Sail Cayman gets TripAdvisor Award of Excellence

There’s no doubt that the Sail Cayman crew; Neil Galway, Orneil Galbraith and Nick Antonio make every effort to show our clients and passengers an excellent time on Lazy Daz, NautiGal, Splendour in the Wind and The RIB. Just take a look at our TripAdvisor or Facebook page and you will see happy comments from satisfied clients having a great time. Sail Cayman crew always has a great time when out on the water, as it’s our favourite place to be, and when we have a good time, our clients have a great time and this is just some of the reasons why Sail Cayman is one of the 156 Cayman Islands recipients of the 2014 TripAdvisor Awards of Excellence.

Let’s take a look at why Sail Cayman received this award and why we get the rave reviews that we do:

• Sail Cayman has 4 boats to choose from…variety is the spice of life…our passengers can choose from our 47 ft Beneteau Yacht, Splendour in the Wind which offers ample space and a shaded cockpit for up to 12 passengers and has the added benefit of 2 marine toilets and an A/C cabin with a full galley. NautiGal, our 44ft yacht can accommodate up to 12 passengers too. Lazy Daz our super fast 34ft custom built boat offers plenty of shade and gets you to where you need to be fast. The RIB is a fun and bright yellow ATV of the seas, and like Lazy Daz, can pick you up from any location in the North Sound.
• It’s YOUR day! Sail Cayman is flexible, we build our charters around what you desire, it’s YOUR holiday, tell us your wish, where you want to go, what YOU would like to do.
• Knowledge and Experience. Two major factors that adds to the enjoyment of your day and Sail Cayman has both, tons of it! Orneil grew up in Cayman, Nick has lived here for over 10 years and Neil has lived in Cayman for over 20 years. We know the waters, the stingrays, eels, nurse sharks and destinations like the back of our hands
• Safety First! Which is always important, even if you’re having too much fun to care, we look after you every minute of the excursion or charter.

And if after all of the above, you’re still not sure, here are some TripAdvisor posts about Sail Cayman:
“SAIL CAYMAN Captain Neil Provided A 5 Star Experience”
We were a group of ten women – all related either by blood or marriage – and one best friend – connected by a young woman who died in January after a three year battle with cancer. We traveled to Grand Cayman to rest, relax and reminisce about her life. A private sailing experience seemed like a perfect way for all of us to do something out of the ordinary. Captain Neil provided the absolute best day of our trip. We set sail for the day on Saturday, March 29th. We were aboard “Splendour In the Wind.” The boat is absolutely stunning!!!! The day started out dark and gray, but soon the skies cleared, and the weather was perfect all day long. We went to see stingrays – swam with them, and some of the girls were able to feed them. After that, he took us to another location to snorkel. We had one person who had never snorkeled before, and she was quite nervous. Captain Neil assisted her while she snorkeled. He is so attentive and charming……all of the women had a crush on the captain! He remained so professional, even while we were giggling and giving him a bit of a hard time. After the snorkeling, we went to Kaibo for a great lunch. I highly recommend Sail Cayman. There is a reason he has a FIVE STAR RATING on Trip Advisor. It is an incredible experience. Thank you, Captain Neil!”

“SUNSET CRUISE”
We had a fabulous trip with Neil for our sunset sail. What an experience it was just the two of us with the Neil celebrating our wedding anniversary. It was a recommendation from a very dear friend and we would do it all over again. Thank you Neil for a great time!”

“ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT OF MY WHOLE VACATION”
I went with a group of eleven aboard the Nautigal with Orneil as our captain. I could not have asked for a more enjoyable afternoon! The boat was fantastic, the view was gorgeous, and the water was some of the bluest I’ve ever seen. 

Orneil took us out to a remote spot where we were surrounded by stingrays. After a quick briefing on the safety precautions (dispelled all of our fears on the “bloodthirsty” creatures the news would have us believe they are), we were in the water swimming alongside the beautiful rays, and we were able to reach out an pet them as they nuzzled up to us, and I was even able to feed one a snack (a big squid).

Next, we went off to a coral reef where we spotted a ton of different types of fish, and even a caribbean lobster! The sights were breathtaking!

Back aboard the boat, Orneil answered all of our questions about the island, questions related to the ocean, but also questions about life on the island in general. All in all, the perfect guide!

If you are traveling to Grand Cayman, or if you are looking for a day excursion while at port on a cruise, I would absolutely recommend Sail Cayman!

“NEIL IS THE BEST”
Scheduled a day on the water with Neil on “Splendor of the Sea” in March with some close friends and it was fabulous. First of all, the boat is clean, spotless and comfortable for a day of activities. Neil is great at customizing the trip to his audience; he listens, gives you options and ultimately makes it your call. We sailed a bit, found two excellent snorkelling spots and spent some up front and personal time with the rays by ourselves, far away from the crowds at Stingray City. Since Neil has been on the island since the 80’s, he’s also a wealth of knowledge and we enjoyed hearing about some of the history. He’s the perfect host, engaging if you have questions or just being the quiet captain if you want to relax, have a beer and enjoy the sights and sounds on the water. We’ve been fortunate to have experienced a few wonderful sailing excursions in the Caribbean over the years, and Sail Cayman has been the best.

