The “A” list. You hear about it all the time. People on the “A” list don’t wait in line, they are immediately admitted to whatever club, restaurant or event they attend. No standing behind the velvet ropes for them. They are the beautiful people, the cream of the crop.

The “A” list doesn’t just apply to people. If there was ever an “A” list compiled of beautiful islands, perfect retreats, incredible beaches, then the Abacos would certainly be at the top of the list. Turquoise waters, sparkling beaches, moderate winds and a myriad of interesting anchorages are the attractions here. This is an area where time has slowed. And where you can finally find some private time to spend with the ones you love. All from the comfort of an unabashedly beautiful charter yacht. Yes, you want to leave the stress behind, but you are far past the days of thinking that camping out in a suitable holiday. You go to the Abacos for the quiet, the charm, the secluded anchorages. This is a place for lovers, for families, for big-time sport fishermen, snorkelers, kayakers, for basking in the sun. The “A” list. So let’s go explore.

Somewhere in this 120-mile necklace of islands and often-uninhabited cays and beaches, you are sure to find the ideal private spot for some chilled champagne and a good book. When people think about the Abacos, they have in mind Great Abaco and the surrounding cays. We will spend most of our time exploring that area, but will start our adventure in Walker’s Cay.

Walker’s Cay is the northernmost island of The Bahamas with the exception of Jump Off Rocks, which lie one mile to the northwest. There are two main reasons to go to Walker’s Cay. Fishing. Diving. The Gulf Stream in this area is rather like a blue superhighway for large fish, and Walker’s Cay plays host to many sport fishing tournaments every year. Most are tag and release, as the sport fishing community’s environmental awareness has evolved. Heading south from Walker’s Cay lie Grand Cays, an archipelago of islands covering a large area. Much of the surrounding water is shallow, which makes it incredibly beautiful, but perhaps will also give your captain grey hairs as he tries to navigate. Listen to your captain. He will do his utmost to please you and give you a charter holiday better than you ever imagined, but he will also be careful with the yacht. After all, you don’t want to pay for a set of expensive propellers just because you wanted to get into a certain tiny inlet.

There is a tiny settlement on Grand Cays, laid-back and friendly. The town is fun to explore, with meandering sidewalks, several restaurants, and plenty of “potcakes”. Potcakes are what the Bahamians call the mongrels of in-determinant background. The name comes from crusty, caked mixture that is on the bottom of a pot of peas and rice. Often you will find that the mutts have colorful names: Keep Still, Hush ‘em, and Move On are a few that I have heard!

Depending on the draft of your charter yacht, you might want to discuss with your captain the possibility of visiting Double Breasted Cays on your way on down to Great Abaco. These cays, which form another archipelago of innumerable islands and rocks are nothing less than fabulous. Because of the shallow water and difficulty in visiting them, you might have them all to yourself.

This is definitely a place where you will want to use the tender to explore and use the yacht as a “mother ship”. Line upon line of cays of all shapes and sizes enclose flats, sandbanks, and beaches through which deeper channels run. Snorkelers will not be enticed from the crystal waters for hours. On bright sunny days the colors here are as brilliant as you will find anywhere in The Bahamas, reminding you of a liquid opal. Perhaps the only thing better are the sunsets, or the sparkling stars at night. Turn off the DVD, the stereo, relax on the aft deck or on the flybridge and simply listen to the sounds of the quiet. This is living.

When you say “The Abacos”, most people will immediately think of Great Abaco and the smaller cays that form a beautiful chain to her east, sheltering the water between them. Islanders often claim that it is the cruising capital of the world, and I, for one, would hesitate to argue with them. The islands and cays that make up this area of The Bahamas are often called the “Loyalist Isles” because of the many Tory expatriates who fled there to avoid persecution after the American Revolution. The early Loyalist settlements are still much in evidence on the cays around Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco’s main town. Established in the late 1700’s when dissidents from the early settlement of Carleton, which is just north of Treasure Cay, left to form their own community. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, sponging and shipbuilding were at their peak, and Marsh Harbour was one of the busiest and most prosperous settlements in The Bahamas. In the 1950s, an agricultural project was initiated, with hundreds of acres cultivated to supply fresh farm produce to the Abaco district and Nassau.

This and tourism keeps Marsh Harbour, which is the third most populous city in the Bahamas with a population of 10,000, firmly in place as the commercial center of the Abaco’s. There is an airport at Marsh Harbour. Most charters start and finish here at Marsh Harbour because of the airport, and the excellent facilities at Boat Harbor Marina. There is so much to do and see around Great Abaco and her cays that you won’t be able to experience everything in a week, try as you might. The water here is protected on the east by the necklace of cays, and to the west by Great Abaco itself, so no matter how the wind blows, you will always find protected coves and inlets. Treasure Cay is a sprawling resort situated about 25 miles north of Marsh Harbour on mainland Abaco, and possesses its own marina, beach, golf course and airstrip. It is the beach that is the most noteworthy…3 miles of sugary white sand to leave footprints in.

