Come for a great snorkeling sail in the Bahamas!

 5.0 (6)

Gulfstar 56 (1987)

Eryn


  • 56 feet

  • 26 guests

  • 3 cabins

  • 2 heads

  • Captained

Eryn


Description

Our beautiful 56' Gulfstar Ketch offers an unforgettable experience! You will enjoy the best Bahamas Sailing, Snorkeling and Exploring Adventure, all while enjoying the pleasures of sailing. Picture yourself lying on the deck, under the white billowing jib enjoying the Bahama sun, or sitting in the shade in the cockpit beneath the Bimini top. Listen to a great selection of music, to the wind, or to the waves lapping against the bow. You'll find that our snorkeling adventures are the perfect vacation experience, like going to another world...!!!

​We sail the island chain that stretches out to the east of Nassau and includes gorgeous beaching, fantastic reefs for snorkeling, as well as sailing & cruising through our beautiful turquoise water!

Our daytime cruises & charters usually come in 3 1/4 hour, 4 1/4 hour and 6 hour lengths, but they can also be customized for other cruise durations.

Here are detailed descriptions of our cruises -

#1 - OUR ROSE ISLAND DAY CRUISE - This is usually from 10am until 4pm with great sailing, beautiful Rose Island beaching and fantastic snorkeling, snacks, drinks and a delicious freshly grilled BBQ lunch - this is a great day out! If needed, this cruise can be condensed into 5 hours.
Itinerary - The cruise stops for snorkeling and/or beaching for about 2 1/2- 3 hours, and there are about 2 1/2 - 3 hours of actual sailing time. The beach is gorgeous, and is at a secluded location, at nearby Rose Island. With this cruise the snorkeling is at a fantastic reef in a shallow reef location. You can snorkel from the sailboat, in 10-12' of water, or you can snorkel from the beach, so this is good for both experienced and beginner snorkelers. We bring a tender/small boat along as well, so you can also actually ride to the beach and not get wet at all, which is nice if you'd like to bring a towel or camera ashore, or if you can't swim.
Snorkeling - We have lots of great snorkel gear on board which is included. There is also instruction in snorkeling, or refresher pointers, given by the crew upon request. There are swim waist belts (required) on board, and also life jackets are available (upon request).
Snacks, lunch - we include coffee with danish, cakes & pastries in the morning, and fruit & chocolate platters in the afternoon. Our lunch is not catered - it is freshly prepared on board and grilled over charcoal with generous servings of our "secret recipe" BBQ Chicken & Ribs, Bahamian Baked Beans, Captain Randy's Famous Cole Slaw, and fresh dinner rolls from our local bakery, baked that same morning.
Drinks - You are not allowed to bring your own drinks. There are complimentary drinks - unlimited Rum Punch during the sail home, as well as unlimited fruit punch, iced tea, lemonade & bottled water during the entire cruise. In addition to the drinks which are complimentary (as described above) aboard our various cruises, we do have a very affordably priced cash bar. Sodas and juices are $2 and everything else (beers, standard cocktails, wine, Rum Punch) is usually $5-$8. With a private charter, if you have any special requests from the bar, let us know and we will provision accordingly.

#2 - Our 4 1/4 HOUR ROSE ISLAND HALF DAY CRUISE includes snacks, drinks, great sailing, beautiful Rose Island beaching and fantastic snorkeling!
Itinerary - This usually begins at 9am or 1pm. The cruise stops for snorkeling and beaching for about 1 3/4 hours, and there are about 2 or 2 1/2 hours of actual sailing time. The beach is gorgeous, and is at a secluded location, at nearby Rose Island. With this cruise the snorkeling is at a fantastic reef in a shallow reef location. You can snorkel from the sailboat, in 10-12' of water, or you can snorkel from the beach, so this is good for both experienced and beginner snorkelers. We bring a tender/small
boat along as well, so you can also actually ride to the beach and not get wet at all, which is nice if you'd like to bring a towel or camera ashore, or if you can't swim.
Snacks - we include generous cheese, salami, olive & cracker trays, along with fruit & chocolate snack platters, passed around by the crew several
times during the sail home. You may bring additional snacks and/or boxed lunches with you.
Drinks - You are not allowed to bring your own drinks. There are complimentary drinks - unlimited Rum Punch during the sail home, as well as unlimited fruit punch, iced tea, lemonade & bottled water during the entire cruise. In addition to the drinks which are complimentary (as described above) aboard our various cruises, we do have a very affordably priced cash bar. Sodas and juices are $2 and everything else (beers, standard cocktails, wine, Rum Punch) is usually $5-$8. With a private charter, if you have any special requests from the bar, let us know and we will provision accordingly.

#3 - OUR 3 1/4H SAILING & SNORKELING CRUISE includes snacks, drinks, great sailing, and fantastic snorkeling! This cruise usually stops for snorkeling for about 1 1/4 hours, and there are about 1 3/4 hours of actual sailing time.
Itinerary: With this cruise you snorkel directly from the sailboat, in 10-12' of water, so very nice shallow water snorkeling, with the water even somewhat shallower over the coral. This is in an area at the Eastern end of Atholl Island, known as the Sea Gardens. You are actually anchored quite close to shore, to the island, however this is a coral/rocky shoreline so there is no beaching on this cruise.
Snacks - we include generous cheese & cracker snack platters, passed around by the crew several times during the sail home. You may bring additional snacks and/or boxed lunches with you.
Drinks - You are not allowed to bring your own drinks. There are complimentary drinks - unlimited Rum Punch during the sail home, as well as unlimited fruit punch, iced tea, lemonade & bottled water during the entire cruise. In addition to the drinks which are complimentary (as described above) aboard our various cruises, we do have a very affordably priced cash bar. Sodas and juices are $2 and everything else (beers, standard cocktails, wine, Rum Punch) is usually $5-$8. With a private charter, if you have any special requests from the bar, let us know and we will provision accordingly.

