Short and Sweet Bahamas Yacht Charter Itinerary

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Short distances and gorgeous beaches make this Great Exuma itinerary the perfect Bahamian getaway.

A fabulous itinerary for a brief but sweet Bahamas getaway in George Town  |  Great Exuma  |  Bahamas

As recommended by Lady J’s Captain John Donahue

Yacht Lady J’s vastly charter experienced captain shares a fabulous Great Exuma Yachting Itinerary created for guests looking for a fun Bahamian holiday while a bit limited in time. 142' Palmer Johnson Lady J offers every amenity imaginable, and her world-class crew really knows how to pamper charter guests, delivering attention to detail, comfort and luxury—while setting the tone for a relaxed vacation atmosphere.

Starting out at Emerald Bay Marina in Great Exuma, guests following this Bahamas yacht charter itinerary will island hop short distances over a few days, allowing ample time for idyllic private beach setups, fishing, and lots of fun with Lady J’s complete selection of water toys.

Gourmet dining is part of the daily experience on Lady J, and the culinary trained chef is eager to please, whether guests prefer alfresco meals on the aft deck, cocktails in the jacuzzi, a multi-course elegant affair in the lovely dining room, or a mix of all! 

If you fancy this Bahamas megayacht itinerary but would love a longer holiday, contact your favorite charter broker and Lady J’s captain will be happy to add-on for a more complete journey into the Bahamas.

Day 1  |  Guests board at Emerald Bay Marina, Sandals Resort

After a quick orientation to Lady J we will get underway immediately to Black Cay, just a short five mile (approx. 30 minute) run to the north.

Upon arrival, Lady J will anchor in 15 feet of pristine clear water with sandbars and shoals creating beautiful seascapes around us. Enjoy lunch while a private beach is arranged for you and all of Lady J’s water toys are made available. Relax throughout the afternoon and spend the evening anchored in solitude by Black Cay.

Day 2  |  Fish your way south on our 32' Intrepid to Stocking Island

Depart Black Cay at an appropriate hour for fishing.

Try your luck in one of the Bahamas premier fishing locations. Tuna, Wahoo and Mahi abound in the spring months. While fishing, Lady J will relocate to Stocking Island for a full day of private beach, water toys, snorkeling and food & beverages!  Remain anchored for the night.

Day 3  |  Take a casual inshore ride to Sand Dollar Beach

Enjoy breakfast at Stocking Island. Afterwards, take a slow ride just a few miles to the south to Sand Dollar Beach. Take in the local scenery and breathtaking water along the way! Aptly named Sand Dollar beach affords you sandbars to do some shelling, privacy and a perfect spot for a beach BBQ. All water toys and snorkeling gear will be set up for guests to enjoy. Chat N Chill bar is directly around the corner for anyone who would like to sit in a hammock in one of the most scenic bars you’ll ever find! 

Day 4  |  Enjoy another island all to yourselves with world class snorkeling.

Cruise north for an hour to Glass Cay, home to some of Great Exuma’s best snorkeling. The option to fish your way up while Lady J is relocating is available as well. Private beach set up, water toys and fabulous snorkeling all await! Spend the day playing in more pristine waters, all of Lady J will be available, especially fabulous food and drinks! 

Day 5 | Return to Emerald Bay

After breakfast, return to Emerald Bay Marina to prepare for departure. Enjoy a custom-made video of your time aboard Lady J along the way! Copies will be provided for you to take home! 

Tips and Notes

Great Exuma is a world-renowned bone fishing destination. A local guide is needed but they are readily available. 

The Marina at Emerald Bay is affiliated with the Sandals Resort and has a Greg Norman designed golf course.

Long Island: Also, if sea conditions permit, a run to Long Island can be made during non-daylight hours (so no valuable time is consumed). It is a 30-mile ride but features a breathtakingly beautiful beach, and ruins of churches that date back to the 1600s. 

Looking for a little more info?
www.MarinaEmeraldBay.com
www.ChatNChill.com

An Out Island Odyssey in the Southern Bahamas

The Southern Bahamas are one of the most remote destinations in this area, not often explored, and considered off the beaten track for adventurers worldwide, but also one of the most beautiful cruising grounds for charter yachts. Scattered like pearls in the ocean to the southeast of Nassau, these islands have some of the prettiest and most pristine scenery in the country. For those seeking a little more than a land-based vacation, night-life and shopping, Motoryacht Lady J offers a fabulous, brand-new 7-day itinerary.

Lady J features prominently on ShowBoats International Magazine after hosting a fabulous yacht charter along the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The Islands of the Turks and Caicos are a unique Caribbean destination for luxury yacht charters, and 142’ Palmer Johnson M/Y Lady J recently hosted friends from ShowBoats International Magazine who discovered the aquamarine waters of the area while being pampered by the professional crew. We invite you to read the article below and download the full 5-page PDF (complete with photos, maps, and extra details) to learn more about this magical corner of the Caribbean and the most delightful way of exploring this tropical spot, your own Lady J luxury yacht charter.

