MARIGOT:---- Caribbean Sail Training announced today that the Port De Marigot in St.Martin will host once again one of their member vessels, the full rigged Tall ship DANMARK, on the Galisbay pier on Saturday May 2nd for an open ship day.
The 252 feet (77 m) in overall length sail training vessel DANMARK will be open to the public for viewing from 2.00 pm until 5.00 pm.
The Tall Ship departed from Denmark several weeks ago, made a short 28 hours stop in the Canary Islands and sailed in record time straight to Cariacou in the Grenadines Islands.
The DANMARK will arrive in Grenada on April 24th, 2015 where Claire Budhlall from Spronks' Provisioning & Mega Yacht Services will take care of the vessel.
The ship will stay only a few days there before sailing to St.Martin.
They will do provisioning and shopping in Marigot before leaving again a few days later crossing the Atlantic back to Denmark.
15 crew members and 80 trainees are on board the vessel.
Caribbean Sail Training ( CST )
has been established several years ago as a registered nonprofit foundation with the aim to help in providing education and sail training towards young people of all nationalities, cultures, religions and social backgrounds and specially towards youngsters living in the Caribbean.
During the past years many Caribbean youngsters have been sponsored by CST to participate in sail training voyages on the Tall Ships that have been cruising in the Caribbean but also in Canada, the US and Europe.
The foundation offers endless possibilities to youngsters to enroll in a week or several weeks sailing trip or Tall Ship Regattas with all costs covered by the foundation.
Sailing to and around in the Caribbean with a sail training vessel used to be a costly adventure for the sail training ships, but many of those costs have now been reduced or even eliminated for the vessels that are members of Caribbean Sail Training.
In the past season more than 30 Tall Ships visited the Caribbean Islands, most of them through the cooperation of CST who aims to bring more of those vessels to the Islands every year.
Many of the Sail Training Vessels are owned by charities, foundations, schools or universities, governments or other institutions and appreciate assistance with no-cost or low-cost access to tug boats, pilot boats, docking, berthing or anchorage, and a reduction or elimination of harbor fees.
Maintaining and sailing a Tall Ship involves huge costs that are mostly only covered by the payments that the vessel receives for the sail experience that trainees receive during their voyages and from donations.
Some vessels also take a few paying guests on board during selected trips to generate some extra income and most of them also try to sell T-shirts, pins, caps and other souvenirs during open ship days to make some additional money.
Agreements have been made through Caribbean Sail Training with many "Caribbean Sail Training Friendly Ports" for charging smaller fees or even waiving the fees completely and where arrangements are not in place as yet, CST comes to the rescue with sponsoring the vessels.
Several ships like the Christian Radich, Picton Castle, Corwith Cramer, Alva, Eendracht, Eye of the Wind, Salomon and many others paid only a fraction or were hosted free of costs at several Caribbean ports and harbors in the past due to their CST membership.
In addition, CST member vessels receive free yacht and ship agency services at many Islands all over the Caribbean trough the company Yacht Assistance and their affiliates.
Caribbean Sail Training Port Award
Caribbean Sail Training will present the yearly CST Port Award 2014-2015 during the visit of the DANMARK at an "invitation only" reception offered on board on May 2nd after 5.00 pm to Mr.Alberick Ellis, director of the Port De Marigot as appreciation for hosting many of the sail training vessels in the past season and before in the harbor of Marigot.
In addition, fees have been waived and reduced for docking at the Galisbay Pier and the port has been providing free services to many CST member vessels.
General characteristics STV DANMARK
- Tonnage: 790 GRT
- Length: 252 ft (77 m)
- Beam: 32 ft (9.8 m)
- Draft: 17 ft (5.2 m)
- Propulsion: Diesel engine, sails
- Sail plan: full-rigged; 26 sails
- Complement: 15 crew; 80 trainees
For information about the Sail Training Vessels, sponsored voyages and more go to: www.CaribbeanSailTraining.com
