| Embark | Disembark | Vessel | Duration | Voyage No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 04-02-2022, 19:00Martinique, Caribbean | Fri 11-02-2022, 10:00Martinique, Caribbean | Eye of the Wind | 7 Nights | EYE22/05 |
With a mixture of green rainforest wilderness and fantastic beaches, the Antilles island of Martinique is a top travel destination. Saint Lucia with the famous volcanic cones, the Pitons, is another iconic symbol of the Caribbean. In short day sails we will explore the most beautiful harbours, palm beaches, bathing coves and anchorages around St. Vincent and the Grenadines. You will experience the trip as a pleasant mixture of sailing experience during the daytime and sufficient time for varied shore excursions and swimming stops in the afternoon and evening.
Relaxing in good company and visiting unique islands.
Lets go to
The Grenadines, St Vincent, St Lucia the dream island list, with dulcet names, great bathing spots and picture-perfect beaches.
The short sailing distances ensure a good mix of sailing experience during the daytime and sufficient time for shore leave and swimming stops in the afternoon and evening.
| Sailing Areas | New Zealand |
| Vessel type / Rig | 3 Masted Gaff Rigged Schooner |
| Guest Berths | 12 |
| Beam | 7.01m (23ft) |
| Draft | 2.7m (8.9ft) |
| Overall Length | 40.23m (132ft) |
| Year Built | 1911 |
Romantics, solo travellers, sun lovers, sailors and novices who want to see the Caribbean as working crew on a square rigger. Feel less like a tourist and experience island life as a sailor. No experience is needed as the professional crew will teach you to find buntlines and braces, clewlines and yard halliards. If you would rather be outdoors and active this winter and feel the wind in your hair then sign up before the mast. Eye of the wind is a sail training ship, but there is no deck scrubbing (unless you like the exercise). Guest crew can dip into the exciting stuff and not feel guilty resorting to the mattresses on the sun deck when there are enough volunteers to set a sail or take a turn on the helm.
This voyage begins in the superb sailing grounds of Martinique. The two nearby islands are Dominica to the north and St Lucia to the South
Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts and fishing villages. Trails in the interior rainforest lead to waterfalls like the 15m-high Toraille, which pours over a cliff into a garden. (Information courtesy Wikipedia.)
The nature island of Dominica is just to the North and it would be hard to resist a stop here in one or 2 anchorages. Scotts Head has some of the most amazing diving and snorkelling to be found anywhere. swim over the edge and the sea bed drops away hundreds of feet in a few yards of swimming! Close by you can snorkel through bubbling thermal vents in even warmer Caribbean water! (Information from personal experience!)
See more on Dominica below
There are few things which beat a tropical sunset below the yard-arm whilst at anchor in a timeless setting. A sailing ship as your base gives you access to the unspoilt Caribbean; Fishing villages where the chickens roam the shore, or landing like an early explorer on a remote beach anchorage under a forest covered volcanic peak.
If you have been dazzled by the natural scenery in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies then both Guadaloupe and Dominica are much closer to that lush volcanic island paradise than more well known Caribbean tourism locations. The second movie ‘Dead Mans Chest’ and 3rd Capt Jack Sparrow adventure At ‘World’s End’ were filmed in the rainforests of Dominica, close to Martinique.
On a sailing voyage we never use the word itinerary, as skippers will always be aiming for the best sailing and shore landings for the forecast and most idyllic or sheltered anchors and ports. They are as keen as you to include some of the highlights described below, but you have to go with Mother Nature, not fight her. Where the ship goes ashore depends on the wind and weather conditions, and is decided at short notice by the captain, who will take your wishes into account whenever possible. This ensures that your sailing trip is a pleasant mix of adventure, relaxation, active participation and pure enjoyment.
Your next landfall could be the island of Dominica
The island of Dominica is the botanical garden of the Caribbean. It bears the unofficial nickname “Nature Island” due to its lush and diverse flora and fauna.
Turquoise water, green palm forests and white and black sand beaches make up the charm of this region.
