Grenadines · Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
We leave for the Tobago Cays and return with dolphins at the bow
A Grenadines catamaran trip from 11 to 26 January 2020: Le Marin to Saint Lucia, Mayreau and the Tobago Cays, then north via Saint Vincent, day by day.
The route, stop by stop
Traced from the positions of our photos.
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01 / 13 · 11 to 12 January
Le Marin
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02 / 13 · 12 to 13 January
Rodney Bay
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03 / 13 · 13 to 17 January
Marigot Harbour
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04 / 13 · 17 to 19 January
Mayreau
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05 / 13 · 19 to 20 January
Petit Bateau
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06 / 13 · 20 to 22 January
Union Island
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07 / 13 · 22 January
Wallilabou Bay
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08 / 13 · 22 to 23 January
Vieux Fort Bay
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09 / 13 · 23 to 24 January
Sainte-Anne
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10 / 13 · 24 January
Le Marin
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11 / 13 · 24 to 25 January
Sainte-Anne
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12 / 13 · 25 January
Le Marin
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13 / 13 · 25 January
Sainte-Luce
Base map: Natural Earth
In 30 seconds
- Place
- The Grenadines of Saint Vincent, from Mayreau to the Tobago Cays, at the far end of a route beginning in Le Marin, Martinique.
- People
- The fisherman who comes alongside in his small boat to sell us a yellowfin tuna.
- Activity
- Sailing a catamaran, with a pod of dolphins ahead of the bow on the morning of 22 January.
- Route
- Rodney Bay, Marigot Harbour, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union Island, Wallilabou, Vieux Fort and Sainte-Anne, leaving from Le Marin.
- Length
- Fifteen nights, from 11 to 26 January 2020.
Why we came
Late on 11 January 2020, we reach our catamaran in Le Marin, southern Martinique. Fifteen nights of sailing lie ahead: first Saint Lucia, with Rodney Bay, Marigot Harbour and the Pitons; then Mayreau, the Tobago Cays and Union Island; finally north again along Saint Vincent. There are seven of us on board, family and friends who often sail together. A family friend is our skipper.
This trip unfolds as much at sea as it does at anchor. It begins with a rough crossing, continues through lagoons with turtles and iguanas, then ends with dolphins at the bow. Between those moments come meals prepared on board, border formalities and days when the wind chooses the programme for us.
The stay, hour by hour
Ten days, nineteen moments
Day 2 · Martinique to Saint Lucia
12:14
We cast off from Le Marin in the early afternoon and head north towards Saint Lucia.
20:18
We reach the anchorage at 20:18 after a day in a heavy sea. We take the waves diagonally. Looking back, they seem taller than the boat. At the bow, two members of the crew stay in the nets despite the water breaking over them: it is where they feel least seasick. The skipper remains focused at the helm. We leave a day early because the sea is expected to build further and our insurance would no longer cover us the next day. Rodney Bay finally appears in complete darkness, on northern Saint Lucia.
At anchor, we prepare the evening barbecue at the stern of the catamaran. A plate of raw meat waits beside the grill fixed to the aft rail.
Day 3 · Rodney Bay and Marigot
8:18
A squall has just passed over Rodney Bay. A rainbow spans the bay and lands on a straw-coloured hill topped by a stone ruin. Yachts lie at anchor on choppy water.
17:37
In the late afternoon, the sun disappears behind the hill at Marigot Harbour. Two catamarans at anchor and a line of coconut palms at the back of the bay become silhouettes.
Day 4 · Marigot, then the Pitons
10:00
We walk up the hill above Marigot to explore and take in the clear view after the storm. Below us, white masts fill a calm pocket of water between the forest and a strip of coconut palms.
12:49
At sea off Soufrière, the two Pitons rise side by side from the water, one pointed and one bell-shaped. These volcanic domes, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, climb more than 700 metres from the sea.
