Brand new Bavaria 40 2010 arrives Antigua December 2010 for charter
We are excited to announce a brand new Bavaria 40 joining the Horizon Yacht Charters Antigua fleet this December 2010. Arriving just in time for the busy high season, this 3 cabin/2 head yacht is perfect for a sailing couple or couples, or a family.
Contact Jackie at the base to check availability for charter in Antigua.
Email info@antiguahorizon.com
Toll free: 1 866 439 1089
Telephone: +1 268 562 4725
Rather tempted not to answer this one. After all, the point of chartering the yacht and sailing out here in paradise was surely to escape the crazy real world with all its incessant demands wasn’t it? But if you’re really worried about the sky falling in at the office if you don’t check you e mails or you’d like to truly annoy your friends by posting pics on Facebook the Pandora always thinks its best to combine business with pleasure and connect up in a nice place with free WiFi and a good rum punch. Here’s a few favourites…
Grenada
True Blue Bay Resort. Right at Horizon’s base, just ask for the password and enjoy the ambience and comfy chairs at the Dodgy Dock Bar. Or try De Big Fish with its very fast connection. As long as you have some food at some stage they’ll be happy to give you the password which very rarely changes…
Carriacou
Tyrell Bay. One of the few places where you can actually sit on your boat and get access to the internet. Bay wide free WiFi is provided by local businesses who ask you to make a donation to the local education project, but its not compulsory. It security protected but the password is Carricaou. There is no free WiFi in Hillsborough though they do have internet cafes (so Pandora is told).
Union Island
Hot Hot Hot Spot is available for you on your boat in Clifton Bay, but its unnecessarily expensive. Much better to take the short dinghy ride to shore and park yourself at the Anchorage Hotel or Bougainvilla Hotel in L’Aquarium Bar where access is free. No password required for Anchorage, Bougainvilla (Wind and Sea) was UnionIsland (all one word) last time Pandora was there, but if that doesn’t work just ask them. But if its a bit too early for a rum punch you can always check your e mail with a fab coffee and a proper French croissant at Captain Gourmet, open from 8:00am. There is no WiFi in Chatham Bay, yet…
Mayreau
Head to Dennis’ Hideaway half way up the hill on the road with no name. (Its the only road on the island so doesn’t need a name you see). There is no WIfi yet, but its free to use their computers in the office behind the bar or hook your own laptop up to one of their modems. Dennis promised Pandora he’d be getting WiFi soon.
Canouan
The Tamarind Beach Hotel has free WiFi but Pandora was a bit irritated last time when it didn’t work in the bar location, only in the hotel reception area….perhaps its better now.
Mustique
Gaze affectionately at your boat inbetween e mails from the over the water location at Basil’s Bar in Britannia Bay. dlink or The Unexpected is the free WiFi. No password is required and Basil’s is open for coffee in the morning through to late night drinks. Try connecting with a Mustique Mule in your hand, created with homemade ginger beer.
Bequia
For convenience and location, just to the right of the dinghy dock on Front St in Port Elizabeth, you can’t beat Maria’s Terrace. Pick up wireless 59, no password. Open for breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days a week they are also more than happy to have you plug in if you’re a bit low on juice (UK style 3 pin plugs). Pandora tries to time visits with Happy Hour between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.
Tobago Cays, PSV, Palm Island, Petit Martinique
There is either none or it is restricted to hotel guests only. Enjoy the beaches and the very good excuse why you couldn’t be reached instead. You’ll be back there soon enough.
For some photos of stunning wifi sites, click here
Now Pandora is usually the type of easy-going girl that likes to cruise and take her time in the beautiful southern Caribbean islands. But every now and again who amongst us doesn’t feel a little racy…so ever the intrepid inquisitor, Pandora went to the annual Grenada Sailing Festival at the end of January to find out what it’s all about.
The Grenada Sailing Festival is a 5 day event involving 4 days of racing around the south west tip of the island between Port Louis near St Georges and True Blue Bay on the south side of the island. While Pandora’s good friend John reckons if it flies or floats you’re better off renting it, the owners of boats from as far afield as the UK, the USA and Trinidad as well as the local speed freaks seem oblivious to this and push their boats very hard, which results in spending a lot of the following week (or much longer) fixing them!
