The Exuma Cays have attracted classic yacht sailors since the 1950s, when the chain was discovered by American yachtsmen looking for uncrowded anchorages and predictable trade winds. Compass Cay marina, one of the oldest in the chain, has hosted everything from schooners rigged for the Atlantic trade routes to postwar commuter yachts from the Connecticut shore. A classic yacht charter to Compass Cay fits squarely within that tradition: sailing under canvas through water that looks like liquid glass, anchoring in bays with no roads and no hotels, and spending evenings aboard a vessel built to last rather than to impress.
Eight classic charter yachts are available for Compass Cay itineraries. The selection includes long-keeled ocean passage boats with proven Bahamian histories, traditional timber ketches built to a standard that production fibreglass cannot replicate, and mid-century American yachts restored with original fittings wherever possible. All carry modern safety equipment and navigation systems behind the traditional exterior. Crew on classic charters are typically enthusiastic advocates for the vessels they sail and the waters they know well.
Weekly rates start around 12,000 euros for a two-cabin ketch and reach approximately 55,000 euros for a larger schooner with a full crew. The APA covers Nassau provisioning before the circuit, Staniel Cay and Compass Cay marina fees, fuel and crew gratuity. Classic charters at Compass Cay tend toward longer bookings: 10 or 14 days is more common than a single week, because the pace of traditional sailing and the depth of the Exuma chain both reward more time.
Compass Cay in the early morning, before other yachts arrive and before the day heat sets in, is one of the finest anchorages in the Atlantic. The light through the water column creates the aquamarine glow that appears in Bahamian postcards, and at slack tide the current drops to nothing and the surface becomes a mirror.
