ABACO
BAHAMAS LIVING Inaugural Issue
New Harbour Club
enjoy an abaco marina home from the $400s
sports complex and beach club
Hole In The Wall's Closest New Marina
Schooner Bay
W
elcome
to South Abaco Living at Schooner Bay ...
... where a dramatically new, unique concept of island living is quietly evolving on this delightful Bahamian out-island.
I
n recent years, visionary thinking has been brought to bear on the need for a new way to create a South Abaco community with totally self-sustaining infrastructure that leaves the island’s natural wonders unspoiled.
Schooner Bay is the innovative result of that thinking. The unobtrusive yet highly efficient supply of water, electricity, air-conditioning, hydroponic farming, waste disposal – all are based on recently proven nonintrusive technologies. A new kind of community is rising on the eastern shore of South Abaco – a charming, sustainable, eco-friendly “New Urbanist” settlement. In these pages, you’ll discover how those terms help define the development of Schooner Bay, terms in which the meanings express highly desirable differences in the way life will be led on South Abaco. A good life in a sportsman’s paradise where bonefish are stalked a few feet out with the larger varieties abundant in deeper water, where there’s a lodge at the centre of it all devoted to sportfishermen, where you can have vegetables that have been freshly picked every morning. The list is long; the life is sweet. Yet the forward-looking technologies setting Schooner Bay apart are virtually invisible, leaving the caressing breezes and sunshine of the Bahamas to work their magic together with the people of South Abaco. The Abaconians smile readily and speak softly with the pride and humour of their centuries-long heritage. They are the true “welcome to South Abaco,” and they’ll make you feel at home from the first moment. At Schooner Bay, you and your family will enjoy breathtaking natural surroundings as you discover – and make your own – a way of life that cherishes the fragile wonders of South Abaco and the sparkling sea surrounding it.
Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, a world-renowned architectural and planning firm, guides the innovative village design at Schooner Bay.
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CONTENTS
8 4-7
Focus on Abacos and Marsh Harbour The Abacos’ bustling port town welcomes visitors by sea and air … and exciting news.
8-10
Village Life at Schooner Bay The best of the past becomes the dream of the future, in a new harbour home hugging the sea.
11
Eco-Friendly Living Sustainable tropical living.
12-13
The Gateway to the Bahamas … Island Hopping How to get here … and enjoy yourself mightily once you do.
14
14-17
A Sportsman’s Paradise Paradise is a big word … but it fits South Abaco.
18-19
Authentic and Enduring Explore the first community in the Bahamas with New Urbanist living.
20-21
Residential Collections and an Island Escape Have the best of both worlds; here’s how to do it.
22-23
Parrots and Other Wonders One of the many amazing birds that call the Bahamas home.
Lightbourn Innovative Farming
24-25
Visit with Mike and see how he has made organic farming a success.
Flat Out Fishing
26-27
Spoiling for a fight? Don't fish? Read this and reconsider.
Blackfly Lodge 2
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Good times, fabulous food and oh yeah … a little fishing.
28-29
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Wellness Life better lived. Better eating and fitness fun.
36-37
A Taste of Schooner Bay Just-picked organic vegetables, meltin-your-mouth seafood … Hungry?
38-39
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Pete's Pub and Gallery Food and art? What a great combination!
40-41
The Vision Taking Shape The planning comes to fruition.
42-44
Bahamian Architecture in Living Colour So many styles to suit every taste.
45-46
Destination Adventure
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Time to get your adventure on. Here's how!
47-48
Homebuying in the Bahamas You have questions. We have answers. It’s easier than you think.
49-52
58-59
Explore Schooner Bay Rent a place to give the area a try. You know you’ll love it.
60
Harbourside Grille and The Snack Shack When your mouth is watering, these are your go-to places.
Artist-in-Residence Discover local inspiration.
54-55
Island Events Plan your island escape and enjoy the upcoming events.
Island Living, Interior Style Tell your story in a new island language. A gentle how-to guide.
53
56-57
61
Marsh Harbour – A Village of Marinas Your shopping destination for everything island style.
Let's Connect Find Schooner on social media and keep in touch.
62-63
Discovery Visit Options It’s time to plan your visit. The fun is waiting!
64-65
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Top 10
Abaco Bahamas Living Magazine has been written and produced by Cotton and Company, Stuart, Florida. For more information, please visit our website at www.thecottonsolution.com.
