About SailAway Cottages

Are you looking for an affordable stay in what is generally touted as a “luxury vacation paradise”?  SailAway Cottages offers you options.   Come stay with us and enjoy local knowledge, a quiet neighbourhood, and at max a 15 minute drive to Grace Bay – the “touristy” area.    Check out our cottages here

Who are we and what is our story?

We are Karen and John Lawson – transplanted Canadians.   Life Motto? Keep doing it until it stops being fun!! We moved down to TCI with two babies in 1999. We were going to stay for only one year, but we fell in love with TCI.  We brought our two children up here, who are now living in Canada, and feeling grateful that they have a warm place to visit at Christmas!!!  We started our love affair with the Caribbean when we got married – as we took a year off to sail from Toronto to the Bahamas on a small sailboat. When we returned to Canada, we got “real” jobs, but spent every vacation chartering sailboats throughout the Caribbean. We realized the hustle and bustle of city life was not for us… and here we are today.

We converted our 2 car garage into a suite for our parents to stay because as you can imagine they were very sad that we took their grandchildren away from them when we moved south.    We renovated the suite a few years ago and decided to try this “short term rental” thing out.   We loved it!   We enjoy meeting people from all over the world, and sharing our little piece of paradise with them.   We then built The LightHouse Cottage in 2018, and The Sail Loft in 2020.   Most recently, (2023) we renovated a guest suite in our own home, (The Captain’s Quarters), which now has it’s own private entrance, and two private decks.   

We make ourselves as available as you want us to be.  We love to provide advice and suggestions, but if you truly want to get away from it all and don’t want to interact, we respect that as well.     We want you to have the vacation of your dreams, and we are here to help you achieve  that.  

Read Our Airbnb Reviews

  •   The Lighthouse was the perfect spot for our first trip to T&C. Karen provided us with a great guide for the island and the house, which is located in... read more

    thumb Bob
    August 9, 2023

      The house is tucked in a nice neighborhood with a great beach just a very short and easy walk away. Both bedrooms are separate from the living and kitchen area.... read more

    thumb Laura
    August 1, 2023

      Our family of 4 had such a wonderful time at this Lighthouse in paradise for my 50th birthday!!! Karen and John (and Soldier) were fantastic hosts!! Friendly, inviting and super... read more

    thumb Jenna
    July 24, 2023
  •   We had a great vacation at the Lighthouse. Karen and John are great hosts, as is Soldier who was with us every day and loved to show us to the... read more

    thumb Christopher
    July 15, 2023

      Our stay at the Lighthouse Cottage was nothing short of amazing! In every way!! Karen and John are wonderful hosts. We had everything we needed for a perfect family vacation!... read more

    thumb Grace
    July 7, 2023

      The lighthouse is a quiet and spacious refuge far from the crowds. You’ve got beach access just across the street from multi-million dollar oceanfront homes. Not the same, pristine water... read more

    thumb Chris
    July 2, 2023
  •   The Lighthouse was a great place to spend our time while in TC. The place is everything the listing says it is. We loved being able to use... read more

    thumb Leigh
    June 28, 2023

      We had the most incredible stay at the Lighthouse, and I can’t express enough how magical this property is.

    From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by... read more

    thumb Susie
    June 22, 2023

      We had a WONDERFUL time at the Lighthouse Cottage. It was comfortable and absolutely perfect for two couples to have their own private rooms. The pool was refreshing and the... read more

    thumb Julie
    June 16, 2023
  •   Fabulous house with amenities. Walking distance to your own beach to snorkel, private pool and great views from the top of the lighthouse. Away from the hustle of... read more

    thumb Linda
    June 9, 2023

      Karen and John are wonderful hosts! The house was absolutely amazing and offered us a peaceful vacation. Karen was very responsive and so incredibly kind to offer all sorts of... read more

    thumb Carey
    June 4, 2023

      We had a wonderful stay at Karen’s place! So close to a quiet stretch of beach…you can walk to da conch shack!! There were beach towels and beach chairs that... read more

    thumb Karina
    May 28, 2023
  •   We had a fantastic stay at the LightHouse Cottage. Karen and John have created a vacation oasis. There is so much to recommend -- morning coffee at... read more

    thumb Margaret
    May 9, 2023

      This was our second time staying with Karen and John and our first at the Lighthouse. They are amazing hosts and so responsive to any questions. Trust me when I... read more

    thumb Mike
    April 15, 2023

      We absolutely loved our stay at the Lighthouse. It was even better than we imagined it would be from the pictures. The house is in a nice neighborhood, private, and... read more

    thumb Jeremy
    April 6, 2023
  •   Excellent location with great amenities including private access to beach, kayaking and snorkeling. Felt right at home with charming host and wonderful family pup Soldier. Highly recommend this place to... read more

    thumb Susan
    March 25, 2023

      Karen and John were most responsive. We could not have asked for a more relaxing stay and the lighthouse cottage. We highly recommend.

    thumb Douglas
    March 17, 2023

      Wow! This place is just amazing! We were greeted by John who walked us through some of the basic things to know about the property and life on the island.... read more

    thumb Tami
    March 10, 2023
  •   The place was great! Just as pictured and described. It was our first time to the island and after checking out a number of the neighborhoods, we would definitely stay... read more

    thumb Kelly
    March 3, 2023

      This was one of the best vacation rentals we've ever stayed in and the villa itself was truly a highlight of our trip. It is absolutely unique with its lighthouse/turret... read more

    thumb Lyn
    February 24, 2023

      A perfectly located spot — quick drive from airport, 2 minute walk to beach, kayaks and canal to ocean from back yard, private pool. Just a lovely house with the... read more

    thumb Kate
    February 20, 2023
  •   Fantastic place, just a short skip from a very very private beach. The home is well laid out and perfect for a beach vacation. We enjoyed mornings on the awesome... read more

    thumb Clint
    February 16, 2023

      Had an amazing stay at Lighthouse Cottage. The place exceeded expectations. Karen and John were excellent hosts. Very responsive but also non intrusive. We really felt like the place... read more

    thumb Michael
    February 11, 2023

      We had a great stay at the Lighthouse Cottage. The space was perfect for two couples. Soldier the dog met us every morning to guide us to the beach. He... read more

    thumb Kristen
    February 4, 2023
  •   How often you can take a outdoor shower looking at a lighthouse? Unique place in great location next to the beach with lots of sea turtles.

    thumb Adrian
    January 27, 2023

      We had a wonderful week at the Lighthouse. The location is perfect, private but walkable to the beach, the dock with the kayaks, paddle boards and to Da Conch Shack!... read more

    thumb Catherine
    January 23, 2023

      We really loved the lighthouse stay!! The entire property was pristine and had all the amenities one could ask for. We cooked every day and grilled at the property(propane tank... read more

    thumb Carrieann
    January 15, 2023
  •   Everything about our week long stay at the Lighthouse Cottage was perfection! The home is exactly as the pictures and description describes it! On top of that Karen is the... read more

    thumb Jessica
    December 24, 2022

      Karen’s place was in such a great location. We had the canal to enjoy and kayak, the beach was at walking distance. The beaches for snorkeling were 10 min away... read more

    thumb Eva
    December 13, 2022

      We loved this place. Very private. Karen is next door and helped the few minor problems we encountered. Beach within 5 minute walk, and Soldier (the unofficial house dog) was... read more

    thumb Doug
    December 7, 2022