Watch: Sailing
Sailing the Caribbean and so much more!!!
We are in Guadeloupe,
sail with us on a non-profit, community-run ship dedicated to sail training and seamanship. Join us for an adventure that involves learning about sailing, new cultures, and life. This isn't just a sailing vacation, but a chance to be part of a special community sailing project. With over 7 years of operation in Atlantic Europe and the Caribbean, you only need a passion for learning to come aboard.
The boat is very mixed nationalities from around the world, It is a way of sharing experiences, opening people's eyes, and giving lessons about life in general.
While it is possible to learn the basics of sailing in a few days, becoming a skilled sailor and mastering seamanship requires years of dedication and practice. the opportunity to engage in a unique sea adventure. It is more than just sailing; it is about immersing oneself in a cultural and life experience.
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Exactly the experience I was looking for
I stayed on Labora from Dec 31, 2022 until end of Jan 2023. I found Labora to be just the adventure I was seeking. This is a working boat. There are many projects and all in varing degrees of completion as supplies are found and bought. Message Dave for a list of current projects. The boat is currently creating an art exposition in Guadeloupe where they are working with local artists to do a rendition of the culture, painted on the sides of the hull. This project will likely take the next couple of months. As of my leaving, big strides have been made towards making this exposition happen and a number of leading artists and culture leaders have signed on to make it happen. If you speak French or like art, this is a perfect time to donate some time and get involved. During my month onboard, we went on 5 day sails taking locals from the island out for the day and finishing by sharing in a picnic on the beach of a local small island. Again, this is a working boat, more than a sailing boat. Staying at anchor in the harbor near Pointe a Pitre was calm and a restful sleep. At anchor near Le gosier had a bit more swell and rocking, but I believe most of the near future will be in the harbor. Food and chores are communal. There were 6 crew total while I was aboard and we all got along very well. Everyone had certain specialties of work from cooking to sanding to wood work to being up in the rigging. This created a good dynamic for us to work. To give you an idea of how well people liked the boat, I was on the boat for a month and the other crew had been on longer, even out to 3 plus months. People looking for this type of boat come for the work and stay for the community they build. Your attitude will determine how well your adventure is. If you are searching for a challenge and are able to bring a hard work ethic to donate in restoring an old traditional wooden sailboat this would give you plenty of challenges and rewards. Crew commonly contributes $100-120 euro per week for food and supplies aboard. The more crew that are on board the easier this is. I would suggest planning an additional $50/week for personal things when on shore like meals out, sodas, and ice cream, etc. Meals on the boat are crew decisions or by whoever chooses to take on cooking duties. A lot of base starches, like rice, pasta, potatoes, oats make up the foundation of meals and then local produce is used to accentuate the meals. We had some wonderful cooks on board that were creative with the ingredients we had. Dave has a very unique history of experience and expeditions. You can find out much about him from reading his website, or ask him while sitting on the stern in the evenings drinking tea or hot chocolate. Some have commented about his yelling, yes he yells a bit, don’t take it personally. He has a lot going on at all times and occasionally may yell when there are reasons to get something done quickly or that relates to personal safety. Assess, learn, and move on, again, don't take it personally. If you get upset easily then this might be a good place to learn to get over that. You will take away from your experience what you put into it. On a note of the negative review left by one past crew member, I never had any trouble leaving my money out. Neither crew or Dave took anything from me or others. My guess from learning about past destinations, especially Cape Verde, is that the hired help doing repairs were often cutting corners on work. Materials needed to be kept under watch so that things were not taken, as many parts and tools apparently went missing. I would venture a guess that might have been the case for the previous crew member, but I could be wrong. All I have to go on is my experience. Poor attitudes also lead to unhappy boats. Dave is not one to put up with 'bully' or 'know it all personalities' who will push others around. Such people ruin the enjoyment for everyone and have been asked to leave the boat before. At least that is what I'd heard from crew that have been aboard the boat for 3 plus months. Again, your attitude will make your time aboard Labora a success or a failure.
7th Feb 2023