BAHAMAS FLOTILLA CRUISE WITH COLGATE SAILING ADVENTURES®
A PICTURE-PERFECT PARADISE GETAWAY UNDER SAIL!
November 8-15, 2020
Our last flotilla cruise in the beautiful Abaco Islands of the Bahamas was in 2016. Sadly, the Abacos were devastated by Hurricane Dorian the first week of September 2019. At this time we are holding off on taking any further reservations for this location, even though the start date is more than a year away. We will make an announcement regarding this cruise in a timely manner when we learn more from The Moorings as to where they plan to position their Bahamas fleet. We are leaving the photos and descriptions in place below, but be aware much is now gone. If you would like help, there are many organizations gathering food, water, tents, and other supplies. In our headquarters area, one of our most wonderful citizens has set up a GoFundMe page, and will be taking supplies over to the islands by boat as soon the waters are safe enough to transverse. Your help would be most appreciated.
FABULOUS SAILING ON CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS
Just a short flight from the east coast of Florida is Great Abaco Island on the Sea of Abaco, circled by a number of smaller islands with picturesque colonial towns. East of Florida and north of Cuba, the Abacos provide lovely sailing in 5-20 knot north-easterly trade winds. The waters are the most amazing shade of turquoise. Beautiful reefs 
teeming with colorful fish in shallow waters provide superb snorkeling. Lovely anchorages with miles of sandy beaches and quaint villages beckon each evening with places to explore and dine ashore or just relax aboard under a canopy of stars as the sun sets.
JOIN NATE AND HEATHER ATWATER, YOUR CRUISE LEADERS
Those of you who have sailed with Nate and Heather Atwater on many other Colgate Sailing Adventures Flotilla Cruises, know how caring and organized these two special sailors are. Lifetime sailors, the Atwaters will again lead this cruise and make sure you see all the highlights, including a cadre of pigs swimming off one of the beaches.
Required Flotilla Cruises Resume
888-454-7015
Sail@OffshoreSailing.com
COOL BREEZES, WARM WATERS AND DAZZLING OCEAN SUNSETS
Here are some of the islands and attractions you will sail to on this trip. Each day on our Abacos bareboat charter takes you to a new place to explore – in the water snorkeling, on the water by dinghy, ashore on beaches and paths that afford amazing views.
Man-O-War Cay
This quiet community of about 200 residents is famous for boat builders, canvas bag makers, and narrow picturesque roads. The original settlers, who were farmers, arrived in 1820, but quickly became wood craftsmen, building vessels known as the Abaco dinghies. Exploring the village takes you to unique shops and casual restaurants for their famous conch fritters and homemade pies. The white sand beaches on the Atlantic side of this historic island are absolutely stunning. No alcohol is sold ashore, but of course you can enjoy sundowners aboard your yachts at days end.
Great Guana Cay
Sparsely populated, this scenic island has expansive white-sand beaches on the Atlantic side and several lovely anchorages, including Bakers Bay where you might spend the night at anchor. Fishers Bay and Settlement Harbor, at the south end of the cay, are near the village which has a couple of stores, restaurants, and a dive shop. Depending on the schedule set by the Atwaters, you could pick up a mooring in either of these locations, or dock on the south side of Settlement Harbor.
Green Turtle Cay
New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay is a quaint village with colorful buildings, white 
picket fences and narrow picturesque streets. Settled in 1783 at the end of the American Revolution, it grew into the second largest city in the Bahamas by 1800. The Albert Lowe Museum is a nice stop to learn about New Plymouth’s history. The Memorial Sculpture Gardens feature bronze busts of historically famous Bahamian figures, and you can learn all about the ecology of reef systems at the Captain Roland Roberts House Environmental Center. This is a great island for dining ashore at one of its many typically Bahamian restaurants in New Plymouth or The Bluff House and Green Turtle Club in White Sound.
Treasure Cay
Developed as a resort in the 1950s, this island is known for its crescent-shaped white-sand beach where you can enjoy swimming, sunbathing and all kinds of water-sports. It also has an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. A must stop here is the Tipsy Seagull bar for drinks, and you can also dine at the Spinnaker Restaurant near the Treasure Cay Marina. You might pick up moorings here, anchor or dock at the marina where showers and provisions are available.
