The Barefoot Offshore Sailing School is really excited about being able to offer this exclusive, no-tech/low-tech, barefoot navigation course.
We are the very first sailing school to offer this course and it we are launching the early bird price once this year! You can be one of the first to become a Barefoot Navigator! Be warned, places are limited to ensure you get the highest quality, learning experience. We’ve got you intrigued? Do you want to know more?
The Barefoot Navigator
Before we tell you about the course, we need to introduce you to Jack Lagan. Jack is the author of The Barefoot Navigator. Navigating with the skills of the Ancients, A, B, C – as well as a very experienced sailor and a film maker. In 2006 The Barefoot Navigator was nominated for the Mountbatten Maritime Prize,
Jack Lagan, award winning author
awarded annually “to the author of a distinguished publication that has made a significant contribution to maritime history”.
In his book The Barefoot Navigator, which is the cornerstone of the Barefoot Navigation Course, Jack first looks at how the ancients were able to navigate without the technology we take for granted today.
For example, how did the Polynesians manage to populate such a large area of the ocean by using clouds, stars, the sun, wind direction and sea birds? The second half of the book takes this ancient knowledge and applies it to modern day use.
The Objective
To support modern sailors to become not only better navigators but Barefoot pioneers!
We’ll let Jack explain the objective of the course in his own words;
“After the course you’ll be a much better navigator than you were when you first stepped onto the boat. You’ll boast new practical skills inherited from the seafarers of ancient times. With practice, you will become confident enough to stand on deck, look at the sky, look at the sea around you and just kind of know where you are. You will be a shaman of the sea. You will be a Barefoot Navigator.”
The Course
Pre-Study
The course is divided into 2 parts. The first part is the pre-study, or the theory. As well as Jack’s book, which will become your bible, you will have access to online eLearning material, specifically tailored for St Vincent and The Grenadines. Its user friendly with lots of graphics.
It’s interesting and not too heavy, plus you have the bonus of being able to work through it at your own pace. There are no exams!
The Practical
This is where it gets really exciting! The second stage of the course takes part on-board a yacht in The Grenadines. You get one week sailing around this beautiful part of the world whilst putting all you have learnt into practise.
And it gets better! Your instructor for the week is the Jack Lagan. Who better to help you than the author “The Barefoot Navigator”? And make sure you have your book for him to autograph.
Tobago Cays Marine Park – (Photo: Mark Pratley, Barefoot Yacht Charters)
The 3 Key Questions
The basis of the course is to help you to answer the 3 key questions:
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Where are we?
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How do we get to the next place?
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Why has the ocean become a zone of uncertainty?
To answer these questions, you will learn to use the indigenous birds in the area, persistent swell directions and the stars, plus other tips from our ancestors.
Wait! No Technology?
All our yachts come fully equipped with up to date navigational equipment. This course is not meant to usurp what we are fortunate to have, however, reliance on such aids can dumb down our instincts.
This course is meant as a supplement. Say, for example, and in the worst case scenario, you end up out at sea with an electronics failure. After completing this course you will have the confidence, the knowledge, and the skills to be able to reduce the zone of uncertainty regarding where you are and where you should be heading.
Plus, it is fun, it’s getting in touch with our ancestors, it’s going back to basics. It’s living a barefoot lifestyle!
The Details
This great opportunity to open to everyone from beginners to qualified sailors who want to enhance their sailing skills.
Places are limited so find more HERE or email info@barefootoffshore.com for more info on how you can secure your place using the early bird special for the January course! (early bird price available until 10 November 2016)
BAREFOOT NAVIGATION. Remember, this is the first course of its kind, so not only will you be a barefoot navigator, you will also be a barefoot pioneer!
Email: info@barefootoffshore.com for more information and to book your place!
There are so many great reasons to sail in summer and it’s not just for the amazing deals available in off-season.
La Mouette, in the Tobago Cays – (Photo: Mark Pratley, Barefoot Yacht Charters)
The Caribbean in the summer gets a lot of bad press…it’s too hot, it rains a lot, there’s a risk of tropical storms…but for some, including us, cruising in The Grenadines is better in the summer and here’s why.
First let’s address the hurricane risk. The Atlantic hurricane season is officially from 1 June to 30 November. Statistically tropical storms are more likely to form in the north and The Bahamas and Bermuda have more to worry about than St Vincent and The Grenadines, which is considered to be at the southern edge of the hurricane belt.
