May 10 – May 30 | $6950
This trip has two blue water passages, full of warm Caribbean sailing and adventure! You’ll join the boat at Shelter Bay Marina to sail to Nassau, with a stop along the way in Grand Cayman.
Cayman is known for its superb underwater world, which makes it a playground for divers and snorkelers alike. It also has plenty of white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and warm Caribbean sun. With the trade winds, it’s also the perfect spot to rent a hobie cat to sail along the shore. That’s not all! Cayman is a popular spot to swim with friendly stingrays in the shallow North Sound you can swim alongside over a white sandy bottom.
After a good visit and time to relax, we’ll set sail for the second leg of the trip, riding the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. We’ll round the west end of Cuba and sail between the Florida Keys and Cuba before turning left up to the Bahamas.
This trip will have a good mix of sailing – upwind, reaching, and downwind, with the possibility of some exciting mild frontal weather as we get further North. If you’re keen to sail hard and play hard, this is a great choice.
If you’d like to extend your stay aboard Sea Dragon, you can reserve your bunk to continue on with us from Nassau to Bermuda!
All meals on board Sea Dragon are delicious and vegetarian, with the addition of fish if we catch any along the way.
This is not a trip for the infirm or physically unfit. You MUST be able to go up and down the companionway and move safely about the boat while in rough conditions. Having good balance, strength, and being in good health is a priority. Please contact us with any health concerns, or if you answer “YES” to any of the questions on our health questionnaire prior to signing up for the trip!
Ardent Training is offering a significant discount on the RYA Day Skipper Theory online course to anyone signed up for this trip. If you’re interested in taking the course, inform us at sign up and we can give you the discount code!
KEY POINTS
- Distance: 1500 nautical miles
- Cost: $6950
- Date: May 10 – May 30, 2025 (21 Days, 20 Nights)
- Start: Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, Panama
- End: Hurricane Hole Marina, Nassau, Bahamas
For more details, please explore the drop down menus at the bottom of the page.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Sea Dragon
You will join the boat at Shelter Bay Marina in Panama between 1500-1700. Night on the dock.
Day 2-3: Safety Briefings/Exploration
Today is a day for going through safety briefings and getting prepped to set sail. You’ll also have some time to hang at the pool, have a wander through the jungle to the beach, or have a last meal or cold drink ashore. Night on the dock.
Day 4: Set Sail to Cayman
Today is the day for big blue! It’s time to go sailing and we’ll get underway for the 600NM passage in the morning.
Day 5-7: Underway
Life and rhythm on Sea Dragon will quickly take shape around the watch schedule and life will be wonderfully simple and disconnected from the norm.
Day 8: Arrive Grand Cayman
We’ll tie up to a mooring off of George Town.
Day 9-12: Exploration
There are so many things that the island offers. Options include swimming with sting rays in the north sound, snorkeling/diving, relaxing on the beach, night kayak in bioluminescent bay, and much more!
Day 13: Set Sail to Key West
After a wonderful few days spent in Cayman, we’ll untie from the mooring and set sail for the 900NM to Nassau.
Day 14-18: Underway
The sailing will be fast and exciting on this leg! Everyone will be much quicker to settle in on this second leg of the trip.
Day 19: Arrive Nassau
We will clear into the Bahamas and have free time to fill as you wish.
Day 20: Exploration ashore
Time to take in a new country! Local cuisine, the beautiful waters and underwater world, and city await!
Day 21: Depart Sea Dragon
You will leave the boat by 0900 at Hurricane Hole Marina.
Sign Up Now
The deposit is only $500. It’s non refundable if you back out, but if we cancel or modify the trip we are happy to return your money or apply it to a different voyage. Please review the Crew Contract for full details. The remaining balance is due 60 days before the trip begins. Please contact us with any questions.
Contact Us
Call Us: +1 (305) 330-4212 (Pacific Time) If we don’t pick up, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
– 20 nights accommodation on Sea Dragon
– All meals (vegetarian), snacks, and drinks on board
– Sailing Instruction
– Safety equipment and foul weather gear
– Mask, fins, snorkels
– Use of inflatable paddle boards
Contribution does not include:
– Transportation to Shelter Bay Marina and from Hurricane Hole Marina
– Transportation from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)
– Additional nights spent ashore
– Personal expenses while in port
It will be a warm trip! Take a look at our Tropical packing list.
Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY) is about 90 min from Shelter Bay Marina and Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) is a 30 min taxi ride from Hurricane Hole Marina.
All Crew members are responsible for their own passports and any necessary visas. You must have at least 6 months remaining on your passport beyond our arrival in the Bahamas.
Please look into the specific type of visa you need for arriving at these destinations by sea, or contact us directly to discuss.
Holly first started sailing at 19 on what she had thought was a “once-in-a-lifetime” passage from Plymouth, UK, to La Coruna, Spain with a youth sail training organization, but during the voyage she became totally invested in a life at sea. She volunteered for that charity for a few years before becoming a full-time sailor in 2015. Since then she has worked for similar charities around the UK, all of which specialize in providing valuable experiences for vulnerable or disadvantaged young people, and also instructs adults on adventurous coastal and offshore trips anywhere from arctic Svalbard to the Caribbean – with some of the ocean crossings being undertaken by celestial navigation only. Holly has been fortunate enough to sail on Sea Dragon several times in the last 8 years: on eXXpedition voyages researching the prevalence of oceanic plastic pollution from Senegal to Guyana, in the Caribbean, and around Britain, and most recently across the Pacific from Mexico to Tahiti in 2023. Holly is a Yachtmaster Instructor, and holds Yachtmaster Ocean with commercial endorsement and Proficiency in Medical Care certificates. She has sailed 65,000+nm.
Abi Davies, First Mate
Abi grew up in Dorset, UK and exhibited a passion for all things sport and outdoors early on, spending most non school time playing/competing in various sports or being outside along the SW Coastline. Having completed her BSc in Geophysics at the University of Liverpool and an MSc in Exploration Geophysics at the University of Leeds, she decided to join the RAF to seek more adventure. Initially joining as a Fighter Controller, she changed branches to become a Communications and Networks Engineer and has deployed on various operations and exercises, giving her a breadth of experience in different high stress environments. During her time in the RAF she has represented the service in volleyball, athletics, bobsleigh, waterskiing/ wakeboarding… and sailing, both racing and on expeditions. The most memorable expedition was sailing from Iceland to Greenland, having to navigate huge icebergs/shelves and experiencing midnight sunsets. In 2023 she sailed with Sea Dragon from Hawaii to Tahiti via Kiritimati, which was the final confirmation needed to pause the military and pursue life as a professional sailor. Abi holds a commercially endorsed YM Offshore ticket and MCA Medical First Aid qualification.