Day 7 · Mayreau
8:15
Salt Whistle Bay, on northern Mayreau, at daybreak: probably the finest sunrise of the trip. From the bow of the catamaran, turquoise water reaches a beach lined with wind-bent coconut palms. On the other side of the bay, we alternate between kitesurfing and windsurfing.
15:05
A fisherman comes alongside in his small boat with a yellowfin tuna, its flanks blue-grey. We buy it from him and prepare it as carpaccio on board.
17:07
From the heights of Mayreau, the lagoon shifts from deep blue to turquoise across the reefs. Later, the sun drops behind a mountainous island.
20:18
In the evening, we eat with our feet in the sand at a small restaurant used by crews from the catamarans anchored in the bay. Lobster halves cook over the barbecue. We remember it as a particularly memorable dinner, with a feeling of being privileged.
Day 8 · Tobago Cays
10:38
The next morning, we anchor in the Tobago Cays lagoon, the marine park east of Mayreau with its five islets: Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Jamesby and Petit Tabac. We snorkel on the reef among turtles, then spend the afternoon kitesurfing and windsurfing.
12:44 Cooking on board
On the cockpit's wooden table, hands cut up a fish across two boards. The cockpit table simply becomes the boat's work surface.
Day 9 · Petit Bateau
10:36
We land on the empty beach at Petit Bateau. An iguana basks beneath a coconut palm leaning almost horizontally. We stay to watch it for a while, with sunlight on the water behind it and yachts at anchor.
Day 10 · Union Island
17:58
We reach Union Island as daylight fades. A sandy path runs between coconut palms towards the sea beneath a pink cloud. After completing customs formalities, we walk around and visit a few shops. Back on land that evening, the ground still seems to move beneath our feet: a definite case of land sickness.
Day 12 · Sailing north
7:33
At sea on the northbound route, a pod of dolphins swims ahead of the bow, the closest just beneath the surface, and keeps pace with us for around 20 minutes.
10:55
Wallilabou Bay on Saint Vincent beneath a grey sky. Two yachts lie at anchor between green hills. The first Pirates of the Caribbean film was shot here in 2002, and we recognise the set when we stop for a walk, a drink and a run.
Day 13 · Back in Martinique
14:21
We are off Sainte-Anne on Martinique's southern coast. From the catamaran's foredeck, the furled sail divides the sky in two. Ahead of us, the coast forms a long green line beneath the clouds.
Day 15 · Sainte-Luce, Martinique
16:32
In Sainte-Luce, on the southern coast of Martinique, we meet a friend from engineering school. We have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the sea, then visit a distillery where a copper column rises towards the blue roof structure. The final ti punch of the trip closes the day.
17:41
On the Sainte-Luce coast, the sun sets between heavy clouds behind a solitary offshore rock.
Returning to Martinique
On the evening of 22 January, we reach Vieux Fort in southern Saint Lucia. We pass Sainte-Anne the following day, then return the boat in Le Marin on 24 January. One final day in Martinique remains before our flight on 26 January.
Practical advice: licence, skipper and customs
- Le Marin as a starting point: we leave on 12 January and reach Rodney Bay that evening.
- Customs clearance and the yellow flag: in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, head directly to an official port of entry and raise the Q flag. Only the skipper goes ashore, carrying passports and boat papers. Departure formalities must also be completed at an official port.
- A shorter option: in 2019, one operator described a nine-day loop from Le Marin to the Tobago Cays.
That's why
At 7:33 on 22 January, in open water, a pod of dolphins swims ahead of the catamaran's bow.
You'll love it if
- you like sleeping at anchor and waking in a different bay
- you want to see the Pitons from the sea
- long sailing days are part of the appeal
Skip it if
- you want a different beach each day without the sailing
- border formalities quickly become a burden
- you struggle with swell
Our take on sailing the Grenadines
Yes, we would repeat this trip without changing the itinerary. Over fifteen nights, we sail from Le Marin to the Tobago Cays via Saint Lucia, then return north along Saint Vincent. The pace leaves several days for Mayreau, the Tobago Cays and Union Island without turning the journey into a race between islands.
