«Where fiction meets reality...» IN THE BAHAMAS ON A BALI 4.8

Our objective for this new trip was to discover the Exumas and rediscover the feeling of freedom that we’ve missed so much. A trip that changed our view of the world and nature. 

We set a course for Shroud Cay, just north of Hawksbill Cay. Getting under way in the early morning, in the absence of wind we decided to motor out, discovering to our surprise that the noise was imperceptible! On passage, we organised the boat and chose our quarters aboard the BALI 4.8, and we were overwhelmed by the space that this catamaran offers. The children didn’t lose their bearings and hogged their cabins, while the adults got comfortably installed in theirs. Under engine, the BALI 4.8 works very well with a speed of almost 8 knots at 2,200 RPM. At this speed, the fuel consumption is 10 L per hour which gives a range of 100 hours or 800 NM! Not bad for 2x57 HP. 

After 2 hours under way, the wind finally picked up, enabling us to hoist sail. We gathered on the flybridge to enjoy the view and relax in the lounge spaces. 

From the helm, there’s an excellent view of the sails. 

We arrived at our destination in the early afternoon and decided to anchor at Sandy Cay (one of the film locations for Pirates of the Caribbean), and the children were delighted! With its 1.35m draft, the BALI 4.8 allowed us to get as close as possible to the beach and to settle comfortably sheltered from the wind. Lunchtime was upon us, and we opted for the saloon. This space offers the crew great conviviality, with the breeze created by the BALI door and the open bay window being very welcome. The L-shaped galley, to starboard, has a double-bowl sink, three-burner gas hob, an oven and plenty of storage space. A huge American fridge-freezer-ice maker completes the appliances. We were able to store all the fresh groceries needed to feed two families of 4 people. 

We decided to stop a few days in this beautiful bay. The children spent their time in the water, between snorkelling and paddleboarding. The grown-ups took advantage of the different spaces offered by the BALI 4.8 to relax. We spent a lot of time at the back of the boat, where the large bench seat makes for very comfortable snoozing, the aft platform connecting the two transoms served as a bench to sit on with our feet in the water, watching the children. And finally, there’s the plancha grill, an essential and indispensable piece of equipment! We used it for cooking every day. 

After a few days it came time to leave, and a nice breeze pushed us towards our new destination “Secret beach”. Our BALI 4.8 quickly cleared the coast, finding a good 12-knot southerly breeze. We decide to unfurl the code 0, and with it, we reached 8.5/9 knots. The boat’s 

behaviour was very pleasant, but unfortunately, the wind dropped again after a few hours, and we resigned ourselves to using the engines to reach our next destination. Arriving at «Secret beach», we had the chance to swim with the turtles, and to be alone in the world! We took the dinghy, which is lowered on its easy-to-use electric davits, and ventured into the forests bordering the sea to discover incredible fauna and flora! Not so reassuring for children and adults alike!