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Focus on
AND
Marsh
4
Schooner Bay
Harbour
Abaco is a teardrop-shaped island lying north and east
of New Providence Island (home to Nassau) and the Grand Bahamas (home to Freeport). An hour flight from Florida, it retains the essential character of a family island ‌ Bahamian-speak for out- island. Continued on next page
New Airport Terminal
Bahamas Government Complex
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T
he largest town on Abaco, and the third largest in the Bahamas, Marsh Harbour is the island’s hub for transportation, government and medical services. Pleasantly busy with air and water traffic, it also boasts a new port facility that serves as both a shipping centre (daily service from West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale) and a port of entry for vessels arriving from international ports. As laid-back as it feels, Marsh Harbour is actually bristling with positive change. It’s home to a government complex and a new hospital, the Abaco Community Health Care Centre. The opening of the new terminal at the international airport enables more daily direct flights from major U.S. cities and easier access to car rentals. And last but not least, local athletes and sporting enthusiasts are cheering plans for a new Sports Complex for baseball, track and field and soccer.
The Community Health Care Centre is scheduled to open in 2014
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STAY CONNECTED With an international plan, you’ll find cell service, both talk and text, to be seamless as you transition from the United States to Abaco. We do recommend that you set up the plan in advance. For most carriers, the cost to include the Bahamas is not expensive and can be added on a month-to-month basis. Internet connectivity is available in Schooner Bay and services such as FedEx can be easily arranged.
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8
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Explore the quaint streets of this harbourside village, while you're caressed by an ocean breeze.
T
ry to imagine your life without cars. Imagine walking everywhere you want to go, your favourite destinations are part of the community and you relish that level of convenience in a Bahamian harbour village. You could be imagining Schooner Bay, where the age-old idea of the village is being revived because it makes such good sense. The concept is called New Urbanism, implying not a new city but a new way to create villages and towns that better serve the people who live there.
A focus on design and community interaction were employed by Duany Plater-zyberk & Company in Implementing the principles of new urbanism. Continued on next page
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his South Abaco harbourside village is authentic – from its ocean inlet and salt air to the gulls that perch on the boats tied up at the docks. There are inns and restaurants and neighbours and greetings and a planned school – the way village life used to be. The pace is calm, meaning that you almost surely will be too, in an atmosphere that encourages reflection and delight in your unspoiled surroundings. The village architecture is timeless, whispering of the bygone eras of Bahamian life. Louvered jalousies cast shade upon the rooms within as they allow a cooling breeze to slip through, where the loudest sound may be the rustle of the palms or the giggle of a child. Subtle island colours will charm your eyes everywhere. Nowhere is the good life better lived. Come to Schooner Bay and discover timeless village living in gracious South Abaco style. 10
Schooner Bay
The 2013 Addison Mizner Medal was awarded to the Village of Schooner Bay for excellence in urbanism. The award is conferred through the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art.
The ecosystems of the Bahamas are fragile and, once disturbed, may not recover. By rethinking all the components of municipal infrastructure and how they interlock a new way, a Bahamian VILLAGE of the 21st century has been created. Eco-friendly describes the planners’ insistence that the ecology of Schooner Bay be kept as undisturbed as possible without limiting the vital services every community requires. A tall order? Only a few years ago it would have been. Now, on South Abaco, more is being provided for less than by conventional developers’ methods while leaving far more of the natural surroundings undisturbed.
both services at far less than conventional cost. These special units are silent, eliminating the annoying airconditioning hum from your outdoor living. Solar power charges the golf carts as well as boat batteries.
Construction of the homes at Schooner Bay conforms to rigid standards of durability, concrete and steel are the main structural materials. Yet the island The one-million-gallon charm of traditional water cistern is filled from Bahamian architecture is the sky with pure rainwater; evident everywhere. The it’s underground, self-filtering sense of place pervades At Schooner Bay many of the most advanced – and practical – and totally invisible. The even the smallest details of concepts of sustainable living are being put to work. geothermal plant provides airhome construction, evoking conditioning on the days when the offshore breezes are at the style unique to this part of the Caribbean. rest, operating on demand. On chilly days, it heats your home –
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Great Abaco is an accessible out-island — meaning, it’s a 35-minute flight from Miami but you’ll feel you’re a world away.
The Gateway To The Bahamas GREAT ABACO BY AIR Major airlines depart daily from Florida’s gateway cities to Marsh Harbour International Airport (MHH). Carriers include United / Silver Airways, Delta, US Airways and American Airlines / American Eagle. Connecting flights out of Florida and Nassau (Bahamasair, Sky Bahamas, Western Air – out of Nassau to Marsh) offer further access to major U.S. and international cities. Commercial: •• Marsh Harbour International Airport
is a 30-minute drive from Schooner Bay. •• Current facilities can accommodate regional
jets, while a new state-of-the-art terminal has recently opened. •• A direct route from the southeast
U.S. corridor to MHH is anticipated. •• Eight daily commercial flights from
four Florida gateway cities to MHH. •• Seven daily commercial flights from
Nassau to MHH. Civilian: •• Sandy Point Airstrip is a 20-minute drive
from Schooner Bay. •• Accessible via prop planes and
light jets.
