YOUR CREW GUIDE / THE ABACOS, BAHAMAS
CREW WEEK GUIDE
6 days / 5 nights, including arrival and departure days. Three cabins. A real taste of life afloat.
Come aboard. Become part of the crew.
A practical guide to arriving, packing, exploring and learning aboard our 48-foot Fountaine Pajot catamaran.
WELCOME ABOARD
Your Arrival into the Abacos
Fly into Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (MHH), Marsh Harbour. From there, take a taxi to Conch Inn Marina. All times below are local Bahamas time.
Open airport-to-marina directions
1 / Arrange your ride
Lady With The Rose Transportation: +1 242 801 3777
ladywiththeroseservices@gmail.com
Book ahead with your flight number, arrival time, party size and luggage. Confirm the fare directly; transfers are paid separately.
2 / Settle into island time
Early? Snappas Bar & Grill at Conch Inn is a relaxed place for lunch while we prepare Sunday. Lunch ashore is at your expense. Please check with us before leaving bags or assuming early access to the boat.
3 / Meet us at 2:00 p.m.
Boarding is at 2:00 p.m. Meeting at the entrance (Breezeway) at Snappas/Conch Inn Marina. Arriving or delayed? For arrival or delays, refer to the contact details in your booking confirmation email. Any timing changes need to be agreed with Ryan.
Taxi website
Conch Inn information
YOUR SAILING PLAYGROUND
The Sea of Abaco.
A collection of possibilities, not a fixed itinerary. Wind, sea state, access and the crew shape each week. We will go where the wind takes us!
Hope Town / Elbow Cay
Pastel lanes and the red-and-white Elbow Reef Lighthouse. Last working kerosene light house in the world since 1863. It's light remains kerosene-fuelled and its mechanism hand-wound. We may visit to climb the light house on our adventure.
Man-O-War Cay
A quieter community with generations of the famous Albury boatbuilding and sailcloth craft. Come for the maritime heritage; respect local customs and working boatyards.
Great Guana Cay
Long beaches and lively beach bars give this cay its social side. A fun shore stop when conditions suit, with the same considerate crew spirit as onboard.
Reefs, wrecks & beach BBQs
Crystal clear-water, beautiful snorkel spots and a beach cook-up when permitted. Fishing and lobster depend on seasons, rules and luck. Ship wreck and Reefs are a must!
A DAY IN OUR FLOATING HOME
Follow the Weather.
Sunday, seen on our Instagram page in the Abacos, Bahamas
07:00
Coffee, breakfast, a plan
We ease into the day, look at the forecast and talk through where we can sail. Times flex with conditions and the crew.
MORNING
Breakfast cleared. Anchor up.
Share the duties, prepare the boat for sailing. Navigate, Sail and learn as Ryan teaches the crew. Learning by doing!
MIDDAY
Keep lunch simple
Rolls or sandwiches keep the day moving so theres time for more reefs, sailing or exploring islands when the conditions fit.
15:00-16:00
Settle into an anchorage
Often we aim to be anchored around 3pm-4pm, sometimes earlier or later, depending which town we visit or where we stope for a beach BBQ. Weather may change the plan.
YOU TAKE THE HELM
The EDGE Method
Explain. Demonstrate. Guide. Enable. Ryan and Brittni bring more than 65,000 nautical miles, an Atlantic crossing and 20+ countries with numerous offshore solo sailing experiences and four years of running high adventure charters in the Bahamas from their boat. Part of this experience is answering all your questions at sea. The practical decisions are part of the adventure.
Sails & seamanship
Raise and trim sails, understand points of sail and practise useful knots. Learn what to watch, when to adjust and why a particular knot suits a job.
Weather & route choices
Read forecasts and compare them with the sky, wind and sea. Explore the apps and planning tools Ryan and Brittni use, their limits, and how a good alternative can improve the day.
Depths & anchoring
Discuss charts, shallows, lookout, seabed, scope, shelter and tides. Work through anchoring decisions and safe departures with the captain.
A home that makes its own resources
See how a watermaker replenishes tanks and how solar, batteries and an inverter support life aboard. Understand the system without opening or altering electrical equipment.
Beyond your crew week
Talk passage preparation, overnight watches, country check-ins and the real costs of food, fuel and marinas. Hear the candid liveaboard stories that never make it into a video.
This is practical experience, not a formal sailing qualification. Skills covered depend on conditions and your interests; the captain remains responsible for the boat.
PACK LIGHT / TRAVEL WELL
High Adventure Packing List
High adventure, not a fashion show! One soft duffel bag or backpack and One smaller personal bag per person; NO SUITCASES Pack light: most days youwr bathers will do all the hard work.
