Cruising the Caribbean with Calypso Charters

Taking a few minutes this morning to think back on our 3 month journey through Mexico. There were so many highlights and so many amazing experiences that it is hard to pick a top 20, but not hard to pick the top 1. My top day of our trip was spent on the Dralion, a Lagoon 440 catamaran built in France in 2005 and now running private sails out of Puerto Aventuras with Calypso Charters , headed by Captain Jason Sainz.

Mike and I were Married January 13, 1991, and we spent the first 10 months of our marriage living on a sailboat in San Diego. I don’t think we would have ever left if our boat was anything like the Dralion.

This boat is sweet. She has plenty of headroom, important when your husband is 6’4”. I woke many mornings to the sound of a head cracking on wood followed by some profanity those first months. Dralion’s galley is amazing – open with lots of light and plenty of room for cooking and entertaining. There are 4 berths that have every possible amenity and the best use of space imaginable. There are even hatches into the water which make it possible to watch what is going on under the water, and also providing an important safety feature, should the boat capsize. The boat builder literally thought of everything. In addition to the staterooms, there are two crew quarters, which means this is a perfect boat to whisk you off on a 2 day adventure to Cozumel. We unfortunately were unable to do that, but we did have the most amazing afternoon.

We were greeted at the docks by the very personable crew – they really are more like a family the way they compliment each other and work as if they can read each other’s mind. Jason’s lovely fiancé, Blanca, is an excellent chef as well as well as a most hospitable hostess. She welcomes you aboard and makes sure you are comfortable and cared for the entire time. Captain Jason does the pre-sail safety talk, and at the helm he is a confident and knowledgeable captain. I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of sailing with some great captains and I marvel at how they are literally one with the boat, wind and water. Jason is a natural, a professional seaman with obvious pride in his vessel. This is not your typical tourist party-sail and that is evident from the quality of the vessel and the crew.

The entire crew maneuver this luxury yacht with precision and expertise, and all without you even being aware of what they are doing. Sleek in their movements around the yacht and respectful that this is your special moment, they will do all they can to assure the sailing is smooth, the motoring fun and all your needs anticipated before you can even ask.

We stopped to snorkel and 2 of the crew took most of our group off to see the best spots on the reef, while others of us chose to relax and just enjoy the scenery and play in the water closer to the boat. When we boarded again there was a fresh-water shower and nice clean warm towels awaiting us.

There were 10 of us on the boat this day and plenty of room for all of to find a spot to gather and talk, or to get away for a bit of quiet relection. I was particularly partial to the seat on the bow, where all I could hear was the wind and the sound of the water, I became almost hypnotized by the moment. For me this is the perfect place to feel completely rejuvenated. I could literally feel each cell of my body and soul relax and breath it all in.

So, even though we had hundreds of amazing moments on this incredible journey, it paled to that one moment suspended over the Caribbean Sea on an amazing yacht with the wind in my face and the sun on my shoulders – completely and totally at peace!

I have a feeling that once we re-locate to Puerto Aventuras I will find myself on board the Dralion again, next time perhaps for their sunset sail with private dinner! I can’t think of a better way to spend a special occasion. Consider it for your birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, proposal place, rehearsal dinner, 2 day sail adventure, diving, snorkeling, day sail or sunset sail it is the perfect choice. I guarantee it will be the highlight of your vacation!

Side note: Dralion is short for Dragon Lion! GoT folks you gotta love that! Little bit Lannister little bit Targaryen – a powerful force is she!