Windward to Leeward Training

Route Overview

 

Primary Route (and possible stops):

Grenada – Carriacou & the Grenadines – St. Lucia – Martinique – Dominica – Les Saintes – Deshaies (Guadeloupe) – Sint Maarten

 

Estimated Distance:

475–500 nautical miles, depending on stops and routing

• • Key Points: Coastal and offshore navigation north along the island chain, multiple overnight passages, variable stops at anchorages depending on timing and weather.

 

Passage Breakdown

 

Grenada to Carriacou & the Grenadines

 

• • Crew briefing, vessel checks, and weather review in Grenada before departure

  • First leg to Carriacou and through the Grenadines, with anchoring opportunities at Union Island, Mayreau, or Bequia based on timing

  • Watch rotation (3 hours on, 6 hours off) established immediately, all crew involved in navigation, log keeping, and sail handling

 

Up the Island Chain (Windwards & Leewards)

 

• • Successive offshore legs north along the Windwards and into the Leeward Islands

  • Potential anchorages or brief stops:
    – St. Lucia
    – Martinique
    – Dominica
    – Les Saintes (Guadeloupe)
    – Deshaies (Guadeloupe)

  • Multiple overnight sails required to cover distance and manage weather windows

  • Navigation includes coastal piloting by day and open-water passages by night

 

 

Final Approach to Sint Maarten

 

• Final overnight passage north to Sint Maarten, with arrival and customs check-in at the marina

• Crew dinner ashore at Lagoonies Bistro

 

 

Training Focus

 

• Offshore and inter-island passage planning: route selection, waypoints, and safe harbor identification

• Practical navigation: use of chartplotter, radar, AIS, GPS, and visual references

• Watchkeeping: helm, lookout, sail management, log entries, and system checks

• Night operations: navigation, safety, lighting protocols, and fatigue management

• Sail management: headsail changes, reefing, downwind and reaching techniques for variable trade wind angles

• Real-time weather assessment and route adjustments based on forecasts and conditions

 

 

Expected Conditions

 

Winds: E–ESE trades, typically 15–25 knots in open water; possible gusts in squalls and acceleration zones between islands
Seas: 4–8 feet in open channels, moderate to rough at times, with shorter-period chop between the islands
Weather: Mostly clear with trade wind cumulus, brief squalls possible especially near island channels, warm and humid throughout
Hazards: Traffic in coastal approaches, occasional fishing gear, squall lines, and strong currents between certain islands

 

 

Why This Passage is Relevant

 

• Combines continuous offshore sailing with multiple island landfalls

• Requires active night watches and real passage-making skills

• Broad exposure to navigation scenarios: open water, coastal, and inter-island

• Ideal for sailors seeking multi-day watch experience and mile-building under realistic conditions

• You get to experience the entire easter Caribbean conditions in one passage