The cruises start from jetty at Kurikadduwan situated on the island of Punguduthivu which is the furthest island connected to the Jaffna peninsula by a causeway and is an hour’s drive from Jaffna town.

“We begin the journey from Kurikadduwan and go to Nagadeepa and then to Delft, Kakarativu, Annalativu and Iranativu. The day cruises, the overnight cruise to Delft, the two and three-nighters with a limited number of islands and the six-nighter where we take the guests all the way to Mannar and Talaimannar, are increasing in popularity, and encouraging us to expand our fleet in the north,” said Vice President of Sail Lanka Charter, Gowrie Ponniah.

“With permission from the Navy, we can take our guest’s upto Adam’s Bridge – the sand bank between Sri Lanka and India which we approach on a dinghy because the water is so shallow. As an option, we also organise a land tour of the Jaffna district, but with most of the guests, once they get on the boat, they don’t want to get off.”

“After pioneering the whale watching in Mirissa, the founder of the company, Pierre Pringiers always wanted to make Sri Lanka the hub for yacht construction and yacht ownership and yacht chartering in the region, and to maximise the socio-economic benefits to the country by creating Sail Lanka Charter and the local yacht building yards, mini marinas and a training centre for all the skills required.

“Jaffna was the last destination because we have boats going out from Mirissa in the south, Beruwala in the west, and Trincomalee and Pasikudah in the east. The north of Sri Lanka is the only part of the country that has a number of islands which are totally suitable for sailing tourism and he felt that there was also something he could do to redevelop the post-war economy and bring a new type of tourism to the north.”

“Beyond the tourism sector, our yachts offer an amazing experience and a new way for resident Sri Lankans and Sri Lankans residing overseas, to rediscover the country.”

The unique hybrid, sail and engine powered catamaran yachts, cabin cruisers and day-cruisers are completely designed and built in Sri Lanka. With comfortable accommodation for eight passengers in four double-cabins and two double-crew quarters, each cabin has a western-style bathroom with toilet, shower and wash basin.

The boats are equipped to provide the guests with freshly cooked food from the galley kitchen. Solar panels provide the 220V power for the galley refrigerators, lighting, WiFi, music system and water de-salinator. All yachts have a living cum dining area on the lower deck.

Source : http://dailynews.lk/2018/01/23/business/140673/delft-island-sail-cruises-introduced