Chesapeake Sailors Charter in the Abacos… Again!
Bob Hunter of Havre De Grace, MD, first met Micheal Dillon at Abaco Yacht and Charter Services (AYCS) when he owned a Seawind 1260 Catamaran he’d bought in 2017. He kept the boat at Marsh Harbour in the Abacos, Bahamas, where Michael managed it. Now, no longer a boat owner, Bob is an enthusiastic sailing charter customer who has done multiple sailing vacation charters with AYCS, even multiple charters in the same year! We asked him for some advice about chartering catamarans in the Abacos. Here are his responses:
What boats have you sailed and who were your crew members?
50-foot Lagoon, 46-foot Lagoon, 44-foot Fountaine Pajot, 44-foot Bali, and 43-foot Seawind 1260. We pick the boats based on who and how many are on the charter and what we are planning to do while in the Abacos. If it’s a small crew and sailing is the key objective, the Seawind is our favorite cat to sail. If we have a lot of people joining us, the larger Lagoons are best. We haven’t met a boat we don’t like. For every charter, Michael helps us come up with the right boat for the job.
As far as crew members go, it’s always friends and family. We have had some boys’ trips, and some couples’ trips. The boys’ trips focus more on the sailing, whereas with the couples’ trips, we do more adventuring on the different cays.
What time of year do you organize your trips?
We always plan and book our trips in September for the following March charters. Availability is very good in September, and we can always get the best boat for what we are planning to do. We also get out in front of the Sailboat Show bubble. Booking this early also gets us our best pricing for airfares. We have always used Southwest for the BWI-to-Fort-Lauderdale leg and Silver Airways for the Fort-Lauderdale-to-Marsh Harbour leg.
Can you list your favorite destinations in the Abacos and why?
Every destination in the Abacos has something special about it, so there are no real favorites. We make our sail plans once we arrive in the Abacos. Michael always briefs us on all the changes since our last visit. Because he lives there, he is very familiar with all things Abacos. He is also a sailor and very aware of the weather/tides and how they can impact your charter, such as when you want to enter and exit certain harbors, where you choose to anchor/moor at night, the best snorkeling for the expected winds, waves, and tides, or whether we head north and explore the less populated cays or stay south.
Here are some of our favorite things: Little Harbour—Pete’s Pub and his amazing gallery; Elbow Cay—Hopetown, the lighthouse, and Tahiti Beach at Elbow Cay’s Atlantic beaches; Man O War Cay—the Coffee Shop/Museum, the builders of boats, Albury’s Sail Shop, and the infamous Red Chinese Fighting Bats; Scotland Cay—the swimming hole; Great Guana Cay—Nippers by day and Grabbers at sunset; No Name Cay—pigs can’t fly, but they sure can swim; Green Turtle Cay—some of the oldest settlements in the Bahamas; and Sandy Cay—a coral reef and a national park.
Did you snorkel, paddle, or do any other non-sailing water activities?
Snorkeling is always part of the itinerary. You will want to spend as much time as you can in these beautiful waters. We use paddleboards and/or kayaks if we plan on visiting some of the less populated cays; they are great for exploring. Just spending time and chilling on the beach, especially at Treasure Cay, Nippers Pub on Great Guana Cay, and Elbow Cay. There is plenty of site-seeing by walking and renting golf carts, and a lot of history on the cays to discover.
Favorite beach bars?
Not in any particular order: Firefly, the Abaco Inn, Nippers (during the day), Grabbers (at sunset), Pete’s Pub, Colors, and the Jib Room.
Why do you keep going back to the Abacos?
The incredible beauty of the Bahamian people, the barrier cays, the sailing, the fishing, the pristine waters, the weather, the food and drink, and I could keep going. It’s our perfect vacation!
What advice would you give to a charter sailor who’d like to sail there?
Go do it. This year. You won’t be disappointed. Work with Michael Dillon to get you set up. He takes great care of his clients, his boats, and his friends and family in the Bahamas. You won’t find a better charter operator or one who will work harder for you (abacoyachtandcharterservices.com).
Anything else SpinSheet readers should know?
The Abacos is an amazing place. No cruise ships, no major tourist attractions. The Abacos are for sailors and fishermen. It’s a real look at real Bahamian life. These islands were devastated by Hurricane Dorian in September of 2019. It is amazing how the Abacos have recovered. The grit and resilience of the Bahamian people are incredible. Watching them bring this beautiful paradise back from complete devastation is nothing short of a miracle. When you go, you will be treated to some of the most beautiful sailing, people, and waters you can imagine. And when you do visit, it helps them continue to rebuild.
