Kids and Sailing vacations - like peanut butter and jelly in Antigua.

Where do you take the kids on their next vacation?  You only have to look at these pictures of kids having the best time and you know that Antigua offers so much for family sailing; for you and them. With water temperature at a lovely 26 degrees, and all day air temperatures not dropping below 27 or so, your kid's days will be filled with fun and warmth (don't forget the Factor 50!). The west coast of Antigua offers protected bay hopping with beautiful white sand beaches waiting to be explored.  

Connie Smith - only happy when splashing in the sea!

You know how kids can be; hungry one minute, refusing to eat the next.  Sometimes quite tricky when you are staying in a hotel and you can see your holiday dollars disappearing fast!  A sailing holiday is different; you provision the boat, decide what to cook and when, and your kids can eat when they are hungry.  Trust us though; if they are out on the water all day, jumping off the boat, splashing on the beach, they may eat you out of house and boat!

Harry learning to jump into the deep blue!

We love this shot of Harry jumping from our Lagoon 440.  He's a great swimmer and loves everything to do with water.  Can you imagine how early they'll be in bed after all of this energetic activity?!  It's not just about the water and sailing, take them on an island tour with a bit of horse riding thrown in, or take them zip lining through the lush rain forest - as long as they are active, they'll be happy!

Quality time with your kids.

That's not to say you don't deserve the best time, too!  After all, you've handled all of the reservation, packed their favourite toys, kept the kids quiet on the flight, put the dog into kennels and you are exhausted!  Well, imagine yourself with a glass of wine looking at this view!  Enjoy the quiet because next day, you'll be sailing to your next anchorage (a short hop along the coast to keep the kids interested) and you can start all over again.  

Pour a glass of wine, mix a cocktail and relax!  

5 reasons to convince your partner that sailing and romance go hand in hand - bring on Valentine's Day!

Convincing your significant other that a sailing holiday is going to rate way up there on the romantic scale just got a whole lot easier with our 5 great reasons below.  Have a read; you'll thank us for it later.  

Great reason #1:

365 white sand beaches to stretch out on without another soul around.  What could be more romantic than your own secret beach hideaway?  Drop the hook and dive right in (first checking that your anchor is secure, of course!).  Nobody around to view your latest Speedo selection as you take that romantic beach stroll hand in hand, or having to breathe in as you walk by other beach dwellers.

Where is everybody?  Your own romantic hideaway awaits.

Great reason $2:

Sunsets bring out your inner romantic!  There's something special about sitting side by side on the back of the boat watching the sun dip below the horizon; even better if you have a glass of something nice in hand.  After a lovely day on the water in the bright sunshine, it's nice to feel the heat of the day leaving - let the evening begin.

Release your inner romantic in Antigua.

Great reason #3:

Sailing makes you hungry - fact - perhaps it is the salty air, the Caribbean breeze; or the fact that you forgot to provision enough crackers before you set sail.  So where better to treat your lovely to a romantic dinner than a waterfront restaurant in Antigua.  Now this is really piling on the romantic points - The Pillars Restaurant based in historic Nelson's Dockyard is shown below.  Anchor in the Harbour and dinghy in to enjoy fine food, a little wine and an amazing view.

One of the many waterfront restaurants around Antigua.

Great reason #4:

Beautiful boats, designed with the two of you in mind, abound in our Antigua charter fleet.  From our perfectly formed Bavaria 33 to our sprightly Jeanneau 36i's - all calling out to be included in a romantic sailing adventure.

Horizon's Antigua fleet has small but perfectly formed boats. 

Great reason #5:

It's no coincidence that Antigua hosts the Jolly Harbour Valentine's Day Regatta.  Fun days on the water and evenings full of parties and bonhomie!  We're not suggesting you do any racing; that would certainly take some of the romance out of your sails, but it's a great event to enjoy the spectacle, meet other sailors in the bar afterwards and dance the night away to the live music.

Just the two of you.  It's all you need.  

Ready to find your inner romantic sailor?  info@antiguahorizon.com

April in Antigua! Let's go sailing..

Celebration of sailing for everyone!

This one is for all of you crazy sailors out there that love sunshine, salty hair and the odd Caribbean party! The tropical climate, trade winds and the ideal ocean swell make Antigua the ultimate place for any sailing adventure. Whether it's sailing around the island, cruising up and down the coast or hunting for the best beach spots. Antigua is the place to be! Antigua is perfect for sailing almost the entire year round, however, April is when the super yachts, classic yachts and cruising boats really come out of the depths!

April in Antigua is the perfect place for the 49th Antigua sailing week to be held. The starting date is the 24th April until the 29th April.  If you want to be right in the buzz of the sailing action then this is the place to be! Antigua sailing week is held in Falmouth and English harbor and will be full of extremely large sailing yachts all competing in different races. It's an awesome spectacle to watch and the parties are almost as large as the boats! Every year here in Antigua sailing week gets bigger and better and I have a feeling that this year is going to be the best one yet! Antigua sailing week is now gladly sponsored by Peters and May who are a large global marine transport company and thanks to this, people are now able to ship their yachts across oceans and we are starting to see people from all over the globe, shipping their boats to this huge event. 

