Horizon Yacht Charters

Learn to Sail in the Caribbean Sun!

Did you know you could learn to sail while enjoying a holiday in the sun? Horizon Yacht Charters Grenada are proud partners of the Nautilis Sailing School.  The American Sailing Association recently announced their 2011 Outstanding Sailing Schools, and  Nautilus Sailing school was one of 20 ASA schools to be granted this award.  Nautilus Sailing School conduct weeklong  liveaboard sailing courses on Horizon’s Bavaria sailboats. Passionate about sailing, they have enjoyed sailing in some of the most spectacular cruising grounds around the world. ” The Grenadines are truly the ideal sailing classroom” says Lead Instructor Tim Geisler.

You will set sail from the beautiful, friendly island of Grenada and visit several other islands and special locations in the Grenadines. Explore this stunning location while earning American Sailing Association 101,103 and 104 (Basic Keelboat, Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat) certifications. Over the course of a week you will gain the knowledge, experience and certifications to charter sailboats anywhere in the world, and embark on your own sailing adventure!  The goal is to enjoy a learning vacation. The emphasis is on learning how to sail, through hands-on experience, in a beautiful part of the world. Mornings will be spent learning and practicing new skills. In the afternoons you will set sail with the backdrop of spectacular beaches and islands of the Grenadines, refining these newly learned skills along the way. Once anchored for the afternoon, there will be free time to spend exploring, snorkeling, fishing, and relaxing…

You will be sailing on Horizon Yacht Charters’ Bavaria yachts, which range in size from 39 feet to 42 feet. These are newer, spacious sailboats, with all the amenities one would expect to find on sailboats in charter fleets around the world. Your boat will have 3 cabins, 2 heads /bathrooms, a large kitchen and lounge/dining area, a cockpit with bimini for shade, and a dinghy with outboard motor for exploring. All participants are given a private cabin during their stay on the boat. The spacious owners’ cabin is saved for couples that sign up for the course. Contact Horizon Grenada or Nautilis to book your sailing holiday in the sun!

St George's Market, Grenada

When living in the tropics one quickly gets into the rhythm of eating what is in season, and the dishes reflect the bounty of the rainy season. Avocados are just about finished, but can still be found if you are lucky, as can the odd mango. What does appear now on the table are special meals for visiting and celebrating Christmas as the year comes to an end.

Soursop

Soursop is available almost year round and is a very strange looking fruit. The flavor of the soursop is somewhat of a mixture between strawberry and pineapple but with a tart citrus flavour and a hint of coconut or banana. It has a nubbly green skin and a creamy white flesh with inedible seeds, and it is best cut up like a watermelon. Due to the extreme messiness in preparation, it is usually served as a juice or smoothie, but is also popular as ice cream flavouring.

Peeled Golden Apple

Golden Apples are not like apples! More like a mango in flavour and appearance, the oblong fruits can be prepared green such as in a salsa or wait until they are ripe and eat as a mango, either raw or baked into a dessert such as a crumble! They have a strange spiky pit inside which you have to cut or eat around, and have a light, delicious tangy sweet flavour. Golden Apples also make a wonderful juice.

Bananas and Rock Figs are still plentiful, as are Pawpaws( Papayas) and limes but a particularly important addition to holiday entertaining in Grenada is sorrel. It is key to Christmas entertaining as it is made from red flowers that bloom in December. Sorrel is dried then boiled with spice and enjoyed as a ruby red Christmas punch. Sorrel can be thick and syrupy or diluted with cold water or club soda… a naughtier version can include adding rum! Spiced sorrel punch is reminiscent of spiced apple cider, with a hint of raspberry flavour. There are so many recipes for sorrel juice that experimentation is the only way to find your favourite!

