by John Bryant

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

'Landlubbers' searching for a great vacation should consider the Bahamas! My wife, several friends, and I seized the opportunity for a 10 day trip and we are very glad we did. We loved the Bahamas' beautiful sea, gorgeous islands, coral reefs, and friendly people. The 700 islands of the nation begin their southeastward stretch of 500 miles barely 100 miles east of Miami. The Bahamas are, therefore, only short flights from the U.S.!

The Lucayan Indians who are thought to have settled in the islands in the 9th Century are among those in the New World' who first welcomed Christopher Columbus and the explorers who followed. A British colony after 1717, the islands were often home to the regions' famous pirates, Ann Bonny, Captain Avery, and Blackbeard. Fortunately, the boats which sail the waters today pose much less threat! The Bahamas have been a fully independent parliamentary democracy in the British Commonwealth since 1967.

The Bahamian islands, whose name comes from the Spanish baja mar or low sea, are sandy with no point higher than 206 feet above sea level and, of course, the sea is the nation's natural focus. The Gulf Stream keeps Bahamian waters mild and clear year round. But where to stay? What to do?

The capital city Nassau on New Providence Island, Freeport on Grand Bahama, and Paradise Island are cosmopolitan with picturesque street markets, modern casinos, international shopping, the amenities offered by major hotels and resorts, and still have access to the sea. The Atlantis resort of 2,300 rooms on Paradise Island, for example, is 34 acres of more attractions than one would think imaginable, including 21 restaurants.

Our group of four couples and two single women decided on an entirely different plan for our vacation in the Bahamas, though: a post Christmas cruise through the family' (outer) islands on a 57 foot motor yacht with crew of Captain, first mate/cook/wife, and young woman deckhand! In chartering a boat for ourselves, we knew we could work with our Captain to customize our sailing itinerary between the islands, time and weather permitting. We could choose to focus on sailing or snorkeling, visiting little ports or deserted islands, or the maximum amount of time underway. Fortunately, it was easy to blend those options into a little bit of each. We could also 'theme' our cruise, e.g., wine tasting, watching movies, board games or playing cards, learning to navigate at sea, or teaching ourselves from skills and talents we had within our group.

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