Fortunately you don’t have to be a boat owner to enjoy a regatta in the Caribbean. There’s really something for everyone in this orgy of yachtie euphoria. If you’re keen to get onboard, most boats need crew of varying skill levels and are always on the look-out for willing volunteers – the least experienced of which are classified as “rail meat”. Then there’s the partying in the evening where everyone regardless of their involvement is welcome and the rum flows faster than the bills from Budget Marine….
The 2010 event featured a record 43 boats in 6 classes (Racing, cruising, charter and multi-hull classes) and kicked off on Friday January 29th with a skippers briefing at The Victory Bar in Port Louis Marina. It soon became obvious that the skill required was not note taking but balancing prodigious quantities of Mount Gay, cases of Heineken and other free goodies in one hand while drinking with the other. The most important instruction given out was “make sure you finish the rum before the start line tomorrow!”
The first race day dawned bright and sunny, but with very fresh conditions. Pretty much everyone was prowling about near the start line about an hour before the first hooter started. Checking the wind and current, adjusting sails, synchronizing watches, and poring over the courses for their class as they were announced on the VHF. Starts are not for the faint-hearted; there’s lots of shouting at each other calling for “water” and right of way, fast tacking, quick gybing and huge chunks of money in boat shapes passing so close you can almost kiss the other crew (if that’s your thing!).Once away and round Grenada’s SW tip the fleet was assailed with gusty 25kt winds and 12ft waves, testing conditions for anyone sailing, let alone racing. After 2 races the toll was heavy on the fleet – blown sails, shattered blocks, snapped sheets and bent booms. Unfortunately one of the J24’s racing broached and sank with the crew being picked up by the rescue boat!
Plenty of post race repairs aided by the yacht services industry of Grenada to get the boats put back together for the next day’s race. And of course the day’s prize giving at the Victory Bar with many a tale of survival and sense of achievement to get through a hard first day.
The remaining 3 days followed a similar pattern, though the strong initial winds fortunately abated a little. A long Ocean Race and a Pursuit Race mixed into the program made sure the skippers were thoroughly tested in all types of races. Meanwhile in Pandora’s opinion the highlight of the event’s social entertainment was the party at True Blue Bay Resort on Monday. It was packed, with not just the competitors (now feeling more warm and fuzzy to their opposition) but it seemed like everyone from the south of the island was there, including students from the local university. There was shouting and cheering, dancing with anyone who whisked you onto the dance floor, and some of the winners generously allowing others not so fortunate to be photographed with their trophies! At the end of the night in a taxi bus on the way home Pandora even joined in a raucous sing song in French with a load of Dutchmen who had entered the event. ‘Nuff said….
There’s no doubt that getting involved in a Caribbean Sailing Regatta is an amazing exhilarating (though exhausting), experience. Racing sailboats is an undeniable rush. But what was surprising was the camaraderie between everyone. The same guy who almost rammed you at the start is the one who back on the dock will give you some sail tape to repair your sail, loan you his rope cutter to fix your jib sheet, and buy you a rum in the bar. There’s a whole lot of love that goes round even in this most competitive arena. And who can resist that…..
For a really excellent 3 minute video with photographs by Onne van der Wal click here
Continuing our theme of Ask Pandora – our mystery guide to yachting in the Windward Islands. The islands really are that idyllic for great sailing, but in between the sailing times here’s some pointers to getting on with the local residents of Bequia, Union, Carriacou and other islands in the Grenadines chain. Follow this and you’ll be popular with everyone!
1. Be polite
People in the Caribbean are unfailingly polite. Try it and you’ll find it works here better than anywhere! Very old fashioned but you’ll get the hang of it and realize how charming it is. Use “good morning/ afternoon/ evening” and keep away from the straight “hello” or “hi” as they’re just not effective. A word of warning – you may get confused as the locals will tend to say “good evening” to you anytime after midday and “good night” even though you don’t feel like going to bed yet! If you think you catch on and say “good afternoon” in the morning I’m afraid this will not work at all. Local rules.
2. Take your time and have a chat
It may be your first beer ashore since a long upwind sail and you’re parched, or you really need a part in a local chandlery urgently, but the locals work on “island time”, a unique blip in the time space continuum, that has the effect of slowing down even further if you try to rush it. So regardless of your need, start with point 1, then progress that to a polite chat which usually means enquiring after someone’s health and/or day so far. A minute or two of that before getting down to asking for whatever it is you want from that person and you’ll be amazed at the big smile you’ll receive in return along with that beer etc that you really need. Try to make it happen without what the locals consider to be simple good manners and you’ll be wondering why the other bloke at the bar who got there after you is already sipping his cold Carib.
