Private Sail on Grand Cayman - Review

[timbo89]

When we were in Grand Cayman in Feb '05, we chartered a sailboat called the Red Baron.

 

There were 7 of us on the sailboat, but there is a maximum capacity for 10 people. The Red Baron has half day sailings and full day sailings, and both are geared towards cruise ship passengers. The sailboat is a 39' sloop, and is quite comfortable and seaworthy.

 

The seas were a little rough when we got to Grand Cayman on board the Brilliance of the Seas on Saturday, Feb 12. We finally got a tender to take us to shore, even though they were cancelling some of the shore excursions due to the choppy seas making tendering difficult.

 

A van picked us up just accross from the tender pier and we had a 15 min drive to where the Red Baron was docked, We boarded and headed out. We stopped at Stingray city for a few minutes. There are 2 Stingray Cities and this was the one frequented by all the cruise ship excursions. This is where you can stand in the water and play with the stingrays.

 

Our Captain, Neil Galway (a wonderful Irish chap) told us we could snorkel there, but he could take us to the original Stingray City. We agreed and sailed for a hour or so to where we enjoyed playing with the stingrays in the water (Neil went in first and "chummed" the rays towards us). There was no-one within a mile or so of us. The reason Neil explained is that the original Stingray City is much deeper (around 6-9 feet deep) asnd so people can't stand in the water and play with the rays. We snorkeled along the reef, where there were hundreds of species of beautiful fish. While we were snorkelling, Neil made lunch for us. After lunch, we sailed for a couple of hours (it was a delightful day for sailing) before returning to the dock, where the van was waiting for us to take us back to the pier.

 

If you want a fabulous day at Grand Cayman, where you can snorkel, swim with the stingrays, avoid the crowds, and really enjoy Grand Cayman, I would highly recommend Neil and the Red Baron. Lunch, snorkel equipment, and soft drinks are included in the price. The van costs $5 pp each way.

 

If anyone wishes to contact him, his e-mail address is neil@sailcayman.com

 

We paid $750 for the charter (that was for a full day 9am-3pm sail). If you can find 10 people, that translates to $75 per person.....quite a bargain in comparison to other options.