Explorer yacht charters in the Bahamas are built around the islands that other charters do not reach. The archipelago contains more than 700 islands and 2,500 cays; the standard charter circuit covers a small fraction of these. An explorer yacht with extended range, a large tender and a crew experienced in the more remote Bahamian passages can reach the Jumentos Cays south of the Exumas, the remote flats of Acklins and Crooked Island or the flamingo-populated Great Inagua, the southernmost island in the chain and one of the least-visited in the Caribbean.
The Bahamas explorer charter fleet covers around 15 vessels, expedition-built motor yachts with the range and equipment to reach parts of the archipelago that are beyond a standard charter boat. These are vessels with dive compressors, large tenders, kayaks for mangrove exploration and fuel capacity for long passages. A number of the most capable explorer builds also carry satellite communications and medical kits suited to operating well beyond coast guard reach.
Weekly explorer charter rates in the Bahamas begin around 75,000 euros and rise to 500,000 euros for the largest expedition-capable vessels. The advance provisioning allowance, typically 30 percent, covers fuel for longer passages, dive gas, provisioning and tender fuel. Explorer charters often run ten to fourteen days, and the weekly rate adjusts accordingly. The Bahamas off-season, May through November, offers clear water and empty anchorages at the most competitive rates.
A Bahamas explorer itinerary built for a serious expedition might include the Jumentos Cays, a 100-kilometre chain of uninhabited cays south of the Exumas accessible only by liveaboard or well-found explorer yacht. The salt flats and flamingo colonies of Crooked Island and Acklins offer extraordinary wildlife encounters, and the Hogsty Reef, an atoll 200 kilometres south of Long Island, is one of the only true atolls in the Atlantic and a world-class dive site rarely visited by charter guests.