Spiced Sorrel Punch

Spiced Sorrel Punch – Serves 16
2 lbs. dried sorrel flower (sold in bags at markets)
8 cups water
2 pieces cinnamon stick
1-2 inch of fresh ginger , sliced
5-10 cloves
2 cups sugar or to taste
Optional – 1 tsp orange or lime peel, or bay leaf

Rinse the sorrel, then place in pot. Add water, and all other ingredients except sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit & steep for a few hours or overnight. Strain and sweeten to taste. Flavor with rum if desired. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Horizon Yacht Charters are thrilled to find that the Bavaria 45 has been awarded the Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Bavaria Cruiser 45 (Cruising Monohull Under 50ft) by Sail Magazine! Since the recession began in 2008, Bavaria has been reorganized under new ownership, and is once again catching the attention of the U.S. market with their new boats designed by Bruce Farr and BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

The Bavaria 45 has spacious berths, with a great galley and saloon layout and sails like a dream – when we recently invited Charles J Doane from Sail Magazine to join us on our brand new Bavaria 45, he said “We had ideal conditions outside Grenada’s True Blue Bay—a strong 20-knot tradewind and a commensurate lumpy sea. The Cruiser 45, to put it bluntly, sails like a witch and reveled in this environment. Certainly it is one of the better-performing mass-production cruisers I’ve ever been aboard… The boat represents a great value for cruisers looking for both charter-boat comfort and performance-boat speed.” Read the full article from Charles here: Bavaria 45 Review .

Of course you can always come down to Grenada to charter a sailing holiday in the Southern Caribbean on our brand new Bavaria 45 to see for yourself! Click here to see our fleet.

Horizon Yacht Sales are proud to be the Caribbean regional dealer for Bavaria Yachts, and are happy to offer a “Try before you buy” program where you can test-sail a yacht on charter with us in the Caribbean. If you subsequently decide to purchase a similar new yacht within the following three months, our Caribbean yacht sales department will deduct up to a week’s charter fee from the purchase price!

Horizon Grenada is very pleased to announce some of the new yachts joining our fleet!

Chez Nous is an award-winning Leopard 4000 Catamaran, for comfortable cruising for up to 4 couples. The yacht is great fun either under sail or power with a fully battened mainsail, 120% roller furling genoa and powerful Volvo engines. The cockpit is well designed with 360 degree visibility from the helm and a hard top bimini for added protection.  A fully opening salon door creates a very large living space combining the galley and the saloon. The spacious galley is well-equipped with fridge and freezer, 2 burner stove and oven.  Accommodation includes 2 double cabins in each hull sharing a full head with a separate shower. Having a crew join you? A small forepeak berth is located in front of each of the forward cabins. This elegant Catamaran provides loads of storage, plenty of ventilation and light. Click to see photos:  Chez Nous

The Mucho Gusto is an owner’s version of the  Lagoon 410 Catamaran,  with 2 double cabins sharing a head in the port hull and a wonderfully spacious owner’s cabin & en suite head on the starboard side. In addition, there is a small captain’s cabin at the front of the port hull should you decide to travel with a skipper! Fantastic ventilation in the cabins provided by the large hatches, and ample saloon and cockpit space with seating outside for the whole crew shows why this is such a popular Catamaran.  Under   power or sail the 410 really performs! Click to see photos: Mucho Gusto

Onde Calor, a Beneteau 373,  is an economical option  for up to 3 couples travelling together in three double cabins with large shared head & stall shower, and an ideal design for sailing in the Caribbean! With its bright, airy interior &  great ventilation, it has a generous cockpit and seating area. The boat is fantastically easy to sail as all control lines lead back to the cockpit it has a self-stacking mainsail with lazy jacks and roller furling genoa.  This yacht has an L-shaped galley below decks, with a double sink, cooker with oven and loads of storage space. Click to see photos: Onde Calor

