The Caribbean

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Two very different tall ships in the Caribbean

New for this winter 2011-2012 we have a series of unique tall ship adventures exploring the Caribbean.

Spoilt for choice there are seven 10- 14 day voyages on Britain's largest square rigger Tenacious  - exploring the Eastern Caribbean ( Lesser Antilles) right up the island chain to the Bahamas Banks and an ocean passage on to Bermuda. The ship carries a mix of able bodied and disabled crew - which creates a great sense of teamwork and friendship and the adventures you share are often inspirational in ways you least expect.

On a more intimate scale, the lovely 100 year old brig 'Eye of the Wind' offers tall ship sailing out of Martinique to places like St Lucia, Grenadines, St Vincent, Barbados and Bequia.  At the end of her Caribbean season 'The Eye of the wind heads North exploring the chain of islands all the way to St Maarten, before an ocean voyage accross the infamous 'Bermuda Triangle.' The Eye of the Wind has tan sails, loads of authentic character, only 16 guest crew and a very high standard of accommodation with en-suite 2 person cabins.

Both ships have air conditioning,and both will be sailing back to Europe via Bermuda and the Azores in the late spring.

Tenacious Winter Sun Voyage Programme 2011-2012 - dates, voyage descriptions & prices

Eye of the Wind - Follow the real Pirates of the Caribbean - 2012 Programmes - dates & Prices

View all Caribbean based voyages 2012 on both ships

Trade Winds & Tropical Sun

The Caribbean West Indies is perhaps the most perfect sailing ground in the world in terms of wind, sunshine and variety of places to visit. The Caribbean sits squarely in the North East trade wind belt and this time of year is peak season and well outside the hurricane season. Ships like Tenacious revell in strong winds and boisterious turquiose seas and the white square sails look magnificent against the deep blue skies.  There is few things to beat a tropical sunset below the yard arm at anchor away from the tourist hustle and bustle ashore, or landing on a remote beach anchorage under a forest covered volcanic peak. The ship engineer's deck barbeques and punch are legendary too.

Lush rainforests, mountains and waterfalls

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 Guadaloupe.

Coral Reefs & Marine Wildlife

Some of the best dive sites in the world are in the Caribbean, but you don't have to be a diver to enjoy them. In Scotts Bay, Dominica you can swim off the beach with a snorkel and face mask and swim from shallow coral and 12ft of water to a sheer underwater wall of coral and cliff - decending 4000ft. Alive with fish and coral and upwelling plankton, this sunken volcanic crater is also deep enough for Sperm Whales to swim close inshore. Further North the Bahamas Banks contain approximately 5 percent of the worlds coral reefs and the crystal clear visability over white sand bottom means you may see sharks, dolphins and turtles from the ships deck without getting wet.

Caribbean Island Life

The cliche is that the Caribbean is very laid back.  The relality is that every island community and culture is different. Compare the French sophistication and fashion concious young people of Guadaloupe and Martinique, where people watching is an art form, to the Caribs of Dominica pushing their solid dugout canoes out into the ocean with hand woven fish traps.

A Very Special Ships Company

Tenacious is a ship specially designed to take disabled crew sailing where they can participate as equals. If you are lucky enough not to have any disabilities - just think how the rewards of exploring the Caribbean in an adventurous context on a an eye catching ship feels to those who would normally have a very restricted choice of holiday abroad.  The local islanders have seen plenty of rich tourists sipping rum punches and trying to look laid back and cool.  It is far easier to talk and relate to local people when you are a bunch of sailors ashore struggling with a friend in a wheel chair or having a laugh with an ex soldier with a leg missing !.....especially when they hear you have arrived as crew on a square rigger.

>> Read more about voyages from Guadaloupe & Martinique

>>Read more about voyages around Antigua

>>Read more about Turks & Caicos & North to Bahamas on Tenacious

>>Ocean Passage Bahamas to Bermuda on Tenacious

PDF Download or print our 10 page Caribbean mini brochure on 'Eye of the Wind' & 'Tenacious'