Tidbits from the islands, mon - April, 2008 Spring Break is over, but there are still lots of good reasons to come to the Grenadines. This is an all-year-round destination. See what others are saying about the Grenadines and Union Island in particular... HotHotHotSpot – Wi-fi at Erika's!!! For details see below.
February, 2008 - Union Island Cruisers' Net cancelled - read on A new service for yachtsmen last season, "The Union Island Cruisers' Net" began a daily broadcast at the end of November, 2006. We were heartened by the response we received from yachties and others. It was heard from Mustique to Grenada. A listener supported broadcast on VHF radio, you could tune in to VHF channel 68 at 9:00 A. M. local time, Monday to Saturday. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we can no longer manage the broadcasts. Perhaps in the future, we will be able to reinstate this popular programme. Erika's is pleased to announce it supports Caribwx.com Erika's has become a sponsor on the links page of Caribwx.com, the Caribbean's award-winning weather centre since 1993. As Erika's sponsors the weather report on the Union Island Cruisers' Net each day, we decided to throw some support behind this ever-popular site. The trade winds are blowing, yachts are sailing the sea and Erika's is ready to serve you. What better time to visit our lovely and peaceful Windward islands to warm your blood after the long winter. Escape the traffic! Gridlock is only a dim memory when you are in the Grenadines. Take a dip in the azure Caribbean sea - our beaches are quiet enough to make you think you are on your own private piece of paradise. Why not rent a beachside villa for a week and live your dream. Check with Erika's for airline ticketing as well as villa and hotel availability.We can be reached by e-mail: info@erikamarine.com. We visited Palm Island recently. What a lovely and tranquil place it is. Sandy lanes, views of unparalleled beauty from every vantage point and a group of charming beach houses, each with its own character. The Palm Island villas were built a few decades ago when John and Mary Caldwell were developing the island. They remain - comfortable, private and situated on some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Erika's represents several of these villas. Check our "Hotels/Villas" page for information on renting a villa. Erika's can also assist with chartering a yacht, either bareboat or crewed. If you want to sail the Windward Islands for a few days, or even a few weeks, Erika's has yachts available to suit your needs. Look on our "Charter a Yacht" page for more information. A variety of yachts is available through Erika's. Just ask us. Erika’s Marine Services in Union Island has a wi-fi network, through HotHotHotSpot, operating in Clifton Harbour. Wi-fi is already extremely popular with yacht customers, who like to surf the web, make calls on Skype and e-mail friends and family from the comfort of their own yachts. Just pay online from your yacht or drop in to our office at the waterfront in Clifton for a prepaid ticket. You can purchase one day, one week or one month – or even a season pass for a reduced rate – of internet time and use it anywhere that HotHotHotSpot has service during that period of time. Once you are on the HotHotHotSpot portal page, you will find a list of all the other islands where this service is available. And by the way, the wi-fi is available ashore as well. So if you are staying at a Clifton village hotel, or want to surf from a bar in the village, you can log on in the same way as our yachting customers do. Tobago Cays Marine Park – the perfect place to chill out The Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP) officially opened on 2 December, 2006. We wish them all the best as they embark on their second year of operations. Good work was done in the first year. This group of islets located adjacent to Union Island in the Grenadines is truly a paradise of clear water with world class reefs for diving and snorkeling, providing a degree of serenity hard to find anywhere else in the world. All yachts must pay a small fee to enter the park now. Rangers are on hand on the water in the park to collect the fees if you have not paid elsewhere – such as at the TCMP office in Union Island or yacht charter bases. The rangers also provide some security in the park; their area of surveillance will soon increase to include Clifton Harbour in Union Island. Proceeds from the collection of fees will go to maintain and improve the TCMP, keeping it in its pristine state with no buildings, marinas or other manmade structures there. After one full year of operation, the management of TCMP has improved many aspects of life in the park. They have actively protected the burgeoning turtle population from poachers, provided ongoing security for yachting visitors and planted over 100 coconut palms. It's heartening to know that this wonderful resource in our Grenadine islands has ongoing management. Getting married soon? Why not think of having your wedding ceremony and reception in the Grenadines. You only have to be in this country for one day in order to be legally married here. And while you are here, you can stay on for your honeymoon. There are lots of venues for weddings. You could charter a lovely old wooden schooner and sail through the Tobago Cays with your family and friends, celebrating your special day under a clear sky. Or sail to an uninhabited island and have the ceremony performed on the beach. There are churches of several denominations in Union as well. Ask at Erika's for ideas and possibilities. We have local knowledge and connections. Our event organizers are waiting to hear from you. |
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