Families Enjoy Learning to Sail in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sprinkled across 40 miles of turquoise blue waters in the southeastern Caribbean, the remote island chain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an idyllic setting for a family sailing adventure. For families new to sailing, a "learn to sail" cruise is the perfect choice for multi-generational vacations or parents traveling with teenagers in tow, as they provide an opportunity for families to bond, learn, explore, and enjoy each others company on a life-enriching voyage through some of the worlds best sailing waters.
"Learn to sail" vacations are excellent options for families for a number of different reasons. By sharing these types of adventures, families can:
Bond - "Learn to sail" vacations bring families closer together as they share quarters and responsibilities onboard, and partner in an exciting, adventurous, educational experience.
Learn - Whilst guests aboard one of Barefoot's "learn to sail" cruises will experience the tranquility and excitement of a tropical vacation, they will also accomplish the meaningful achievement of returning home as ASA (American Sailing Association) certified sailors. Courses are designed with everyone in mind, from novices who have never set foot aboard a yacht to seasoned sailors looking to hone their skills. Because instruction is highly personalized, family members can be of differing levels of experience and partake in a course best suited to their abilities.
Explore - With 32 islands to choose from families can see as much or as little as they like. Individualized itineraries can be designed before hand or the weeklong sailing adventure can be decided on a daily basis. Either way, families will enjoy the excitement and camaraderie of crewing a boat together. A typical one-week itinerary will cover approximately 90 miles of cruising with distances between islands ranging from 2 to 5 hours. While breakfast and lunch are typically taken on board, sand bars that appear with changing tides make the perfect spot to picnic. Anchorages on the Grenadines include eight inhabited islands (St. Vincent, Mustique, Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Union, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent). Each offers charming towns, villages and beaches for exploring ashore and superb restaurants for nightly dinners. Families can also spend time in the beautiful Tobago Cays, a protected marine park of five small islands on a horseshoe reef offering some of the Caribbean's best snorkeling.
Enjoy - Instructors work with guests to fit course work in between snorkeling, swimming, exploring and enjoying their vacation. Yachts are in the 40-foot range and offer single and double staterooms, a minimum of two bathrooms with showers and a fully equipped galley. Everything you need to enjoy your vacation is onboard, from snorkeling equipment to fresh bed linens, a dinghy with outboard motor and CD player. Professional sailors captain each boat, so families can be rest assured that a qualified skipper is at the helm. Boats and are fully provisioned before departure according to the special requests or specific dietary requirements of each guest and upon request, a private chef can be hired at a cost of $90 per day to handle the preparation of meals.
Six day/six night "learn to sail" ocean bonding packages start at $4316 for a family of four and include: a fully-equipped yacht; the services of a professional captain/ASA certified instructor; ASA syllabus book, log book, examination & certification; provisioning for breakfast & lunch on board, ice and water; fuel, cruising taxes, mooring and dockage charges.
For reservations, families can contact Barefoot Yacht Charters at (784) 456-9526 or log onto www.barefootyachts.com. For more information about St. Vincent and the Grenadines log onto www.svgtourism.com.
