The Liberty Clipper never has a fixed itinerary, enabling the Captain to chart a course for the best wind and weather. As a result, each departure is a little different. The principal islands that the ship visits may include Eleuthera Island, the Exumas, and many smaller, unnamed islands. Your sailing cruise take you to a new town or new island each day after you've sailed the warm tropical waters.
On your Bahamas sailing vacation aboard the Liberty Clipper, you have the opportunity to explore the tall ship and learn sail handling, how to coil lines, navigation, or even steer the ship. If relaxing is more your pace, pull up a chair – or better yet, a hammock – and enjoy a nice nap or a good book.
You also have the opportunity to head ashore each day. Depending upon which windjammer cruise you select, you may find yourself on a tropical beach, exploring a historic fort, or touring in kayaks. Each day presents unique opportunities for snorkeling, dinghy sailing, paddle boarding, hiking, nature walks, and discovering local culture and wildlife.
The following are sample destinations:
The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands which begin just 35 miles southeast of Nassau. Great Exuma Island, together with the Exuma Cays, offers an amazing variety of possibilities for all water sports. Hidden coves, bays, and harbors throughout are magnets for yachts and sport fishermen. Many of the unnamed beaches and coves of the islands, including extensive offshore reef areas, are included in the protected Exuma National Land and Sea Park of the Bahamas National Trust. Some of the islands on which there are permanent residents and resorts include Staniel Cay (home of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a fixture in the Exumas), Fowl Cay, Musha Cay, and Iguana Cay. Thunderball Grotto, located just a few hundred yards off Staniel Cay, is one location where the James Bond film Thunderball was filmed. Sandy Cay, just a short boat ride from Little Exuma, was the location used for filming the Pirates of the Caribbean beach scenes!
Eleuthera, one of the Bahamas' 'Outer Islands,' is 110 miles long and just a few miles wide. The island faces the Atlantic Ocean on its east side, and the Great Bahama Bank on its west. Eleuthera started as a coral reef, but unlike many of the islands, its terrain is quite hilly, with some hills as high as 100 feet. The shoreline varies from pink sand beaches to large coral outcroppings extending into aquamarine and azure waters. Eleuthera's many beaches are considered among the best in the Bahamas. Today, Eleuthera is like an island lost in time, much less developed than Nassau, Freeport, or the Abacos. Life moves at a slower pace on the island, with only 8,000 inhabitants, and a focus on vacationing.