What to Expect Onboard The Cathouse

The Cathouse is a large, luxury sailing catamaran built for ocean crossings and global cruising. While our weekly charter journeys focus on exploring islands in relatively shallow, calm waters, the yacht is fully capable of handling high winds and large seas.

Upon arrival, we’ll review the weather forecast and itinerary options with each group to custom-tailor the week’s exploration to your interests, aligned with the forecasted conditions.

The Cathouse features deluxe onboard living amenities, including:

  • Freshwater flushing toilets in every cabin
  • Hot water showers
  • A five-burner stove, oven, and gas grill
  • Heating and air conditioning throughout the yacht

There are three queen-sized guest cabins, each with a private bathroom and shower. A high-capacity watermaker onboard converts seawater into RO-quality freshwater daily. While we primarily sail short distances between islands, twin diesel engines assist with maneuvering in anchorages and help maintain progress when wind conditions are unfavorable.

Communications & Tracking for Family Back Home

The Cathouse is equipped with AIS tracking, allowing friends and family to follow our location online anywhere in the world. We also carry a Garmin InReach satellite-based personal locator beacon with two-way text messaging capability, and we’ll help you share the tracking link before departure.

The yacht has a permanently installed Starlink system for global internet connectivity, primarily used by the crew. Limited internet access is available to guests, with additional bandwidth available for purchase by the gigabyte.

Many Bahamian islands have cell service. We recommend contacting your mobile carrier to enable an international plan, as roaming charges without one can be costly.

What’s Included

  • All required life vests, life rafts, strobes, PLBs, and safety equipment

  • Daily onboard meals (see our meal plan page for details)

  • Unlimited high-quality drinking water, plus milk, juice, and soda

  • Inflatable paddleboards and snorkel gear

  • Bath towels, beach towels, and a 20L dry bag for each guest

  • Toiletries including lotions, soaps, shampoos, and sunscreen (SPF 15–70)

  • Two ice makers for keeping your favorite drinks chilled

  • All necessary yacht permits, licenses, fuel, maintenance, and anchorage fees

What’s Not Included

  • Travel expenses to/from the yacht (airfare, parking, shuttles, taxis, etc.)

  • Alcohol: You’re welcome to bring your own or purchase it locally upon arrival. We do not provide alcohol onboard. If bringing alcohol in your luggage, declare it as “for consumption on vacation.”

  • Meals ashore: Dining at local restaurants is at guest expense. Onboard meals are included, but specialty food/beverage requests may incur extra charges, resolved at booking.

  • Local, state, or country sales tax, which varies by location and is invoiced separately

  • Emergency or medical expenses for guests

  • Crew gratuities (industry standard is 20% of charter price for excellent service)

What to Bring

  • Valid passports (especially for Bahamas travel — they must not be expired)

  • Casual summer clothing (shorts, t-shirts, sun dresses)

  • Swimwear and optional wetsuit

  • A warm layer for cool evenings (sweatshirt, light jacket)

  • Hats and sunglasses (Cathouse caps are complimentary!)

  • Rain jacket (and rain pants if you wish)

  • Three pairs of shoes:

    • Casual shoes for occasional trips ashore

    • Clean deck shoes (Crocs work well—used only onboard)

    • Durable, lace-up water shoes for exploring rocky beaches and coral areas

  • Socks for hiking in water shoes (neoprene water socks or quick-dry types recommended)

  • Personal toiletries and any preferred products (shampoo and soap are provided)

  • Prescriptions, vitamins, and supplements

  • Glasses with a strap, and/or a backup pair

What Not to Bring

  • No hard-sided luggage (space is limited—use collapsible duffel bags)

  • No spray-on sunscreens (they can stain the boat)

  • No firearms or illegal drugs of any kind

  • No worries! Leave the stress at the dock—this is going to be fun!

Questions?

Send us a note—we’re happy to help!