You do, however, need to enjoy sailing. On this route, the Grenadines are not a sequence of effortless beach stops. The first crossing shakes the entire boat, changing countries involves formalities and some days are spent almost entirely at sea. That is also what holds the journey together. We see the Pitons from offshore, sleep at anchor, buy fish directly from a fisherman and often wake in a different bay.
This route suits travellers who enjoy life on board and accept that the sea sometimes decides the day's plan. It is less suitable for anyone expecting to step onto a new beach every day without a long passage. Looking back, we would change nothing: the defining luxury is having enough time to travel at the wind's pace.
Your questions
When is the best time to sail the Grenadines?
Travel outside the Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November. Our Grenadines trip took place from 11 to 26 January 2020. We had clear skies at Mayreau, but also a squall over Rodney Bay and grey weather at Wallilabou.
Do you need a licence to charter in the Grenadines?
In October 2019, one operator stated that no formal licence was required to charter in the Grenadines, although a sailing CV was requested. Check your own operator's terms before booking. Without sailing experience, charter the boat with a skipper.
How long do you need between Martinique and the Grenadines?
Our loop from Le Marin lasted fifteen nights, from 11 to 26 January 2020, with several days around Mayreau, the Tobago Cays and Union Island. The southbound route passes Rodney Bay, Marigot Harbour and the Pitons; the return goes via Wallilabou, Vieux Fort and Sainte-Anne.
Can you anchor in the Tobago Cays?
Not on coral or seagrass. Tobago Cays Marine Park rules require boats to use a mooring buoy where one is available, or otherwise anchor on sand. The park, east of Mayreau, publishes its fees on its official website.
How much does a Grenadines sailing trip cost?
A Grenadines catamaran trip can be booked as a whole boat or by the cabin. In October 2026, operators advertised €6,000 to €7,000 for ten days on a private 40-foot boat, and €1,700 to €3,000 per person for eleven days by the cabin. The onboard kitty and clearance fees come on top.
The essentials
A Grenadines sailing trip from Martinique is shaped by the season, clearance formalities and the length of the passages. The prices below were advertised by operators in October 2026.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Getting to the Grenadines | sail from Le Marin via Saint Lucia |
| Length of our trip | fifteen nights, from 11 to 26 January 2020 |
| Season | outside hurricane season, from 1 June to 30 November |
| Private catamaran price | €6,000 to €7,000 for ten days on a 40-foot boat, €7,000 to €9,000 for a 42-foot boat, €3,500 to €7,000 per week |
| Cabin price | €1,700 to €3,000 per person for eleven days |
| Additional budget | onboard kitty, €30 to €250 per person; formalities, about €35 per person |
We paid for this stay ourselves in January 2020.
Adapted from the original French article.
The address
Grenadines
Archipelago · Grenadines, Petites Antilles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Getting to the Grenadines
- sail from Le Marin via Saint Lucia
- Length of our trip
- fifteen nights, from 11 to 26 January 2020
- Season
- outside hurricane season, from 1 June to 30 November
- Private catamaran price
- €6,000 to €7,000 for ten days on a 40-foot boat, €7,000 to €9,000 for a 42-foot boat, €3,500 to €7,000 per week
- Cabin price
- €1,700 to €3,000 per person for eleven days
- Additional budget
- onboard kitty, €30 to €250 per person; formalities, about €35 per person
- Getting there
- By yacht from Le Marin in Martinique, via Saint Lucia
- Coordinates
- 12.6500° N, 61.3700° W
12.6500° N, 61.3700° W
How this story was made
Stay paid for by us in January 2020.
We have nothing to sell you. We are simply here to share the incredible experiences we are lucky enough to live.
Tom and Julie