Falmouth Harbor! Photo credit - Andre Phillip

If you love to see old, well kept, classic yachts then the Classic yacht regatta would be perfect for you! From the 13th to the 19th April all of the classic yachts assemble at Falmouth and English harbor for their official race week. It is an amazing sight to see as you enter the marinas and see all of these amazing classic yachts. It's also fantastic to see them in action! 

What defines a classic yacht? Yachts in this class must have a “look” that is true to a traditional design and must demonstrate excellent craftsmanship and tradition both on deck and in the hull. They may however, use modern technology in their rigs and as navigation. 

A traditional 'classic' yacht

Sailing week and Antigua's classic yacht regatta welcomes people from all over the world! Perhaps you're on a boat yourself?! There are lots of different places you can moor/anchor and watch all the happenings! There are three marinas on the South side of Antigua that will get you right in the middle of all the action. You have a choice of Nelsons Dockyard Marina or Falmouth Harbor Marina (although I'm pretty sure Falmouth will be fully booked with super yachts!) both have around 70 berths each and are stern to berths. There is also Catamaran Marina which is slightly further away from the action but close enough to be involved! About 30 minute walk away from the main buzz. There are also mooring buoys in Falmouth Harbor, owned by a guy called SeaPony (John Bentley). These are probably the best option! Or you can also drop anchor in Falmouth so long as it's not in the main channel which is clearly marked. 

Pelicans flying off one of the Five Islands just outside Jolly Harbor

If you have come for a bliss sailing adventure to discover Antigua's beautiful beaches and avoid all of the hoo-har, then you are still in the right place! Antigua is often overlooked by all of the Spring breakers from the USA so it's perfect for dodging the co-eds, however, the cruise ships are still coming in which means all of the shops, bars and restaurants will still be open for business! With all of the action happening in Falmouth and English harbor it could be an idea to head North if you wanted some peace and quiet! Places like, Deep Bay, Pinching bay or Dickenson Bay offer lovely calm beaches. Deep Bay is perfect for snorkeling as it has the wreck in the entrance to the bay and a lovely long stretch of beach to explore. Pinching Bay is a beautiful spot where you are likely to be the only ones there! There is no road leading to this beach, so unless you're on a boat there's no getting there! There's plenty to explore and lot's of snorkeling spots. Dickenson Bay has a few restaurants if you wanted to dine ashore as well as a store to top up your provisions and a beautiful beach to wander.

Life in the slow lane... Antigua is calling your name.

When you need a bit of a retreat from you real world, a cheeky week of sailing in Antigua could be just the escape you need. Sailing is a great hobby to have that takes you away from worrying about this and that.  

Stunning scenery sailing Antigua & Barbuda

Firstly, you are on the ocean - can anyone reach you?!  Even if they can, it's a great excuse to turn off data roaming!  The fact that we give you a local phone for your trip is entirely your business!

Secondly, you are having to concentrate on wind direction, reefs, other boats, unruly crew members - who then has time to think about the next management meeting, did you leave the iron on and other regular life issues?  

You do need to be a fairly good navigator to sail Antigua and Barbuda; there is reef that is marked on the charts (we give you Imray Charts for the duration of your trip) but not marked on the water - so concentration is key! We also give you a one to one chart briefing and help you with your itinerary planning; looking at the weather forecast etc.  

Thirdly, when you have such natural beauty around you - the ocean, the beaches, the palm trees, the goats, it immerses you in a bubble of paradise.  We like to think of it as being off duty and devoting some time to your well being.  

So, when are you coming?  

Enjoying the Antigua tradewinds

Can you hear me now?!

Not everyone can be a concert pianist, but it's fun trying.

It's always fun to push yourself and try something new.  At the tender age of 14 my father took me to private piano lessons.  My father was musical and, as it quickly transpired, I was clearly not!  But I persevered and even managed to bash out a good enough rendition of "She'll be coming round the mountain". So, why is this relevant to learning to sail?

Well, not everyone is going to turn into Sir Ben Ainslie - Olympic medalist extraordinaire - after a week of learning to sail, but you will have a huge amount of fun trying, here in the sunny Caribbean!  

Learning to sail in Antigua

We always see a flurry of inquiries for learning to sail in Antigua each New Year - what a great resolution to make!  So I thought I'd jot down some pointers for those new-to-sailing people out there who know they want to experience sailing, but really don't know what happens on one of our ASA certification sailing courses.

Well firstly, we only offer private, live-aboard courses.  We don't team you up with other people on board.  This means that you arrive in Antigua with your buddy/best friend/husband/wife and you have an entire boat just for you. You don't stay in a hotel or a hammock on the beach, but you sleep on your boat in your own cabin - perfect!  You will be on board with your Instructor for the duration of your course - no classrooms as part of this certification.  Everything happens on board; cooking, learning to sail, jumping into the warm Caribbean sea.  

