Ondeck Antigua

In Depth

Ondeck Antigua is part of a global sailing outfit that specialises in yacht tours, training and education. Their fleet is sleek and fast, mainly designed by Bruce Farr, to allow for the quick routes offered on tours and for ease of direction for novices to take control sooner. Based in Falmouth Harbour, a large bay on the south coast of Antigua, Ondeck Antigua is run by Peter Anthony and business manager Elizabeth Brookes. The company also offers yacht management and sales.

The emphasis at Ondeck is hands-on experience and so you can expect to be kept busy. Instructors have been briefed to give you safe, fun instruction – and at times simply to let you enjoy the ride. Classes are available for beginners up to the top level, with tips for race captains and steersmen. Logan Knight, one of their skippers, has recently been awarded RYA Yachtmaster Instructor status, making him one of the most qualified yachtsmen in the Caribbean.

A range of day and half-day tours and sunset cruises are available through Ondeck Antigua, but what really sets them apart from other charter companies in the area is that you can take part in some of the most thrilling racing around the waters of Antigua. The Ocean Race Experience offers a quick introduction to yacht racing, but you can go beyond this and enter, as part of a crew, the more serious Caribbean regattas found in Antigua itself, the BVIs, Grenada, St Maarten, Tobago, or the USVIs.

In addition to the fun side of things, Ondeck Antigua also works in partnership with Boatshed, the largest yacht brokerage company in the world, and offers full yacht management services. So if you are looking to purchase a yacht and/or give your yacht over for charter whilst you are not in the Caribbean, then Ondeck Antigua can enable the purchase and by arrangement they can include the yachts in their fleet.

Sailing School

Ondeck Interactive RYA Theory Courses - Ondeck’s Interactive RYA training courses offer an alertnative for those who want to learn closer to home and provide a fully integrated ‘real-time’ learning experience with a ‘live’ instructor in a classroom environment. Launched in September 2010 during the PSP Southampton Boat Show in the UK, the first course being offered is the RYA Day Skipper, followed by Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory.

Fleet

Ondeck Antigua’s fleet comprises of Farr 65s and Beneteau 40.7s, both of which have been re-tuned for faster, sleeker racing. The Farr 65s are a re-tuned version of the Whitbread 60, designed by Bruce Farr. Only five of these yachts were made, and Ondeck Antigua has four of them. The Beneteau 40.7 is a slightly larger yacht with an impressive racing sail wardrobe, suitable for family cruising as well as ocean racing.

Useful Information

Ondeck Antigua is based at Falmouth Harbour on the southern coast of Antigua, directly west of English Harbour and about fifteen miles south of Saint John, Antigua’s capital. The marina caters to mega yachts with berths up to 330 feet and with a draft of up to 20 feet. There are many facilities such as shops, bars and restaurants dotted around the yacht services such as marine engineering, electronic and rigging repair shops, dive shops and chandleries.