Pandora, a fabulous Hanse 470, is a stunning luxury yacht with an almost Bauhaus design by Judel/Vrolijk, a very rare charter boat, that we are very proud to add to our fleet.  Surprisingly easy to sail – even shorthanded – this stunning craft combines a modern extra stiff epoxy hull with a low deck profile and a powerful fractional rig with a self-tacking jib, which is more commonly seen on super-yachts. Her light hull and deep keel means she points into the wind better than most.  With twin wheels in the spacious cockpit, all control lines lead under deck to the cockpit winches. Retractable cleats and flush hatches keep the decks clutter free. Inside, the interior is a very modern living space with 3 double cabins and 2 heads that is with sleek, contemporary fittings throughout the glamorous living space.  Click to see photos: Pandora

La Vida – a Beneteau 51-  has loads of space, with genset for additional power if needed and Air Conditioning. A very popular charter boat design, both  easy to sail and with  fantastic performance.  For safety, all lines lead back to the huge cockpit where the dual helm positions provide great  visibility, and the chart plotter, autopilot and instruments  are all closeby.   The large table with drop leaves in the spacious cockpit are great for socializing!  Below deck is the galley with  2 refrigerators and loads of counter top and storage in this roomy space.  Sleeping up to 4 couples plus a single,  each of the 4 well-ventilated cabins has head and shower en suite, as well as the single bunk cabin up forward with its own head. It’s no wonder this yacht is already in such demand! Click to see photos: La Vida

For more information on booking a Caribbean holiday to remember in Grenada & the Grenadines, contact us on info@horizongrenada.com

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Annapolis Sailboat Show at Sunset

Jacqui Pascall, co-owner of our Grenada base, recently attended the Annapolis Sailboat Show and had a great time with the team on our Horizon Yacht Charters’ stand!  Jacqui was on the stand with some of the Horizon BVI team: Andrew, Sylvia and Henry, as well as Christalen, Kate and Sally… and Carlijn from our St Maarten base.

The show had a really fantastic crowd, with a great selection of companies and services offered, including BVI Tourism and St. Vincent Tourism Department –  it was fun to meet up with old friends and make new ones, both people attending the show as well as the people manning the other stands! Horizon was lucky to have 4 new Bavaria yachts on display, ranging from 32 to 45 feet… which are for sale or for charter in the Horizon fleet.

Everyone visiting the stand was so friendly, mostly with questions about the differences between the Islands as well as the different yacht charter options available – and with the special boat show offer we had on there were a lot of bookings being made!  Horizon’s goody bags went down a storm, as did the competitions to win a 7 night charter and spend the day with Peter Holmberg, a top USA skipper.

When off the stand exploring the Horizon team was spoilt for choice as the main street is full of bars, cafes & restaurants. Jacqui said some of her favourite treats whilst in Annapolis ranged from Sushi to Thai noodles and chicken satay… and crab cakes with green salad… and an evening spent enjoying a rock/blues band at a pub on West Street was great fun!

Jacqui flew into Annapolis from the Caribbean on American airlines, via Miami… reporting a perfect flight and seamless connections.  Accommodation in Annapolis was in a lovely house right on the river, where she has stayed before – thanks Heather & Chris! Boat shows can be pretty hectic, but Jacqui was lucky to find that the stand was set up by the rest of the Horizon team prior to her arrival to the show, and special thanks goes to Kate, who really pulled out all the stops to get the new stunning back drop, crew shirts, rate sheets, etc. all done in advance.

We will have some photos or video of the show posted soon on our facebook page, join us to keep in touch!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Horizon-Yacht-Charters-Grenada/223007381659?sk=info

Hog Island, Grenada

On Sundays in Grenada you can always find a great party on Hog Island off the south coast of Grenada – but getting there is half the fun!  We recently went with some visitors from England and instead of taking a water taxi, we incorporated our picnic into a Day Sail with Horizon Yacht Charters, Grenada. After a  wonderful sail on Dream Maker around the south coast from True Blue Bay Resort, we moored offshore from the beach at Hog Island in time to enjoy the DJ while we snacked and swam, then went ashore to join the fun.  A football kick-about was in progress, and barbeques and cooking fires provided a wonderful aroma whilst we sipped cold Caribs. When another small sailboat ran aground on a bit of reef quite a bit of drama ensued while all the nearby yachties raced over in their tenders to join in the rescue! They managed to move the boat off to a safe mooring and everyone went back to the party.

