Planning for new overnight guests makes me stressed. I want to be a good host, but don’t know how to prepare people for life on board. It’s cramped, the amenities aren’t the greatest, and anything can go wrong. The weather is a huge factor and we have no control over it. Despite my concerns, we just had our first long weekend visitors, and it was a success! Since their visit was short, we spent the time Nassau day tripping. You don’t need to travel too far from Nassau for fun and adventure.
Nassau First Impressions
We sailed into Nassau last Thursday from The Berry Islands and it was a big change. Traffic, noise, big buildings, garbage and smells. On the other hand there are friendly people, boat suppliers, cute seafood shacks, and great hot sauce!
Nassau is a good location for frequent flights, marinas, and stocking up your boat. But if we had known better we would have bought more nonperishables in Florida. The supermarket prices are way higher here! A packet of hot dogs is $6 and sausages start at $10, for example.
Getting around Nassau was okay. We got lost on the bus once and walked a lot.
Brian and I spent one day and two nights in Nassau, welcomed Dave and Freya from Toronto, and got out of the busy downtown to visit some local islands for the weekend. We had a lot of fun just outside of Nassau day tripping.
Rose Island
The first island we sailed to from Nassau was Rose Island. The anchorage was beautiful with super clear water and great swimming and snorkeling. We took the dinghy to a couple of spectacular nearby beaches.
The weather was perfect- sunny and warm- and the views were amazing.
We had one great night in the anchorage. It was so calm and relaxing. The second night we woke up to severe bouncing. The winds had changed and we were not in the right place at all. We moved to the north side and it was perfect again.
Green Cay
The other great spot to visit just outside of Nassau is Green Cay, otherwise known as Turtle Island. The deserted island attracts a lot of Nassau day trippers because of the turtles who live and swim in the waters nearby. We joined the other snorkelers and saw at least four turtles. They take their time in the water, maybe because they are weighted down with remoras, or just to be friendly to the tourists. Good for us, because Brian got some great photos and video.
Gilligan’s Island
Very close to Green Cay is a tiny uninhabited little island with beautiful palm trees: Sandy Cay is the setting for the outdoor shots of Gilligan’s Island. I think this claim is getting a bit outdated, however, as Dave and Freya had not heard of this old TV show. We checked out the island, explored the abandoned beaches, and admired the little crabs walking along in conch shells.
It was so much fun to have friends on the boat! They didn’t mind the cramped quarters, shared bathroom facilities, or the boat rocking, and they may even return. Dave caught a fish that we grilled for dinner, and they brought us a new game to play.
Nassau day tripping with guests is a fun and beautiful adventure! I highly recommend checking out Rose Island from Nassau on a boat.
Now, Brian, Domino and I will sail to The Exumas to explore more of the islands of the beautiful Bahamas.
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