Sailing Expeditions With Impact, Adventure & Community

Sail The Caribbean With Us! Travel By Sail To Multiple Islands,  Fuelled By Coconuts And Fellow Adventurers

Leg 11 Sailing St. Maarten and surrounding islands +/-150 NM

Best for: 

- Exploring Caribbean Sailing

- Hiking & Freediving opportunities

- Seeing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

- Exploring  small Caribbean Islands

- Easy to reach departure & arrival destination

The image you have in mind from the Caribbean gets beyond confirmed once arrived.  The islands are blessed with tropical rainforests, stunning reef drops, waterfalls and adventure potential. It is as scenic above as below the surface. The Caribbean is a truly amazing part of our planet, full of character!  Scenic wise with all the happy coloured buildings, the tropical flowers and happy bird sounds. But the real characters are the people.

With dozens of authentic and unique island nations, the Caribbean calls for exploration time. The ONLY way to explore the Caribbean is by sail! With the trade winds from the east and the island chain going from north to south, turquoise waters and thousands of islands, bay and inlets, sailing conditions are just perfect.  You have to take the sea route to get the best sense of place and exploration spots.

This trip we explore a combination of different islands like Saba, St. Barts, St. Kitta, Anguilla, chosen as a group and depending on the weather. On purpose, we don’t plan out the route in detail (but departure and arrival destination is fixed) so we can co-create the adventue. Our crew has extensively explored the Caribbean by sail and know about the best and most remote anchorages to choose from. We make the best possible route depending on weather and your individual wishes. 

On Route we find:

St. Maarten

St. Maarten is a busy and popular holiday and sailing hub. There’s a Dutch side and a French side, although English is widely spoken on the Dutch side.  Prior to our trip the famous St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is ON.

Saba

A special municipality of Holland, is one of a kind. The 17km2 big ‘rock’ is tidy, green, scenic, quiet, and there are no beaches. The reefs and nature of Saba been protected since 1987. The quality of the diving and hiking is therefore sublime! With seven different ecosystems the diversity in flora and fauna is enormous. With only 2,000 people living on the island they don’t just know each other- they even know the names of each other’s pets! Chances are about 80% that the person you’ll meet is a Johnson or Simmens. Place names are very straightforward. The road going from the airport to all four villages, is called ‘the road.’ The town at the bottom of is called ‘the bottom’, the town on the windward side is called, yep, you guessed it - Windwardside. This island truly is one of kind!

Cool town: Windwardside

Must do: Diving and hiking (with James “Crocodile” Johnson!) 

St. Barts

St. Kitts

Anguilla

Imagine jumping into warm turquoise waters just seconds after you wake up. Eating a freshly chopped papaya for breakfast, having consistent 15-20 knot breeze when sailing to the next island, and if we’re lucky spotting a whale or dolphins, hiking up a hill for the view, climbing a palm tree for a coconut, and enjoying a sunset chillax with that coconut and green flash on the horizon. You can work on your swimming skills immersed in the evening bioluminescence, with the starry sky above you making wishes.

That’s just one example of a day on board SV Twister in the Caribbean. Each day you’ll experience something new, whether it’s landing a new trick, discovering a new island or trying some of the best local Caribbean cuisine.

Ocean Nomads trips are beyond ‘the usual’ sailing holiday. It’s and adventure experience aimed at making the dream lifestyle reality, not just for the time with us but beyond all that. Incorporating the Ocean Nomads values, of community, exploration, and positive impact into the elements of the trip. Ocean Nomads trips are always hands-on, everyone helps with the running of the ship. Sailing, cooking duties etc. are equally shared. Read more about that on the big Expedition ON overview page.

Wherever we go we leave the places cleaner than we find it. Beach clean ups are part of the routine, not ‘just’ incorporated as an event.

This is a muti-adventure trip. But ofcourse, you’re always welcome to chill and read a book or just do nothing, but BEing.

A consistent 15-20 knots is present pretty much all days. The water temperature is around 28 degrees and makes board short and bikini (kite)surfing and snorkeling possible. Is it a dream? Yes, and one to make real!

Sailing Vessel Twister is a ship of +100 years that still sails the oceans, safely! Isn’t that amazing in itself? No plastic push buttons or winches on this vessel.

She’s beautiful. She’s solid. She’s big. She’s spacious. She’s super comfortable. She’s got soul. She lasts. She has proven her worth and seaworthiness. 

Sailing ship Twister is a schooner built in 1902, with an impressive story to tell. Originally a fishing boat built out of wood, fifty-five years later, her wooden hull was replaced for a steel one so she could continue to fish. She now features all safety equipment, modern comforts, and all licenses and certificates to take you safely offshore. She sails under the highly regarded Dutch flag.

Her current owners are driven to sail her far, and with purpose. The aim is to facilitate memorable expeditions that people will treasure for life, and contribute towards a better planet.

Last season she we sailed with her offshore, conditions ranging between champagne sailing and 9 Beaufort, totalling 5000 NM. The only thing we broke were two plates. Given the success of last expedition we now go all in and all around the Atlantic!

The size of the ship allows us to bring more people together in a place. Through Twister we can have you experience offshore sailing as safely as possible. Twister focuses on safety and seamanship competence. Ocean Nomads on the community, content, and organization. Many certificates are obtained and complied with to pass the safety checks and requirements. This comes with a cost but the rewards are priceless. Teaming up with Twister allows us to combine professionalism, safety, and adventure, impact and community facilitation. 

