Kairos

A Schooner Built for the Pleasure of Sailing

Kairos is a Bermuda staysail schooner carrying a maximum of 32 guests. At 38 metres she is compact by any modern definition of a sailing ship, and that compactness is precisely her appeal. There are no public decks reserved for different ticket categories, no dining arrangements by sitting, no crowds anywhere. At any given moment, a third of the guests are probably on the foredeck watching the bow work through a sea, another third are at the stern with a drink, and the rest are in the water.

She sails routes that favour the sail over the schedule, anchorages in sheltered bays, stops at island settlements too small for a ferry service, overnight passages where the stars are unobscured by any ambient light. The destinations are chosen because they reward a vessel of Kairos’s size and draught, not because they appear in a standard brochure.

The Staysail Rig

The Bermuda staysail rig is efficient, modern in character, and well suited to the passages Kairos sails. There is no square canvas to handle and no complex yards to work, the sails are controlled from the deck by a small, professional crew, and the ship responds quickly to shifts in wind and sea. Guests who want to take a turn at the helm are usually welcome when conditions allow. Those who simply want to feel the motion of a sailing vessel underway will find everything they are looking for on Kairos.

With 556 square metres of working sail area, she moves well in moderate conditions and is designed to be at sea as often as the programme allows. When the wind drops, the engine takes over without ceremony, and the schedule is maintained. The guiding principle is that the sailing should feel natural, not theatrical.

Life on a Small Ship

Thirty-two guests and a small professional crew produce a particular atmosphere that larger vessels cannot replicate. Meals are taken together at a shared table or on deck in good weather; the conversation ranges freely; the crew takes part when they are not otherwise occupied. By the third day of a voyage, most guests know every other guest by name, know which crew member is responsible for which part of the ship, and have developed a sense of how Kairos works that they will carry with them long after the voyage ends.

Swimming and snorkelling are available directly from the hull at anchor. There are no water sports fees, no booking systems, no designated swimming periods. When the anchor goes down, the sea is open.

For Whom

Kairos suits guests who already know what they want from a sailing voyage, and those who are discovering for the first time that they prefer a small, attentive ship to a large impersonal one. The atmosphere is relaxed and social without being compulsory. If you prefer to read in a quiet corner of the deck and not speak to another soul until dinner, that is equally possible. The ship accommodates both.

Our team is pleased to advise on itinerary selection, cabin choice, and the specific character of individual voyages. Contact us to discuss what Kairos can offer you.