 

Feeling the Sting with Lionfish

Lionfish started appearing on Cayman’s Reefs around 2009 and have since grown into a huge problem for Cayman’s reef life. So “How did they get here? How did they make it to an island in the middle of the Caribbean and where did they come from?”

While no one knows exactly how these voracious eaters arrived in the Atlantic (they are indigenous to the Red Sea for example where they have natural predators), the most common thoughts are:

1. Accidental or intentional release of aquarium fish into the marine environment.
2. Transport of the species in the ballast water of ships.
3. The only confirmed release was during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when 6 lionfish were liberated from an aquarium into Biscayne Bay.

Sadly Lionfish have now been documented along the entire US East Coast from Florida to as far north as Massachusetts, east to Bermuda and south throughout the Bahamas and in other Caribbean nations such as Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Cuba in depths ranging from 2 to 500 feet!  Here’s what we know about Lionfish:

1. They are voracious predators that will eat juvenile fish and crustaceans (shrimps, lobsters, etc.) in large quantities.
2. Here in the Cayman Islands they have no natural predators but the Nassau Groupers in Little Cayman, for example, are fast getting used to being fed Lionfish by divers who hunt Lionfish weekly. 
3. Lionfish have venomous spines which deter predators and can cause extremely painful wounds in humans.
4. Lionfish are capable of reproducing monthly from about one year old  and can produce an astounding 30,000 eggs each month!
5. Lionfish grow incredibly fast, in fact they outgrow most native species with whom they compete for food and space.

Sadly Lionfish are prolific on Cayman’s Reefs and have made a meal of way too many of our reef fish. Dive Operators throughout the Cayman Islands have made weekly and monthly efforts by organizing successful Lionfish hunts. In turn local restaurants have been proactive in creating truly delicious meals out of Lionfish. 

Sail Cayman’s very own Orneil Galbraith has been an avid Lionfish hunter and have twice this year won the prize for most fish caught or biggest fish caught. We are proud of Orneil’s efforts and encourage everyone to take part in the fight against this invasive species, even if you don’t hunt, you can still spot the fish and let the hunters do the catching. Every fish caught is one less on our reefs and only with concerted efforts will the Cayman Islands be able to save their reefs and reef fish from Lionfish.

So Sail Cayman says; “Go Orneil GO!”

Follow Sail Cayman on Facebook for updates on Orneil’s lionfish catching adventures…

What you need to know about Lionfish anatomy

Removing poisonous spines

Catch of the day

Orneil’s winning team

Delicious and freshly caught

Lionfish Ceviche

 

 

 

 

It’s where you need to be this November

Sail Cayman has been blogging about summer in Cayman, Cayman sunsets, Stingray City, snorkeling charters, sailing charters and our charter destinations. If you have been following our Facebook page you would, by now, also know our Captains; Neil, Orneil and Nick very well and you would have met the pirate side of Orneil Galbraith who dons his pirate garb every year and transforms into a completely authentic pirate!

It is with this in mind that Sail Cayman is sharing the facts of the annual Cayman Islands Pirate’s Week with you, because who knows, you may just want to add this fun filled and often hilarious event to your calender!

Pirate’s Week is always held over approximately 11 days in early November. As this was historically always the quietest time in terms of tourism in Cayman, a plan was made back in 1977 to boost tourists numbers and to give visitors a fun filled reason to come to Cayman, to get in touch with their inner pirate and to have every reason to simply just be silly.  The event has grown from small beginnings to the absolutely enormous festival it is today with thousands of Caymanian residents and tourists alike attending and every year a group called the Seattle Seafarer’s Pirates make a special trip from the west coast to attend.

So what can you expect when you attend the Pirate’s Week Festival:
The Pirate’s Landing takes place in the George Town harbour a midst cannon shots, ear splitting explosions and the arrival of the pirate’s on the Jolly Roger, Cayman’s very own pirate ship. The pirate’s then capture the Governor (which should be interesting this year as we have our 1st female Governor in office) and a huge parade of floats, dancing and food is held on Harbour Drive. As the streets are blocked off the afternoon inevitably leads to a raucous evening of dancing with live street bands, DJ’s and food and beer stalls adding to the happy times. Fireworks go off at 8pm, always the best and largest display in Cayman.

Throughout the 11 days the pirates visit each of Cayman’s districts and schools and generally behaves like pirates. The festival ends with another set of outstanding fireworks, another street party and quite certainly many  headaches the following day!

