Here is a sample itinerary of what you may expect while enjoying a sailing vacation with TradeWinds in Sint Maarten/St Martin and the neighboring island of St Barths. Weather or other outside factors may mean that your Captain sets an alternative course.
Arrival Day - Saturday
Embarkation is at 5pm, and your catamaran is on the dock at Blue Pearl Marina, 25 Wellington Road, Cole Bay, on the Dutch side of the island. At 5pm your crew will meet you on the dock and bring you aboard for a refreshing welcome cocktail with new friends, before you’re shown to your cabin and helped to settle into your new home for the week. We’ll move off the dock and anchor in the Lagoon overnight, and you will enjoy a delicious three-course dinner aboard and spend the evening generally relaxing and discussing the exciting possibilities for the week ahead.
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Cruising Day 1
After a delicious breakfast and a short briefing on all safety aspects, we’ll pass through the bridge first thing in the morning, heading for St Barths. We’ll check-in at the main town of Gustavia and then head for Anse Colombier, a lovely white sand beach lined with lush vegetation. It’s a very secluded beach - the entire bay area is only accessible by boat or on foot. Colombier is great for snorkelling; at times hundreds of enormous orange starfish can be seen in the bay. After Captain’s Cocktails aboard we’ll enjoy another gourmet dinner, prepared by our wonderful Chef/First Mate.
Cruising Day 2
After breakfast we set sail for the beautiful uninhabited isle of Île Fourchue. We’ll drop anchor in the crater of this ocean-filled volcano, and enjoy a swim and a lazy lunch before we hike up to one of the peaks for a glorious sunset and some refreshments. This is another location where light pollution from the islands is virtually non existent. After another scrumptious dinner on board, enjoy a nightcap and a late evening of some amazing stargazing; seeing the Milky Way and shooting stars are highly likely.
Cruising Day 3
Breakfast in the shade, surrounded by morning sunshine. We’ll spend the morning sunbathing, snorkelling or scuba diving and savoring the tasty lunch our onboard chef has prepared, and later in the afternoon we’ll move to the stunning and bustling port of Gustavia. With plenty of fancy shops and a lively atmosphere, Gustavia is a real gem of the Caribbean, the playground of the rich and famous. After cocktails aboard, we’ll enjoy dinner ashore this evening at one of Gustavia’s fine restaurants.
Cruising Day 4
After breakfast today we’ll lift anchor and set sail for Marigot Bay on the French side of St Martin, where we’ll go ashore to explore this unique French West Indian town with it’s designer boutiques and many temptations. Following a hearty lunch aboard, we’ll sail to either the tiny picture-perfect tropical paradise of Islet Pinel or to magical Tintamarre Island, both of which are part of the Nature Reserve of Saint Martin. We’ll spend the afternoon swimming, snorkeling and enjoying watching the local wildlife. Although these beaches can become crowded, most visitors leave with the late afternoon ferries, so we can spend some peaceful time swimming and enjoying the sunshine before it’s time to return to the boat for Captains Cocktails and another gourmet dinner aboard, as we spend the night at anchor under the stars.
Cruising Day 5
After a morning swim and a delightful breakfast, we’re off to Grand Case Beach, also on the French side of St Martin today! Snorkel among some of the Caribbean's finest corals whilst a multitude of fish swim within right by your nose! After lunch aboard we’ll go ashore to shop and maybe have a drink at one of the many restaurants and beach bars on this beautiful long sandy beach, before heading back for sunset cocktails and another delicious dinner aboard, carefully prepared by our talented Chef/First Mate.
Cruising Day 6
Following a leisurely breakfast, we’ll sail to Mullet Bay for lunch aboard. This beautiful beach is just as you'd imagine a tropical destination to be, complete with white, powdery sands, stately palms and calm waters; perfect for the last refreshing swim of the week. We’ll return to the Lagoon through the mid-afternoon bridge and enjoy Captains Cocktails aboard, before we arrange a visit ashore to one of many restaurants on offer in the Simpson Bay area.
Departure Day
After a last tasty breakfast onboard, it is time to gather your belongings, as well as your wonderful memories of a week in this most beautiful environment. Before exchanging fond farewells, your crew will arrange transport to the airport. You will already be planning your next cruise with TradeWinds.