Header Image by Jamil Dillon | All other images by Festy GoNuts

Rhythm & Sails 2025: A Magical Musical Journey at Sea 

What happens when 7 yachts, 8 musicians and 62 guests sail for 6 nights through the Grenadines in the Caribbean Sea?

Pure magic.

Rhythm & Sails is an all-inclusive live music and sailing experience. The 2025 iteration of the event featured seven 40-50 ft. catamarans. The fleet set sail out of St. Vincent on May 3, starting the tour of the Grenadines at Bequia Island. From there, we continued to the beautiful island of Mayreau and the Caribbean paradise of Salt Whistle Bay. The final destination was the upscale isle of Mustique, before returning to St. Vincent on May 9.

Musical director Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass) was joined by Travis Book (Infamous Stringdusters), Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition), Megan Letts (Mama Magnolia), Torrin Daniels (Kitchen Dwellers), Mark Morris (Rapidgrass), Holly Bowling, and Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds).

The most overheard reaction when we returned to St. Vincent after 6 nights of Rhythm & Sails, echoed amongst the 70 guests and crew, was that there were “no words” to describe the experience we all just shared. Which makes this a difficult assignment, but one that we undertake with joy and anticipation, longing to share this feeling, hold on to it, and return to it over and over.

We (Festy GoNuts) had no idea what to expect when we initially embarked on this epic journey.

We’d been on some brief day-trip sails, and certainly have enjoyed time on the water – swimming, snorkeling, and diving are some of our favorite activities. But we’ve never done an overnight on a boat, let alone 6.

All of the artists on this trip are certainly familiar to us.  We’ve watched each of these talented folks perform with their respective bands and jamming with one another through various projects. But this was a unique configuration.

As for the crew, we expected a competent group and assumed they would safely guide us through our journey. Our expectations of the other guests were limited – unlike most festivals, we went into Rhythm & Sails without knowing many other attendees, and the uniqueness of this event left us wondering what types of people we would be engaging with over the ensuing week at sea.

So, our expectations were limited. But, as Jay Cobb Anderson has said, “I’ve got little expectations, and as such, I won’t easily be let down…”

Turns out, our expectations were blown out of the water.

The Sails

We left the dock at St. Vincent and made a very short trip to a nearby group of mooring balls just offshore for our first night, before setting sail for Bequia in the morning.

All souls were on deck, the wind in our hair, smiles all around, swaying to the rhythm of the sea, prepared to surrender to the flow as we began our adventure.

There’s nothing like hitting the sea in a fleet of seven 40-50ft catamarans. We cut through the water like a knife through tiramisu, sails full and salt in the air.

The entire trip is carefully planned with a sail scheduled about every other day to allow for more time for music, activities, and relaxation, but the journey was an important part of the adventure. Our first mates tried for fish (a few succeeded!), those interested lent a hand in the sailing, and most relaxed on the deck, soaking it all in.

For anyone apprehensive about sailing, rest assured, Rhythm & Sails is run by true professionals. If seasickness is an issue, there were plenty of remedies on hand, and very few reports of anything other than a slight queasiness on one of the longer days.

Though fairly brief – our longest sail being about 3.5 hours – the time underway was some of the most cherished. Beautiful islands in the distance, an occasional sea turtle waving “hello”, and the bluest water you’ve ever seen highlighted the mornings under sail, until eventually arriving at a destination that looked surreal and out of a movie.

There’s just no proper way to describe the beauty of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. You have to see for yourself.

The Sounds

Sure, this was a magical voyage through beautiful seas and glorious islands, but Rhythm & Sails also features some of the most talented artists in the business.  From the very first notes played, it was clear that we were in for something special.

Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass is the musical director, and for 2025 he tapped Travis Book (Infamous Stringdusters), Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition), Megan Letts (Mama Magnolia), Torrin Daniels (Kitchen Dwellers), Mark Morris (Rapidgrass), Holly Bowling (Holly freakin’ Bowling!), and Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds).

