Shared sunset towards the end of the trip with guests and crew ... laughs and stories all night long. A great charter yacht.
Kevin Waite
Bahamas Yacht Charter - Sailing Catamaran
The Ultimate Yacht Charter
The crewed charter yacht Cat Ppalu offers a unique experience for families, friends and groups desiring a sailing, scuba diving and snorkel vacation. Besides sailing, a side benefit for the adventure seeker is that Cat Ppalu provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy activities like snorkeling, kayaking and SUPs (paddle boarding) as well as shore excursions. Explore local islands or relax and sunbathe on uninhabited islands. It is your vacation, so you can choose what you want to do.
Dive Experiences
Many of our individual trips are geared to scuba divers. Our dive destination for the week is the Exuma Cays. When the weather cooperates, we sail (versus motor) to dive sites only accessible to dive liveaboards. As such, these remote locations are more pristine than most. They offer the greatest variety of diving in the Caribbean. Whether a seasoned diver or a novice, our staff strives to assure your dives meet your expectations.
Highlights
$1,845.00 per person
Fully crewed yacht charter $18,450.00
- Departs Nassau (NAS) on Saturdays to the Exuma Cays
- 6 nights all inclusive
- Up to 18 dives
- 6 double cabins with shared bath
- Shore excursions included
- The Caribbean’s greatest variety of scuba diving & snorkeling.
While daytime diving in the Bahamas is a popular activity, nighttime dives are extra special. Some marine creatures, like octopus, are active and visible only after dark.
Cat Ppalu guests can takes full advantage of our many dives options, including learning how to dive or advancing to a new level of certification. Many children follow in their parent’s flippers and learn to dive while on board.
- Wrecks and reefs
- Walls in less than 40 feet of water
- Blue hole and drift dive
- Diving courses
- Open water certification
With Cat Ppalu we oftentimes have the ability – with advance notice – to customize your itinerary and activities.
Dive Sites
The Exumas offer the Caribbean’s greatest variety of diving, walls, blue holes, patch reefs, shark dives and high speed drift dives.
- Lost Blue Hole
- Periwinkle Reef
- Amberjack Reef
- Austin Smith Wreck known for its Goliath Grouper
- Cathedral
- Jeep Reef
- Pillar Wall
- Washing Machine, our most popular drift dive
- Whaletail Wall
- Hole in the Wall
- Jakes Hole
- Monolith Wall
Eco Adventures
- Snorkel in the crystal clear waters of Saddleback Cay, Closeman Reef, Norman’s Plane Wreck
- Meet and feed colorful indigenous iguanas
- Master your SUPs skills (stand up paddleboarding)
- Hike trails at Warderick Wells Park headquarters
- Kayak near mangroves and beaches or in open waters
- Explore uninhabited islands or comb the beach for shells
- Meet native swimming pigs
Shark Diving
Our trips to the Exuma Cays allow Cat Ppalu divers the chance to check off a big item on their must-do list – to swim with the sharks.
The most common types of shark encountered on our dives are the Caribbean reef shark and the nurse shark, which usually rests on the sandy bottoms. Underwater photographers can capture many close up images.
If Cat Ppalu divers are lucky, the shark gods bestow appearances by hammerheads, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, whale sharks and the black nose shark.
The Charter Yacht
Our 65-foot crewed sailing charter yacht serves as your home base during your dive trip. The Cat Ppalu is a schooner rigged sailing catamaran with space for 12 passengers in 6 cabins. Its sleek styling and 26′ beam design allows this sailboat to maximize the space in guest cabins while giving you the chance to enjoy the magnificent Bahamian scenery topside.
Our low draft enables us to anchor close to uninhabited islands for further exploring and to enjoy our many water sports like snorkeling, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding (SUP).
The Crew
Sit back and relax and let our captain handle the details while you’re on your Bahamas dive vacation. From meals to dive equipment to eco adventures, you’ll be in capable hands. Their job descriptions include making sure you have fun!
If you’re interested, they’ll be more than happy to show you the ropes from raising the main sail and to explaining how wind power works.
We have a dive instructor onboard who can take non-divers on an introductory dive.
FAQs
If you do not have your own equipment, we have “top of the line” dive gear available for rent. For rates, click here. Please request these items on your Trip Application. Payment is made while on board. All rentals must be arranged prior to departure.
The Cat Ppalu docks at the Nassau Harbour Club Marina on East Bay Street, right across from the Starbucks. The ride is approximately 30-40 minutes from the airport to the dock. It is not that far but slow down, Mon! You are on island time now. If you need ground transfers while in Nassau, we can assist. You can make the ground transfer arrangements online or call our office at least 3 days prior to your departure. For each pick-up, the cost is $18.00 per person one-way. If you prefer to take a taxi or miss the cut-off date, taxis are readily available at the airport. The cost will be $40.00 or more if there are more than 2 of you.
You may board after 12:00pm on Saturday. We plan to shove off by 3:00pm at the latest to make the trip from Nassau to the Exumas during daylight hours. We can, of course, stay longer to accommodate later arrivals as this is a charter only vessel. Keep in mind that if it gets too late, then the captain may decide to leave early Sunday morning instead of Saturday afternoon for safety reasons.
The Cat Ppalu returns to Nassau Thursday afternoon, usually by 5:00pm at the latest. We still serve dinner and provide lodging at the dock. This is your night in port so that you can experience some of the local culture. All passengers must disembark Friday by 9:00am.
Yes, Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks frequent many of our sites. We normally offer 1 shark feed on each trip. This is the perfect time to see sharks up close and in action!