Sagitta Galapagos Cruise » Review

Pura’s opinion
Sagitta is a beautiful looking boat with a great itinerary. The best of the first class sail boats, the only sail boat of a higher standard is the deluxe class Alta.

Star rating
Sagitta is a superior first class motor sail boat. Whilst she has sails, she generally travels under motor with sails being used occasionally, if at all, to provide some lateral stability.

Accommodation
Cabins are small, comfortable but functional – bed & bathroom. All are single upper, small double lower bunks.

Cabins on board are designed as a place to lay your head rather than somewhere to lounge about and relax.

The communal areas are large and very comfortable with plenty of different seating areas and decks which means that you can always find a quiet haven.

Noise
You should be aware that on any small boat you will have noise from generators and from the engine when travelling. Even sail boats travel under motor.

On Sagitta the cabins are quite far forwards from the engine room, with a sitting room in between. This helps to keep engine noise down.

Stability
Being a sail boat, you will get movement in the water. This will be most noticeable between July and October in the more exposed waters of the south west of the archipelago.

Itinerary
Sagitta follows what we think is the best possible eight-day Galapagos cruise route around the islands. Sagitta follows a clockwise course around the archipelago with no doubling back.

Responsible travel
Pura Aventura is passionate about the places it visits.

Pura Aventura pays for you to become a benefactor of the Galapagos Conservation Trust for a full year.

The owners of this boat, the Angermeyers, are truly passionate about the Galapagos Islands.

Born and raised in Galapagos, and acquiring his skills firsthand from his father Fritz – a boat builder – Fiddi Angermeyer is a genuine pioneer of the Island’s tourist industry.

Their boat operations are all SmartVoyager certified – go to www.smartvoyager.org for more information.

The Angermeyers also work with the Galapagos Foundation to recycle garbage in the Islands as well as taking to the continent what cannot be recycled.

In addition they promote the coastal cleaning among the fishermen, as well as the manufacture of handicrafts using recycled materials.

Social responsibility projects are key to the Angermeyer operation. Currently they are working with an organic farmers’ association on the islands, a bakers’ cooperative, two different artisan projects and a micro-business support scheme.

Finally, 25% of profit was donated to the Galapagos local government for capital projects in 2008.

Who is it for?
The boat is comfortable but certainly not luxurious. The atmosphere is accordingly relaxed, friendly and informal.

The boat is an excellent choice for solo travellers as well as couples, groups and friends.

Clients will tend to be a mixture of European and north American.