With sophisticated weather forecasting, you can get at least 3 days’ notice of any potential problems. Barefoot Yachting check almost obsessively the weather patterns and if there is any cause for concern they can get you and your yacht to safety. Quickly.
And yes. it is hot and it does rain in the summer, but it doesn’t rain every day and it never rains for long. Everything gets dried out quickly. It’s hot here all year long and whilst it may be a little hotter in the summer, on your yacht you will always get the sea breeze to cool you down. Still hot? Just jump in and go for a swim.
Petit Tabac, Tobago Cays – (Photo: Mark Pratley, Barefoot Yacht Charters)
So now there is no reason not to sail in the off season but what are the benefits?
- For starters you will get a good deal on your charter, or on a sailing course through BOSS. Less demand means lower prices for you. Not only that but you will get a wider choice of yachts available.
- Ironically, despite being hurricane season, in general the winds are a little lighter and the sea state more comfortable than in the winter. Perfect sailing weather.
- The crowds have gone! You don’t have to miss out on a great days sailing by having rush to get a mooring buoy, or a decent spot in the anchorage. Tobago Cays without a hundred other yachts there!
- The islands are completely different in the summer. They have a much more relaxed feel about them because not everyone is chasing a dollar or two and coping with the hoards. You feel you’re getting to know the true Grenadines.
- You may get good deals on mooring buoys, just ask what their summer rate is.
- Less queues at the bars and restaurants, better service, less waiting.
- The shops won’t run out of ice!
So, a bargain boat, good sailing, no crowds and ice for your Rum Punch. It’s a no brainer really.
Join us next summer! www.barefootyachts.com
It is now possible to choose our level of sun protection and ingredients in the sunscreen we use when we are sailing thanks to the Barefoot Yacht Charters Safer Sunscreen Checklist!
We all need some sunlight because it gives us 80% of the Vitamin D that we need, the trick is not to burn.
Photo – Mark Pratley, Barefoot Yacht Charters
If you are sailing in The Grenadines, then you are going to be spending a lot of time in the cockpit. Even if you have your bimini up, you are still going to be exposed from the reflection from the water. Protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays is important for both preventing skin cancer and reducing the rate of skin aging.
Depending on your skin tone, between 10-20 minutes a day of sunlight is good for you. Beyond that we need to think about protecting our skin from the harmful UV rays.
You can reduce exposure by following some simple principles:
- Avoid going out in the sun.
- Wear long sleeves and a hat
- Sit in the shade
Doesn’t sound like a fun holiday right?
So now we need to consider sunscreens. The most widely available sunscreens are chemical based and work mainly by absorbing UV light. Most penetrate the skin to some degree, can enter the bloodstream and cause serious health conditions.
As a follower of the Barefoot Lifestyle I try to avoid synthetic chemicals as much as I can and this applies to sunscreens.
My reasons why? Because some of the ingredients can release free radicals in sunlight, act like oestrogen and therefore disrupt hormones, cause allergic reactions and skin irritations.
Photo – Mark Pratley, Barefoot Yacht Charters
In addition, when we jump into the sea we are releasing these chemicals and there is some evidence that it is causing coral bleaching by promoting viral infections.
Recent studies on sunscreen also suggest that the
“titanium dioxide in sunscreens is largely responsible for dramatic spikes in hydrogen peroxide levels in coastal waters with potentially dangerous consequences for aquatic life”.
Tony Gibbons Beach, Bequia
At present sunscreens have no rigorous safety standards.
Until recently, anyone who didn’t want to use these toxic chemicals had to make their own sunscreens using natural ingredients with a natural SPF such as non-Nano zinc oxide, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, and Shea Butter.
This is a great, fun thing to do, but when it comes to packing for your holidays it is more convenient to be able to buy something off the shell…one less thing to worry about! The good news is that the market place has embraced natural sunscreens and there are a few to choose from such as Erbaviva Sunscreen or Purple Prairie SunStuff. Barefoot Yacht Charters also carry a local Caribbean brand of natural sunscreen at the Barefoot Yacht Charters Boutique. Ask our lovely front desk ladies for more information!
To help you, Barefoot Yacht Charters have created a Safer Sunscreen Checklist to help you choose which sunscreen product to buy. Get your copy here!