After a while a reggae band started up and we spent the rest of a long, lazy afternoon enjoying the company of some new friends we made while dancing and relaxing… what a wonderful day! We felt like we’d had a proper little holiday, and sailed off in time to enjoy the sunset as we docked back at True Blue. Perfect!  We had some fun filming the festivities, but our cameraman was dancing so much that most of the reggae footage was too jumpy to share! You can see a short film of our day here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_SuM7ebRTQ

Lagoon 380 Catamaran

One of the most popular charters  in the Grenadian fleet at Horizon Yacht Charters is Tiando, a Lagoon 380 Catamaran.  We were thrilled to stumble upon a blog on www.wavetrain.net by one of our recent guests, none other than Charles (Charlie) Doane, Executive Editor for Sail Magazine:

“…my personal ultimate goal whenever I’m sailing in the Caribbean is to avoid stress as much as possible. I did not want to be bound hand and foot to an over-ambitious itinerary, and I certainly didn’t want to have to present my motley crew for four different immigration inspections. Fortunately, they heartily endorsed my announcement on day two that our cruise would be limited to Grenadian waters.

As it was we had a perfectly fine time sailing from True Blue Bay, at the south end of Grenada, all the way up to the islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique and back again. We checked out the local boatbuilding scene on both the smaller islands, got in some snorkeling at various locations, and still had enough time to spend a whole day touring the main island by taxi.

The sailing itself was quite vigorous. The tradewinds here blow continually from the northeast at 20 knots or more, which meant we had a boisterous beat up to Carriacou and a nice sleighride of a broad reach coming back from Petit Martinique. Outside the lee of the islands the seas were very full size, but our Lagoon 380, I have to say, performed like a champ. No, it was not terribly closewinded (though for a while we did suffer from a delusion that we were sailing at a 30 degree AWA, thanks to some optimistic instrumentation), but it handled the lumpy stuff with aplomb. With a 110 percent jib and one reef in the main (most of the time) we felt quite secure and had the old girl screaming along at speeds up to 9 knots.”

To read more and see photos from Charlie’s trip, click here:

http://www.wavetrain.net/news-a-views/228-grenada-cruise-der-skipper-uber-alles

For some background on this fantastic catamaran, the popular and elegant Lagoon 380 holds the cruising catamaran world production record with more than 600 units built. Tiando offers the owners layout with 3 double cabins and 2 heads. In this version, the starboard hull is dedicated exclusively to the owners’ suite with office and library, queen size bed, separate large shower.  In fact, the owners head might just compete in size with your bathroom at home! Tiando’s original interior layout features a panoramic saloon and a galley connecting directly with the spacious cockpit and table seating for 6. The sail plan and seaworthy hull design means a great sailing performance without compromising safety.

In fact, the Lagoon 380 is the result of many years’ experience from VPLP, the architects, and the Lagoon R&D department. It shows in the way the boat has been thought out: access to engines from the transoms, large cockpit with table and bench seat, electric windlass, rigid walkway on the trampoline, wide sidedecks.

Her simple, efficient deck layout, security and comfort on board make even a small crew will find the Lagoon 380 a fast and easy to manoeuvre boat.

The bright and well laid out galley is the strategic link between the saloon and the cockpit.

The curved saloon offers a 360˚ view through the portholes and large bay windows. The chart table is directly accessible from the cockpit, a real “summer lounge” with its table and comfortable bench seats are immediately adjacent to the galley.  Space, volume, light, ergonomics, the warmth of wood, soft upolstery, all these characteristics have been taken into account to ensure that you truly enjoy cruising onboard this Lagoon 380.