Your capsule boat wardrobe
A swim outfit, quick-dry tops and shorts, sun shirt, hat, sunglasses, light rain layer and something warm for breezy evenings. One or two casual town outfits is plenty. Ryan basically lives bare foot & a pair of shorts.
Happy feet
1 pair of comfortable shoes for exploring town or flip-flops. Keep in mind your feet may get wet getting on and off the boat. We are barefoot aboard the boat.
The useful little things
Water bottle, small dry bag, phone pouch, toiletries, lip balm and small sunscreen. seasick tablets/patches. Keep valuables to a minimum.
We have you covered
Food, Bedding, bath towels, Fins, Wi-Fi and phone/camera charging outlets are provided. Bring your own beach towel and snorkel/mask.
Travel essentials
Passport, entry/transit documents, return travel and booking details, insurance details and emergency contact. Keep essential medication in original packaging and accessible while travelling.
Comfort comes prepared
Tell Ryan about allergies, dietary needs and swimming confidence. If prone to seasickness, ask a pharmacist or clinician about options before travelling.
Sun protection. Hold the spray.
Bring a reef safe and avobenzone-free sunscreen. Avobenzone is linked to yellow/brown staining on boat surfaces. Absolutely NO spray sunscreen, including pump sprays: the breeze shares it with the boat!
Two examples to bring:
Badger Sport Mineral Cream SPF 40
Zinc oxide cream; water resistant 80 min.
Thinksport Safe Sunscreen SPF 50+
Zinc oxide cream; water resistant 80 min.
Check the current label before buying. No sunscreen is guaranteed stain-free: rub in as directed and sit on a towel. Use a sun shirt and hat; apply generously and reapply per the label, including after swimming or drying.
CPAP USERS: Bring a compatible travel battery sufficient for overnight use. Phone/camera charging outlets are not a promise of overnight medical-device power.
THE SMALL THINGS THAT MATTER
Live lightly. Crew together.
Our home, your adventure
We are Ryan and Brittni. Sunday is our family home, and sharing everyday life is what makes a crew week special. We are all assigned duties on the boat that we alternate each day. We are a crew and we all help with meals, dishes and keeping shared spaces comfortable.
Water & power
Short showers or a swim in the mornings and mindful charging are part of learning to run a boat. Watermakers and solar help, but neither makes our resources unlimited.
A calm, considerate boat
Sunset drinks are welcome once safely anchored for the night. Drunken behaviour that spoils the trip for others will lead to safe removal at the guest's own expense, as set out in the waiver. Alcohol is not included, but "sun downers" or a glass of wine or beer at dinner is permitted.
Look after the water we came for
Follow the briefing and captain's instructions for swimming, the dinghy and marine toilets. Do not touch coral, take from wrecks or disturb wildlife. Leave beaches clean and use shore facilities respectfully.
Abaco, after Dorian
Hurricane Dorian struck the Abacos as a Category 5 storm in September 2019. Rebuilding has been a long community effort. As we visit working harbours, shops and restaurants, we respect that history and support local people. Any wreck snorkel is selected for safe access; storm debris is not automatically a dive site.
PLAN THE EXTRAS / ENJOY THE WEEK
No surprises at the dock.
Meals ashore
Budget for at least one dinner ashore during the charter, excluded from the charter price. Hope Town mid-trip or Marsh Harbour on the last evening are possibilities, but many crews will choose to have a second dinner out together: an optional extra, agreed as a group. Arrival lunch, alcohol and personal purchases are also extra.
End-of-trip fuel
On the last morning we stop at the fuel dock. The actual refuelling bill is split equally between the booked cabins. With three cabins booked, Ryan’s usual estimate is US$50–80 per cabin. With fewer cabins booked, each cabin pays a larger share. Fuel use and prices vary; this is an estimate, not a fixed charge.
A thank-you, entirely your choice
If you would like to recognise the care, teaching and local knowledge that made your week special, a tip is warmly appreciated and never required. Some crewed-charter operators suggest 15-20%; there is no compulsory amount here. Base any voluntary tip on your own cabin booking, not the whole boat.
Departure / off the boat by 11:00 a.m.
We share a tidy-up and clean the boat together, part of taking responsibility for our floating home. Pack your bags and leave by 11:00 a.m. Agree any flexibility in advance. Allow time for the taxi and your airline's check-in requirements. Be at the airport at least 2hrs before departure.
Before your adventure
Send flight details and complete dietary needs and guest waivers and check your balance payment date. The balance is due 60 days before departure. Travel insurance is strongly recommended; check cover for your planned activities and cancellation circumstances.
Questions? info@svsunday.com
Full booking and cancellation policy
Preparation guide only. Your accepted booking terms and waiver remain unchanged.