Catamaran sailing in Antigua.... with a bit of performance thrown in for good measure.

Introducing something a little different to those catamaran lovers out there.... meet Lucy2 - an AEROYACHT Alpha 42 cruising catamaran built in the US and ready to sail in Antigua.

Lucy2 under sail

The wave-piercing design of the bows give a more stable sail, so perfect for non-sailors who enjoy a comfortable cruise out here in the Caribbean.  Perfect also for passage making if you wanted to sail a little further afield and put this catamaran to the test.

The futuristic and modern design is sure to turn heads as you enter the anchorage.

The helmsmen's station on our Alpha 42

Aside from aesthetics, the comfort levels have all been carefully thought through on this catamaran. There are four double cabins plus two heads and two separate showers.

The place for sundowners - Lucy2's front row seats

The exterior and interior space flows together as one - on one level - making a huge living space for your friends and family.

This Catamaran is built for comfort and performance

There is a wonderful article on this performance catamaran
http://www.aeroyacht.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/MQ-Alpha-42-article.pdf

2 day, overnight tour - ready to explore Barbuda by private sailing yacht?

A private, overnight sailing trip - tailored just for you.

Why not take a two-day, private sailing charter with a great Skipper to the beautiful island of Barbuda.  Set sail from our base in Jolly Harbour on your first day and experience a wonderful sail along the coast west of Antigua and on to Barbuda. The sail takes around 5 hours; if you are lucky, you may see turtles, dolphins or even whales on your trip!

Barbuda is simply stunning - a 'Robinson Crusoe' coral island with a population of just 1,300 people.  You will anchor at one of two beautiful beaches. Low Bay boasts 11 miles of unbroken pink/white sand beach and Cocopoint is to the south with a white, powdery sandy beach - both ideal for beach-combing. 

Yachts at anchor at Low Bay (photo credit Greg Scott)

When you are safely at anchor, the day is yours!  A perfect time to dive into the crystal clear water and cool off, or perhaps take a guided tour to the peaceful frigate bird sanctuary in the large lagoon behind the bay.  There is also great snorkelling and your Skipper will show you the best spots. 

Take a tour of the frigate bird sanctuary in the lagoon

Starting from our base in Jolly Harbour Marina, you will step on board at 10am on your first day.  There is a large supermarket right here so you can pick up everything you will need for your trip.  There is a full galley on board: refrigerator, stove, coffee maker - a home from home!  Alternatively, send us your shopping list and we will make sure everything is stowed on board for your arrival. Your Skipper will advise you on what to bring and where to stow.  

We have a fleet of 14 yachts and Catamarans to choose from (subject to availability) - depending on how many people you will be on your tour, and how many cabins you will need, we will recommend the most suitable yachts for you.

What do you need to bring?

Bring along your swimwear, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat and a change of clothes - that's it! We provide all linens and towels on board.  Your snorkel equipment is also provided, plus a hammock and swim noodles.  

The pink sand at sunset in Barbuda - beautiful!

There is a charcoal BBQ on board so that you can cook on board and dine under the stars for your first night dinner. Watch a wonderful sunset from your yacht whilst you sip a rum cocktail!

Sunsets and diving.

 

Next morning, we lift the anchor and sail to Coco Point on the south of Barbuda for more exploring, swimming, relaxing; the choice is yours.  You then have another great sail back to Antigua!  Your 2 day, private tour will finish at 4pm on day 2 in Jolly Harbour Marina.  

This trip offers a great way to see Antigua's coastline and Barbuda's natural beauty, plus it gives you a flavour of life on board your very own private yacht.  

Of course, we can sail where the wind takes us, so if you wanted to explore the North Sound area of Antigua, or perhaps stay closer to home on the west coast, we would be more than happy to set sail with you!

If this sounds interesting, please call us on +1 (268) 562 4725 or email Jackie at info@antiguahorizon.com.  We can then check boat availability and provide full pricing based on the number in your group.

Happy sailing!

http://horizonyachtcharters.com/antigua-barbuda/

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?!

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!

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.