Tiando is still available throughout September until October 21st 2011 for the special rate of US$3195.00 for 10 nights or US$2715.00  for 7 nights! Email info@horizongrenada.com for more information on chartering Tiando, or call Skype. horizonbookings
Tel: 1 473 439 1000 or 1 473 415 2022

Grenada Market Stall

Summer in Grenada is sometimes called “Turn Over the Pot Season” as there is such an abundance of wonderful fruits available.

Children at the side of the road will hold out small green bunches of fruit for you to buy, called Guineps, but you can also pick them yourself from the large spreading branches of their trees if you can find them!  They have a rough but thin skin that you pop or tear through to reach the soft jelly-ish fruit inside.  They are usually only eaten a small bunch at a time (leaving the seeds and skin), and are slightly tart and refreshing.

Guinep Fruit

Mangoes of many descriptions are everywhere, with the 3^rd Annual Grenada Mango Fest with over 3500 people visiting 50 booths for recipes, products and information certain proof that this is a firm favourite with everyone!  There are a large variety of mangoes in Grenada, and is great fun trying them all – Julie and Ceylon are lovely for dessert eating, and Lung is better for juicing.  Some more unusual varieties include: Turpintine (sic),  Starch, Peach, Beffy, Graham, Calivigny, Thin, Red Face, Rosy and the evocatively named Ten Shilling and Pot Spoon!  One is advised to suck mangoes whilst sitting in the sea for easy clean up!

Avocados are coming into season now as the Mangoes are finishing.  Like Bananas, avocados do not ripen until after they are picked.  No just for guacamole- avocados are very versatile and can be used in chutney, salsa and even avocado soup!

Chilled Avocado Soup

Chilled Avocado Soup

Ingredients:

• 4-6 avocados, ripe, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced finely
• 4 cups chicken stock or 4 cups vegetable stock
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 dash Tabasco or Grenada pepper sauce
• salt & black pepper
• thick coconut milk (optional) or cream (optional)
• chives, chopped for garnish, or sliced cherry tomatoes

Combine avocado, garlic, half of the chicken stock, lime juice, sour cream, and salt & pepper in a blender or food processor and puree.

Mix in remaining chicken stock until smooth. Stir in hot pepper sauce.

Chill the soup for at least 1 hour before serving, if using coconut milk (it does add a nice touch) add it before serving and garnish with the chives &/or tomatoes.  Prep time: 10 minutes (plus chilling) Serves 4-6.

Custard - or Sugar - Apple

One of the more unusual exotic fruits found this time of year in Grenada is the Sugar or  Custard Apple.  Native to South America (Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador),  Cherimoyas (in Spanish) grow on trees and are large (about 4-8 inches long and about 4 inches wide) green, heart-shaped fruit, with bumps on the outside. It does not look promising but the inside,  however, is a different story. The flesh is white, juicy, & fleshy, with a soft custard-like texture and large seeds that look like beans. It is creamy and tastes like a combination of banana, pineapple and strawberry. Custard apples are eaten raw. Just cut the fruit in half lengthways and scoop the flesh straight from the shell with a spoon, removing the inedible seeds & skin. The creamy smooth flesh of the custard apples makes a wonderful puree for smoothies. It can be added to mashed bananas and make into ice cream. It can also be an unusual addition to fruit salads

A recent announcement from the University of California (Davis)  suggests some success in creating a seedless variety, which will improve their popularity for export and for use in recipes!!

Held on the Emancipation weekend each year, the Carriacou Regatta has been a popular event in the Southern Caribbean since it first started as a boat race in 1965.  Focused on activities in Hillsborough Bay, the participating islands now include Grenada and Petite Martinique,  Antigua,  Tobago, and Canouan, Mayreau, Bequia from the Saint Vincent Grenadines.  The races feature the local workboats which are roughly 14 to 35 feet in length and built using skills handed down each generation for traditional fishing and trading sailing vessels.  This year there are also yacht races from Tyrrel Bay on the west side of Carriacou.  We suggest you anchor off Hillsborough as a great place to see all the action!

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