12 Schooner Bay 12 Schooner Bay
GREAT ABACO BY SEA Easy ferry access to other islands and cays Via Bahamas Ferries. From Sandy Point, the trip to Nassau takes three hours, 20 minutes on an air-conditioned ferry. Visit bahamasferries.com to obtain a schedule. Times vary throughout the year. You can book your trip on the website. Via Pinder’s Ferries. Between Crown Haven at Abaco’s northern tip, you can catch Pinder’s Ferry to McLean’s Town on Grand Bahama. From there, a bus or taxi will get you to Freeport, 50 miles away. Albury’s Ferries depart daily from Marsh Harbour to its neighbouring cays. It’s a 20minute trip to Elbow Cay and Man-O-War Cay and a 30-minute trip to Scotland Cay.
Island Hopping It is said that the treasures of the Abacos are its cays, tiny
who immigrated from Charleston, South Carolina with her
islands looped like a string of broken pearls windward and
three sons to start a dynasty “that spread the name Malone
leeward of mainland Abaco. They are protected by the third-
throughout the Bahamas, over to Florida and outwards
largest barrier reef in the world. The diving is spectacular.
from there.”1
Given this geography, your trip to Great Abaco should
Great Guana Cay is actually quite walkable, but since it’s
include some island hopping, starting with Elbow Cay,
known for snorkeling and diving you’d best get in the
Great Guana, Green Turtle and Man-O-War. Travel via
water! Consider renting a boat for easy access to the best
Albury’s Ferry, a family business known to customers for its
spots or try a guided excursion with www.diveguana.com
impeccably run schedule and small acts of kindness.
or www.diveabaco.com.
Your first hop is the easiest. Board the ferry at Marsh Harbour
Green Turtle Cay, named for the population of green turtles
for a 20-minute ride to Elbow Cay. Debark at Hope Town. A
once there in abundance, whispers its Loyalist heritage in
walking and biking community, this old Loyalist capital is the
the town of Newport, while beautiful beaches invite you to
heart of Elbow Cay. There is much to please the senses here,
slow down and breathe deep.
especially when savoured at a meandering pace. Discover a candy cane-striped lighthouse
For another day? Man-O-War Cay is the boat-building centre of the Abacos, where shipwrights continue to build the famous Abaco dinghy by hand and the Albury brothers’ name, rooted here, will resonate with any who love a seakindly boat.
and waterside
Two quick notes round off a visit to Man-O-War Cay. For Civil
restaurants, along with
War history buffs, wreckage of the Union’s USS Adirondack
colonial Bahamian homes and
lies just off this cay. For everyone else, keep an eye out for
shops lining bloom-filled streets. And don’t miss a visit
Miss Lola Sawyer. A distinguished elder, she’ll be driving a
to the volunteer-run museum that tells the Loyalist story,
golf cart stocked with homemade cinnamon buns. Try one.
including that of the town’s founder, Wyannie Malone,
Or two. Or …
1 From the website: hopetownmuseum.com
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Para To say that Abaco is a sportsman’s paradise ... is drastically understating the possibilities offered in this paradise every day. Even if you only vacation here once a year – for now – you will live, really live, enough stories to dine out on for a lifetime. Not surprisingly, water sports are king – particularly fishing and sailing – and they can get competitive!
Continued on page 16
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adise
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With major fishing tournaments such as the fourpart Bahamas Billfish Championship series sponsored by Rolex to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes, the Custom Shootout donating hundreds of thousands to charity and the Abaco Blue Marlin Invitational laying down six figures worth of cold, hard cash – competitions here are serious business. Except when they’re really fun. Which almost everything is here on Abaco, especially in the south. With a wonderfully relaxed lifestyle, unpressured fisheries and a safe harbour in the new community of Schooner Bay, South Abaco is a sportsman’s dream – to get the best of a tough day’s fight on the water, followed by an easy evening of great food, camaraderie and yes, those stories.