3. Buying your fruit & veg
Most stores have tinned and frozen stuff leaving you to buy your fresh fruit and veg from market stalls often run by the island Rasta’s who by virtue of their religion are vegetarian so know a thing or two about what they are selling, or the venerable market ladies. Both these groups of fruit and veg vendors are canny sales people, so be prepared to haggle but do it in a friendly non-aggressive way. You’ll be amazed at the amount you walk out of the Rasta market with having only popped in for a pineapple or couple of mangoes. The Rasta market in Bequia is probably the best known. And don’t forget to ‘spread the love’, that is, be prepared to buy a little something from everyone rather than all your stuff from one vendor. Then everyone is happy.
4. Dealing with the ‘boat boys’
Especially prevalent in the southern part of the Caribbean chain of islands these enterprising guys in their colourful motor boats will approach you regularly offering anything from a mooring ball to tie up to, to fresh lobster, ice, or a T-shirt. Some people see them as an irritation but remember these islands are poor by many standards and these guys are simply trying to make a living. So treat them with respect and good manners and you’ll find they can be very helpful and not a hassle at all. Look them in the eye, ask them their name, (it’ll help you both next time you see them) and be firm but polite about accepting or declining what they have to offer. They’re the only way to buy that freshly baked warm loaf of bread in the morning as you swing at anchor in the Tobago Cays!
5. Be considerate of other yachties
It’s the simple stuff really that makes a big difference. Keep the music down, not everybody enjoys your 80’s classics played full volume. Go slowly past other yachts and never too close to their bow, your keel and their anchor chain are never good friends. Take your time anchoring, drop 5 times the depth of chain and wait at least half an hour before leaving the boat (and even better, dive on the anchor), to make sure it has held fully. The wind can change direction and be gusty in squalls and some anchorages are subject to strong currents, so leave plenty of room to swing safely.
So, smile and be nice and the Caribbean will smile on you.
It’s the night before you get on the plane to your dream sailing holiday and you’re faced with that well-known traveler’s dilemma of what to pack. What you need to know is how to look cool and groovy in the Caribbean. Well, Pandora knows what’s appropriate and what’s not. So please take heed and wear these at your peril:
Starting at the feet. Crocs. The bright plastic holey clog type things. They’re just plain ugly. The brighter the colour, the worse they are. The only exception to this is Pandora’s friend George Brown, who is so eccentric and wonderfully odd that he can just about get away with wearing them, but only with his French Foreign legion sunhat on and various tools jangling from his belt on his khaki jungle shorts. For the rest of you forget it. And if you have to wear deck shoes, (Pandora is not a fan), definitely no white socks with them! The acceptable footwear for the groovy Caribbean Cruiser is bare feet on the boat and flip flops when ashore (preferably Havaianas).
Shorts – less stringent rules here, pretty much anything goes apart from 2 varieties;
1. any kind of athletic nylon type shorts. So no running shorts and most definitely no football shorts (but then let’s face it, everyone should be banned from wearing them unless your name’s David Beckham). They’re just not the scene in Bequia.
2. Three quarter length short long things (I don’t even know what they are called), but they stop somewhere mid shin. They either make you look the a midget in shorts or someone who’s trousers shrunk in the wash. Best idea, use the scissors and turn them into knee length cut offs (no hems). That looks much better!
And while we are at it, for the avoidance of doubt…….definitely no white linen drawstring trousers unless you are a Calvin Klein model.
T-shirts/shirts – No local T-shirts to be worn within 100 miles of the location they were purchased from. Nothing nylon, (including the horror football shirt whatever the code of football) and no singlets/vests (unless you are a lady). Acceptable top type clothing includes faded soft T-shirts with a hint of an old design on them and crumpled long sleeve cotton shirts with the sleeves rolled up and never worn tucked in.