So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets, buy your best pirate outfit and come on down to Cayman where it all happens every November!

Orneil, the Sail Cayman Pirate awaits!

12 reasons why we love sailing

If you have been following our Facebook page, you would’ve seen that Sail Cayman has been rooting and cheering for our fellow sailors, brothers Mike and Simon Farrington, who represented the Cayman Islands in South Africa where the annual J22 Worlds were being hosted. The team achieved a most excellent 3rd place.

Both Mike and Simon grew up and learned to sail at the tender age of 5 on the Vaaldam (where the J22 Worlds were held) and currently Mike is the Commodore of the Cayman Islands Sailing Club. So this got Sail Cayman thinking; why do we love sailing so much, what is it about sailing that our clients love so much (other than being in the great outdoors on a sunny day, daydreaming as you skim across azure waters)?

We googled (as you do) and we looked around and then we pondered some more and then we came up with the following:

History and tradition.
When you go sailing, you’re continuing a tradition that’s more than 3,000 years old! Sailing and sailboats are some of the most important inventions in human history, and have been pivotal in migration, trade, warfare, discovery, fulfilling a sense of adventure, satisfying curiosity and of course enjoyment.

The sense of pride and achievement that comes with learning to sail. 
Sail Cayman often lets our passengers take the wheel and let them steer the course. We have also taught countless of students how to sail in the past and there really is nothing like watching someone “get it” and then falling in love with it. Then there’s also the feeling of becoming the master of your own boat. Whether it’s a 22 foot keelboat on a local lake, or a massive ocean cruiser, skippering a boat is without a doubt a great achievement.

Giving orders….in the most politest of ways of course!
Gone are the days of cruel old barnacle-covered captains (until Pirates’ Week rolls around in November!). But giving and following orders, even in a casual setting, is still important and can be a lot of fun. You get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when everyone does their part and a tack or gybe comes off perfectly. Don’t believe us? Book a company charter with Sail Cayman and the crews can have a race day out on the north sound on NautiGal and Splendour In The Wind.

Sailing and boating books give the imagination free range!
From Moby-Dick to Master and Commander, sailing has given a lot to the culture of ocean adventures and discovery. Sail Cayman will always be in awe of those old world sailors who had the courage to round Cape Horn for example. And what about the Pacific peoples who sailed off into the horizons using only the stars as navigation and they had no idea what they would find…or not! Now that’s courage!

Feeling the boat accelerate when you get your sail trim just right
Some call this “getting in the groove,” or finding the “sweet spot.” You feel the motion of the boat level out, the speed picks up, and you’re cruising along smoothly. Maybe we’ll just call it the “sweet groove” coz let’s face it, it is pretty sweet!

Excellent company
You may not believe this but many of the world’s problems have been solved by sailors talking late into the night in the cockpit–unfortunately, they never seem to remember those solutions in the morning! Hmmm wonder why?  But that’s no matter–a sailing trip is one of the best bonding experiences ever, bringing friends and family closer, and turning perfect strangers into lifelong pals. Ask any Sail Cayman passenger or those who always come back to see us!

Solitude
And this is one of the many reasons why our passengers love Sail Cayman. They get away from the bustle of their every day life, they leave behind the noise and surroundings of a 3 000 passenger cruise ship, and it’s the antithesis of big city life.  Sailing is a great opportunity to spend some time alone. Leave the noise, confusion, and stress of the world behind for a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks, and experience the freedom of solitude.

Sailing vacations.
Seeing new places is a huge part of the attraction of sailing. Ask any of our Sail Cayman clients. Crossing the North Sound on a sailing charter to Stingray City, seeing this magic place for the first time, it’s simply awesome as the rays come to greet the boat. So instead of taking a drive to your next destination, why don’t you take a sail?

The community.
This one always cracks Sail Cayman up. We fondly refer to another sailor as a yachty if they have a keel boat or a catty if they have  a catamaran but as sailors and cruisers are a close-knit bunch. Even here in Cayman there’s plenty of good hearted banter between sailors as we pass each other in the North Sound or arrive at Stingray City.

Tropical destinations
Nothing and we repeat nothing beats the epic moment of being anchored in shallow bluw water in a tropical destination, like the Cayman Islands for example. The bottom line is that beaches, warm water, snorkeling, and tropical drinks go hand-in-hand with sailing and enjoying fabulous times with friends and family.

Finding places with ZERO cell phone reception.
Ooo this is a good one! Especially for the overworked, over stressed one of you out there who can’t even go to the restroom without your phone! Sure, Sail Cayman can get 5 bars in the middle of the North Sound but we’re not about to let you do the same when you are out here to relax! Sailing is one of the few ways left to truly disconnect from the pace of life for a little while and let your mind wander in the relative peace and quiet of the wind and waves.

The never-ending search for the next adventure.
Enough said right there!