Bahamas bound

Words by Risa Merl

Wake up in Miami, and by lunchtime you could be moored in a serene anchorage in The Bahamas. The ability to get from A to B quickly and comfortably is just one of the joys of travelling on board one of Heesen’s 50-metre aluminium semi-displacement yachts. Thanks to an optimised hull form, it also boasts a minuscule draft for a yacht of its size, which makes it ideal for exploring the shallow waters of the Bahamas, allowing you to tuck into bays where other yachts can’t go.

??“We’ve got great speed and draft with this boat,” says Thom Conboy, director of sales at Heesen in the USA. “The 50-metre aluminium semi-displacement series has transatlantic range and is very good anywhere in the world, but it lends itself particularly well to quickly getting from Monaco to St Tropez for the day, or for use in places like the Bahamas, because it offers a big platform with a draft of just 2.15 metres.” Other key dimensions are 49.98 metres overall, nine metres in the beam, and 499GT.

??The owners of hull two of this series were attracted to the class for precisely these reasons. They previously had a full-displacement Heesen, but wanted to be able to explore the US East Coast at a faster pace and easily enjoy a weekend away in the Bahamas, getting over to the islands in just a few hours. “They bought the boat because of the performance and draft; you can get over to the Bahamas in half the time and once there can get into nicer, cooler spots that you couldn’t reach with a full-displacement design,” says Conboy.

Two hulls in the series have been sold, and hull three, Project Jade, is available now with delivery slated for the first quarter of 2024. So here’s a look at a fun-filled, long-weekend Bahamas itinerary that Project Jade’s future owners might enjoy.

?Day 1

Miami to Bimini

?The nearest island is only 50 miles from South Florida, but with stunning turquoise waters, laidback beach bars and excellent diving, it feels a world away. On board Project Jade, you could be there in less than three hours. “You can easily go to The Bahamas for the weekend and come back,” says Conboy. Bimini might be the closest to mainland USA, but it’s still considered a “Bahamian Out Island” for its chill vibes. Anchor out or pull into the superyacht marina at Resorts World Bimini, where you can play a hand at the casino or unwind in the. Take a golf cart down to the main settlement of Alice Town, where you can enjoy fresh conch ceviche and find a selection of restaurants and bars. Bimini is also known for its diving and snorkelling; you can swim with dolphins in the wild, or scuba dive the underwater rock formation called Bimini Road which is rumoured to be remnants of the ancient civilization of Atlantis.

??Day 2

?Bimini to Nassau

Go full throttle to Nassau, enjoying the thrill as the yacht handily reaches a top speed of 23 knots. Conboy says that deciding between a full- or semi-displacement yacht is a personal preference, for which performance like this can be the deciding factor. “It’s like the difference between a luxury Mercedes vs a Ferrari, it’s two different types of boating,” he says. With a fast boat like Project Jade, you could make a quick stop over at Atlantis in Paradise Island for a meal at Nobu or a ride on the resort’s epic water slides – which go under a shark tank – before heading further south to the Exumas.

?Day 3

Nassau to the Exumas

The Exuma island chain in the Bahamas has some of the prettiest water in the world and there’s a natural attraction on nearly every island. On board Project Jade, it would take just a few hours to get to the Exumas from Nassau. Start at Allen’s Cay where you can feed the huge rock iguanas. Next, stop off at Norman’s Cay,?infamous as an island used by Pablo Escobar?– the remains of one of his drug smuggling airplanes is sunk in shallow water creating a man-made reef. It makes for an unusual and vibrant snorkelling spot! Continue onto Warderick Wells, the home of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, where you’ll find the skeleton of a 16-metre sperm whale on shore and plentiful trails for running or hiking to stretch your legs. The protected anchorage is a beautiful place to anchor for the night and enjoy dinner al fresco under a sea of stars.

?Day 4

Exuma Islands

Today’s the day to visit some of the Exuma Islands’ top attractions. “The beauty of this boat is you can go as many places as you want in a day when you’re going 20-plus knots as 20 miles away will take you an hour,” says Conboy. First, it’s over to Compass Cay where you can swim with the gentle nurse sharks that hang out in the marina. Next, head over to Big Major Cay, also known as “Pig Beach” for its famed swimming pigs. Finally, you can pretend to be 007 in Thunderball Grotto, aptly named because two James Bond movies were filmed here, including Thunderball, of course. The grotto is part of an amazing underwater cave system and is home to an abundance of colourful fish. Insider tip: bring bread and the fish will eat from your hands. Thunderball Grotto is just off Staniel Cay. Dock at the Yacht Club, where cute little cottages are built out over the water, and dine on fresh seafood at the Sea Level restaurant, or in the Captain’s Lounge, the original dining room that dates back to 1956. Then throw back a Kalik or two at the iconic bar, a favourite of musician Jimmy Buffett. The next day you can make your way back to Florida, thinking about all the fun you had in just a long weekend.

“There’s a convenience to what it allows you to do in a shorter period of time,” says Conboy. “Time is money and you can’t buy time. A lot of our customers work and run businesses, so if they can get somewhere quicker that’s pretty precious.”

Read more about Project Jade on our website

https://www.heesenyachts.com/fleet/yn20350-project-jade/