Early in the morning on March 1st, 2019 we woke up on the hook in Chub Cay. Right away, Wes hauled up the anchor by hand and we set our course for Nassau.
It was a 35 nautical mile long sail and the weather was perfect. Sunny skies, light winds and 1-2 ft. seas – glorious sailing conditions.
We averaged a speed of around 5 knots and made it to our anchorage in the dark around 7pm.
Sail from Chub Cay to Nassau, Paradise Island
The anchorage in Nassau is less than ideal. There is a grassy bottom and as you might know that doesn’t provide a great a hold. It is also a hectic commercial area with lots of cruise ships and a strong current around. On the up side we could see the Atlantis Resort from there. It didn’t matter to us anyway because we were up and out a few hours later at sunrise and we made our way over to Atlantis!
After traveling on our tiny 30ft sailboat for months Wes and I were really looking forward to enjoying a night at the world famous Atlantis Bahamas Resort!
Don’t get confused though, we didn’t actually stay at the resort. We stayed on the dock at the resort.
Okay, to be specific, we stayed wayyy out at the end of the dock. In a place referred to by The Bahamas cruising community as the “plebe dock”. It’s about a 30 minute walk to…anything.
The marina has a 50ft minimum slip rate so we had to pay for 20ft of imaginary boat. However, the slip rental comes with full access to the water park, aquarium, casino and all the other amenities so we didn’t let it bother us too much.
Would you believe me if I told you the main attractions weren’t even the best part?
What really hit the spot was the shore power, showers and laundry facilities. Actually, the crowds and chaos around the resort can be overwhelming when you’re not used to it anymore. We allowed ourselves 24 hours to enjoy all that Atlantis has to offer. Not only were we motivated to keep sailing by the budget but also because the upcoming weather window looked perfect for our passage to the Exuma Islands.
The Resort
The hotel itself is huge. The hotel lobby feels grand with a massively wide staircase and vaulted ceilings. Fish tanks lined the lower level with sharks, sting rays and all kinds of tropical fish. Beautiful ornate detailing can be found on pillars, counter tops and walls. The design captures the feeling of “the lost Greek city of Atlantis” in ways both large and small.
The resort grounds are even larger. There are multiple towers filled with hotel rooms, a time share rental community, the marina (of course) and a complete “Main Street” type shopping area.
I already mentioned the waterpark, aquarium and casino but did I mention the beach or spa? That’s more my speed.
All of this is set around a beautiful landscape of palm trees, dark cool cave like hallways and pools filled with local sea life.
Here are some photos of the outside areas to help you get an idea of what I’m talking about.
The Marina
The Marina is home to 63 mega yacht slips and often hosts the rich and famous. It also hosted WICKED SALTY, OH YEAH!
All in all, we had a great time and hope to be back again soon.
We made a vlog of the day for your entertainment. You can watch it here or below. I think the video does a good job of showing the real experience we had staying on the dock as modest live aboard sailors.
By: Kate Lilly, Wicked Salty
Wicked Salty, est. 2014
Allyn Onderdonk says
Atlantis sure is a fun place to be!!