The Marls line most of the central west coast of Great Abaco. No, this is not someplace to visit on your charter yacht. Leave the yacht behind in Marsh Harbour and have your captain hire you a local guide to best enjoy this spectacle. It is miles and miles of mangroves and extremely low-lying cays. Perhaps the best place on earth for fly fishing. Especially if you are a novice and (like me) have never been able to catch a bonefish yet. Here, it is a numbers game that even a beginner can win at. As the tide goes out, the bonefish have to leave the safety of the mangrove roots or end up stranded, especially during the spring and fall when the tides are more extreme. The whole phenomenon makes it look like a freeway of fish. There are fish everywhere, and if you can manage to get your fly in the water, you will catch something, I promise you. Not into fishing? Kayak instead. But again, it would be best to hire a guide, because within moments, all of the mangroves look a like, and which channel did you come down? Now that we have explored the mainland of Great Abaco, and the Marls to the west, prepare to be enchanted by the cays to her east.

We will start at Green Turtle Cay, one of the most popular islands, also one of the most northerly, then work our way south. Something to keep in mind about the Abacos is that everything is fairly close together, so there are no long cruises, merely short jaunts as you ricochet back and forth between the mainland and the cays, up and down a protected passage. Green Turtle Cay has an uneven coastline sprinkled with deep bays and delightful beaches. The island is 3 miles long, 1.5 miles wide and at places rises to the dizzying height of over 80 feet! Named for a once-thriving population of green turtles, over the years most of the turtles were hunted and turned into soup. There is now a farm where green turtles are raised for food, but those still remaining in the wild are protected.

New Plymouth is the neat, prosperous, and picturesque settlement on Green Turtle Cay. There is a small museum here: the Albert Lowe Museum, housed in a 150 year old residence that was restored by artist Alton Lowe and features several of his paintings as well as his father’s ship models. The museum’s outstanding collection of Green Turtle Cay photographs dates back to Abaco’s earliest days. The new Loyalist Memorial Garden, built with funds raised by the New Plymouth Historical Society is also worth a visit. As fun as it is to wander about the village, the true reason to visit Green Turtle Cay are the beaches and the many secluded coves and inlets. The serenity of the area will only be shattered with the sound of laughter as your friends and family take to the water on the yacht’s toys.

Great Guana Cay is seven miles long, making it one of the longest in the Abaco group. It has perfect white sand beaches that stretch for miles on both the ocean and bank sides. If your captain is comfortable that there is enough water so your yacht won’t go aground, inquire if it would be possible to anchor off the small settlement, go ashore on the tender and take a short five minute walk across the island to one of the most spectacular beaches in The Bahamas. You’ll need the beach toys, snorkeling gear, sunscreen and snacks, because you won’t want to leave for hours. You might want to time your visit in order to partake in the famous Sunday afternoon Pig Roast at Nippers.

Next stop on down the chain is lovely Man-O-War Cay to see the boat-building operation of the Albury Brothers. The skiffs built by Willard and Benny are prized throughout The Bahamas. Joe Albury also builds sailing dinghies in a distinctive design. His half-models, finely crafted wooden furniture, and nautical accessories are on display at his shop on the harbor shore. Man-0-War is devoid of cars and liquor.

A quick jaunt takes us on down to Elbow Cay, home to Hope Town, with it’s famous red-and-white banded lighthouse. Looking for all the world like a giant candy cane, it’s probably the most photographed landmark in The Bahamas. Visiting hours are usually from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but remember, it is The Bahamas and is subject to “island time”.

There is the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum that displays manuscripts, photographs and artifacts of Hope Town’s history, or you might just want to wander on over to the ocean side and lay on the sand, listening to the sound of the waves. Bliss.
Back on mainland Great Abaco, and a bit to the south, is Little Harbour. Almost circular in shape with a white sand beach running two-thirds of the way around it, yet on the western side are high rocky cliffs with some interesting caves. Sculptor Randolph Johnston lived here until his death in 1992. His family continues to main the shop, studio and foundry on the water’s edge. Consider this a great opportunity to shop and bring home truly unique items. If you can tear yourself away from shopping and the beach, visit Pete’s Pub. Don’t ask why, just do it, you’ll love it.

Too soon, it’s time to make your way back to Marsh Harbour for your return home. On your last night, make it Sapodillie’s for dancing to the local beat. No velvet rope here to get by…you are in the Abacos, and the “A” list is you.