Caribbean Sail Training non profit association

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Building or Purchasing a Caribbean Sail Training Vessel

Our ultimate goal is to build, restore or acquire one day a Tall Ship to run sail training and educational programs at sea all year round for Caribbean and other youth... Years ago, we've started the project to build our own sail training vessel an

Years ago, we've started the project to build our own sail training vessel and we've commissioned Roosens Marine / No Limits Yachts to manage the design and building in case we could find the funding.

At that time, we wanted to name the vessel: The NETHERLANDS ANTILLES.

We've made some preliminary designs and came up with a lot of ideas and well know naval architect Olivier Van Meer made the plans and designs and we had all the calculations done.

285 ft 3 mast schooner

The latest drawings for the project of the Tall ship had been finished.

Meetings with the director of Roosens Marine / No Limits Yachts (who started the Tall Ship project together with project leader Harry Klein from Klein Management Consultancy), and naval architect Olivier F. Van Meer and Klaas Huizinga in Enkhuizen Holland, resulted in many changes over a three year period and a great final result.

Several of the people from Roosens Marine / No Limits Yachts and from Klein Management Consultancy who have been working on the tall ship project have also been involved years ago in the building of the 4-mast barquentines Star Flyer and Star Clipper in Belgium.

Naval architect Olivier Van Meer has build a great reputation in designing several large sail ships and other yachts and was also involved in the Star Flyer and Star Clipper building process. ( see www.vanmeerdesign.nl )

The latest changes included a reduced draft ( from 5.60 to 4.00 meter ), a retractable keel, a huge "garage" and water toys storage room with swim platform in the stern, glass bottom viewers in the restaurant, hydraulic stabilizers, underwater spotlights with remote control video cameras and other features.

Several double and luxurious staterooms on board will be available for guests as well as a giant "owners" cabin.

The ship will be ABS and MCA classified, fully air-conditioned, have a heating system for the cold parts of the sailing ( even an open fire place ) and will feature all the latest safety systems, sprinkler installations and more.

Among the "water toys" will be two wave runners and two fast RIB's.

The ship will cruise at about 16 knots under almost 2000 square meter of sail area and maintain a 14 knots speed under power with a 5000 nautical miles range.

The Tall Ship will be build in complete certified steel or aluminum.

When all the plans were more or less ready we heard that the Netherlands Antilles would stop existing, so we could not use the name anymore and even worse, we never received any money to start the project.

Hopefully one day, Caribbean Sail Training will receive the needed donations and generate enough money to build this ship for the Caribbean youth or as alternative we will try to purchase an existing vessel.