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| P.O. Box 39, Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent
& The Grenadines, West Indies |
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THE ASA The American Sailing Association is the governing body in the United States which sets the standards for sailing education throughout North America and has an internationally recognised reputation. Certification through the ASA is a meaningful achievement which is recognised by most charter companies and sailing organisations throughout the world.
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| OUR COURSES The regular courses are 6-day, 6-night live-aboard cruises but we can tailor shorter or longer courses according to the requirements of the guests. You should plan on flying down to St Vincent on a Saturday (or earlier if you want to spend a couple of days exploring St Vincent which is a beautiful, lush island with an active volcano, waterfalls and tropical rain forest) NB: We can offer bulk, wholesale air tickets which may save you as much as 30% off the regular cost - Call 1-800-327-5540 (305-444-7999) and quote our special discount code # 2000 We will arrange for a taxi to meet you on arrival at the airport and take you to a recommended hotel for your first evening - approximately 10 minutes from the airport. We recommend:
We’ll be happy to reserve hotel rooms for you. On Sunday morning after breakfast, a taxi will take guests to our marina at Blue Lagoon - approximately 5 minutes' drive. On arrival, guests will be welcomed by the Instructor and shown aboard the yacht. The first full day (Sunday) will begin with a briefing and orientation during which guests will stow their gear and familiarise themselves with the yacht. The yacht will set sail from St Vincent on Sunday morning, and will cruise to the Grenadines, returning to our marina the following Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Certification will be conducted on board either during or at the end of the cruise. Guests may stay aboard the yacht on Friday night and will then disembark Saturday morning to return home. A taxi will take guests to the airport. We offer the following 3 levels of ASA certification:
Guests with little or no prior sailing experience should be able to complete Course 101. Those with a reasonable amount of sailing experience may be able to complete courses 101 and 103. To complete all 3 levels, resulting in bareboat certification, guests will need to have a considerable amount of prior sailing experience and knowledge of coastal navigation - and therefore guests should not expect to be able to complete all 3 levels in one week unless they do have such experience. Note that it is an ASA requirement that each course be completed successively - in other words one cannot take course 104 without having previously passed courses 101 and 103.
WHAT SORT OF EXPERIENCE DO YOU NEED TO SIGN UP? None at all. These courses are designed for everyone, from complete novices who have never set foot aboard a yacht before, to seasoned sailors looking for a formal qualification or to hone their skills. Naturally, these are superb courses for those thinking of bareboat chartering or buying their own yacht. Whilst the aim of these cruises is to offer guests the opportunity to pass an internationally recognised certification on board an ocean-going yacht, we also remember that this is a vacation - and thus leisure time will be available for swimming, snorkelling, diving, or exploring ashore. The Instructor will run the course at the pace of the guests, with their safety and comfort of prime importance and guests will have every opportunity to participate in the planning of the itinerary and daily schedule.
TYPICAL 1-WEEK ITINERARY Saturday Travel day - fly to St Vincent. Taxi from airport to Hotel (approximately 10 minutes' drive, $US 12). Dinner at Hotel (not included in the cost).
