Available
70 -
155 nautical miles
Coastal
Leeward Islands
This 70–155-mile voyage from St. Kitts to St. Martin / St. Maarten is built around practicing one of the most important skills in island-to-island cruising: choosing—and knowing when to change—a route.
Several routes are possible between the two islands. Including Montserrat takes us south before turning north, creating two longer open-water legs and substantially increasing our mileage and time under sail. Routes that include Nevis, Statia, Saba or St. Barth offer shorter hops and more flexible alternatives. Each option presents different passage lengths, clearance requirements, anchorage exposure and timing constraints.
As a crew, we’ll evaluate forecasts and sea conditions, compare the available routes and work backward from daylight arrival times to determine when we need to depart. Some choices may mean an early-morning start, more time sailing or less time ashore.
Throughout the week, you’ll practice weighing safety and comfort, weather and timing against the places we could visit and the schedule we need to keep. Conditions may support a longer route through Montserrat and Statia, or lead us toward a more flexible route that includes Nevis, Saba or St. Barth. The final route will develop as the week unfolds, giving you practical experience with weather routing, risk mitigation, teamwork and the real-world decisions behind a successful cruising passage.
Weather & Season
February falls within the drier, breezier season in the Northern Leewards. Daytime temperatures typically reach the low 80s°F, with nights in the mid-70s and water temperatures around 79°F.
February often brings easterly to northeasterly trade winds around 15–20 knots offshore, with lighter periods and occasional stronger days. Passing winter systems can alter the wind or send northerly swell toward exposed stops such as Montserrat, Statia and Saba. We’ll monitor those conditions and choose the route offering the best combination of comfortable sailing, suitable overnight stops and time ashore.
El Niño is expected to remain active during this voyage, but it provides broad seasonal context rather than a forecast for our particular week. As a crew, we’ll use the short-range forecast and the conditions we encounter to compare sailing angles, passage lengths, anchorage exposure, clearance requirements and time ashore. Some routes may call for one or two departures before daylight, allowing us to complete longer passages and make daylight landfalls. Our final route and total mileage will reflect the safest and most rewarding use of the week’s conditions.
Travel Details
Fly into Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in St. Kitts (SKB), which offers international and regional connections through several US, Canadian and Caribbean hubs.
Meet Tahina in St. Kitts for embarkation in Bassaterre, approximately 10 minutes from the airport by taxi. Once aboard, we’ll review the developing forecast, the available routes and the tradeoffs involved before making our first major routing decision.
We plan to finish in St. Martin/St. Maarten, with disembarkation near Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM). The airport is approximately 5–15 minutes away, depending on our final location and traffic, and offers direct and connecting service to the US, Canada, Europe and other Caribbean islands.
Price
Per person:
$6,000 USD
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Single occupancy
Per cabin:
$10,500 USD
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Double occupancy
Whole boat:
$22,500 USD
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Up to 6 people across 3 cabins
Price includes the cost of onboard food and beverages, fuel, entry/clearing fees, sailing instruction and cruising consultation.
This itinerary may be suitable for teens, but teens under the age of 16 may only participate as part of a whole-boat booking.
For shared-boat bookings, any participant between the ages of 16 and 18 must be accompanied by a parent.
If you want to make this a private trip, you may book the whole boat for 1-6 participants. When booking a private trip, the “whole boat” price comes with a $400 discount per participant fewer than the maximum of six. e.g. 5 participants, price is $22,100, 4 is $21,700, etc. When you book the whole boat, the curriculum will be tailored to suit your group and your goals.