Bahamas Billfish Championship Series (BBC) Great Guana Cay, Abaco. The first leg of the tournament www.bahamasbillfish.com Custom Shootout, Marsh Harbour, Abaco Invitation-only billfish tournament, limited to custom-built inboard sportfishing boats www.abacobeachresort.com Bahamas Billfish Championship Series (BBC) Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. Second leg of the BBC tournament www.bahamasbillfish.com Bahamas Billfish Championship Series (BBC) Treasure Cay, Abaco. Third leg www.bahamasbillfish.com Abaco Beach Blue Marlin Invitational Marsh Harbour, Abaco. The Bahamas’ richest fishing tournament www.abacobeachresort.com
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Schooner Bay
A safe harbour: schooner bay marina True, but perhaps doesn’t do full justice to the warm welcome that awaits sailors – of the sea and of life – seeking safe harbour here. Accommodating vessels with a maximum length of 80 feet with an eight-foot draft, the marina offers 30+ owner docks and nine transient slips, plus ice, water, diesel, gas and provisions.
The new marina at Schooner Bay was opened to the sea in June 2011, and is considered the only harbour of refuge along the coastline from Little Harbour / Cherokee Sound to Hole-in-the-Wall in the south.
– The Cruising Guide to Abaco Bahamas 2014
A large boat ramp allows owners dry storage of vessels under 35 feet. You’ll find the marina dog-friendly and people-friendly, and it has beaches within a short walk. It is the most southerly protected harbour on Abaco, the closest to Hole in the Wall and less than a day trip for sailors around the south point of Abaco into the central Bahamas. Tournaments slated in Schooner Bay for the first half of the year are the Rotary/Harbourside Tuna Tournament (March 29 – 30), and the Lyford Cay Tournament (April 24 – 27).
A Fair wind & Following seas But fishermen (and women) don’t get to have all the good times.
With a long and powerful history here, sailors can be assured that their day will come. Most every day, in fact. But some are feistier than others. Abaco hosts its fair share of regattas, but two in particular stand out. The annual Five Towns Regatta Time stretches from the American to the Bahamian Independence Day celebrations. Sailing sloops, many from the States, bring enthusiasts to Abaco for this fun-filled and exciting racing series. Starting in Green Turtle Cay, the competition finishes in Marsh Harbour eight days later. Expect parties all along the way! Yet closer to home, the 2014 E-Class sailing invitational takes place in the village of Schooner Bay. This competitive, friendly and fun weekend not only highlights Abaco’s rich sailing tradition but also shows off the craft of sculling, Bahamian music and many native dishes. The event is sponsored by Bahamian Brewery and Sands Beer.
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Authentic ...and enduring structure meant to last needs to be built not only of durable materials – concrete and steel beams – but on a lasting idea. A new, authentic, but traditionally-based, architecture must cleave to lasting principles, those of Old Bahama: walkability, a working harbour and close connection to the sea. Grounded in the New Urbanist approach to living, Schooner At Schooner Bay, these two words once Bay is the first such community in the Bahamas designed defined a vision. Now they describe to attract families who want to live, work and play in a a new harbour village evolving every setting that brings the best of the past forward. From the day, vision intact. teardrop-shaped harbour at its heart, restaurants, shops and gathering places fan out in all directions. There is much to love here, starting with the human scale of the place, as pleasing to the eye as it is to the soul. Each cottage home is individual, and yet joined in community, along Bay Street, in Harbour Village or out on surrounding dunes.
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Residential Collections
Cottage Collection 2-and 3-Bedroom Cottages from 828 to 1,350 sq. ft.
Captain’s Collection 3-Bedroom Residences from 1,722 to 2,318 sq. ft.
Harbour Collection 2-and 3-Bedroom Residences from 1,712 to 1,910 sq. ft.
Ocean Estates 3-to 5-Bedroom Residences from 1,761 to 3,503 sq. ft.
Verandah House 1-and 2-Bedroom Condominiums from 664 to 1,375 sq. ft.
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New Homes, villas and condominiums are available from the $400s to $4 million. Schooner Bay US AT 242.366.2048 OR TOLL-FREE 888.275.1639 OR VISIT SCHOONERBAYBAHAMAS.COM CALL
Island escape Your island escape at Schooner Bay is, in fact, just 30 minutes from all the conveniences of home.
