BAHAMAS Super Yacht Charter
Luxury Crewed Holidays and Super Yacht Charters in the Bahamas are one of the Planet Earth’s ultimate holiday experiences.
This island country or the Commonwealth of The Bahamas as they are officially known, are a true sailor’s paradise lying at 25 degrees 5 minutes North Latitude and 77 degrees 21 minutes West Longitude.
With a year round mild climate, powder white sand beaches and numerous secluded cays, bays and islets all dotted with a plethora of luxury resorts, world-class restaurants, championship golf courses and great choice of private yachts available for luxury crewed yacht charters, the Bahamas are one of the best super yacht charter destinations in the world.
Private and Luxury Yacht Charters in the Bahamas
Bahamian private yacht charter and luxury sailing holidays usually begin on Great Abaco Island at Marsh Harbour or on Island of New Providence, in the capital of Nassau, both of which can serve as a first class gateway to the stellar sailing grounds this stunning archipelago of inner and outer islands is offering.
Diving in the Bahamas
Apart from obligatory snorkelling for which there are simply millions of suitable locations in this tropical heaven, diving is also a very popular activity for guest on a luxury private charter yacht throughout the year. The dives in the region are organised on depths between 6-46m / 20-150feet with the visibility being up to around 24-30m / 80-100 feet. Water temperatures are averaging at around 24°C / 75°F during winter (December – March), 27°C / 80°F in the spring and 31°C / 88°F in the summer (June to August).
All types of diving are offered, including drop-offs that are close to the shore, blue holes and caves, historical wrecks and amazing reefs, soaring wall dives and thrilling shark diving as well ! The most popular and probably the best in the world location for diving is around Nassau/Paradise Island where crystal-clear warm waters will entice you to dive in even if you are a novice. Some private charter yachts carry full diving equipment including compressors, but most of the time this is arranged on a Rendez-vous basis with local providers and it is not included in the regular super yacht charter rates.
History of the Bahamas
In the past, the islands served many people starting from the first local population that inhabited the area by moving from neighbouring Cuba after initially arriving from South America. Later, Spanish conquerors led by Christopher Columbus and American traders and businessman who travelled here to enjoy free alcohol and gambling nights as well as pirates who settled in Nassau’s sheltered waters when not ransacking commercial ships on the open sea, used the area for their own purposes. Finally, US black slave population who managed to run away from their masters or were freed once the islands became British Crown Colony in 18th century, whereby Royal Navy decided to clamp down on piracy and establish free trade at the same time. The descendants of these slaves form the majority of the local people now. Centuries of British rule ended in 1973 when the Bahamas officially became a new nation, with Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch. One of the first super yacht charter holidays was also arranged here, even though most of the credits for establishing yacht charter industry could be traced in Antigua.
Flora and Fauna
Those keen on the nature in a different way will be pleased to know that more than 230 species of birds, including the Green Bahamian Parrot and Bahama Wood Star, are found in the islands. Large animals are not able to survive on the islands due to limited open space on land, yet the waters surrounding the archipelago are full of rich and diverse marina life. The reefs in particular are populated with eels, clownfish, angelfish, barracudas, Nassau grouper, nurse sharks and variety of sponges, conch, lobster, snapper, and dolphins or even humpback and blue whales.
On top, the lush vegetation comprising from Pigeon plum, coco plum, sea grape, tamarind, Pines, Madeira, as well as astonishing ferns, vines and varieties of wildflowers such as Stalked Orchids are to be found in the area.
WEATHER and Yacht Charter Seasons in the BAHAMAS
The climate in the Bahamas is classed as ‘’tropical savannah climate’’ influenced by the low attitude, warm tropical Gulf Stream. The main difference between the coolest and warmest month in most of the country is less than 10°C and as such, frost or freeze are unknown occurrence in the islands.
There are two prevailing seasons in the region
1. Summer season (June to August) with temperatures averaging between 26°C or ca. 80°F to around 30°C / 87°F. During summer, the islands receive well over 3,000 hours of sunlight per year.
2. Winter season (December – March) is slightly colder, between 24-33°C / 75-91°F, but the temperature is almost never below 10°C / 50°F when at its lowest. On very few occasions, every few decades in fact, the temperature was reported to have fallen down to around 3-5°C (37-41°F ) and mainly due to severe cold outbreak that comes off North America. This occurrence lasts for only a few hours, rather than a few days however.
Yacht charter arrivals and documents required:
No Visas are required for American, British, French, German or Italian passports holders. Other citizens of EU countries should check before travelling, while all other passport holders are likely to require a visit visa.
What currencies can be used by visiting luxury charter yachts:
- Main Currency:
US Dollar and/ or Bahamian Dollar both trading equally
Bahamas private yacht charter clients can also freely exchange Euros or other major international currencies, yet we do suggest arranging most of the exchange before arrival and if possible taking out a fee free credit card which does not charge international transaction fees. For UK clients, we can provide a direct advice as to what card to apply for before your international travel.
Apart from the main currencies, you could also use some of the following payment options:
- Credit Cards:
Visa, MasterCard, American Express - ATMs:
All local banks - Travellers Cheques:
US Dollar (cash preferred) - BitCoin:
Some companies have been reported to have a policy of accepting bitcoin payments too - Banking hours:
9:30am to 3pm Mon-Fri
Other useful information
- The five inhabited cays of major importance are Walkers Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guanna, Man-O-War and Elbow Cay.
- The yacht charter clients should avoid bringing or buying any illegal drugs as there is little tolerance for the users of these in the Bahamas
- Manchineel is a highly dangerous tree because of its poisonous green fruit and toxic latex. Rain water or dew from these trees can cause temporary blindness when brought in contact with eyes.
Bahamas Private Charter Yachts Selection
As this is one of the most popular super yacht charter destinations in the world, finding a suitable type and size of a yacht should be an easy task. There is namely a wide selection of mega yachts, luxury sailing yachts and both sailing as well as power catamarans available for private yacht charter cruises around the Bahamas Islands nearly all year round. For our North or South American clients, the Bahamas are very convenient for special occasion, short charters or long weekend cruises as well. This is particular the case for the clients who do not have much time yet want to spend great time during public holidays such as a Thanksgiving, New Year or Easter and any private occasions such as birthday parties. So imagine yourself having perfect beach barbeque party in the middle of a busy working week, arranged simply to escape the winter blues or to entertain your business clients during a major deal.
Arrange a Private Yacht Charter in the Bahamas
For more information about booking a private luxury charter yacht in the Bahamas please contact us at charter@SuperSailYachts.com so we can assist you to plan your perfect luxury yacht charter itinerary, combining your family or business needs with recommendations about the best time to visit this tropical destination.
Belgian property company chartered a luxury sailing yacht XNOI during the prestigious Cannes event MIPIM in March 2015. They stated the lovely XNOI was even better than they expected and this spectacular yacht with the fabulous captain Marco made all the difference. Their event proved successful even if the allocated choice of berth did not serve the purpose in the best possible way. The successful charter is likely to be repeated within 12 months.
