Short Trips
If you have three or four days and want real time in the Exumas, flying south and cruising back removes five hours of travel from the itinerary. That is most of a day recovered on a short charter.
Explore, Getting Around
Seaplane to the Exumas
When flying part of the journey makes more sense than cruising all of it.
Why This Comes Up
The Exumas are the reason most people come to the Bahamas, and Nassau is where the flights land. Between the two sits seventy five miles of water. On a yacht that is a two and a half hour run in good conditions, and rather longer in bad ones.
Flying removes that problem. A seaplane covers the same distance in roughly thirty five to forty minutes, and it lands on water, which means it can meet a yacht at anchor rather than requiring an airstrip and a transfer. For guests with limited time, that difference is the whole trip.
We are a yacht charter company, not an air charter operator, so we do not fly the aircraft ourselves. We do arrange this regularly alongside charters, and this page explains honestly when it is worth doing.
The Practical Cases
When Flying One Leg Makes Sense
Mixed Groups
Sometimes part of the group wants the passage and part does not, whether because of seasickness, small children or simply time. Flying some guests down and having them join the yacht solves it without changing the charter.
What the Flight Is Like
Seaplanes used on this route are small aircraft, typically carrying a handful of passengers. You board from a dock rather than a terminal, and the process is closer to getting on a boat than getting on an airline flight. Check in is short and informal.
The flight itself is low and slow by aviation standards, which is the point. At that altitude the Exuma chain is laid out clearly beneath you: the cuts between cays, the colour change where the bank drops into deep water, the sandbars visible as pale shapes under the surface. A number of guests tell us afterwards it was the most memorable part of the trip.
Practical Constraints Worth Knowing
Three things shape whether this works on your dates.
Baggage is limited. Small aircraft have real weight restrictions, and both the number of bags and their weight matter. Soft bags are strongly preferred. If you are travelling with hard cases, expect to leave some of it in Nassau.
Weather cancels flights. Seaplanes need acceptable conditions on the water at both ends. Low cloud, strong wind or a rough surface will delay or cancel a flight, and that decision sits with the operator rather than with us. Build a contingency into any itinerary that depends on a flight.
Daylight only. These are visual flights, so the schedule is bounded by daylight. A late arrival into Nassau on the same day rarely connects onward to the Exumas.
How It Fits With a Charter
The most common arrangement we set up is straightforward. Guests fly from Nassau to a meeting point in the Exumas, usually near Staniel Cay. The yacht positions there in advance, either the day before or that morning. The charter then runs northward back toward Nassau at whatever pace the itinerary allows.
That structure works well because the positioning run happens without guests aboard, so no charter time is spent on it, and the return leg becomes part of the trip rather than a delivery.
The alternative, cruising both directions, is the better choice if you have a week or more. With that much time the passage stops being a cost and becomes part of what you came for.
Costs
Air charter is priced separately by the operator and is not included in a yacht charter rate. Pricing varies with aircraft, group size and season, so we quote it alongside the charter rather than publishing a figure that would be out of date within a month.
Seaplane Questions
Questions About Flying to the Exumas
When combining a flight with a charter is worth it, and what the flight involves.
How long does the flight from Nassau to the Exumas take?
Roughly thirty five to forty minutes, against about two and a half hours by fast yacht. That difference is the whole reason guests consider it.
Do you operate the aircraft?
No. We are a yacht charter company, not an air charter operator. We arrange flights alongside charters regularly, but the aircraft and the flight decisions belong to the operator.
Why fly one leg instead of cruising both ways?
On a short charter it recovers most of a day. Flying south and cruising back removes around five hours of travel from a three or four day itinerary.
How does it work with the yacht?
Usually the yacht positions in the Exumas in advance, you fly down to meet it, and the charter runs northward back toward Nassau. The positioning run happens without guests aboard so no charter time is spent on it.
Can a seaplane land next to the yacht?
A seaplane lands on water, which is what makes it useful here. Exact meeting arrangements depend on the operator and conditions on the day, and we set that up with them rather than assuming it.
How much baggage can we take?
Small aircraft have real weight restrictions and both the number of bags and their weight matter. Soft bags are strongly preferred. If you are travelling with hard cases, expect to leave some in Nassau.
What happens if the weather grounds the flight?
Flights are delayed or cancelled. Seaplanes need acceptable conditions on the water at both ends, and that decision sits with the operator. Build a contingency into any itinerary that depends on a flight.
Can we fly in the evening?
No. These are visual flights bounded by daylight, so a late arrival into Nassau rarely connects onward to the Exumas the same day.
What is the flight actually like?
Low and slow by aviation standards, which is the point. The chain is laid out beneath you, the cuts between cays, the colour change where the bank drops away, and the sandbars visible under the surface.
Is it included in the charter price?
No. Air charter is priced separately by the operator. We quote it alongside the charter rather than publishing a figure that would be out of date quickly.
Is it worth the extra cost?
It depends almost entirely on how many days you have. On a short trip it often is. On a week long charter the passage stops being a cost and becomes part of what you came for.
Can part of our group fly and part cruise?
Yes, and it is a common arrangement. It solves the situation where some guests want the passage and others would rather not, whether because of seasickness, small children or time.
Ask Us Whether Flying Is Worth It
It depends almost entirely on how many days you have. Tell us your dates and what you want to see, and we will tell you whether flying a leg genuinely helps or is an unnecessary expense.
We do not earn more by putting you on an aircraft, so the advice is straight.
Flights are weather dependent, so allow a spare day where you can.