Welcome to your Caribbean getaway.
All our yachts are catamarans (two hulls) as these are much more stable in the water than mono hulls (one hull). Catamarans have a shallower draft than similar length mono hulls hence we can get you right up to the most remote of beaches.
Aboard, you will find huge spaces on deck and easy access in and out of the water making the catamarans easy and comfortable to navigate whether you want to relax on deck or take a quick dip.
Have you ever dreamed about sailing a catamaran over open waters? Fulfil those dreams with us. Our qualified Captains will happily introduce you to the art of sailing. Whether you want to raise the main sail, navigate from island to island or take the helm, our Captain will be on hand to guide you. Of course, if you prefer to relax with a good book and a great cocktail, that's fine too!
You will find ample space inside, even if you are 6 foot tall!
Each yacht in the fleet has a unique interior layout of tables, chairs, galley and navigation equipment.
Down a few stairs on either side of the main saloon are the sleeping quarters. Here, you enter your private cabin with double bed, shower and head (toilet). Each cabin has ceiling hatches and a fan so you can fall asleep under a sea breeze and wake up to the morning sun, bright and awake in time for breakfast, ready for the next stage of your Caribbean trip!
Life aboard is fun and relaxing. Whether you want to lie on the trampolines or take the helm, our crew we will assist in making your a dream vacation.
The Royal Cape 45 Catamarans are built in South Africa. They are 14 meters long and 8.30 meters wide. They dispace 18 tons. Numbers can never begin to describe them. It's easy to forget that these are sailing vessels when you look at some of the luxury facilities on-board.
They have all the labour saving devices in the galley such as a microwave and the fridge freezer. Equally, in your stateroom you have your own en-suite shower units.
The Royal Cape 45 can make 10 knots under sail quite comfortably using around 118 m2 sail area and from 21m up at the top of the mast they give a breathtaking view, regardless of where you are. (And yes, we've been up there - many times!) .
When we need to motor fast, (although here in the Caribbean, we never need to do anything fast), they are equipped with either two 60 hp Volvo or Yanmar engines, which aren't quite enough for water skiing but will cut through the sea at an impressive rate.
Royal Capes sleep 10 comfortably, with separate crew quarters and are smooth and straightforward to control.
We can promise you an unforgettable Caribbean getaway on your Royal Cape.
Expansive, wide and ultimately comfortable the Marquise 56's are, apart from Explorer, our biggest and most luxurious catamarans. Over 4 years of design and building experience have gone into the Marquise line and it shows in every detail.
Coming aboard from the teak-lined transom sugar scoops, up the stairs to the cockpit with its twin folding tables, your natural inclination is to sit, relax and enjoy your Caribbean trip in the shade provided by our custom-designed awnings. Walk around the yacht feeling safe and secure with wide deck space and lifelines leading you to the large trampolines in front. Sunbathe and get ready to enjoy the exhilaration of a quick sail, even a splash or two from the waves lapping the hulls as we make our way to our next destination. Keep your eyes open for the odd dolphin or whale!
Upon entering the Saloon through sliding doors, you will notice that it is divided into 4 sections each with its own functionality providing you, our guests, with the ability to have an uncluttered common area. The horseshoe table with ample seating for 8 people makes dining as well as game playing or just relaxing, a more 'spacious' experience.
Across from the large table is a two-seat couch designed for reading, comfort and relaxation. Just in front of the reading couch is a galley and wet bar with refrigerator, sinks, stove and storage areas. This allows easy access to cold drinks and snacks during the day and is used in cooking preparation for lunch and dinner.
From the Saloon you descend a couple of steps to reach the private cabins with queen sized beds and en-suite bathrooms complete with hot and cold showers and heads (yacht-speak for toilets). Beautiful wood joinery and highlights underline the beauty of these spacious cabins. The Marquise will sleep 8 with separate crew quarters.
The Marquise is ideal for that luxury holiday in the Caribbean. No wonder we chose to extend our fleet of yachts with these beauties!
The Privilege Catamarans are designed by the French, a nation of mariners and master yacht-builders. Although they are 5 feet longer than the Royal Cape, they sleep only 8 guests plus crew so you feel you have plenty of room aboard to enjoy your Caribbean getaway.
The Privileges and Royal Capes have very similar specifications but most members claim that they have no preference. They love them both equally. Some first mates tell us that they prefer the galley on the Royal Capes for Caribbean getaways because it is adjoining the dining area so they can create their culinary masterpieces and still be part of the vacation experience for our members and their guests.
The food and beverage department is almost identical on both styles of catamaran with microwave, ovens and fridge freezers throughout. There is also the additional storage space in the Privilege which means we can comfortably store scuba kits as well as all snorkel equipment and a tandem kayak.
Our guests have always caught big fish off the back of the Privilege. The current, record catch is the 55lbs Kingfish that put up a fight for almost two hours, before being hauled on board. See what you think when you join us on a Privilege Catamaran cruise around the Grenadines, Belize, Greece, or Antigua.
We look forward to welcoming you aboard.
Our Caribbean waters are generally calm - so seasickness is extremely rare. If you are at all worried about this please bring some form of prevention - we have tablets onboard, but some people prefer to bring patches. After the first couple of days you should not even need these.
Generally we have two yachts sailing from the TradeWinds Cruise Club bases most weeks in the year and cabin allocations are made just prior to sailing. For this reason, it is not always possible to know in advance exactly which yacht you will be sailing on nor who your crew will be. If you have booked a Caribbean package to sail on a specific yacht, then we do our very best to ensure that you will cruise on that yacht. However, sailing yachts require extensive ongoing maintenance and occasionally our schedules have to be altered to provide for this.
All our yachts have car stereo-type sound systems. They also have a good selection of books, playing cards and board games.
We have electrical outlets onboard and are able to run hairdryers and electric shavers or charge batteries etc… for a limited period, using generator power. Some of our yachts have European voltage (220v) and some have USA voltage (110v). If you intend to bring any electrical appliances please ensure you pack the appropriate adaptor / converter for your Caribbean getaway.
Our yachts can supply 12V DC electricity to your cabin (with prior notice for all Caribbean packages). If you wish to bring aboard a machine such as a sleep apnea machine please ensure that you have your own battery pack (available from electrical stores such as Radioshack). These packs will run the machine for three nights before needing a charge. We can charge these for you from our 12V DC supply in the daytime.
Mobile/Cell phones purchased outside the Caribbean are unlikely to work here unless they have "roaming" capacity. We do not have Internet access onboard the yachts. However, there are many Internet cafes throughout the islands if you need to check email.
Smoking is not permitted in the cabins nor in the saloon. Smoking is only allowed on the stern of the yachts to avoid disturbing the other guests.
Some yachts have air con units installed which can be run when moored at the TradeWinds Cruise Club dock. However, all cabins have hatches and fans so that we rarely need to use the air conditioning. The cooling sea breezes and trade winds keep everyone very comfortable during their Caribbean trip.
Turquoise Dreams was our first catamaran and as her Captain will tell you, she is still the pride of our fleet. She's named after the beautiful colours of the sea that you will experience as you sail with her in the Caribbean.
She's a Royal Cape 45', has five cabins (plus a crew cabin) and first sailed out of Cape town in 1997. She now lives in Tortola in The British Virgin Islands.