BANKING: There are at least seven banks in Marsh Harbour, including the Royal Bank of Canada, ScotiaBank (with ATM) and Fidelity / Western Union Bank, Bahamas. (See full list below.) 1 HARDWARE STORES: For tools, home projects, and the things you didn’t pack, Marsh Harbour boasts two large hardware stores, including the Ace Hardware franchise familiar in the United States. ENTERTAINING: Wine, beer and cocktail ingredients can be found at your choice of the plentiful beverage stores in Marsh Harbour. Sourcing wine for pairings or finding fixings for your island punch should be no problem. ON-ISLAND FURNITURE PURCHASES: Need extra chairs to accommodate guests? Finishing touches for your new home? There are several good options, including Furniture Plus and Palm Cottage Interiors (next to Wood You between the stoplight and the airport in Marsh Harbour). GROCERIES: You have wonderful options, including small family markets and mini-marts in the Marsh Harbour area. Maxwell’s Grocery is the largest in the Abacos and rivals Publix or Safeway/Grant in the
United States, while Abaco Groceries offers the price advantage of buying in bulk. And best of all, you need travel no farther than a golf cart can take you to find provisions at the Harbour General Store. Schooner Bay’s local store is also handy for lunch items, fresh-baked goods and a variety of preserves, sauces and pickled items made from organic produce at Lightbourn Family Farm. FOR THE CRUISER: Schooner Bay is a harbour village, offering secure dockage for vessels up to 80 feet with 8-foot draft at MLW. Fuel, power and 24/7 security, as well as bait, tackle, fish-cleaning stations – and wireless Internet – are also available. The full services of a new Harbour Club are anticipated in late 2015. Schooner Bay offers the cruising community the advantage of Lightbourn Farms (a golf cart ride or five-minute walk away from the harbour) for stocking up on the freshest greens and vegetables possible. Meanwhile, “Marsh Harbour is one of the best places to provision and take care of cruising needs in the Bahamas,” according to the Bahamas Cruisers Guide (written by the boating community for its own). 2 1 Fidelity/Western Union Bank (Bahamas) Ltd; Bank of the Bahamas, International; Scotia Bank (an affiliate of Bank of America) Ltd; Royal Bank of Canada Bahamas Regional Office; Commonwealth Bank; Bahamas Development Bank; FirstCaribbean International Bank; Royal Fidelity Merchant Bank & Trust Ltd. 2 www.bahamascruisersguide.com
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s t o r r a P and other wonders
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he abaco parrot is A natural wonder with a lot to say, apt to perch in trees near bedroom windows and discuss plans for the day. Also known as Bahamas Parrots, they inhabit only one other Bahamian island. Though not endangered, they’re vigorously protected under the auspices of the Bahamas National Trust, the government agency in charge of preserving important natural and man-made attributes of the Bahamas and its gentle way of life. The parrots are oddly human birds, social and conversational, their voices and plumage endearing. At only 13 inches, with a white head that looks bald and pink cheek and neck feathers, they’re undeniably cute. The Abaco parrot population – between 5,000 and 8,000 – traverses a range from Hole in the Wall to Cherokee Sound. Their flyway crosses Schooner Bay, where it’s protected by ancient coppice deliberately left in place because the birds avoid flying over manmade objects. The Bahamas National Trust and Schooner Bay have created a pioneering partnership to preserve natural habitat and guide the responsible development of Schooner Bay.
discovery An excellent way to get to know South Abaco and Schooner Bay is to rent a small home – a cottage – for a season or shorter period. The Discovery Visit is specially designed to help prospective residents enjoy Schooner Bay while getting their Bahamian bearings before making the important commitment that involves purchasing a home. Schooner Bay’s Sales Team will be happy to tell you all about the Discovery Visit. Their telephone number is 888.275.1639 and e-mail is VillaRentals@ SchoonerBayBahamas.com.
Artist’s Concept
Verandah Cottage | 1,138 sq. ft. | $835,500
Sloop Cottage | 1,501 sq. ft. | $1,010,650
There are lots of other birds to watch on Abaco. Many hundreds of species live – or winter – in Abaco National Park, a large, virtually pristine sanctuary where a stupefying variety of birds – including all the Abaco parrots – thrive under National Trust protection.
Artist’s Concept
Angler’s Cottage | 1,154 sq. ft. | $810,200
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Mike Lightbourn speaks with a New York accent but his family has lived on Abaco for more than 300 years. “Yeah, that’s a long time, but I need to get my customers taken care of today.” He’s a nononsense businessman with some of the luckiest customers in the Caribbean region.
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M
any – even most – of the residents of Abaco – north and south – are Lightbourn Farm customers. How the small business can serve so many so well is a story of vision, ingenuity and enterprise. The secret is the electronically driven, vertical hydroponic system, a method that produces superior organic products and takes up far less space than conventional in-the-ground farming. With eight acres currently under cultivation on the “commons” and bordering Schooner Bay, Mike’s farm is constantly expanding. Hydroponic agriculture is a well-proven, highly flexible concept ideally suited to island operations. The towers of Styrofoam pots – square white containers stacked on metal poles that also support the automated watering and fertilizing systems – can be constructed quickly and moved into shipping containers when damaging winds are expected. But it’s the Lightbourn Farm's produce that stuns the eye and delights the tummy. Every tomato, every leaf of lettuce, every aubergine and herb is picture perfect,
among the finest vegetables grown anywhere and always delivered the day it is picked. “We deliver all over the island on Tuesdays and Fridays, including orders received by e-mail or phone the night
before.” Mike makes most of the deliveries in the farm’s pickup to Maxwell’s, the vast supermarket in Marsh Harbour, and numerous other shops, restaurants and homes up and down the highway that bisects Abaco Island. With the farm attached to Schooner Bay, residents are assured a steady supply of the freshest produce imaginable.