Options for Customizing Private Charters -
1 - EXTRA TIME - Adding an hour or two to your charter, if you would like more time for any of our activities.
2 - DIFFERENT START TIMES - We can sometimes change your charter start time, if something different is needed and/or to work around your schedule e.g. if you are on a cruise ship, or have business meetings.
3 - SWIM WITH THE TURTLES - charge your underwater cameras! This is a 'wild animal' encounter i.e. they are not tame, and we don't feed them. Usually, we see between 6 and 10 turtles - very very rarely, once perhaps in the last 3 years, there have been no turtles, but usually they are swimming around, grazing on the sea grass on the sandy bottom, and coming to the surface to breathe. When you are in the water, you are swimming over a pretty sandy and grassy sea bottom, in about 8-15' of water. There is no coral reef at this location. This location can be weather dependent, even if our other locations are not.
4 - WRECK SNORKELING - Depending on the tide, and the weather, there is a shallow wreck (20-30') we can go to for snorkeling. This is for experienced snorkelers and strong swimmers. The top of the wreck is 10'-15' below the surface of the water, and in a water depth of about 35'. The fish to be seen here are quite different than on the coral reef, and larger - including schools of Sergeant Majors, as well as very large Angel and Parrot fish and an occasional turtle or barracuda. This location can be weather dependent and/or we may need to time a stop here based on the tides that day.
5 - ADDITIONAL WATER SPORTS - jet skis, parasailing and/or banana boat rides may be added on to the 4 1/4 or 6 hour cruises. These activities are brought out to us privately, at Rose Island, for an additional charge - inquire for details.
6 - SWIMMING PIGS - make a stop on your charter for a swimming pig experience! There are 4 or 5 pigs, usually including at least one pink piglet! You'll ride ashore from your sailboat on a red banana boat, where you can swim with the pigs, or just watch, or enjoy the lounge chairs on the beach. This is an additional $35pp. Not everyone in your party needs to participate.
Note: Our various add-ons do change the cruise itineraries as described above - inquire for details.

Send us an inquiry with any questions you may have - we're always happy to help with any questions and do our best to accommodate any special requests!


This boat has 1 additional services available. View addons

Details

  • Manufacturer
    Gulfstar
  • Model
    56
  • Year
    1987
  • Guest Capacity
    26
  • Cabins
    3
  • Single Beds
    2
  • Double Beds
    2
  • Bathrooms
    2
  • Number of engines
    1
  • Horsepower per engine
    75

Extras

This boat has 1 additional service(s) available for full day trips. You can select optional addons to customize your trip on the next page. Note that required addons are mandatory, and addons marked as payable at base need to be paid directly to the boat owner when you get to the boat.

Optional Extras (1)

  • Extra hour
    $375.00 per hour

Amenities

  • Stove / grill
  • Refrigerator
  • Chart plotter
  • GPS
  • Snorkeling
  • Cocktail parties
Navigation & Safety
  • Chart plotter
  • GPS
  • VHF Radio
  • Tender/Dinghy
  • Life jackets
  • Fire extinguisher
  • First aid kit
Entertainment
  • Speakers on deck
Comfort
  • Stove / grill
  • Refrigerator
  • Freezer
  • Warm water
  • Outdoor shower
Sports equipment
  • Snorkeling
Activities
  • Cocktail parties


6 Reviews

  • Stephanie
    Stephanie
    July 16th, 2024

    We had an amazing day sailing to Rose Island. Every detail about the trip was as expected and we can’t wait to sail with them again!

  • Jenn
    Jenn
    Feb. 12th, 2024

    Our group (21 adults 4 kids) had a fantastic time on our excursion. The crew was so nice, the boat is beautiful and the lunch on board was delicious. Rose Island was so great, I wish we could have spent another hour there. Thank you for everything.

  • Thilana
    Thilana
    Aug. 9th, 2023

  • Kyle
    Kyle
    June 14th, 2023

    Everything about Riding High was fantastic! From the captain to the crew to the amenties, they made sure we had everything we needed and had a great time too.

  • Morgan
    Morgan
    March 31st, 2023

  • Davis
    Davis
    May 16th, 2022

    Had a great time and already looking forward to hopefully going back. Will recommend to anyone looking for a trip in the Bahamas.


Boat Owner

Eryn

Member since November 2015

We offer the best Bahamas Snorkeling adventures aboard monohull sailing yachts sailing out of Nassau to the surrounding secluded beaches and coral reefs!

Response rate: 97.2%
Response time: within 14 hours
Message owner

Location and Destination Guide

Usually this boat operates around Nassau, BS.

Visiting the Bahamas? Nassau, the capital, makes a great place to start your adventure. And boat rentals in Nassau, Bahamas are a great way to explore more of these islands at your leisure.

Whether it's a day trip to pig beach; a week sailing with a luxury yacht charter in the Bahamas; or enjoying some sea air with your family, find your perfect yacht rental in Nassau.


Customer Questions & Answers

Ask general questions about this boat. For questions related to a specific booking request click here to Message the Boat Owner directly.

Policies

Cancelation
Cancelation policy - Strict
Full refund if renter cancels 31 days or more before the trip start date.
No refund if renter cancels 30 days or less before the trip start date.