Thank you for choosing “12 Knots”
“Week onboard this lovely Lagoon 62 / BVI”
We spent a week onboard this lovely 62' sailing catamaran with 5 other couples (total 12 guests) The captain and chef were both French and at times it was difficult to understand what they were saying, but not a big deal. The captain (Damian) would at times offer options about where to go or what we might want to do if the weather conditions were iffy, very obliging. The chef (Michael) prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. The meals were pretty well balanced and reasonably healthy, with dessert served at lunch and dinner. One thing most of the guests weren't real happy about was having the A/C shut off at 10-11pm until 7am. That was because the generator was right under one of the forward cabins and too noisy for them to sleep well. Opening the cabins hatch(s) was a little better unless it started raining while you were sleeping! There was always plenty of bottled water, sodas and everyone brought beer, wine and other booze which we all shared. The other guests were funny, personable, compassionate and generous, as were Damian and Michael. There was plenty of time to enjoy the SUP's, paddle boards, floats and snorkel. You could enjoy a good book in the many different shaded areas onboard, lay in the sun on one of the comfortable places available on the upper deck or ask Damian to take you ashore in the dingy. All in all it was a great experience, but for us 1 week was just the right amount of time for such an adventure. To fully enjoy something like this it helps to be in reasonably good physical and mental condition. Just saying! WARNING-Travel light because depending on how you get to the actual boat you'll probably have to carry all your junk from the various ferries, taxis, buses etc? Ron
“It was truly a unique experience / Jne 2019 / BVI / Lagoon 620”
It was truly a unique experience. Despite a mishap that kept Ron out of the water due to fear of infection (he cut his leg pretty good while we were waiting for the ferry to scrub island) it was still enjoyable. The boat was great. Certainly the correct size for 12 people. We thoroughly enjoyed Damian (captain) and Michael (excellent Chef). They were both extremely capable and friendly. At times, they could be a little difficult to understand, but it did not take away from the trip. Yes, there English is certainly better than my French! The cabin was as expected and comfortable enough. It took a little getting use to the idea that your toilet paper had to go in the trash can, but after fishing it out with the toilet brush for a couple of days I finally got the hang of it. We were very lucky in so far as that we knew 2 other couples and that the other couples that we did not know ,with the exception of ½ of one couple, was a pleasure to be around. We had only one irate women on the last day who became demanding and rather obnoxious at which point we all stood behind Damian in the manner in which he dealt with her. He was very professional. He was forced to take this women to the nearest island with a ferry because she insisted on getting off the boat and making her way to St Thomas. This was all because she wasn’t ready to leave the baths at Virgin Gorda when the captain said we were heading back. As we learn from life’s experiences, there is one in every crowd. Anyway, I would do it again in another part of the world and would and have recommended to others. The only thing that would have made it a more enjoyable would have been if the AC could have been left on at night. Although Damien did leave the air on for our first night while still in port our friends were in the room with the generator under there bed so we do understand why that was not possible. I am very grateful that we were given the room in the back as requested. My only regret is that I did not find out about this type of traveling when I was younger! Sincerely, Karen E Garves
“Our sailing vacation was awesome / Lagoon 62 / May 2019 / BVI”
The captain (Damien) and chief (Michael) went out of their way to make the week special for everyone aboard. What we noticed about Damien was his concern about everyone’s safety during the week. We felt very secure with his expertise in handling the boat. He gave a daily briefing at breakfast and would look for ways to avoid bad weather while finding interesting places to see or snorkel. Although still recovering from recent hurricanes, the islands visited had their charms. Damien was very accommodating, shuttling via dingy everyone (who wanted) ashore spending time with us to make sure we were comfortable walking around the islands. The biggest surprise was how good our meals were. The variety of dishes by chief Michael was outstanding. For most meals, he would explain in both English and French what he had prepared. It was a nice touch. Thank you Grigory for helping us with this trip.
“The trip was very good and the catering exceeded expectations”
The crew were very good and the catering exceeded my expectations. Our captain Hugo did more than expected to ensure we had a good time. The boat was OK considering its age but the cabins were hot at night. After first few nights I slept in the cockpit. We weren't able to sail a lot because of the prevailing winds but that was expected and not a complaint. I would highly recommended this trip.
“Spanish Virgin Islands are stunning / March 2019 / Puerto Rico / Dufour 412”
The experience was beautiful and the Spanish Virgin Islands are stunning! Even though we started off with a few setbacks (had to switch boats because of technical issues), the marina made good and was very accommodating....they did the very best they could and, in the end, we were happy with the boat. The staff was very nice. Next year we want to sail Greece....let me know when we can go and get a good deal on a 50' monohull that can accommodate six people comfortably, each with a proper stateroom and head. Thanks, Flori
“It couldn't have been better”
We had a really great time. It couldn't have been better!! Boat, crew, location were all awesome. Thanks so much. Alicia
“Everyone had a very nice time”
Thank you - it was a really nice experience. You were very helpful during our departure and arrival. The boat was amazing, well outfitted, and everyone had a very nice time. I'll be sure to send you some photos over the weekend. We also have some drone footage I'll try to get to you.
“I was slightly nervous going in”
It was absolutely terrific and if you’ll let me know which websites you list on I’m happy to leave 100% positive reviews there. I was slightly nervous going in, because you have a relatively small English language web presence, but I couldn’t be more pleased. Happy to expand your service to more US based folks.
“We have enjoyed a lot 2 weeks on Catamaran in Bahamas”
We have enjoyed a lot 2 weeks on Catamaran in Bahamas. We have sailed in Abaco and mainly in Exuma; we did a great tour. The catamaran was very nice and roomy. The captain, Tony, was great: very professional and capable, always at our disposal, familiar but not invasive. He knew how to sail safely in Bahamas (shallow water). We made him pretty busy to follow our request to see as much islands as possible. Thanks to him we enjoyed also some good fishing (and eating tuna and dorado). The 5 kids enjoy a lot. A great thank also to Carrie and the other guys that has covered our request at boarding in order to improve the kitchen stuff, local sim, etc.; we had to live and cook 2 weeks on the boat. I really recommend the experience we had in Bahamas. Ciao to everybody from the chilly Bologna (this night is snowing here) Alberto, Antonella and the 5 kids
“We tried to make the most of it, but it was far from ideal”
Hey Grigory, thanks for asking. The boat was not in good condition. For example, there were no mooring, deck or motoring lights, so we feared a boat would hit us while we slept, and were not complying with the law while sailing at night. The anchor was only 40m long, so we could only dock safely in around 10 meters depth, which was also too close to the shore to sleep well. The anchor switch did not work and released the anchor while docking, so we destroyed a few mooring lines. The oars were for a toy boat, and they obviously broke, and they wanted us to pay for them. If they do, we are going for a lawsuit altogether. Oh, and the GPS was a total joke so we had to purchase one for our phones for 50€.