Hope Town on Elbow Cay
An Abacos cruise is not complete without a night at Hope Town on Elbow Cay, where you can climb to the top of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse for amazing views. There’s so much to see and do here. The Wyannie Malone Museum is named for Hope Town’s founder, Wyannie Malone, who fled her home in South Carolina because of the American Revolution. There are many eclectic shops and lots of restaurants. Moorings are available by advance reservation in Hope Town harbor, anchorages are north of the harbor off Eagle Rock , in White Sound and off Tahiti Beach. The beach on the Atlantic side is a nice walk, and you can also rent golf carts for more exploration around this fascinating island.
Little Harbour on Great Abaco
This beautiful secluded anchorage is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow spit where you will find an abandoned lighthouse. Known for the late Randolph Johnston, who established an art colony here with his wife, Margot, in the 1950s, arts still flourish in this idyllic place. The natural beauty of the beach with its caves are a photographer’s delight. Pete’s Pub on the west shore of the Harbor is owned by Pete Johnston, one of Randolph’s and Margo’s sons, who operates an art gallery in his waterfront restaurant and bar. A nearby foundry open to the pubic is where he makes life-sized bronze statues of marine creatures and other objects, as well as intricate jewelry.
THE YACHTS YOU CRUISE ON
Your home for the week is one of the four Moorings catamarans reserved for this cruise – two Moorings 4500s and two Moorings 4800s. All four yachts have four cabins with ensuite heads (bathrooms with showers), spacious main salons, a large aft, covered dining and lounging area where the cockpit is located. After swimming and snorkeling there’s a fresh-water shower on the stern. Cabins below and the main salon can be air-conditioned when running the generator. Boat assignments will be made by Nate and Heather when everyone is signed up. If you have friends you want to sail with on this trip, make sure you state that on the resume you must fill out when signing up.
SIGN UP TODAY FOR A SUPER FUN CRUISE IN THE ABACO ISLANDS
- Single in a private cabin: $3,895
- Two people sharing a cabin: $3,295 per person
$300 Discount for Sailors with US Sailing Bareboat Cruising Certification
- Single in a private cabin: $3,595
- Two people sharing a cabin: $2,995 per person
If one person in a party has US Sailing Bareboat Cruising Certification and the other doesn’t, the person without that certification does not get the discount and pays the regular price listed in the first paragraph above.
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL ABACO BAHAMAS FLOTILLA CRUISE
You can sign up online or call one of Offshore Sailing School’s sailing advisors, but don’t wait as there are only 15 cabins available on this Bahamas bareboat charter. 30% deposit of the total package is due when you sign up. The final or full payment is due July 10, 2020, with a $300 refundable security deposit. No refunds are allowed after July 10, 2020.
Book Your Cabin Now!
888-454-7015
Sail@OffshoreSailing.com
Your Bahamas Flotilla Cruise Packages Includes:
- A single private cabin or a shared cabin for you and your mate on one of the reserved yachts
- All breakfasts, lunches, snacks and three dinners aboard
- Get-acquainted party and dinner the first night
- Fun group party and dinner mid-week during the cruise
- Cruising tax and damage waiver
- Ice, water and fuel provided before setting sail
- Signature Abacos cruise shirt and hat
- Comprehensive confirmation guide electronically sent well in advance of trip
- Nate and Heather Atwater with you throughout the trip, sailing on a lead boat
Other Costs to Plan For:
- Roundtrip travel from home to Marsh Harbour and Moorings base
- Beverages you wish to have aboard during the cruise
- Any meals, beverages or provisions purchased during the cruise
- Tours, watersports or other rentals
- Mooring balls and docking fees shared by all aboard
On Colgate Sailing Adventures Flotilla Cruises, each boat sets up a kitty to cover shared costs during the cruise like beverages, moorings and docking fees, usually starting with $100 per person. The $300 refundable security deposit required with final payment is refundable after the cruise ends if there has been no damage or loss to any of the yachts in the fleet. If there is an assessment by the charter company, all on the cruise share in that cost.
HOW TO GET TO MARSH HARBOUR
There are several ways to get to The Moorings base in the Abacos. Fly into Marsh Harbour International Airport and take a 10 minute taxi to the base; fly into Treasure Cay International Airport and take a 30 minute taxi to the base; fly into Nassau, take the Bahamas Fast Ferry Services to Marsh Harbour (available once a week); charter a private seaplane with Tropic Ocean Airways from South Florida and fly directly to the marina where the yachts are berthed. If you have more questions about our Bahamas bareboat charter, feel free to contact us!