We deliver all over the island on Tuesdays and Fridays, including orders received by e-mail or phone the night before.
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Fish
There are people who come here to drink in the warmth, the friendliness, the sounds and the serenity. And then there are those who come looking for a fight.
By the hundreds of thousands, their adversaries await. Tough. Clever. And blazingly fast. Pound for pound, like Sugar Ray of old, these fighters are the best in the world. Bonefish, small but mighty. Tarpon, the silver king. And the devil with an ironic name, permit. The crown jewels of the flats. The grand slam of fly-fishing. Gentlemen – and ladies – it’s on!
Then, you let it go. And move on to your next catch-and-release fish. Which leads us to the tarpon. Although not a tarpon destination
per se, Abaco has a good population of resident fish in the 30to 80-pound range, making the grand slam a true possibility.
But of the three, a trophy-sized permit may be the holy grail of fly-fishing.
“Permit are the most difficult fish to catch on the fly. They live
For Clint Kemp, who grew up in the Bahamas, this battleground is
in deep water and feed on the flats. Their eyes are huge and
home. And its inhabitants are his lifelong pursuit – and his passion.
they’re wary, finicky fish. We have a number of clients who’ve
We’ll start with bonefish.
never caught them but are pursuing kind of a crazy addiction.
“This is all sight fishing. You’re hunting, stalking one-on-one so that first cast is critical. It has to be precise.” And then the battle begins. But how can a relatively small fish put up this much fight? “They sprint at 45 miles an hour. Their skeletal structure is like a
So it’s not about how many you get; it’s how many shots you get at them.” Clint knows whereof he speaks, having only caught his first last year. But strangely, in the end, the true reason for fly-fishing may not be about the fight at all.
cage of bones; they’re prehistoric and shaped like a bullet. It can
“Flat fishing is a spiritual experience. Your senses slow down;
take a while to fight this fish in.”
everything is slow. It’s a reflection. It gives you life; it feeds your soul.”
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If you’re looking for the Hemingway-esque, nostalgic experience, try Clint’s own Blackfly Lodge. Located on the neck of Abaco at Schooner Bay, the Lodge reigns supreme over the unpressured southern fisheries and offers blue water fishing as well as the best of the flats. Expect gourmet meals,gracious service and astounding views.
The Delphi Club
Tel: 904-997-2220 BlackflyLodge.com
Tel: 242-366-2222 Delphi-Bahamas.com
Schooner Bay
Created to feel like a luxurious country estate party, The Delphi Club lies adjacent to the world-famous Abaco Marls, an enormous mangrove wetland with plenty of bonefish close at hand. With a pool, library and wine cellar, you may not go fishing at all.
hing
Flat fishing is a spiritual experience.
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The great fishing here is a gift from God. We joined in and added Blackfly to it. – Captain Clint Kemp
It’s 6:55. AM. No alarm has gone off for the simple
At 8:30, 19.5-foot East Cape skiffs will roll up on trailers.
reason that you never set one.
Each will take on two guests and a guide perfectly
You didn’t need to. That siren of the morning, the smell of fresh gourmet coffee, is wafting its way up the stairs. Your personal breakfast order awaits. Rolling out of bed, you walk to the windows to see the weather is, once again, perfect. As is the view. 26°09.5’ N | 77°10.8’ W. Blackfly Lodge. Schooner Bay, Abaco. Home
matched to their skills. It’s a half mile overland and west to launch in pristine flats. Custom-built for the Lodge, the skiffs can go in as little as seven inches of water, but their extra length and special seating allows for comfortable open ocean travel as well. “We have motorized electric reels that go down to 1,200–1,500 feet to catch
to some of the best sportfishing on
deepwater snapper. Or you could try
the planet – and your dream vacation.
your luck catching dolphin – among
Captain Clint Kemp is rightfully proud
others – on the fly. We offer the whole
of the lodge.
gamut of fishing.”
“This place is unique. It’s only a half
For those who are blue-water-minded
mile between the eastern and western
today, a 31-foot Yellowfin can head
shore, between the legendary flats
east and also hit great sport fishing
and world-class blue water.”
a half-mile away – and sometimes a
Usually,
they’re
worlds
apart
for fishermen. But this is no usual destination. 28
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good ways down.
