Antoine, and the Pogo, wind, waves, paradisiacal spots, "funny" teammates, precise educational objectives, the whole contributed to the success of 100% of this "open sail" course! I recommend...
Other important information
Refueling and cash box: Shopping will be done at the convenience store next to the pontoon and then at the fresh supply at each stopover in the markets. The locals often come in canoes to sell fruits, vegetables, lobsters and fish. It is customary for the skipper's food to be taken care of by the crew, do not hesitate to choose what to cook a dish that you master or that you wish to share. There is a gas oven, two burners, pots, pans and everything you need for a cordon bleu (even if you are not by the way), what is certain is that eating and drinking well is essential for the smooth running of a boat! We estimate the costs of cash on board at around €15/day/person (excluding food, bars and any restaurants) including any stopover costs (buoys, ports) and consumables (inboard diesel, outboard petrol, cooking gas ), on-board cash box which will be managed by the skipper (provide for the cash supplement), the costs of cleaning the boat at the end of the course are borne by the organizer.
If it is possible to disembark in the Grenadines, then we will advise you to change €200 into Caribbean dollars (the local currency in Dominica, Saint Lucia and the Grenadines is the Caribbean dollar, called BIWI or EC: 100 Caribbean dollar = 40 dollars American = 35 €) for the on-board cash box at the captaincy of Le Marin for example or in Bequia (Grenadines) and keep around 100 € in cash.
Recommended business: The temperature during this period will fluctuate between 20 and 35°C. We therefore advise you to bring light clothing. However, it is essential to have waterproof clothing (breathable and light watch jacket or rain jacket + overalls because there are often squalls with a lot of rain and spray), also remember to bring: - Highest index sunscreen possible - Sunglasses (preferably polarized), possibly 2 pairs if the first falls in the water - Cap or hat - Full sailing gloves (no mittens preferred) - Pairs of sailing shoes or sneakers with white soles + flip-flops for stopovers - T-shirts (short and long sleeves), small fleece, shorts, swimsuit, small beach towel in synthetic material that rolls up and dries quickly in microfiber (possibly a second small hand towel in microfiber as well) - 4 clothes pegs - Fins, mask, snorkel - Mosquito repellent spray - Headlamp + batteries - Earplugs (the presence of a snorer on board can happen;) - Light sleeping bag or meat bag - 12V phone charger (Cigar lighter/USB) - Soft travel bag and not suitcase in hard shell - Passport in process of validation
We provide sheets, pillowcases and kitchen towels.
As long as the Experience is Not Confirmed, you can cancel your reservation at any time and receive a refund of the amount paid.
If the Experience is Confirmed, you can cancel your reservation up to 30 days before departure and receive a full refund.
If available for the selected Experience, you can choose our Extended Refund Terms and cancel your booking at any time up to the departure, and receive a refund of the paid amount, upon the occurrence of certain conditions (illness, including Covid-19, work-related reason, domestic emergency, previous medical conditions and many more).
What's included
Knowing what expenses are included and excluded from your booking fee will enable you to have a good idea of the total cost of your chosen experience.
Included in the price.
Final cleaning
Boat
Skipper
Not included in the price.
Meals/drinks consumed ashore
Trip from and to embarkment/disembarkment port
To be paid onboard.
In addition to the price, there will be some additional expenses that you will incur during your trip. Expenses have been listed below.
Meals onboard
Fuel
Mooring fees
Drinks onboard
20€ assurance FFVoile 2023
The estimated expenses for the rest of the holiday are approximately 200-300€ per person.
