Andros is the largest island in the Bahamas by land area and one of the least visited by charter yachts, a paradox explained by the island’s interior mangroves, which make it impenetrable by road, and its fringing barrier reef, the third longest in the western hemisphere, which makes it extraordinary by sea. Abeking and Rasmussen of Lemwerder builds motor yachts and sailing yachts to a German engineering standard that has served the yard’s commercial and naval clients since 1907. On charter, the qualities that make a A&R vessel exceptional are the same ones that serve a remote destination: structural integrity, propulsion reliability and a hull that reaches the reef at Andros as quietly as it left the marina in Nassau.
Three A&R yachts operate in Bahamas and Caribbean waters. The yard’s production favours aluminium hulls in the 50-to-70-metre range, typically with semi-displacement hull forms that combine efficiency with open-water comfort. Interior design is typically undertaken by leading European studios, resulting in vessels that are architecturally confident without compromising the livability that extended charter requires.
Charter rates for Abeking and Rasmussen yachts in this region typically run from approximately 150,000 to 400,000 euros per week before expenses. The advance provisioning allowance of around thirty percent covers fuel for inter-island passages, food, drinks, berthing and local fees. High season runs December through April with significant premiums during the holiday period.
From Andros, the A&R’s range and reliability make the entire northern and central Bahamian chain accessible as day or overnight passages. The barrier reef on the island’s eastern flank, beginning at Fresh Creek and running north toward Nicholl’s Town, delivers world-class wall diving. Mangrove Cay to the south provides sheltered flat-water anchoring. Behring Point on the west coast is a quiet anchorage for bonefish expeditions and sunsets.
