Actvities
There is so much for you to do at Sail School Bahamas, the hard part is trying to fit it all in! Your visit to the Bahamas will be a non-stop, action-packed experience during which your Captain will try to insure you make the most of every single minute.
Our sailing area extends throughout the Sea of Abaco and you will travel to numerous islands during your voyage. Each island has a uniquely different aura and character and each offers a variety of options for your crew. Every day, your Captain will provide you with a brief on all the options available, the best places to go and special points of interest.
Onshore activities
Experience suggests that your group will get more out of the trip if you aim to balance your program by spending time onshore and onboard. Most groups don’t want to spend 8 hours per day learning every single thing about sailing and there are numerous popular settlements to visit including Hope Town, Great Guana Cay, Man O’ War Cay, Tilloo Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Treasure Cay and Little Harbour. For groups not used to sailing, shore time is important. Each of the settlements have a lot to offer and groups often enjoy simply stretching their legs and taking photographs after a period of time onboard. Adult leaders will take charge of all shore parties but advice and suggestions from the Captain will certainly help you to make the most of your visit.
There are too many different options to mention here, but to give you a taste of what you might enjoy, several islands have a beach-side pool for you to relax in after you have snorkeled on the reef nearby. There is the world famous candy-striped Lighthouse at Hope Town on Elbow Cay. You can learn all about it, how it works and it’s history, then climb all the way to the top and take amazing photos 360degrees round. On Green Turtle Cay you can visit the Albert Lowe Museum and the model ship builder and hike through the numerous island trails. In Hope Town you can visit the Wyannie Malone historical museum to learn about how life on the islands developed. If you fancy a short baseball game you will usually find all the equipment you need left out on the field at Man O’ War Cay and of course on Treasure Cay you will find one of National Geographic’s Top 10 beaches of the world! Amongst the many family-friendly Reef bars and Tikki Bars to visit, there is the World famous Nippers Bar and Grill on Gt. Guana Cay where they offer discounts to Boy Scout groups, two pools and a free Internet phone for short calls home!
Bicycles are for hire as well as Kayaks and Golf Carts in several locations, some of the best snorkeling in the world is available on every island and on the extensive, beautiful 100mile barrier reef. Remember, there is lots of food onboard and a packed lunch is often preferred on a Boy Scout budget, however, great meals are available on every island if your crew wishes to have a group meal instead of eating sandwiches or going back onboard. You can buy everything from local fish dishes like Conch Fritters, Lobster, Mahi Mahi and Grouper to Chicken burgers, Buffalo Wings and Steaks. However, you should be aware that prices are typically much higher than you will be used to at home due to import duty and the cost of transporting produce to Marsh Harbour then all the way out to the islands. Your Captain will be able to advise you on the best and/or least expensive places to eat as well as grocery stores, fish markets, coffee shops and bakeries. There are a few locations where your group can buy extremely tasty, monstrous Cinnamon rolls and on Man O’ War Cay there is the Albury Sail Shop and Joe’s Studio where you can see scale models of traditional shipbuilding.
A great idea for your crew is to suggest a short, easy ‘good turn’ project such as a ‘Beach Clean-Up’ on one of the beautiful beaches on Man ‘O War, Gt. Guana or Elbow Cay. This need only take 15-20mins and is rewarding for your group as well as being appreciated by the locals.
Offshore activities
The local Bahamian fishermen like to use Cuban Yoyos to catch their dinner, this simple method uses a donut-shaped plastic reel with a baited hook, it’s easy to do and you will likely have instant success if you are in the right spot, with the right bait. Your Captain will take you to any one of a host of good fishing spots if you if you want to fish, however we cannot guarantee you will catch anything, that’s up to you!
Conch hunting is a fun activity as well as providing an interesting experience when your Captain demonstrates how to clean a conch and prepare it for dinner. Please note that fishing regulations limit the number of conch your group can collect as well as regulating the size/maturity of the conch you take. These regulations also apply to fishing and lobstering so check with your Captain.
There are many, many great locations where you can dive on wrecks, swim and simply relax on shallow sandbars, snorkel on reefs, drift snorkel along an undersea coral wall, etc. Just ask your Captain and he or she will impress you with their local knowledge.