We know that these musicians are completely capable of getting together on the fly and throwing together a set of music that would impress anyone. We’ve seen it on stage, at parties, and at late-night campsite jams. Anders Beck and the other artists could have winged it, and we would have all been happy. But from the moment we arrived on the dock at St. Vincent, greeted by the full band performing just for us, to the 2-set epic show that closed us out at Basil’s in Mustique, we were treated to extremely tight, carefully rehearsed, and intricately curated music.

The time these artists put into learning new songs – at least a set a day – was evident. The care and effort that Anders exerted into tailoring the sets, the songs, the arrangements, and the configurations was unprecedented.

This group gave it their all – they played and sang their hearts out, and it was felt and appreciated by everyone in attendance.

Every performance was unique, and each was phenomenal. Sets of music ranged from acoustic concerts on the deck of a boat to full-stage electric shows at a club. Anders kept the lineups rotating, with different musicians taking the spotlight each day. There was dancing, singing, crowd participation, storytelling, laughter and tears.

Rhythm & Sails is a completely immersive musical experience, fully connecting artists and attendees, and creating magic, joy, and love from start to finish.

The Souls

“Riddim and Sails! Riddim and Sails!”

The boat-wide announcements from our fearless leader, Admiral Ashley Hart, were welcomed throughout the journey. Some were notifications to the captains and crew, others were meant for the guests – often pointing out the highlights of the day, reminding us to hydrate, or simply sending well wishes, as we were all part of this adventure together.

And that was the sentiment that stemmed from the top down, from every crew member on every boat. We were in this together, and they were there with our comfort and safety as the number one priority.

This was not your ordinary crew. These were world-class sailing captains. Many first-mates were captains in other walks of life. Several crew members are Olympic athletes, television stars, business owners, and even musicians themselves.

The chefs went above and beyond – catering to personal preferences and always being available with a snack, a frozen cocktail, and various treats between the gourmet, freshly prepared meals.

More than being an extremely competent crew, they quickly became friends, sharing in the adventure and experiencing the joy alongside the guests.

And that brings us to the guests.

We set sail from St. Vincent as 70 individual souls. We returned as one incredibly close family.

We’ll admit anticipation in not knowing ahead of time the folks we would be living with, in close quarters, for 7 days. From the moment we met, however, our Captain (Scotty) acted the role of camp counselor – encouraging us to share our stories, our goals, and our intentions for the trip. We opened up and quickly became friends, and eventually family.

This was the case on each vessel. Boats became teams, friendly rivalry ensued. (“Island Girl” was clearly the BEST boat, however.) As we commingled, we got to know each and every soul on each boat – including their crew members. We spent hours frolicking in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, playing on paddle boards, pirating noodles, enjoying each others company and rum.

By the end, we were skipping down the beach hand in hand, dancing arm in arm, and sharing in a collective experience with our new best friends.

Rhythm & Sails is not a music festival.

Rhythm & Sails is not a chartered boat trip.
Rhythm & Sails is not a series of concerts.
Rhythm & Sails is not a cult.
Rhythm & Sails is not like anything we have ever experienced.
Rhythm & Sails is a magical dream come true.

We could continue to go on and on about Rhythm & Sails (it seems we’ve found the words, after all).

We could tell you all of the intimate details that make this so very special.

We could wax poetic about the epic sunsets and sunrises, and counting the shooting stars while sleeping on the deck.

We could plunge into the details of our daily morning swims, snorkeling the reefs just offshore, and spotting seahorses during our SCUBA adventure.

We could share about the delicious lobster dinner, the inside jokes from each boat, the night swims, the dozens of manta rays playing beneath the lights, the late-night upper-deck dance parties.

We could tell you about returning to our boat after midnight to find our chef pulling freshly baked cookies out of the oven.

We could share the memory of Holly Bowling performing a solo piano concerto on a beach, framed by the sea on both sides, as we lay in bean bags on the sand, staring at the stars.

Yes, we could dive deeply into each and every incredible detail that made Rhythm & Sails the most magical week of our lives.

But we won’t.

This is something you must experience for yourself.

Learn more about Rhythm & Sails:
rhythmandsails.com
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