But while it might seem this whole place is wonderfully, deliriously and exclusively, about fishing – that’s not quite the case. Particularly if you’re rather fond of eating some of those fish. Devon Roker, the culinary arts trained executive chef, who probably sent you out on the water with lobster wraps, will welcome you home with conch fritters and other nibbles on the open bar. Then it’s time to get serious about eating – and of course telling a few possibly inflated stories. June Russell may be Blackfly’s business manager, but the warmth in her voice betrays her genuine enthusiasm for the whole enterprise. “We’re a big house. We want everyone to be comfortable here. Our dining table seats 16 people family style.
Over dinner all the guests interact, retelling and reliving all the stories about their day.” Those who’ve caught (and released) their first bonefish earn a Bahamian ten-cent piece to treasure. Because that little devil is featured on the coin. Here’s the deeper truth – and reward. Folks here talk about catching a lifetime fish. But the whole of the experience is no less resonant. June understands. “I think that is really why these people come. For many this is a once-in-a-lifetime memory – and for us that is so fulfilling.” Blackfly is a Class A fishing lodge with eight rooms, four kings and four queens. And this conventional travel language will never do it justice ...
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here wellne
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ss comes naturally
ealthy living needn’t be a matter of duty – must get in my hour at the gym; must do my routine. Must. Must. Must. At Schooner Bay, many ways to stay primed and fit rise naturally out of the environment; they’re fun and plentiful enough to keep you busy all day. So maybe it’s time to toss the to-do list, drop the musts, and discover how easy it is to be well when wellness comes with the territory. Continued on page 50
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o find your own island style, choose from a roster of the most inspired interior designers working in the Caribbean, Florida and the coastal Carolinas. Already in evidence in many Schooner Bay homes, their work shows a love of island places. You might see lots of white in a chic collision of print fabrics,
Schooner Bay
schooner bay An Out-Island Harbour Village
NowSelling
Verandah House Condominiums from the $400s 242.366.2048 • 888.275.1639 SchoonerBayBahamas.com
calmed by gentle blues and navy. Find ease in the play of texture, vintage rattan with dark glazes on furniture, made homey with books and board games stacked at the ready. And yet there are no rules, only suggestions.
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d prime waters leboarders will fin dd pa d an rs rfe su , For sure at Schooner Bay. the Zen of these parts, shares in r la gu re a , in w Tito Bald the endless wave: s with no crystal clear water to in t ou g lin dd “Imagine pa h the next wave. ers waiting to catc rf su of p eu lin d , dropping crowde of world-class surf n tio na bi m co a le, Imagine too, or the comfortab s, rn tu om tt bo beginnerin on rail-grabbing er drops at many ld ou sh ft so g in bit less challeng ho have just been w e os th r fo t ea am in these friendly spots. Gr home. The more I is is th e m r Fo g. is by the surf bu of the Earth. There gy er en e th to el fe I of these waters, the closer at the endless rhythm th y, rm sto or lm ca never a day, … in the moment.” where it should be e lif t pu t n’ es do s water rf in g? ff er en t sp in on su di a st ju it Is . ng Pa dd le bo ar di Tito continues: r one come the numbe be s ha it , ng di s stood up “Ahh Paddleboar waii as instructor Ha in d te ar st It t. en … water spor their students. Th of ew vi er tt be a g for new on boards to get tive minds lookin ea cr ith w f of s ke so a boom! It ta ody is a born surfer, yb er ev t No d. ar bo water days adventures on a ddleboards on flat pa p -u nd sta e th e us this; it’s lot of folks t anybody can do os m Al ss. ne fit d for recreation an will rarely find whole body. (You e th r fo g in on iti those great cond ind paddling is for nw w Do r.) de ar bo d downwind a fat avid paddle . A specially designe in ck ki ds in w e th nces days when rs to cover long dista de ar bo le dd pa rt board allows expe ers.” in challenging wat , Schooner Bay sts of a different ilk ia us th en ts or sp er d ocean For wat well as inshore an as t, oa ilb sa sh nfi maintains a Su er Bay’s Town Glen Kelly, Schoon to g in rd co Ac . hed is best kayaks but the most polis l al r fo g in ak ay Manager, “K d, where most of t side of the islan es w e th on ed m ays calmer, perfor as it is almost alw e, ac pl s ke ta ng the flat fishi rs an incredible bird fe of so al it ly, al on as ee with shallow waters. Se w full-time employ ne A .” ity un rt po watching op er sport activities e will manage wat nc rie pe ex g in rd anner of lifegua e dispersal of all m th ng di clu in y, Ba on Schooner s. floats, masks and fin s, contact: ation and update For further inform amas.com schoonerbaybah @ er ag an nm w to
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the SALES GALLERY
W
hat transports the imagination? What stirs the soul as surely as a chef stirs his ingredients? As you stroll along the waterfront or sit at the Cabana, a breeze carries that particular scent that says you are home, even if it is only the home of your heart. There is nothing quite like fresh food in the salted air of Schooner Bay.
s
chooner Bay’s new sales office is a welcoming, graciously furnished house and typical of the residential architecture of Schooner Bay. Because of its location, we’ve named it “The Captain’s Cottage.”