You step on board at our base in Jolly Harbour Marina and, after a safety briefing and itinerary discussion, you will leave the Marina for your week of sailing adventure.  The courses are structured so that you will experience not only sailing, but also the beauty of Antigua, too.  So yes, there will be time for swimming, snorkelling and exploring ashore.

Your home away from home for the week

You will sail each day to a new anchorage. This means that you have every opportunity to practice your knots, your sail handling and your newly found navigation skills.   It's all about time on the water and getting as much experience under your belt.  Every day will be different, you will experience different conditions - sometimes less wind, sometimes more wind.  All of this is great for you as you are building your knowledge in different situations.  

Your Instructor is there as your friend and teacher.  They have so much experience - probably sailing all over the world and crossing oceans - so use them to ask as many questions as you can think of.  There's no such thing as a bad question here.  

People learn differently, and our Instructors recognize this.  Some people need to see something first and then they pick it up, others need to make notes.  Whatever works for you, works for us.  

Waterfront dining in Antigua

If, after a week afloat enjoying the Antiguan scenery, you decide to follow up with an Olympic sailing campaign then fantastic, or if you decide that becoming a concert pianist is more suited to you, then that's great too. Either way, sailing is a wonderful hobby that brings people together, makes you forget everything else happening in the world and means you get to see some of the most beautiful parts of the world - all under sail power!

To find out more, contact Jackie at info@antiguahorizon.com 

My three best beaches when sailing Antigua!

By Megan Grant - Customer Services

There are 365 beaches in Antigua & Barbuda, one for every day of the year, so if you're here on a sailing vacation you have plenty of different beaches to discover! Exploring by boat has to be the best way to discover Antigua as you can get to the beaches that cars can't; which means there are tons of beaches that you will have all to yourselves! There are only really three that I spend my time on and have the most relaxing, fun, adventurous time and are perfect if you are on a sail boat. If you're like me and love to explore, then these three beautiful Caribbean beaches are perfect for you! Antigua is one of the best sailing locations in the Caribbean, with the trade winds kicking in for the winter it makes sailing awesome out here! There are plenty of amazing anchorages for your lunch breaks and lots of protected bays for those relaxing overnight stays on board.

Crystal clear waters of the Caribbean sea at Darkwood beach

One of my favorite beaches is Hermitage beach; it's an amazing beach and the water is always your typical Caribbean crystal clear water. I've often seen turtles in the bay and there's an awesome cave hidden in the pink mummy (I call it the pink mummy because it actually looks like a lady lying down). If you decide to come and explore this wonderful beach I would recommend coming for the day! Throw the hook out, dinghy to shore and drink your cocktails on the beach. For those explorers out there, there is a long rock that separates the two beaches and in that rock  is a small cave that's worth heading in to. I've heard there are sometimes some baby nurse sharks in there!.. Watch your toes! The snorkeling is amazing too, you can snorkel right off the beach and along the shore until you reach the rocks on either end. One of the best things about this beach is the luxurious soft sand and the view into Five Island Harbor and the fact that hardly anyone is there! You can also walk around the beach and on to another one which is sometimes good for body surfing and even more snorkeling! 

Darkwood beach bar and restaurant

If you don't fancy preparing lunch on board and wanted a beach with an authentic Antiguan restaurant to cook your goat curry for you, I would definitely say that Darkwood is the best place to anchor. You can dinghy or swim to shore and enjoy the long white sandy beach, snorkel off the rocks and head to the restaurant for lunch. One of my favorite things about this beach is the fact the water is always so clear! You can see the small fish that come and swim around your feet and there's often the local stingray swimming up and down the shore. There are also trees to duck under if you fancy getting out of the sun for a while. I wouldn't recommend anchoring off here overnight though as it can be rolly but it is the perfect spot to relax for the day, have some lunch and enjoy the warm Antiguan sunshine. 

Darkwood Beach

Pinching Bay is my all time favorite beach, ever! It's an amazing lunch stop and there's loads of snorkeling all around the bay and even off the beach. It's beach is perfect with the white sand that your feet just sink into. It's long and beautiful, perfect for those romantic strolls and awesome for exploring. I've found some amazing shells there. When the tide is out it reveals the rocks along the beach which leave amazing rock pools! There is also a small cave on the North side of the bay, it't not huge but it's pretty cool! One of the best things about this beach is that it's only accessible by boat so most of the time you will have the whole beach to yourselves! It's also a perfect spot for those paddleboards too. Landing a dinghy on this beach is made easy because it gets deep pretty quick so there's not too much panic about lifting the outboard up in time! It's also not far from Deep Bay so you can spend the whole day there and then once it's time to go and enjoy a peaceful sunset before dinner you can just head North for twenty minutes and go into Deep Bay for the night or you can head back South and anchor just outside of Jolly Harbor!

All of Antigua's beaches are amazing and there are plenty more I haven't explored yet! But these are by far the top 3! In the meantime I'm going to explore some more of Antigua's beautiful beaches, here in the Caribbean!