Monday Breakfast on board. After a swim, set sail for Mustique (approximately 2 hours). Instruction and safety drills en route. Anchor at Brittania Bay. Lunch on board. Afternoon instruction on board, and time to explore Mustique's beautiful beaches and catch a glimpse of stately villas and international stars. Recommended place for evening meal - Firefly Restaurant. Tuesday Breakfast on board. Morning sail to Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau (approximately 4 hours). Anchor in the lovely harbour - lunch on board. Afternoon at leisure to explore Mayreau, swim, snorkel or laze on the beach. Recommended places for dinner - Salt Whistle Bay Resort, Dennis's Hideaway, J & C Restaurant. Wednesday Breakfast on board. Morning sail to the Tobago Cays (approximately 1 hour). Snorkel and enjoy the spectacular underwater scenery in the Cays. Lunch on board. Afternoon sail to Union Island (approximately 2 hours). Anchor at Clifton Harbour. Recommended places for dinner - Anchorage Yacht Club, West Indies Restaurant at Bougainvilla Marina. Thursday Breakfast on board. Morning sail to Palm Island (approximately 1 hour). Lunch on board. Afternoon sail to Canouan (approximately 2 hours). Anchor in Grand Bay. Late afternoon at leisure to explore Canouan. Recommended places for dinner - Tamarind Beach Hotel & Yacht Club, Silver Sands. Friday Breakfast on board. Day sail to Blue Lagoon, St Vincent (approximately 5 hours). Lunch on board. Arrive Blue Lagoon mid-afternoon, dock at Barefoot. On-board certification and de-brief. Recommended places for dinner - Barefoot Restaurant & Bistro, The French Restaurant. Saturday Breakfast on board. Taxi to airport ($US 12). Depart from St Vincent (remember to keep $US 12 or $EC 30 for payment of departure tax). The sailing itinerary will be flexible according to weather conditions, but a typical 1-week cruise will take guests to all the high spots of the Grenadines, and will cover around 90 miles of cruising. Distances between islands are generally short (from 2 to 5 hours) and there will be ample time for relaxation, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving or exploring ashore. MEALS & DRINKS Guests may choose to do their own food and drinks provisioning (there’s a fairly good supermarket close to the airport) or, alternatively, we can supply various packages in advance. We supply basic house-keeping materials such as bathroom tissue and dish detergent. All guests are expected to take part in food preparation - the Instructor will do his fair share but remember that he’s not a Chef! Food preparation and general household duties are an integral part of living aboard. In the interests of safety and consideration for other guests,
we ask that guests exercise moderation if consuming alcohol and
also that alcohol not be consumed whilst the yacht is under sail. WHAT TO BRING As little as possible! Dress in these islands is informal. We suggest you bring:
Pack your things in soft bags rather than hard suitcases which are difficult to stow on a yacht. THE YACHTS
There will normally be a maximum of 4 students per yacht, plus the Instructor. Some of our yachts are able to accommodate up to 6 guests plus the Instructor but 6 guests will be carried on one yacht only when they are part of the same group and when guests have specifically requested a yacht for 6, or by prior agreement between the guests. All yachts are equipped and maintained to the highest standards. On-board equipment includes:
COST: $US 1,299 per guest Included in the cost:
Not included in the cost:
RESERVATIONS, CANCELLATION & PAYMENTS To reserve a place 1. Please call, fax or e-mail to ascertain availability. We will place a provisional reservation for you. 2. Then, complete and return the booking form (Barefoot Yacht Charters, PO Box 39, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent & The Grenadines, West Indies, or fax to us at 784-456-9238 along with a 50% deposit of the basic course fee, i.e. $US 649.50 plus $ 77.94 cancellation insurance per person. Cancellation Policy:
3. The initial 50% deposit may be paid as follows: a. By personal cheque drawn on a US Bank Account (sorry - no Canadian personal cheques) or by wire transfer directly to our USA account: *Please check with our office for banking information. b.By credit card - MasterCard or Visa. 4. On receipt of your booking form and 50% deposit we'll send you a confirmation package which will include one ASA syllabus book per guest, your personal ASA log book and a pre-arrival package for St Vincent and the Grenadines. 5. The balance of the course fees will be payable on boarding - by credit card (but regret that in this case there would be a 4% surcharge), or in cash or travellers' cheques, or by cashier’s cheque or International Money Order in U.S.Dollars. |
BEACHCOMBERS
INN - Small pool, restaurant and bar, rooms with a/c, on the beachfront
- $US 118.30 per night for a double with a/c, includes taxes and
a light breakfast.
We
will do our best to match up guests with similar objectives and
to enable them to achieve the level of certification that equates
to their experience. Because of the small number of guests on board
the yacht (no more than 4 plus the Instructor), instruction is highly
personalised and therefore differing levels of experience amongst
the guests does not necessarily present a problem.
Sunday
Breakfast at Hotel. After breakfast, taxi to our marina at Blue
Lagoon (approximately 5 minutes' drive, $US 10). Meet ASA Instructor,
settle aboard yacht and stow gear. Yacht orientation and safety
briefing. Lunch on board, then set sail for Bequia, northernmost
of the Grenadines (approximately 2 hours). Anchor at picturesque
Admiralty Bay. Leisure time for swimming and exploring ashore. Recommended
places for evening meal - Frangipani Hotel, Mac's Pizzeria, Le Petit
Jardin, Auberge des Grenadines, Gingerbread Hotel.
The
yachts are in the 40-foot range and fully-equipped for the cruise.
Couples will have a private, double stateroom. Singles will have
either a private stateroom or a shared stateroom with upper/lower
berths.
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 “Footloose and fancy free” |
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