These AWESOME companies and/or individuals have given us products or services for free or for a hefty discount in order for us to keep floating. We are very grateful for their contributions. You really should purchase something from them, and tell them we sent you.
A note on our sponsors: 99% of the time, we approach the companies that we work with after a good amount of research. We are contacted almost every week by companies looking to sponsor/partner/or advertise with us and believe it or not, we politely turn almost all of them down. We CHOOSE to work with the companies we do, and we only work with companies whose products or services we would use regardless of sponsorship.
A note on our sponsors: 99% of the time, we approach the companies that we work with after a good amount of research. We are contacted almost every week by companies looking to sponsor/partner/or advertise with us and believe it or not, we politely turn almost all of them down. We CHOOSE to work with the companies we do, and we only work with companies whose products or services we would use regardless of sponsorship.
"Row it. Motor it. Sail it. Tow it." Whatever it is you want to do - Walker Bay has you covered on the water! The dinghy is the cruising sailor's "car" and we are so excited to partner with the company that has been re-defining fun on the water since 1977. Most famous for their fantastic sailing dinghy, many people don't realize they also sell Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB) and more. Our dinghy is the 10 foot Odyssey Superlight RIB 310. It weighs only 99 lbs (we can easily drag it up a beach), has a water deflecting hull, and features draining channels in the floor to keep your feet dry. We wrote about our dinghy here.
Water toys make cruising more fun. Period. When Walker Bay offered us one of their Airis Stand-Up Paddle Boards (SUP), we could not say no. We'd been wanting one for a long time and - in our opinion - inflatable SUP's are a perfect toy for the cruising boat who doesn't have space for a fiberglass board. This one stows into a large backback, it's easy to inflate and surprisingly rigid and sturdy. We love our Airis SUP and usually you can find at least one of us taking it out daily.
UMT Marine is the GOLD STANDARD of custom stainless gear on boats. They custom craft only the highest quality products for both the cruiser, the mega-yacht and everyone in between. Whether it be custom dinghy davits (which is what we will have), boarding ladders, instrument arches or gangways - they will have you covered in both strength and style. They make your stainless look sexy! Our davits are AMAZING.
Having an unlimited supply of water on a cruising boat makes a huge difference on the comfort factor of cruising. On our first boat, we loved our 5 gallon per hour watermaker but decided we needed more for Asante. After much research and on the urging of blog followers, we chose to work with Cruise RO Water and Power. They produce high quality, high output watermakers for the lowest prices around. For more information, read why we chose them.
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Excellent ground tackle should be a top priority of the cruising sailor and as such, we could not be more thrilled to partner with Rocna Anchors. The supreme craftsmanship and careful design of the Rocna have combined to make these anchors some of the most sought-after in the cruising world. People don't often equate an anchor with "love" but we have heard "I love my Rocna" more times than we can count on our travels. We knew we had to have one. The primary anchor on Asante is a Rocna 33 (70 lbs) and we will sleep much more safely and soundly because of it.
Chris Parker, known in sailing circles as the "Caribbean Weather Guru" runs the Marine Weather Center. Aside from his free reports on the "net" he also provides custom weather reporting and routing for small vessels in the Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, and US East Coast for very economical prices. We are THRILLED to be able to use his forecasting and routing services. For the next year he will provide weather reports specifically for us; taking into account our vessel, our location, our destination and, of course, the weather. Weather predicting is not an exact science and to have a meteorologist in our corner gives us the confidence we need to move forward. If you are a sailor embarking on a cruise in any of the waters above, you would be doing yourself a disservice to not utilize his services. Aside from being a great meteorologist - Chris is also a great guy and fellow cruiser!
We are HONORED to partner with Peake Yacht Services in Trinidad. Touted as the Caribbean's largest and most comprehensive yacht facility - this is where we will store Rasmus for eight months while we go home to have our baby. The staff is first rate, customer service is impeccable and the facilities themselves excellent. There is almost nothing they can't do. There is a fantastic restaurant, hotel, and chandlery right on the premises and security here is at a premium. For a list of their rates and services, go here. If you are looking to store your boat for hurricane season or looking to haul-out and have work done, Peake's is bar none the best place to do it.
Island Water World is THE Caribbean yacht chandlery. With store locations in strategic ports like St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Grenada, you are never far from what you need. They have an incredibly knowledgeable, friendly staff; their stores are clean, organized and well-stocked and they have a great, user-friendly, comprehensive website to make your search easy.
It gets HOT down here in the Caribbean and the sun not only bakes you, but it bakes your boat as well! By having a Shadetree boat awning, the interiour temperature of our boat is much less - not to mention we'll protect our gear from UV damage and divert rain from coming down our hatches! Check out our review here.
We have loved and been using Sailor Bags since day one! Originally designed to meet the touch standards and lifestyles of sailors, these bags range in size and style and are not only rugged, but stylish as well. We particularly love our messenger bag and tote as well as our extra large duffles for traveling, they make packing and stowing much easier!
Port Louis Marina in Grenada in St. Georges is situated in a beautiful lagoon on the "lee" side of "Spice Island" and is the premiere marina here in Grenada. The amenities are first class and you cannot beat the location. From the office down to the docks this staff is top notch and customer service is obviously their priority. They have made us feel like home in their native Grenada and were kind enough to house us safely for hurricane season. If you are looking for a break from anchorages or a permanent base for hurricane season, Port Louis should be your #1 choice.
Do you want to visit loved ones during hurricane season? Perhaps you have a few projects you would like done while you are away? If so - then Island Dreams Yacht Service is for you. They provide a range of top-notch services and excellent care for your boat while you are away. Not only are the owners, Mark and Anita, wonderful - but the staff they employ is professional and skilled. They will make sure Rasmus is safe and sound for us while we are in Chicago and we are grateful and thankful for their service!!
Red Bull has, since the beginning, been a staple aboard Rasmus. Because it's just Scott and I ninety percent of the time, we are always on three hour shifts when we sail overnight. Making a cup of coffee or tea at 2am is...tedious and, in any type of sea state, can be impossible. Coming on deck all sleepy for a three hour watch and popping a Red Bull makes this much easier. It give us just the right amount of energy for a three hour shift, without that jittery feeling. Yes - it gives us wings. Even though we're on a boat, we love to fly.
Do you love beaches, boats and all things nautical? Looking for a great gift for that salty sea dog in your life? Have a home that you'd like to make more "beachy"? If so, be sure to stop by All Things Sand! They have a fantastic array of beach and nautical themed gifts and products for both boat and home. They have generously donated us some great boating products to use on our trip - including this awesome (waterproof) messenger bag as well as this collapsible cooler. Both items are perfect for the life aquatic and we are grateful to have them. Check them out!C & E Marine Group - Walt Genske is the owner of this great company and one heck of a guy and friend. Not only did he get us GREAT (and I mean GREAT) deals on gear, he sat with us for hours and hours on end patiently giving us he knowledge. We would not be where we are today if not for the generous help and expertise of this man and his great company. He helped us outfit our first boat and he came down to get us ready on our second boat too.
Want to sponsor us? Give us cool stuff? We'll blog, Tweet and Facebook about it for you! Have us test a product? Email us at windtraveler09(at)gmail.com!
