By Chrystal Young
Table of contents
A Week of Learning and Laughter
Every year, we bring our instructors together for a week of sailing, skill building, and connection. It is not a paid event and no one is charged to participate. It is completely voluntary, which says a lot about the level of commitment these instructors carry. They travel to Grenada on their own time and step aboard ready to teach, learn, and start the season even better at what they do.
This year, nine instructors joined us, along with one potential instructor from Trinidad. Together they formed our own little “United Nations” of sailing talent, with roots in the US, Italy, St. Vincent, South Africa, Germany, and across the Caribbean.
What Instructor Development Week Is
Instructor Development Week is our way of making sure the people who teach for us stay sharp, connected, and inspired. It is a working week mixed with plenty of fun, built around the idea that great instruction comes from constant growth. We get on the water together, compare techniques, talk through what works and what needs to change, and put our own skills under the same pressure our students experience. It’s a great place for feedback on what is working within our company and what might need improvement.
LTD Sailing – ”Living the Dream!”, based in Grenada and part of the American Sailing community, is known for its seven- and ten-day liveaboard Learn and Cruise courses in the Southern Caribbean. We teach in one of the most dynamic cruising grounds in the region, and we want our instructors to be just as exceptional as the place we sail in. As far as we know, we are the only school that offers an entire week like this for its instructors, and we do it because we want the highest standards for our school and our students.
With that foundation set, we headed out for the kind of week that reminds all of us why we teach.
The Fleet Sets Sail
Our fleet for the week included Big O, a 45 foot Leopard catamaran, and two monohulls, Crazy Love (Jeanneau 39i) and Puffin (Sun Odyssey 409). The moment we cleared the harbor, the teaching quietly gave way to a familiar grin on every face. Three boats on open water rarely stay in a line for long. A little racing always finds us. It’s a competitive group.
Our mornings started with coffee and cockpit learning sessions and ended with floaty animals and rum. We are in paradise after all. In between, we sharpened our teaching skills, traded stories, and enjoyed some truly epic boat-to-boat nightlife.
Isle de Ronde Adventures
On the first day, we sailed up to Isle de Ronde, a remote island halfway between Grenada and Carriacou. It’s completely uninhabited, with deep anchorages and small, sandy beaches.
On the far side of the island lies a stunning crescent-shaped beach that’s nearly impossible to reach. We tried by land but ran into cactus and plenty of prickly stickers. We tried by dinghy, but the swells were crashing too hard over the reef to land safely. Maybe next summer, when the winds settle down, we’ll make it.
That night, we grilled our famous “cheeseburgers in paradise” under a sky full of stars.
Carriacou and the Famous Tim’s BBQ
Next stop was Carriacou. We anchored in Anse La Roche and planned an afternoon of cockpit teaching followed by a race around Union Island. If you have ever anchored at Anse La Roche, you know what a treat it is. The water is calm, the beach is beautiful, and the whole bay feels like a small pocket of perfection. After our race, we headed ashore for Tim’s legendary lobster beach BBQ, which never disappoints.
If you haven’t been to Tim’s, it’s worth planning an entire charter around it. The lobster BBQ and beachside cocktails are an adventure of their own. Tim’s is only accessible by boat, which makes it a rite of passage for visiting cruisers. Our Learn and Cruise adventures always include a stop there.
As soon as we sat down, the table filled with garlic-baked potatoes, tender conch salad, and other local favorites. The star of the evening was the platter of grilled lobster, piled high and dripping with butter. It was so good we made lobster omelets for breakfast the next morning.
Sandy Island: Beauty and Resilience
From Anse La Roche, we sailed over to Sandy Island, a postcard-perfect strip of sand and palms that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. The storm split the island and uprooted most of its trees. What remains is a powerful reminder of both nature’s force and the resilience of this region.
Locals have been restoring it by planting palms, sea grapes, and stabilizing vegetation. The progress is remarkable. The snorkeling is still some of the best you’ll find in the southern Caribbean, with clear water and vibrant reefs.
That night, we held a curry cook-off, complete with fresh roti brought from Trinidad. By the end, there wasn’t a chickpea left onboard.
The Windward Journey Home
On our final day, we took the windward route back to Prickly Bay Marina, our home base. It’s not a route we use often. Seas on that side can be rough, and if something goes sideways, the rocks are uncomfortably close.
This time, the conditions lined up. The waves were big enough to keep things lively but not punishing. It made for a memorable final sail with sun overhead, steady breeze, and a cockpit full of laughter.
Why We Do It
Instructor Development Week is one of my favorite traditions at LTD Sailing. These gatherings keep us connected, keep us learning, and help us raise our teaching standards every year. As the school owner, I love having time with our team and showing them why this sailing life means so much to us, because yes, we really do love to sail.
Our instructors bring deep knowledge, creativity, professionalism, and a healthy sense of humor. Spending a week learning with them, instead of just from them, is always inspiring.
Learning to sail in Grenada offers the perfect mix of confidence-building conditions and serious fun on the water. It fits who we are as a school, and it reflects the kind of sailing we love to share. Above all, Grenada is our home.
Thanks, kids, for another amazing week. We’ll see you on the water.
Interested in sailing with us? Explore our liveaboard courses or check availability on the LTD Sailing calendar at LTDSailing.com or email info@ltdsailing.com.
About the Author
Chrystal Young is the co-owner of LTD Sailing – ”Living the Dream!” and founding member of the Grenada Sailing Club. She first learned to sail in the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest before trading pine trees for palm trees and moving to Grenada more than thirteen years ago. She and her partner built LTD Sailing from the ground up, and today it remains a family run school dedicated to teaching sailors in the heart of the Southern Caribbean.
Join The Discussion
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Have you done a sailing instructor training week?
At LTD Sailing’s Instructor Development Week in Grenada, instructors spend seven days sailing together, sharing techniques, testing skills under real conditions, and building camaraderie. What activities, teaching approaches, or team dynamics do you think make an instructor development week most effective for strengthening both skills and community?
Read more in the article: https://americansailing.com/articles/instructor-development-week-2025/
americansailing.com
Instructor Development Week 2025
Instructor Development Week 2025: LTD instructors gather in Grenada for a week of sailing, learning, and connection.
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