CERULEAN

AMENITIES

CD library DVD library Stereo system

iPod Dock DVD player

Fishing equipment Dinghy: Hard Bottom / 12ft 0in (3.6m) / 15HP

Wakeboard Stand-Up Paddle Board

DECK & SYSTEMS

Voltage: 110v Barbeque

Deck shower

Cell phone

SATCOM

DIVING

Diving by arrangement / rendezvous

Snorkeling gear

CERULEAN Crew Profile

Skipper Alan Weeks hails from South Africa. After a career in geological exploration, he managed a large construction company but finally returned to his first passion - sailing. Alan has been involved with the oceans from a very early age. His father was a professional diver and passed a love of the seas on to Alan. Since earning his Yacht Master's Offshore License, he has logged tens of thousands of ocean miles on the north and south Atlantic, the Indian and Pacific oceans and the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas.

Twenty years ago, Alan sailed into St Vincent and the Grenadines on his 40 ft sloop and has continued to sail in these waters on many types of vessels enthusiastically sharing the experience with his guests. He enjoys free diving, surfing, wake boarding ,and kite boarding. Although he has an adventurous spirit, as your skipper, your safety is always his first concern.

Liz, your first mate and hostess was born in Jamaica and moved to south Florida as a teenager. She became a cosmetologist, a profession in which she excelled. She has natural ability to pamper others with an artistic flair. She has been sailing since meeting Alan in 1998.

Both Liz and Alan enjoy fine dining-so food on the Cerulean will be delicious and beautifully presented. Liz's cuisine is diverse and international, having been developed through her extensive travels. Her other interests include exploring above and below sea as well as the tranquility of photography and watercolor painting.

CERULEAN Specifications

CERULEAN Menu

Fresh Beginnings

Traditional English cooked breakfast Omelettes of Choice Cereals, freshly baked Muffins, Fresh Fruits & Yoghurt All with daily fresh ground Java, Tea or Herbal Aromatics

Mid-day

Avocado Shrimp Salad Assorted Quiches with Salad or Fruit Rasta Pasta with Chicken, Shrimp or Lobster (in season) West Indian Roti – Chicken, Beef, Vegetarian, Conch

Libations…

Ceviche Conch Fritters Roasted Garlic with Toasted Rounds, Marinated Olives, Cheeses and Fresh Tropical Fruits Spicy Black Bean Dip with freshly-made Salsa & Chips

And Then...

Grilled Lemon Butter Lamb Chops Coconut Ginger Curry Shrimp Grilled Lobster Jamaican Jerk Chicken Lasagne With fresh vegetables of the season

Top it off...

Banana Cream Custard Pots of Chocolate Tropical Fruit Parfait Coconut Pie Rum Cake

CERULEAN Testimonials

 

Here's a bit more detailed account of our Cerulean charter.  Wanted to get you this, as I said in prior email, because the combination of Alan/Liz and Cerulean really makes for a special experience.  The hope here is that may help inform your process in some fashion, though I expect you already have a keen sense for the crew and the yacht.

 

 

1) The Sailing Experience -- Pure Fun and Totally Accessible

 

Cerulean sails in a manner which will not only thrill a multihull sailor but also appeal to folks who sail performance monohulls -- the helm with the lee board down, literally provides fingertip control and feeling much like a deep keel monohull.  The fine bows and overall design give you a keen sense for boat motion -- minimum pitching moment upwind -- so the sense of sailing performance is very vivid.

 

The fact that Alan comes from monohull background yet has all this experience sailing multihulls, means that he's a great coach for those of us, like me, who may have sailed beach cats as a kid and multihulls occasionally (my fault was pinching upwind), and he's a great coach for someone like Robin, who gets a natural/intuitive feel for a boat through the helm.

 

While one is sailing, Alan tweaks the sail trim on an ongoing basis and there's much to be observed and learned through this, but moreover, it makes it much more fun to drive the boat as she's really dialed in on the trim and the boards.

 

And lastly, the A57 moves so well upwind and through steep short waves, the sailing is always a blast, never intimidating.  I short tacked up between the reefs along south end of Carriacou with ease and Robin set the speed record for the trip -- hitting 16.1 knots along the lee side of Grenada.  Even in gusty shifty conditions Cerulean is well mannered.

 

Overall this means that at whatever level people would like to try/enjoy sailing, Alan can make this a purely fun experience and totally accessible regardless of one's prior sailing background.

 

2) The Gourmet Dining -- Almost a Vacation in Itself

 

Given our vegetarian/vegan predilections, we hoped Liz could adapt her menu plans -- well it turns out that not only did she adapt, but she also managed to apply her creativity and inspiration routinely.  I think we can honestly say that we have never had over a week of such fine dining ever -- this is almost like having two vacations in one -- sailing of course, and something like a fine dining spa retreat.