Located on a protected harbour not a half mile from bountiful deep-sea fishing, it’s not surprising that stunningly fresh seafood is available in abundance. What might be more surprising is finding farm-to-table organic produce nestled right beside it.
You’ll be offered refreshments while all your questions will be answered by the experienced professionals of the Schooner Bay sales team who are usually close by. There’s much more to know about Schooner Bay than could be covered in this magazine, including in-depth information about every aspect of this exciting new way to create a community. You’ll find it all here – along with a warm Bahamian welcome – at our sales office. Sales office open daily:
242.366.2048 toll free: 888.275.1639
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The produce from Lightbourn Family Farm, Schooner Bay’s organic, hydroponic farm, is gaining notoriety up and down the island. Delivered the day they’re picked, these vegetables are the mainstays of grocers and residents and the inspiration for the local chefs.
if you feel like staying home or throwing a beach party without actually cooking, there are TWO very good options in Schooner Bay.
TRIO Three chefs, good friends from The College of The Bahamas’ culinary program, have reunited to form Trio Catering. Antonio Huyler explains their approach. “We started in hotels, but realized that food represented what they thought tourists wanted. But cheeseburgers, for example, weren’t what we wanted to do. So when we came home we thought it would be cool to showcase local ingredients in food inspired from around the world. Conch with sweet plantain for sushi. Lobster club with bacon and mozzarella. A Chinese-inspired sweet-and-sour conch over jasmine rice.” And while they make a wicked handmade pizza with all Bahamian ingredients, the pièce de résistance, the dish ordered again and again, is lobster poached in vanilla and butter sauce. Yes, you will need this phone number: 242.426.5440.
Judy Mae’s Catering At the other end of the culinary range – and oh sooo tasty – we have Judy Mae’s Bahamian down-home ambrosia. With peas and rice or baked macaroni – neither of which bears any resemblance to their U.S. cardboard counterparts – crawfish, snapper, chicken and plantain and so much more, Judy Mae’s food has been making people happy for years. Judy Mae: 242.475.6177
Recipe from Devon Roker at Blackfly Lodge
Blackfly Lodge Open to the public for dinner with advance reservations only, Blackfly Lodge is family-style dining taken to a whole new level. A threecourse meal features just-picked vegetables and just-caught fish in recipes like chili fish with Asian slaw. And if you’re there on just the right night, you might get homemade Aztec chocolate ice cream on brownies – with vanilla vodka and Frangelico served in a raw brown sugar-rimmed glass with lemon on the side. Call 242.458.5577
Cabana Beach Bar and grill Open from midday until dark, Wednesday through Sunday, the Cabana offers grilled foods, wine, mixed drinks, beer, sodas and juice. For your own libations, be sure to check in at the store for the Beach Shack Mojito Pack, a handmade muddler packaged with fresh Lightbourn mint. Your evenings may never be the same.
Chili fish with Asian slaw 1 Red pepper, large dice 1 Green pepper, large dice 1 Yellow pepper, large dice 1 Red onion, large dice 1 White onion, large dice ½ c. water 1 lb. Firm white fish filets, cut into 6 oz. portions 1 ½ c. Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce ½ c. Green onions, finely chopped (garnish) ¼ c. Italian parsley, finely chopped (garnish) 4 oz. Sesame seeds, white and black (mixed half and half), toasted
•• Sauté vegetables (with the exception of the green onions) until translucent. Season fish with salt and pepper. Sear one side of the fish in the hot pan. Remove from pan. •• Add vegetables back to the hot pan. •• Add chili sauce and water to the pan. Allow these ingredients to come to a boil. Remove from the pan. There should be enough liquid to cover fish ¾ of the way. •• Cover for 5 minutes on low to medium heat. •• Serve fish filets and vegetables atop slaw mix along with some of the gravy. •• Garnish with green onions, parsley, and toasted sesame seeds. 1 c. Red cabbage, finely sliced 1 c. Green cabbage, finely sliced 1c. Carrots, shredded (you can use the coarse end of a grater for the same effect) 1c. Salted peanuts, coarsely ground
¼ c. Soy sauce ