Dennison Yachts Bahama’s Rendezvous 2019
Bob and Cheryl were so awesome in asking me to join them in traveling to the Bahamas for this year’s annual Summer Rendezvous with Dennison Yachts. The long weekend was full of dolphins, snorkeling, dancing, and much more.
Thursday | August 8, 2019
Left Ft. Lauderdale with all the other boats taking part in the Dennison Yacht trip! Some boats headed over to the Bahamas on their own, but most followed each other in a long line across the ocean! Safety in numbers?! The trip was about 163 miles (141.6 Nautical Miles) across the Atlantic! Bob and Cheryl’s friend, Juno, from Dennison Yachts went over on our boat with us!
All boaters had to clear Customs and Immigration at the Port of Entry. When you enter the port you fly a yellow quarantine flag and notify customs of your arrival. No one other than the captain is allowed to leave the boat until your vessel has been cleared. All people on board had to have proof of citizenship and fill out an immigration card.
Arrived at the Port Lucaya Marina in Freeport, Grand Bahamas. The adjoining Port Lucaya Marketplace is the largest shopping, dining and entertainment open air facility in the Bahamas, with over forty specialty stores and boutiques, eleven restaurants and eleven bars/lounges for late night entertainment. The Marketplace boasts of a wide variety of Duty-Free stores, two generously stocked Straw Markets, two Craft Centers and Push Carts filled with Bahamian craft and souvenir items. There is a Coconut & Fruit Daiquiri Stand & Daddy Brown’s Conch and Seafood Stand for authentic Bahamian Island treats. There was also a yogurt and ice cream parlor, coffee café, bakery, a chocolate factory, a game room and the Market Square, where you can dance to Junkanoo, rake and scrape or bongo drums during the day and live Bahamian music at night.
Once docked we explored the Marketplace and had a quick lunch!
During the afternoon they had locals showing us how to get a conch out of its shell! Because I was the first one to volunteer to try it, I ended up winning an Amazon Echo! Yay!!
I was at the dock watching some local fishermen fillet fish they caught and saw lots of nurse sharks! They were all circling around the dock as the fishermen threw their chum into the water!
At 4:30 pm there was a Happy Hour scheduled for us at the Sabor Restaurant and Bar. And at 7:30 pm Sunset Cocktails were scheduled at the Denison Dock!
Friday | August 9, 2019
Breakfast was on our own this morning. At 9:00 am we went Snorkeling at Peterson Cay National Park, one of the best-rated National Parks in the Bahamas. Accessible only by water, Peterson Cay is a small Island located one mile from Grand Bahama’s southern end. This is a protected park area but tourists can still visit. Lots of marine life and colorful coral! I played with the Go Pro for photos but didn’t get anything worth saving!
At 6:00 pm we attended the White Party at The Stoned Crab. Cocktails and awesome appetizers were served along with a great show on the beach.
Saturday | August 10, 2019
Went to Denison’s Bloody Mary Brunch which was beautiful, and then had the afternoon to explore on our own. Walked through the Port Lucaya Marketplace and hung out around the dock and the boat!
At 6:00 pm there was a Denison Yacht Hop… Spent some time looking at the other’s people’s yachts… Some were remarkable and HUGE and they hired their own Captains! I turned in long before the end of the Yacht Hop! I was exhausted!
Sunday | August 11, 2019
At 9:00 am was the Farewell Breakfast (Mimosa’s and Bloody Marys, too!) on the Denison Dock prior to departure! Following breakfast they had the most awesome Dolphin Show!
We stopped at the gas dock on the way out! YIKES!! Ummm… filling up a boat is a tad expensive!! We had a great trip back across the Atlantic. At one point Bob’s engine started smoking, but he and Juno seemed to get it resolved! At least we didn’t end up having to swim back!!
When we got back to Ft. Lauderdale we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out on the boat
Then we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for dinner and walked through the lobby of the hotel. Ended the night by driving through the busy, partying downtown area! It was so over-the-top! Exactly what my expectations were of downtown Ft. Lauderdale!!
Monday | August 12, 2019
Spent the morning hanging around the boat in Ft. Lauderdale. Left to fly back in the afternoon. What an AMAZING TRIP!! It was so much fun. Bob and Cheryl’s boat is soooo nice and being on the water was so much fun! I’ll never be able to thank them enough for inviting me along on this amazing trip!
