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KEY FEATURES...
| TMM St Vincent is a small, well-established Grenadines bareboat yacht charter company based in the south of St Vincent. Small fleet of approximately 15 monohulls and catamarans between 36ft and 50ft and from two to five cabins. Mainly bareboat rental, but skippers and cooks available by arrangement, standard and custom provisioning, windsurfers and other sports equipment available. |
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TMM Yacht Charters is a small and friendly yacht charter company based in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Owner managed, the company keeps a small fleet of both catamarans and monohulls at the new marina at Calliaqua in the south of the island. There are between 15 and 20 of them ranging between 36ft and 50ft long, with between two and six cabins and in a good range of prices. TMM usually charters its yachts as bareboats, but skippers are available by arrangement if you would like them, for just a couple of days as you find your feet, or longer if you wish. Cooks are available too. TMM can also provide all the provisioning and can also source watersports equipment for you to hire or even arrange a small special event for you.
Calliaqua is close to the southern tip of St Vincent and is therefore ideally positioned for the start of a trip through the Grenadines, which stretch in a 60 mile string of glorious islands and cays south and west towards Grenada. In many ways they offer the finest sailing in the Caribbean. Conditions are more ‘exposed’ than elsewhere in the islands, for example in the Virgin Islands, and so the sailing is livelier, though of course it is important that you should be confident in command of your yacht in all weathers. The Grenadines also have immense natural charm and good variety. Some are literally nothing more than a fringe of beaches in fantastic blue sea on which there is a smart hotel. Others have a strong local West Indian character. Others still are nothing but an uninhabited outcrop or a sandbar that makes a classis daytime stopover. There are many excellent anchorages scattered around the islands of course.
TMM can help you get the best of the sailing in the Grenadines. The small number of staff means that you will have a very friendly and personable experience. To begin with you will be collected on arrival by Phyllis in her taxi. Members of staff that you will come across – actually you will probably have been in touch with already by email – include Mourando, Sonita and Lisa. The chart briefing will be given by Vincentian Don Martin, who has been involved in yachting in the Grenadines since the 1980s.
In the run up to the hire there is a certain amount of administration to be completed. You will need to send a sailing resume, sign a contract and make an initial payment. And to help with your arrival TMM will also require a list of all crew and their arrival times on a manifest form, largely so that they can arrange to pick you up and bring you to the marina. At the same time you might want to let them have your provisioning requirements and any requests for sports equipment, e.g. kayaks and fishing or scuba gear. It’s worth knowing that TMM can also arrange a special request, for instance a wedding on board a yacht or on an isolated cay.
On arrival in St Vincent you will be collected from the airport or ferry dock and transferred to the TMM base at Blue Lagoon. Arrival times are often late in the day in the Caribbean and so if a yacht is available then TMM is happy to offer the option for you to sleep on board the night before your charter starts. You will be allowed on board from 5pm.
The Calliaqua base is situated in inlet near the southern tip of St Vincent, protected from the Atlantic in the west, about ten minutes ride from the airport. There are bars and restaurants within walking distance (or a very short ride away if you prefer). Kingstown itself is about fifteen minutes ride away. You will find a small supermarket at Blue Lagoon, another marina close by, but the closest major supermarket is in Arnos Vale near the airport. The closest beach is in Villa, just couple of minutes away in a car or the bus.
On the first day of your charter, usually in the morning, you will fill in your paperwork and settle any final payments before your yacht orientation and inventory check. TMM will have your yacht ready, with the provisions on board and any extras you have ordered. Then there will be a chart briefing and a short ‘check out’ sail. You can set off at 12 noon. During your trip TMM will provide safety cover. In the case of an emergency you can contact them with the mobile phone that is carried in each yacht. The numbers of key members of staff are pre-loaded.
At the end of your charter, which again expires at noon, your yacht is generally returned to the base. A drop off at a different point incurs an extra charge. After you have refuelled, carried out the inventory check and inspection, you check out at the office to settle any final bills. Your security deposit will be returned to you at this stage.
There is excellent sailing in the Grenadines. The islands stand a good distance apart and so there are good open water sails between them. It may be important to note that the conditions can be quite challenging at times, because of the currents and the winds which can often be strong, but many of the anchorages (day and overnight) are excellent. Some bays, but not all, have moorings. The islands all have lovely beaches, some of which you can escape to, and some have strips of waterfront bars and restaurants. There are several key gathering points, around the Tobago Cays and Bequia, but it is often possible to escape when it is not the height of the season.
While most of the Grenadine islands are politically attached to St Vincent, it is worth noting that Carriacou belongs to Grenada. Many people do not go there because of the bother of checking in and out with Customs, possibly twice in a relatively short period, but it too is a lovely island. If you have long enough you can also make your way down to Grenada itself, where St Georges harbour is very attractive and there are some lively coves in the south-west.
TMM is owner managed, but it is loosely part of the larger TMM organisation that also has bases in Belize and the British Virgin Islands (this is where the name TMM came from, Tortola Marine Management). The original company started in 1982 in the Virgin Island and the business in St Vincent opened in 1995. The three companies are pretty independent in their style and management, but they pursue some marketing strategies in common. John West, who has been sailing since he was a teenager, has been in the Caribbean since the early 1990s and in St Vincent since 1995.