Published courtesy of ShowBoats International  |  By Danielle Aragon Cabrera

To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of travel is meeting expats—people who took everything they cherished in their lives and moved to a vacation destination or to the middle of nowhere. Maybe they wanted to get away from a too-hectic life. Maybe they always had itchy feet as nomads meant to absorb as much of the world as possible. I’ve always been somewhat jealous of these types. But that is also the nature of the yachting lifestyle, isn’t it? Having the ability to move from one destination to another by simply picking a point on a map and saying, “I want to go there.” The Turks and Caicos is such a destination. Many people you meet are not from there and those who are typically only are second or third generation. Aside from long-time Turks islanders, many residents first came to this British Overseas Territory on vacation and vowed to move here. Who could blame them? There’s nearly 350 days of sunshine and with miles of uninhabited beachfront property, your neighbor could be anywhere from mere feet away to miles down the beach. 

Now, Providenciales, or Provo as it is affectionately nicknamed, the territory’s most developed island and largest town, is not what you would call a bustling city or business center—everything here caters to the tourist. You can move from hotel to hotel, availing yourself of each one’s facilities. You’re staying aboard your yacht in Blue Haven but want to use the spa at Amanyara? No problem. Heard that the breakfast at The Beach House was first rate? Well, then by all means, it can be arranged for tomorrow morning with no fuss. The stretch of beach at Grace Bay has been voted time and time again as the world’s best and you can have beach chairs and lunch set up at The Alexandra Resort on that famous beach tomorrow. Nowhere have I seen so many hotels working together like a network, all willing to share in the wealth of and cater to the visitor.

Located 575 miles from Miami, Florida, south of The Bahamas chain and north of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos has traditionally been a stopping point for refueling and provisioning rather than a large-yacht destination. IGY Marinas looks to change that. The international group manages the marina part of the newly renovated Blue Haven Resort and Marina, the former Nikki Beach resort on Provo’s northwestern tip. Catering to yachts up to 220 feet, the marina began welcoming yachts in summer 2013 before the grand opening in December. We spent a night here, sampling the marina’s and island’s many amenities before boarding the 142-foot Palmer Johnson Lady J, our host for the next three days.

While the aquamarine waters of the Turks and Caicos beckoned the next day, so did the island’s delights. We began by taking a conchcracking lesson at Da Conch Shack and then sampled some of the ubiquitous conch ceviche, which was lemony and superb, some of the best and freshest I’ve had. We then moved on to afternoon drinks at the Grace Bay Club, one of the island’s adults-only resorts. Grace Bay Club has everything from a beachfront pop-up restaurant and bar to the Caribbean’s longest bar: 90 feet long with an infinity edge that stretches it even farther into the horizon.

On land, there aren’t many attractions beyond hotel amenities, but there are biking trails, some shopping in Grace Bay and high-end restaurants. Also, bird watching is given high marks. Watching flamingos frolicking in their natural habitat at the aptly named Flamingo Lake—also popular with anglers for bonefishing—enthralled me. The best sighting opportunities, however, are on North, Middle and East Caicos, where you can see plenty of flamingos in the lagoons, salt ponds and mangrove wetlands, along with more than 170 bird species.

An afternoon helicopter flight over Provo revealed abundant undeveloped land between the many resorts that dot the islands and beachfront properties belonging to celebrities like Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Oprah Winfrey and Keith Richards. They find here a sanctuary-like atmosphere that’s conveniently close to the States.

We crisscrossed over miles of empty beaches, secluded bays and waters so blue they looked like someone had dropped food coloring in them. The barrier reef that surrounds the islands, the world’s third largest barrier reef, creates a mirror-flat sea. We caught sight of a couple of kitesurfers taking advantage of the area’s trade winds and shallow beaches ideally suited to the sport.

We returned to Blue Haven Marina to board Lady J, eagerly anticipating our own sojourn and ready to get out on the water. Captain Stephen Bay leads the seasoned crew aboard Lady J. They are all watersports enthusiasts and were ready to show us the best of anchorages for a week of activities.

After a short cruise to the Northwest Point anchorage, we tendered to land for lunch and a spa treatment at the Amanyara resort. The resort sits inside two protected areas comprising 5,000 acres, the Northwest Point Marine Natural Park and Pond Nature Reserve, and is one of the most serene places I have ever visited. Wedged into natural surroundings, Amanyara feels more like Thailand or Bali than the British West Indies, although continuing that Robinson Crusoe-lost-in-paradise feel.

We returned aboard for an afternoon of watersports, swimming and snorkeling off of Amanyara where, just beyond the barrier reef, a 6,888-foot drop along the ocean floor forms an ideal wall for diving.

The next two days went by in a flash. While some of the ladies partook of another spa experience, this time at the Regent Palms Turks & Caicos, others enjoyed an afternoon of sportfishing, which is superb in this area. South Caicos is a renowned spot for lobster and conch. Captain Bay and crew are avid fishermen and returned from a short jaunt with no less than five three-footers in hand. Their appetites whetted, they planned for an afternoon of bonefishing upon their return to Blue Haven Marina.

One afternoon, the crew took us all aboard Lady J’s 32-foot Intrepid for a beach picnic on Fort George Cay. Uninhabited and a protected national park, this tiny cay was once a fortified island that protected the waters from pirates. Snorkelers easily can spot 19th century cannons lying underwater among swirling shades of turquoise and natural sandbars appearing at low tide.

As Lady J made her way south to the more typical charter destination of the British Virgin Islands, Captain Bay vowed to return at the end of the charter season. The Turks and Caicos had proven to be a worthy spot, a little slice of heaven away from the Caribbean’s crowded docks. I promised to come back as well. Who knows, maybe you’ll find me here five years from now, a true expat, having left the rat race and living the dream.