Home port : Harlingen, Holland

Year built : 1902

Displacement : 88 tonnes

Length overall : 36m/118′

Draft : 2.8m/9’2″ Beam : 6.2m/20’3″ Rig : Schooner

Sail area : 332.5m/1090’8″

Number of sails : 6

Engine : Mercedes Benz 300 PK

Total number of berths : 22

Bathrooms : 2

A tour of SV Twister

It’s the people who make the adventure. This is the main message Suzanne learned after having sailed 30.000 miles on +50 different boats. We carefully curate a diverse, multi-skilled crew who share a similar mindset, to create a powerful team mix. It makes the difference.

We live beyond the status quo or desire to do so. We care for the planet. Minimize, simplify and cut down on our environmental footprint where we can. We lift each other up and support each other when in need.

Your Ocean Nomads hosts

Menno & Jonatan

Proffesional Crew & Instruction

Twister is managed by a professional crew including a captain, first mate and one or two deckhands. Your Captain is Fosse who just got back from Antartica on Bark Europa. You’ll be in safe, qualified and experienced hands. This doesn’t mean you only sit back and relax (thought on this trip you can if you want). Generally ON voyages are hands-on voyage involving everyone in sailing and operation of our little floating village.

You?

Adventurer & explorer

Alternative lifestyle seeker

Striving to do good

Excited to share skills and stories

Eager to learn, share and care

Hands-on mindset

Ambitious

Saying Hell Yeah that’s me when reading more about the Ocean Nomads community

Learn more about sailing with Ocean Nomads in the Caribbean

Our Trip Terms

Cancellation Policy

Our FAQ page with more questions answered

Explore the Ocean Nomads website to explore vibes and values

Explore the Twister website for more photos of the vessel. 

Discount codes:

- 10 percent discount for Ocean Nomads members (From 65 euro / year) 

- EXTRA discount when joining 2 trips (Book your first trip and automatically receive a 10% discount code for the next one)

- Is this trip our of your budget but you would like to join? Apply for a Scholarship! One of ours ways to give back. We created scholarship opportunities for the small budget determined ocean explorers. In collaboration with this ship and the costs that come with it we can’t do a full exchange but we can do discounted prices with skill shares, trades and long term nomads. We love to hear what you have in mind via the Scholarship form. For pure skill sharing and trading, check out our membership community with +300 nomads & +70 vessel members meeting up and teaming up for ocean impact and adventure.

Stories, Testimonials & Transformations

Join the Ocean Nomads Network and/or read book Ocean Nomad to learn who you're jumping on board with, and to start the adventure already.

The vessel is already on its way. Follow us on Instagram for life trip updates.

“The adrenaline and stress of an adventure are better than a thousand peaceful days.” – Paulo Coelho

Less is more; less is more; less is more! But packing for time at sea, not being sure what the weather will do, what a regular day will look like, and what the next adventure will be? What to bring?

For this trip you really do not need much. Swimming gear, a hat, sun protection, a towel or sarong and a few sets of clothes.

What we have for you to use: boattoys (SUPs, surfboards, snorkel gear (to be shared),  a bamboo straw for the coconut zipping, a guitar and other small instruments, and a large on board library of sailing, natural living, ocean, conservation book to read.

See here a Holiday Sailing Packing List made by Suzy for more considerations.

You'll live out of your backpack / duffelbag. While not sleeping you keep your bag on your bed. You’ll have a little shelve next to your bed for tiny items.

If you’re looking to bring extra sports gear (like surfboards / kitesurf gear / diving gear / bicycles) we can facilitate to a certain extend. There is limited space so please ask permission in advance. Music instruments are always welcome.

"It’s amazing how many awesome friends you can make, and how much just one week on an ON trip can change your life" - Marcin from Poland

“The most unforgettable week. The trip preparation and the crew members turned what would otherwise be an adventure into something a special. I took part in two ocean nomads trips so far. To say it was life changing sounds dramatic but it really was. Being able to share time and experiences with people with different backgrounds but of a similar mindset was incredible. I like to think that I can have and help contribute to a similar experience for myself and others as a member of the Flotilla crew.”  – Ben Clipstone from Australia

“In my opinion Ocean Nomads sailing adventure are: 1. A reward for the senses by discovering incredibly beautiful places and breathtaking sceneries. 2. An unbeatable way to get introduced into the world of a sailing lifestyle 3. An open window to learn watching our world and the people from another more conscious perspective. I see Suzanne as an inspirational person who, with her example, inspire others with ideas and proposals to define or redefine life projects and use inner energy for more noble purposes. Our oceans need strong committed people like her to advocate for our natural resources and leave them intact for the generations to come.”  – Jose Perez from Spain 

"My lifelong dream has been to spend time outside of the US, explore different places, meet , new people and just live somewhere different than what I grew up with. If you told me this time last year that I would have spent the better part the last 365 days sailing around The Canary Islands, surfing in Ireland, sleeping in a van ALONE in England and writing this newsletter on an island in the Adriatic Sea, I would have rolled my eyes at you.  But after joining Ocean Nomads on SV Twister a little over a year ago my life has done a complete 180° ( in the best way possible) and I have the network and so many of you to thank for that! – Brianna SV Twister '21

"The experience on twister with other Ocean Nomads was just really beautiful and I felt connected for the first time in decades, I felt part of a community and had companionship. I was so happy that it’s so all inclusive of gender race religion nationality and most importantly age. It has connected me with like-minded people of all ages and being very transformational personally because my life has been incredibly isolated as a single parent Who works from home. I can honestly say October and November I felt happy and free for the first time in maybe 22 years.  It gave me everything I was looking for. It has opened up so many possibilities to meet new people with similar vibes, including connection, companionship, purpose and being one with nature." - Cay, SV Twister '21

Check our more Stories, Testimonials & Transformations

on our website or on our Facebook page.