BusinessGrenada.com Issue: 6 2013 -2014 | Page 156

Sun Sand & Sail Vacations renada welcomed The Moorings/Sunsail fleet back to the island in 2010, and they are off to an auspicious start with their prime location at the Camper & Nicholson Port Louis Marina. Spearheading their new base is Charlotte Bonin and George Martin, they attribute their success to the Caribbean integration Yachting G years, the boats are chartered, and maintained and at the end of the tenure, you have your choice to sell, which they can also help with, or weigh your anchor and start your own adventure. This is the best way to get your feet wet, and see if the pirates life is for you. In 2012 the Grenada base saw a huge increase in students and business schools are chartering flotillas. This is essentially a group chartering many boats and travelling en masse. “This was very popular in the British Virgin Islands, but over the past couple of years, they’ve chosen to return to Grenada and the Grenadines.” The Moorings/Sunsail offer a pre-provisioning package starting at $25.00 US per person per day and preferences can be made online, or guests can provision for themselves; with several grocery stores just a few minutes from the base at Port Louis Marina. “Provisioning in Grenada is fantastic, because as you go North there is less opportunity for such quality shopping.” Charlotte explained. Guest can also arrange to spend their first As people become more familiar with Grenada, I have a feeling its going to get bigger Charlotte Bonin - Station Manager of their large fleet of 80-100 yachts on 4 island locations and flexible itineraries. Charlotte shares, “If you begin your charter in Grenada you will be heading north to the pristine yachting grounds of the Tobago Cays, a charter with The Moorings/Sunsail could allow you to return the boat in Tortola, up to three weeks later. The average being 10 days with a drop in St. Lucia, St. Vincent, or Canouan. Because we cover the whole Caribbean it gives our customers more options to customize their experience and for us, it’s a huge advantage over other charter companies.” Once you’ve chosen your starting destination, if you are an experienced mariner, then you can rent either a sailing monohull, or catamaran. If you prefer to have a skipper, on board with or without crew, that is up to you. Charlotte further added,” Our boats can hold up to 10 people, and we have the option of what we call a “ friendly skipper ” that can go out with clients for the day, maybe sail up to Carriacou and once everyone is comfortable the skipper will return, also skippers and chefs can do the full trip for hire as well.” If boat ownership tickles your fancy here too, they can enter your new boat into the fleet for a period of five the number of starts (beginning of the charter), partially because of the convenience of the International airport nightaboard their vessel, upon arrival, affording them a headstart for the briefing and provisioning the next day. “We encourage our customers to stay in Grenada pre or post charter to experience what the island has to offer, George Martin - Station Manager and it’s accessibility from the U.S.A and the U.K. “As people become more familiar with Grenada, I have a feeling it’s going to get bigger, part of that is being here at Port Louis Marina, it’s growing all the time and the Camper & Nicholson name is undeniably a solid one in yachting.” Charlotte further explains that many university a lot of people are into nature and they want to see Grenada.” Charlotte added. “I’ve witnessed a lot of people trying to do charters on their own yachts and this is a healthy product, yachting in Grenada is going to be great for everyone, not just us.” The Moorings, Sunsail, Footloose, Le Tui Marine brand, collectively they are Boat & Leopard Catamarans comprise the largest yacht charter company in the charter companies that form the the world. Tui Marine is a division of 156 www.businessgrenada.com the Tui Travel collection of companies, with 240+ brands and 54,000 employees.