A new app allows sailors in the Caribbean to order daily groceries — from fresh bread and local fruit to water and sparkling wine — with delivery directly to the boat.

The founders of Appel à Tous say the app works whether the yacht is moored at the pier or away from shore at a buoy, and all groceries will be delivered to the galley within hours of making a payment on the app.

Behind the app is a Martinique-German-Polish team. The initial launch is in Martinique, but Caribbean-wide expansion is planned for the near future.

“In simple terms, our app allows sailors to order all the products they need, with express delivery to any boat — whether moored at the pier or at the buoy,” says Appel à Tous co-founder Zoe Adamowicz. “We have met with a very warm welcome among sailors in Martinique. I have been sailing in the Caribbean for years and have always dreamed of a service like this.”

Any sailor who has ever shopped for a cruise in the Antilles will know the inconveniences involved. In the Caribbean, where apart from a few major ports, large sailboats and catamarans are typically moored at buoys located up to hundreds of metres from the shore, and the only realistic way to get shopping to the yacht is on a small dinghy. In addition, larger shops in picturesque island bays are a rarity and are difficult to get to without a car. Therefore, fresh ingredients often start to run out during the cruise. Appel à Tous is pitched to solve this problem.

“Human impact on the environment is one of the biggest challenges in the Caribbean. On the one hand, we are trying to promote sailing tourism, and on the other, we want to protect nature from the pernicious effects of civilisation,” adds co-founder Moritz Bratzke. “At Appel à Tous, we try to offer as much local produce as possible, minimise plastic and promote organisations that protect the oceans. In a few years’ time, our goal is to create a platform that connects local producers with tourists — supporting islanders on the one hand and providing sailors with as many local flavours and authentic experiences as possible on the other.”

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