Antigua & Barbuda Cruising with Style

Introducing the Dufour 45 E "Heartbeat IV".  Built in 2010, this performance cruiser is now available for your next yacht charter from our Horizon base in Antigua & Barbuda.

Heartbeat IV at our base in Antigua

This superior sailing yacht can sleep up to 8 people in three double cabins and a large saloon that converts to a spacious double berth.  Located in Jolly Harbour Marina at our Horizon base, this is the perfect start point for your next Caribbean charter.  This would make a wonderful choice for a vacation cruising Antigua & Barbuda or further afield, island hopping to Guadeloupe and our one way trip to St Martin.  

Drop down transom 

Heartbeat IV is fully equipped with the latest navigational and safety aids including Raymarine Chartplotter, Furuno Navtex and EPIRB.  

She has two carbon wheels and main boom.  The removable cockpit table is great for creating even more space in the cockpit when you are sailing.  She has a fixed helm bimini and a large, removable bimini to give you extra shade from the tropical Antiguan sun whilst at anchor.  

Saloon converts to a spacious double berth

Two bimini's provide shade from the sun in Antigua & Barbuda

Are you ready to experience performance sailing in Antigua on your next charter?  We promise you, you won't be disappointed with Heartbeat IV.  

Read more about this yacht by clicking here.

Meet Anette - a wonderful ASA Sailing Instructor in Antigua waiting for your call

Have you been watching the America's Cup action in San Francisco thinking "I wish I could sail"?  Well, now's your chance. Right here in Antigua we have the wonderful Anette, a talented sailor and sailing ASA instructor who can take you from just simply wishing, to actually sailing.

Anette is a qualified American Sailing Association certified Instructor, living year round in Antigua, and she can teach you ASA 101, 103, 104 (Bareboat), 105 and 114 (Catamaran Sailing).

Anette - ASA Sailing Instructor

If you are wondering what all these numbers mean, just click on this link and all will be revealed:
http://horizonyachtcharters.com/antigua-barbuda/learn-to-sail/

From the liveliest teenagers up to the most mature students, Anette will give you the complete confidence in your own ability to learn to sail.  On top of that, you will enjoy some of the most stunning scenery in the Caribbean as you cruise from bay by bay.  Anette is a strong believer in giving you the best Antigua sailing experience you can get, combining learning with fun along the way.  After all, we all learn best when we're happy.

This could be you on your very own deserted beach

Our courses are all liveaboard courses, which means that you stay onboard for the duration of your week - learning to prepare meals afloat, sleeping on board and very quickly making our yacht your home from home.  The purpose of the graduated American Sailing Association courses is to teach you the fundamentals of sailing so that one day, you can bareboat charter (chartering a yacht without an Instructor or Captain).

Your home away from home - liveaboard cruising

If you're ready to stop dreaming and start sailing, the first step is to pick up the phone to our Antigua charter base and ask us about your ideal dates to Learn to Sail.  What's stopping you?

Skype:  jackieashford1
Toll free:  1 866 439 1089
Tel:  +1 (268) 562 4725
Email:  info@antiguahorizon.com

Year round paradise here in Antigua and Barbuda

One of the many questions guests ask us when they arrive (when they quickly learn that I am not originally from Antigua!) is "where do you go in the summer?".  That's a curious question because people assume that we leave the island and live somewhere else.  That's not to say if someone offered me a penthouse in Manhattan or a condo in Colorado that I wouldn't jump at it, but we do actually charter right up to the first few days of August each year, and then open again October 1.

We love the summer here.  From a sailing perspective, the weather continues to be wonderful - right now we have 10 to 15 knots, bright sunshine, and if my temperature gauge did not deceive me yesterday, it reached a heady 100 degrees in the sun.  Perfect for swimming but don't forget your sunscreen!

It's certainly not a crowded time of year for sailors:

Uncrowded Antigua and Barbuda - summer sailing

For those looking for nightlife and action at every anchorage, you won't find casino's and nightclubs, but you will, in most anchorages, find a nice restaurant where the welcome is as warm as the sun and the beer suitably cold.  Whether you choose bareboat or a crewed charter, you can decide how many nights you want to dine onboard.

Summer is also a good time to Learn to Sail - the winds are typically lighter than our traditional high season and the marina's are uncrowded so you can practice your docking skills in peace.  Perhaps consider taking your ASA (American Sailing Association) certification next year with us.

Learn to sail in the summer and enjoy peaceful marinas in Antigua

Our seasons' pricing reflects the popularity of our sailing destination - we have four seasons here in Antigua so do take a look and see which feels right for you.  

West coast Antigua beach

South coast Antigua beach

West coast Antigua beach

There are so many beaches to choose from that you wont' be disappointed - each one more pretty than the last.  A yacht charter of up to 10 days in Antigua will have you visiting a different beach each day.  Who could resist these?

Our sample sailing itineraries will give you a flavour of what you can experience when you book a sailing holiday here in Antigua and Barbuda.  Take a look if you get a moment....

Capture Antiguan sunsets on charter

Different seasons bring different weather and cloud formations, which make for some great sunset shots.  We took these just two nights ago:

Stunning sunsets during your sailing holiday

As for us, we are counting down the days until we welcome our first guests for our new season, in just two weeks time.

Sailing and pumpkin pie - book a Thanksgiving charter in Antigua

With the US Open out of the way and the NFL kicking off for another season (go 49ers!), you know it's time to look ahead and book your Thanksgiving vacation.  Here in Antigua you can choose to take part in the Thanksgiving activities with all the traditional touches, or you can choose to simply sail away.

Simply sail away this Thanksgiving in Antigua

For those traditionalists amongst you, our local supermarket stocks all the trimmings you will need for your Thanksgiving dinner; from turkeys of all sizes to green beans and crispy onions, it's all here for you.  For those that like to buck the trend, why not spend the Holiday in Barbuda feasting on a beach-side lobster lunch?  Whichever way you look at it, you won't go hungry.

Lobster for Thanksgiving dinner

The weather here in Antigua and Barbuda is tropical - so you will always feel wonderfully warm.  You will not need to pack much - everywhere is Caribbean casual.  The breeze tends to be around 15 to 20 knots so perfect conditions for boating and yes, the water is really this blue!

The blue water of Antigua - who's ready?

Get in touch if you are ready for an Antigua boat charter this Thanksgiving.  Who knows, this could be you...