Alloy Yachts was a New Zealand sailing superyacht builder based in Auckland, producing performance sailing vessels in aluminium to standards that earned them a significant international following before the yard’s closure in 2015. The sailing superyachts they built continue to charter and perform at a high level, combining the range and stability of an offshore passage maker with the deck space and guest comfort expected in a luxury charter context. The three available in Caribbean and Windward Island waters are established performers on the trade-wind routes, built to handle the consistent northeast winds that define winter Caribbean sailing. Barbados is an unusually well-positioned base for a performance sailing yacht. The island lies at the eastern edge of the Caribbean arc, meaning most passages from here run downwind or on a broad reach in the trade winds, putting the sail plan to genuine use rather than motoring to weather in settled conditions. Holetown and Speightstown on the west coast provide calm anchorages before departure, and Carlisle Bay in the south is a popular staging point for the Grenadines passage. Weekly charter rates for an Alloy yacht from Barbados typically run from 30,000 to 65,000 euros depending on size and season, with an advance provisioning allowance of around 30 percent covering diesel, provisions, crew gratuities, and berthing across the islands. Peak Caribbean season is December through April. The passage from Barbados to the Tobago Cays is one of the defining Caribbean sailing routes, covering roughly 120 nautical miles on a broad reach through Bequia and the Grenadines. Mustique and Canouan offer contrasting anchorages within a five-day circuit.