Yachts Sales
The yachts in the TMM fleet are independently owned by private owners and they are managed and maintained by TMM St Vincent. The company is happy to buy on behalf of an owner that wishes to put a yacht into the fleet. The have arrangements with Beneteau, Jeanneau and Hunter monohulls and Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot catamarans. |
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Base
TMM Yacht Charters is based at Calliaqua, a new marina in the south-east of the ‘mainland’ of St Vincent. It lies half way between the largest base in this area, Blue Lagoon, and the Young Island Cut with all its bars and restaurants (and port of entry). It is a fully equipped marina with berths for around 40 yachts and a boat repair facility. |
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Fleet
TMM St Vincent runs a fleet of between 15 and 20 yachts in all (it varies from time to time), with a fairly even split between monohulls and catamarans. All yachts are equipped with rigid inflatable dinghies with an outboard motor, linen and towels, biminis, CD players, GPS, a charcoal BBQ and snorkelling equipment.
There are usually around ten catamarans, which vary in length between 38ft (four cabins, two heads) and 47ft (four cabins, four heads). Makes include Lagoon, Belize and Leopard. Their Privilege 465 can only be chartered with a skipper.
The remainder are monohull yachts, which range in length from 36ft (two cabins, two heads) to 50ft (four cabins, four heads). These include Beneteaus, Jeanneaus and Bavarias. |
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Bareboat
The majority of TMM’s charters are bareboat and so you will need to satisfy the company with your qualifications and ability to handle the yacht. The conditions in the Grenadines can sometimes be a little tricky because of wind and current and so they need to be sure of your level of competence. Charter captains and crew are fully briefed to familiarise them with the yacht and with the cruising area in the Grenadines. They also offer a full emergency service from shore during your charter. |
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Skippers
If you would prefer to have a professional skipper on board, either for the duration of the trip or just for the first couple of days while you settle in, then this can be arranged by TMM. A skipper costs from US$120 per day, plus food, drinks and optional gratuity. While they will no doubt offer plenty of local knowledge as well as tips in sailing, it is important to recognise that they are not there as an instructor.
TMM operates one of its catamarans on a skipper-only basis. |
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Crewed
A cook is also available if you would prefer not to cook yourself. They are charged at US$95 per day, on the same basis as the skipper above. |
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Booking Procedures
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with TMM Yacht Charters, or if you wish to telephone them, their telephone number will be revealed if you click on the CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER link. It is helpful to give the company an idea of your dates, choice of yacht and any special requests.
After initial contact you will be sent a package containing a contract. A booking is confirmed when your deposit (at 50% of the charter fee) is received by TMM. It falls due within a week of the booking. When it is received, TMM will mail out your charter confirmation and a cruising guide to the area. Your yachting resume must then be submitted (it can be done on line or by fax or mail) and then when the travel arrangements for your party have been confirmed, you should put this into the crew manifest form. The balance of the charter fee should be settled 45 days before the start of the charter.
Getting to St Vincent involves at least one transfer in the area as the airstrip in the island is currently not long enough to take long distance jets. It is probably easiest to fly via Barbados, which has the largest number of long haul flights from outside the area, and then connect from there. While TMM does not book travel they are happy to put you in touch with the inter-island carriers including SVG Air, who offer private and share charter services from Barbados to St Vincent.
Before departure you should consider provisioning and requests for additional equipment (windsurfers, kayaks, fishing gear etc) and whether to stay an additional night on board before the start of the charter.
You will be required to leave a security deposit in case of damage to the yacht. |
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Provisioning
TMM St Vincent will arrange provisioning for you and deliver it to your yacht for you stow as you want it before departure. They have several different options, which are listed below. Their provisioning list is available in PDF format on line and it can be faxed or emailed back to you. They can also order all your drinks as well as the food.
Full Provisioning
This includes everything you will need to cook for yourself throughout your trip. It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for each person for each day of the charter.
Split Provisioning
If you would like to eat dinner ashore for several nights during your trip then split provisioning will include enough food to cover breakfast and lunch each day, but only for four dinners, leaving you free for three meals during a week’s charter.
Custom Provisioning
TMM are happy to offer tailored provisioning if you want something particular. If you provide a list of your requirements then they will visit the supermarket for you in advance. They can also provide a menu of freshly made meals such as lasagnes and steak and kidney pies. |
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Meet & Greet
Once you have forwarded your crew manifest, TMM will know your arrival time on island and will arrange for you to be collected and brought to their base at Calliaqua. The transfer takes about ten minutes from the airport and fifteen from town. You should settle with the taxi direct.
At the end of your charter you will be returned to your point of departure. Be aware that there is a departure tax on leaving St Vincent of US$15 per person. It is payable in cash only. |
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Sleepboard
Many arrivals into St Vincent happen late in the day. In the case that the yacht is available, TMM is happy to offer a sleepaboard option in which you can spend the night on your yacht before the charter. You will be allowed aboard at 5pm. This option is available at 50% of the normal charter rate. |
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Travel Insurance/Trip Cancellation Insurance
We advise you to take out insurance in case you have to cancel your charter. You can purchase your travel insurance on-line through Worldwide Travel Insurance. |
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