 

It all started when we first boarded Cerulean -- aft deck was set up with dining table and for our late night "snack" Liz had prepared this exquisitely delicate pumpkin soup -- along with a nice glass of wine, we were instantly in relaxed vacation mode.

 

But her creativity and nuance goes on and on.  At one point during the trip we were going through the Doyle guide and looking at local fruits and veggies and inquired about callalou and how to prepare it.  Well, within perhaps a day or two, Liz somehow manages to find callalou and makes wonderfully seasoned hearty stew for lunch.

 

And then there's the all the fresh baking she does -- muffins of course, but get this -- we had mentioned veggie pizzas in the booking form as one possible lunch item.  Liz baked fresh pita bread and made it into mini-pizzas topped with veggies and seasoning -- a recipe that ends up so much better than any conventional notion of pizza, it must be tasted to be believed.

 

These are just a few examples -- your future Cerulean guests must understand that this level of dining happens every meal!  Perhaps the best way to summarize our experience is to note that Robin was so impressed she started to photography every meal as-presented before allowing us to touch a morsel of food.

 

3) Leisure and Relaxation

 

Alan has an incredible ability to orchestrate an itinerary that fits with what both Alan and Liz tune into as the guest's subtle preferences.  Originally in the booking form we had mentioned beach bars/jump-ups.  Well, once we got down there and experienced how nice it was to be onboard, we were actually much more inclined to stay on the boat and swim, snorkel, read etc.   They both seemed to pick up on this and Alan picked locations and passages which fit perfectly with our inclinations.

 

He even had the keen sense to vary the level of sailing activity a bit every two or three days to keep things interesting.  One day we had what we called the Tour de Force -- Alan took us up through a cut in the reef over the top of the southernmost Tobago Cay and then we ripped through the Tobago Cays anchorage under sail at something around 12 knots.  Needless to say there were a few mouths agape as we roared past the anchored yachts -- we briefly, and in jest, debated at one point whether to go over a dinghy full of yachties (i.e. dinghy passing between the hulls) or close alongside (we did the latter).

 

The other thing that works well in the spirit of leisure and relaxation is the way Alan and Liz have outfitted Cerulean -- as a cat she's appropriately simple, yet they have taken care to make sure that she's well-appointed and nicely finished -- bringing to mind the classic phrase "shipshape and Bristol fashion".  Morevoever, Alan and Liz are fastidious about maintaining the yacht to a very high standard -- immediate freshwater wash downs and chamois-dry after sailing for example.

 

Another, perhaps obvious, thing is that this is one big cat -- so the ability for guests to spread out and find their own space is extraordinary.   And of course, Alan and Liz have a number of ways they facilitate various 'hang outs' -- Robin was routinely offered a nautical bean bag chair for reading out on the trampoline and at one point Alan rigged up the jib boom and a towel to provide for a sun shade out front.

 

4) Alan & Liz -- Great Company

 

Again, just as you indicated, Alan and Liz do a superb job of tuning into guest's needs for quiet time together vs. conversation and conviviality.  They are a very interesting couple given the sailing and life experiences they've had, plus they are intimately knowledgeable about the Windwards and Leewards.  Much of our conversation revolved around sailing, cruising, the islands, cooking, and so on, but I expect we barely scratched the surface of intriguing things to discuss.

 

As bareboat charterers/first-time crewed charterers, we were wondering what it would be like to have other people onboard 24/7.  I now fear that Robin so enjoyed the crewed charter experience that I'll not get her back aboard a bareboat.  But more than this, Alan and Liz are truly special, very warm and engaging, attentive while creating an easygoing atmosphere, and very much one's partners in creating the holiday experience.

 

 

So, thank you, Seth for pulling together this charter for us -- it was indeed a splendid time that, as I said, well-exceeded our high expectations.

 

Cheers,

-- Dave & Robin

 

 

2013



Thanks again for everything. We had an amazing time with you. You really spoiled us!!! We feel so lucky to have met you and to have spent time on the gorgeous Cerulean.

We hope you have a great sail to Antigua later this week.

We are sure our paths will cross again someday soon!! Next time it is our turn to take care of you!!!

Take good care.

Christine and Devin

 

2013

hello Seth... we had a terrific time.... Allan and Liz were spectacular and it was just beautiful..

 

You could trust alan 100% and I learnt a lot just watching him and talking to him about sailing and the boat.

And Liz is a sweetheart and great cook  we all loved her

Thanks a lot

Simon

 

 

2013

I know I speak for our group when I say that we were very impressed with the boat but especially with Alan and Liz for their professionalism, quality of food, attitude on and on and on. They are special people.

 

Maurice Skoropad, Barbados, West Indies