One excursion ashore is to go for a morning two-hour guided rowing boat ride up the Indian River and through mangrove forests. The boat tour can also be combined with a tour of the island and a visit to the reserve of the Caribe Indians.
In the South is Soufriere Bay and Scotts head is the edge of a sunken caldera. You can be snorkelling in 12ft with coral beneath you and suddenly you swim over the edge of the old crater and the sea drops away to 4000 ft. Humpback whales often come close into the bay and frigate birds swoop the beach.
Our journey ends in Fort de France port on Martinique. This French overseas département also bears the name “Flower Island” and is a slice of France in the tropics. Every village has a patissierie selling fresh baguettes and croissants and colonial architecture is everywhere. away from the sophisticated tourist cities are forested areas, banana plantations and sugar cane plantations. Like all volcanic islands with steep slopes, it is not easy to build roads to everywhere, so exploring from the sea gives you opportunity to find deserted stretches of beach and perhaps forest tracks to lure you into the hinterland.
Extra Days after your Voyage?
Do not miss renting a car in Martinique to explore the north of the island right up to the green rainforest wilderness of Morne Rouge on the Route de la Trace, a route created by the Jesuits. The church square of the Sacre Coeur de Balata offers a stunning view of the mountainous tropical island. After a few minutes’ drive, you will reach the Botanical Garden, which charms its visitors with a stunning variety of tropical flowers and plants. Our tip: Before you set off home, try the island’s speciality: Rum punch – it is said to be the best in the whole Caribbean.
Average air temperatures in Guadeloupe are 26-28 degrees centigrade. Sea temperatures are a balmy 26-28 degrees.
If you are on the Atlantic ocean side of Caribean islands the seas can be boisterous and blue. In the lee of any big volcanic island or inside a protecting reef, the seas can be flat. The winds mixed with tropical sun are generally the reason why the Caribbean is a perfect sailing ground. Square riggers under full sail, generally create some shade somewhere on deck or in the rigging so you can always find a cool spot. There is air conditioning in the cabins.
Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner, the professional crew will train you to be guest crew from the moment you arrive, with the intention that everybody works together to sail the ship. The common thread to all Classic Sailing holidays is ‘Hands on’ participation on ships that use ropes, blocks and tackles and ‘people power’ to set sail.
We cater for a wide range of ages and physical abilities and how much you are expected to do varies a bit between vessels. See the vessel tab above which explains all about the ‘sailing style’ and what to expect in terms of hands on participation. There is a lot of information about day to day life, the ships facilities and accommodation on the vessel pages.
Every customer sailing with us will need to fill in basic medical questions on their booking application. If you are not sure if your current level of fitness and agility are up to a voyage, then please ring the Classic Sailing Office on 01326 53 1234 and we can chat through your concerns and possibly find options that might suit you better.
For Joining Morgenster, the ship is likely to be at anchor in Fort de France Bay. The ship will text you a meeting point and pick you up in the RIB.
Practical Advice for Eye of the Wind
Practical Advice for Covid 19 and Eye of the Wind
Suitcases take up a lot of room in a cabin, so it is better to uses soft bags in a ship. A small rucksack for going ashore is useful.
All the power to your plug sockets comes from the ship's generator which runs on deisel. The less the generators have to run to top up power, the nicer it is for the guests on board and also greener for the planet. Please don't bring loads of hairdriers, electric devices to charge.
There is no internet on board whilst at sea.
Eye of the Wind is an experienced operator with many happy customers, but she is new to Classic Sailing website. We will post the first Classic Sailing guest feedback from 2019-2020 voyages as soon as we have some, it but here are a few from last year.
Facebook Reviews currently 5 out of 5 stars Oct 2019
Tortola to the Azores! What a great time. Thanks to Captain Pit and the crew. An awesome adventure with awesome people!" F Coutreau, New England
What a wonderful, lovely, great, awesome trip we've had from Malaga to Lanzarote! I loved and enjoyed every minute.
Thanks again for this wonderful experience. I miss you guys! Andrea Schwartz
With red sails against a blue sky, Eye of the Wind is a photogenic ship. If you have any new images we would love to see them since Eye of the Wind has only recently returned to our website.
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