Sailing the Abacos: a 5-day route for first-time skippers

Prices in this guide are the writer's notes from when it was written. Baha Buddy has not checked them with the businesses named, and they may have changed. Confirm current prices directly before you go.

The Abacos are an island chain in the northern Bahamas shaped like a 90-mile-long lagoon. The main islands form a barrier against the Atlantic, and inside the chain — the Sea of Abaco — the water stays flat, the wind stays consistent, and the navigation stays simple.

It's the friendliest sailing in the Caribbean. You can charter your own boat with bareboat certification and never lose sight of land.

Where to charter from

Marsh Harbour is the hub. The Moorings and Sunsail both run sizable bareboat fleets out of the Conch Inn Marina. Boats range from 38ft monohulls (good for couples) up to 50ft catamarans (room for six adults comfortably).

Budget: $4,500-9,000 for a week, all in, depending on boat size and season. Provisioning runs another $400-600 per person for the week.

Suggested 5-day route

Day 1: Sail from Marsh Harbour to Hope Town (Elbow Cay). 4 nautical miles. Pick up a mooring ball in the harbor — anchoring is restricted. Climb the candy-striped Hope Town Lighthouse at sunset.

Day 2: Sail to Tahiti Beach at the south end of Elbow Cay. Anchor for lunch and snorkeling. Continue to Little Harbour to see Pete's Pub.

Day 3: Back north to Man-O-War Cay. Tour the boatbuilding shop, eat at the Hibiscus Cafe, walk the loop trail. Sleep on the mooring or sail across to Marsh Harbour for resupply.

Day 4: Long sail north to Green Turtle Cay. About 25 nautical miles, your biggest day. Anchor in White Sound or pick up a Bluff House mooring. Have dinner at Pineapples.

Day 5: Sail back south. If you have time, stop at Treasure Cay Beach (one of the National Geographic top-10 beaches in the world) for a swim. Back to Marsh Harbour by evening.

What you need to charter

Bareboat certification from one of the recognized schools (ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising or RYA Day Skipper). The charter companies want to see it, and they'll do their own brief check-out before handing you the keys.

If nobody in your group has certification, hire a captain for the week. Adds $1,200-1,800 but they handle navigation and you focus on the fun. Many groups do the first day captained and then take over.

Best time

April through June: warm, light winds, easy sailing. October through November: cooler, more reliable wind, fewer charters available. December through March: peak season, more expensive, the highest demand for boats.

Avoid August and September — hurricane season peak. The Abacos took a serious hit from Hurricane Dorian in 2019; the recovery is well underway but some infrastructure is still rebuilding. Check current conditions before booking late summer.

Buddy's tip

Provision out of Marsh Harbour. Maxwell's Supermarket has everything; Brown's Bakery does sandwiches and bread to go. Don't try to provision in Hope Town — the village store is for emergencies only, prices are 2-3x mainland.