The Berry Islands offer a sailing yacht the kind of conditions that make a Bahamas week memorable: reliable northeast trade winds, clear shallow passages between the cays and anchorages that have none of the crowds of the Exumas or the Abacos. The northern position of the Berry Islands means they catch the full force of the trades when the wind fills in from the northeast, giving consistent reaching conditions for the passages between the islands and an easy downwind run south toward Nassau at the end of the week.
The Bahamas sailing fleet of around 19 vessels ranges from performance sloops to wide-beam catamarans. The Berry Islands suit catamarans particularly well: the shallow passages between the cays are accessible to a boat with minimal draft, and the wide platform of a cruising catamaran suits the Bahamas lifestyle of expansive deck living and frequent snorkelling stops. Monohulls find steady winds for the longer passages and deep enough water in the approaches to Great Harbour Cay and Chub Cay to anchor without issue.
Weekly sailing charter rates for the Bahamas begin around 30,000 euros and reach 150,000 euros for the most capable contemporary builds. The advance provisioning allowance of around 30 percent covers fuel for engine passages, food, water and anchorage fees. The Berry Islands have no anchorage fees at the uninhabited cays, and the marina fees at Great Harbour Cay are modest, making the provisioning allowance work well on a Berry Islands sailing itinerary.
A Berry Islands sailing week typically runs north from Nassau on a close reach in the northeast trades, arriving at Great Harbour Cay after a six-hour passage. From the main settlement the itinerary works south through the island chain, anchoring off Frozen Cay, Bird Cay and Bond Cay in sequence. Chub Cay at the south end provides a last night marina berth before the final downwind sail back to Nassau. Wind permitting, the passage south from Chub Cay to Nassau is one of the finest coastal reaches in the Bahamas.
