- 45 days
- We make this trip with a select party of up to 16 passengers.
- We sail across the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean from Martinique to Amsterdam.
- Along the way, we will make a stopover in the Azores and perhaps Bermuda or a Channel Island.
- As we are sailing, the exact route depends on weather conditions.
- At night, we just sail on and enjoy the stars.
- You will be assigned to the Twister’s watch system. It is not compulsory but highly recommended to participate in all watches.
- Vegetarian food is served on board by default. If you want to eat fish or meat, you can indicate this when booking.
- All meals on board, port charges, etc. included
On 6 March 2026, you will board the 36-metre sailing ship Twister in Martinique. The professional crew will explain everything about the ship to you and your fellow travellers and show you your cabin, while our professional chef prepares a delicious welcome meal. After you have become familiar with the ship and the other embarkees, we raise the sails. It’s time for the monumental crossing to Europe!
We say goodbye to the Caribbean, as the sailor’s life beckons. We roll up our sleeves and hoist the sails. Depending on the weather, we choose our course. Sometimes the wind takes us to a lonely tropical island in the Atlantic, a thousand kilometres from the mainland. Bermuda’s streetscape is defined by pastel-coloured houses, businessmen with ties and bright shorts and British influences, such as cricket and afternoon tea. Bermuda has many beaches, with their typical pink sand, and coral abounds around the island. There are also caves; the Crystal Cave is as much as five hundred metres deep.
After a few days, we set sail again bound for the Azores. It is wonderful sailing on the ocean. The weather systems alternate so there is a lot of active sailing. Along the way, we need to navigate and steer. We set the sails relative to the wind and the course. The temperature is pleasant and there is plenty of time for good conversation, a book or lazing around. The watches give your day structure. We trim the sails, fantasise and philosophise together under the stars and navigate the ship to Europe.
When the wind dies down for a while, swimming is possible. Swimming with five kilometres of water under you and no land in sight is an experience you will never forget. Chased by a tuna, the occasional school of flying fish shoots out of a wave. Sometimes one falls to the deck and the fresh fish is literally there for the taking.
And then suddenly land comes into view! After being at sea for a long time, this is a very special experience. At such a moment, you can also imagine how special this must have been for sailors who crossed the ocean without good maps or navigational equipment.
We have arrived in the Azores. This archipelago is famous for its nature and the many whales you see here. Tradition dictates that we hit Café Peter Sport here to have a gin tonic and paint a stone on the harbour wall as a reminder that we were here with the Twister.
And then, on to mainland Europe! We still have a nice bit of sailing ahead of us. Twister can already smell her home port in the distance and sails towards the English Channel at breakneck speed. As we reach the continental shelf, the waves change. We also notice by the temperature that we are getting closer to home. At this point, after a considerable time at sea, you can easily imagine how sailors must have felt in the old days when they were almost home again after a voyage of sometimes more than a year. But we are not there yet. The wind takes us first to an English or French stopover. Here we celebrate having crossed the ocean. An achievement to be proud of! From here it is a few more days of sailing to Amsterdam, where we reunite with our friends and family and tell tough sailor stories.