Hats – a tricky area this, as they are a very good idea in this sunny climate but are hard to pull off looking cool in without them blowing off in the wind. For this reason the cute straw pork pie hat which does look good is impractical in the wind. So the ubiquitous baseball cap is reluctantly considered acceptable as long as it is not new, has no obvious big logo on it or is that ‘trucker’ type. For girls the military style cap works well. Straw cowboy hats are out. Really out. Even lounging on the beach. Yes, Pandora used to love them, but they’ve had their day.
Swimsuits – Men. Nothing less than mid thigh and casually baggy please. Unless you are under 16, no loud colours and neon is totally out whatever your age. You’ll only scare the fish in the Tobago Cays when you swim and that’s unkind. Of course, nothing skimpy or tight (What are known as “budgie smugglers” in Australia) and definitely no underwear masquerading as swimmers!
Ladies – bikinis only. One piece costumes are so mumsy and those comedy cut out ones will give you a ridiculous tan line. But girls this is not the south of France, keep your bits covered unless you are anchored way out please. In the Grenadines the locals are very traditional in their views.
Suncream – Not really clothing, but an essential accessory for looking cool in the Caribbean. It’s close to the equator here, the sun is strong and nothing says “muppet tourist on holiday” more than a ruddy sunburned face and body. There’s just no way to make that look work. So slap it on, all the time and try to avoid the midday sun. Do what the locals do. Take a snooze in the shade.
For some photos of examples of what to wear or not to wear click here!
Are you one of the lucky few about to relinquish the arduousness of Christmas at home for a floating one in the tropical waters of the Caribbean? Congratulations! But where to go when you get here? For those of you heading for the Grenadines (congratulations again!) help is at hand with our new Blog Advisor “Ask Pandora” Who is Pandora? Perhaps if you’re very patient all will be revealed – but certainly NOT for a long while yet! Decide from the choices below what best suits yourself and your crew and follow Pandora’s essential guide to Christmas in the Grenadines!
Firstly, despite the temperatures and lack of chimneys for Santa, Christmas is still big in the Caribbean, based on good old family values and a strong sense of tradition. Sometimes it’s bizarrely incongruous, such as inflatable reindeer parked on the side of the road, or completely over the top festive light competitions between neighbouring houses that bring sightseers from the other end of the island.
Christmas food here still includes turkey and ham but also has a fascinating local blend of local fare including baked chicken, stewed mutton or goat, rice, peas, ginger beer, sorrel (a deep red drink made from flowers of the sorrel plant) and black cake – a very heavy rich fruit cake laced with local rum. On a yacht why not be completely decadent and order up fresh local lobster cooked and prepared from the local fisherman?
For shopping in the Grenadines Pandora recommends Captain’s Gourmet in Union Island (full of mouth watering French delicacies), Doris’s Fresh Foods in Bequia and for Christmas booze there’s no cheaper than Matthew’s in Petite Martinique.
So who do you want to be?
The Party Animal
Bequia. You and at least 200 other boats in Admiralty Bay will love their party version of Nine Mornings Festival unique to the Grenadines (which has typically morphed into evenings as well), and raucous beach BBQ’s. Best sleep during the day.
The Family Affair
Carriacou. Anchor at yachtie’s favourite Tyrell Bay and take a short taxi ride (Call Linky on Ch 68) or walk to nearby Paradise Beach where the kids will enjoy the mile long white sand and incredibly calm waters and mum and dad will enjoy the 180 degree stunning view across to Sandy Island and the cold beers at Curtis’ Off the Hook Beach Bar.
The Glamour Sophisticate
Mustique. Where the rich and famous come to play for some celeb spotting at Basil’s Bar or a fabulous martini mixed by Patrick at Firefly for a perfect sunset view of your yacht at Britannia Bay. Moorings are $200 EC for up to 3 days and Berris the Harbour Master will make sure you get a spot OK.
Just Get Away From It All (Or Bah Humbug Scrooge!)
Finally for those who just want to get away from it all and pretend it’s just another day (in paradise) there’s always:
The Tobago Cays. No bars, no music, no restaurant, few people, just some turtles to swim with and some fabulous reefs to snorkel over. BBQ turkey? Not recommended – see lobster above!
Chatham Bay, Union Island. The beautiful ‘forgotten’ side of Union. A wide peaceful remote bay with wonderful walks and snorkeling on the north side of the bay.
For some photos of your potential Christmas venue, click here
Next from Pandora – what to wear (or not to wear!) in the Grenadines…….
