Last updated on August 7, 2017
With her vintage wooden decks and sun-bleached sails, Classic Sail Barcelona’s boat Gemini is the perfect vessel for a relaxed and romantic sailing trip along Barcelona’s dazzling Mediterranean coast.
About Classic Sail Barcelona’s Sailing Trips
Whether you’re a first-time sailor or an experienced sea-dog, Classic Sail Barcelona’s sailing trips offer the perfect excuse to get out on the water in Barcelona for some quality time and relaxation with your family (kids under 16 go free!), friends or loved one.
You’ll even get to see many of Barcelona’s sites, including Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, the Torre Agbar Tower, Montjuic Mountain and many more – they look even better from the sea!
Oozing charm and timeless sophistication, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this vintage sailboat. Pack your swimsuit and a picnic and let Skipper Dave take care of the rest. This is what sailing on the Med is all about!
Classic Sail Barcelona’s Range of Private Boat Trips
Book one of the morning/afternoon trips for a sun-kissed cruise up the coast and a chance to swim in the warm Mediterranean waters or treat yourself and your partner to a romantic sunset cruise and watch the sun fizzle out over Barcelona’s terracotta skyline whilst saying cheers with a glass of Spanish wine – what better place to get down on one knee and pop the big question in Barcelona?
Head over to the Classic Sail’s website now to book your tailored boat trip in Barcelona or read on to hear more about my experience.
My Experience
A rose among thorns, Gemini stood boldly out from the crowd as we arrived at the dock. Surrounded by powerboats, jet-skis and modern racing yachts, her teak decks and wooden mast looked chic and timeless in comparison.
“There were only 40 of them ever built,” Skipper Dave told me, “and I’ve tracked them all down. They’re all still sailing, apart from one.”
Pootling out to sea, past the glistening towers and toe-dipping beach goers, a breeze rose and cooled my skin in what was still a searing hot late-afternoon sun.
Springing to life in a series of rituals that he could have clearly done in his sleep, Dave had both sails up and trimmed in what felt like sixty seconds flat.
He hopped back into the cockpit, switched off the engine and took hold of the old wooden tiller.
“And… we’re sailing,” he proclaimed, clearly as happy about it as I was.
It was instant tranquility and the rolling rhythm instantly rocked me into a hypnotic state of peace.
We cruised and glided and bobbed over the little blue lumps that rippled towards the shoreline, and my girlfriend, Rosana, and friends, Darren and Leticia, who had been chatting and laughing joyously up until now, fell to silence, startled by the beauty of the beach fading away as we breezed out to sea.
Gemini ~ An Authentic Classic Sailboat
After a few tacks, Dave and I talked about Gemini and how he’d sailed her to Barcelona from Ipswich via Scotland. It took about six weeks and forced Dave to quickly hone his sailing skills. She’s a 14 ton Berthon Gauntlet, built in 1947 by the Berthon Boat Company of Lymington. A true classic.
“I’ve had her about eight years now. I lived on her for the first 5 years, here in Barcelona – it was a really wonderful and simple way of life,” Dave told me in his soothing Scottish tone. I felt woozy with envy.
They say not to fall in love with a boat until after you’ve bought it, but as soon as I stood on the deck and she didn’t rock, because she’s so heavy, I just knew instantly she was the one.
Skipper Dave
With his bushy black eye-brows and salt-flecked clothes, Skipper Dave has an air of both strength and gentility about him.
“I was a computer programmer, and I was living on the boat and working freelance with clients back in the UK. But then the work began to dry up and I started to worry about how I’d make a living. It’s funny, you know, looking back… I was sitting on the boat, watching all the other boats taking people out for sailing trips, worrying about money. It took a surprisingly long time for me to work it out, to realise, that I could take people out sailing on Gemini.”
He’s one of those real life heroes that you meet from time to time, someone who’s followed his heart and made his dreams reality by turning his passion into a job and a way of life.
And Gemini, with her sun-bleached Rioja-red sail and well-worn decks, is the perfect fit for the strong silent Scot. She might be elegant, old and wooden, but she was built for long-distance racing and is perfectly capable of crossing even the wildest of oceans.
“Do you have spinnaker sail” I asked, “or a speedometer so that we can see how fast we’re going?”
“Nope,” he shrugged. And with a quick glance to the horizon and then up at the sail, “I’m a cruiser, not a racer.”
Summary
I think half of Barcelona’s charm is that it’s built smack bang on the Mediterranean coast, so whether you’re travelling with family, friends or a loved one, a boat trip should definitely feature somewhere pretty high up on your itinerary. Assuming you want to keep it classy and continue the romance of the city out to sea, Gemini truly is the perfect boat for the job.
Guaranteed to steal your heart, Classic Sail Barcelona is the real life version of what you envision when you dream of sailing in the Med.
Make it Happen
Buy a bottle of cava and a few slices of Catalan meats and cheeses from Jovani & Vins (or whichever vinoteca is closest to you) and prepare to float away an afternoon in paradise.
Gemini sets sail three times a day: 10h00, 14h00 and 19h00 and you can book last minute trips up to two hours before each time slot.
Book your Barcelona sailing experience on Gemini at the official website.
Prices: Private Boat Tours of Barcelona on Gemini
3 hour sailing day trips: Prices shown are for exclusive use of Gemini by your group.
| Departure | Passengers | Total price |
|---|---|---|
| 10h00, 14h00 | 2 | €190 |
| Sunset* | 2 | €240 |
| 10h00, 14h00, sunset* | 3 | €240 |
| 10h00, 14h00, sunset* | 4 or 5 | €270 |
| 10h00, 14h00, sunset* | 6 | €300 |
| 10h00, 14h00, sunset* | 7 | €330 |
Contact Skipper Dave directly via email dave@ClassicSailBCN.eu, or call/WhatsApp/Viber +34653331545
