Fantastic charter once again! We used Barefoot for the first time in ‘18 and chartered the Pelican Pete. We decided to try the Lady Di this time since we’d heard... read more she was a little faster. The Lady Di has definitely seen better days when she was younger, but she had everything we needed for our 8 day/7 night cruise through the grenadines. We used the galley for at least one meal a day and it was fine. I didn’t expect the comforts of my home kitchen, so I didn’t have huge expectations. However, the galley was important to me.

The staff at Barefoot are very professional and friendly. They were very helpful and gave fantastic suggestions with our itinerary.

To sum it up, we have made charter reservations for the Lady Di next year!

  This was our 4th charter with Barefoot and they (the charters) have got better every time. This year we chose an almost new 40ft catamaran and she was a joy.... read more Everything on board worked as it should and the boat was really comfortable and clean. We loved having a spacious freezer and 2 fridges as that enabled us to stock up with provisions for islands where it isn't so easy to find what we like to eat. My husband skippered the boat and we hired a crew from Barefoot - he was just wonderful; kind, thoughtful and very hard working. He also caught 3 fish on the trip, gutted and cooked them too! A truly magical holiday and we will return again soon. Barefoot are highly recommended!

  Had an excellent “Post COVID” experience with Barefoot.

Debbie, Monica and Thor did a great job to get a yacht ready at short notice (due to delayed... read more test results) and did their best to ensure we had a good time.

We chartered Willow Dew a well maintained Lagoon 39, Andrew’s yacht briefing was in depth and we had no issues. Highlights of the trip included swimming with turtles at Tobago Cays and lovely meals at the Sandy Lane yacht club (currently first night free) and Mustique (Recent COVID test required).

On the whole a great experience.

  I learned to sail with Barefoot Yacht Charters and their offshore sailing school (BOSS), and would love to share details for anyone considering a similar adventure.

(Full disclosure... read more here: I'm related to the folks who run this place.)

Along with a couple and another solo traveler, I spent six days aboard a 52’ Beneteau yacht named Betty Blue, departing from St. Vincent and sailing through the islands of the Grenadines. Though we were strangers, from diverse backgrounds and with differing levels of experience, we learned and progressed as a group under the expert care of captains Guy and Jimmy.

During our trip we earned our ASA 101, 103, and 104 sailing certifications (me being the exception: as a total newbie I was happy to get the first two). Everyone was keen to learn, share knowledge and encourage one another, which added real depth to the learning experience. We spent our days practicing concepts like tacking and jibing, trimming sails, mooring, docking and crew-overboard maneuvers. At key moments we’d take exams, discuss our results, and celebrate our successes before turning back to our studies.

Besides the effective instructional format, the real magic — and this is where I give major kudos to Barefoot — is in the trip itinerary and the care and expertise of their captains. The schedule left ample time to recharge and enjoy our surroundings, which made learning to sail as enjoyable as it was rewarding.

Once anchored each day we were free to lounge, swim, cook up a meal, or go ashore for drinks and dinner. Our captain, Guy, was an excellent tour guide. He quickly got the vibe of the boat, recommending things accordingly and taking genuine pleasure in showing us natural beauty, people and culture of the islands.

Highlights included the floating bar and charming shops in Bequia; a beach picnic and magical ocean phosphorescence in the Tobago Cays; ridiculously spicy fried chicken in an alleyway on Union Island; a visit to the coolest little bar on earth in Mayreau; and a stop at Mopion Island. (Look it up: you’ll blow up Instagram with your photos.)

Did everything go perfectly well? Hell no. Weather can change on a dime, and boats are full of stuff that can malfunction or otherwise go wrong. Our struggles included everything from broken speakers to a not-insignificant spot of engine trouble on a day with no wind. But coming together as a crew to tackle problems was exhilarating and deeply satisfying. I learned volumes watching the problem-solving skills of our captain and crew at work — and now have great material for regaling the folks back home with my hilarious tales.

All told, it was an unforgettable travel experience. And it came with the added gifts of new friends, new confidence, and a spiffy ASA certificate to remind me of my accomplishment! Thanks to the excellent people Barefoot entrusts with their students, I’d do this again in a heartbeat.

  We spent 2 weeks with Barefoot and it was all we had dreamed and hoped for. It was my 50th birthday present from my wife and a lifelong dream to... read more be able to charter a boat and be able to sail on our own. Rob did a fantastic job in the first week with the training school. Refreshing my 15 year old UK Day Skipper training and getting my wife up to speed to be a valuable crew member and able to handle the boat. And the couple they had paired us with was a great fit and we had a fantastic time learning all the ropes and exploring the islands. In the second week we went out alone. Well trained, familiar with the boat and the area. Sailing along the beautiful islands and snorkeling with the turtles. In the wild and not organized with trained animals like they do over on Barbados.
The experience with Barefoot was fantastic from start to finish. Debbie answering the 100 questions we had in the months leading up to the booking and everybody at the base being super friendly, curious and always eager to help and please. Starting with reception, the restaurant, the ladies cleaning our room and doing our laundry between school and charter, Andrew patiently explaining us every nook and cranny on the boat, Charky and his dock crew getting the boat ready and carrying our supplies and luggage down the steep hill to the boat and back up.
Thinking we knew the area after a week of sailing school we nearly skipped the briefing with Phil Barnard before our solo trip. Man would we have missed something. He knows the area and all the little things that you won’t find in a guide book. And he and everybody from Barefoot was always available by phone whilst we were out there giving tips and tricks about weather, wind and currents. Unbelievable valuable.

We sailed Isaphil, a 38 foot Lagoon catamaran, both during the school and later on our own. She was well equipped and easy to sail and handle. Couldn’t have asked for more.

Already looking forward to coming back in the near future

TIP: On the day checking in or out take the dinghy over to Fort Duvernette and climb the stairs. Fantastic views. (See pictures)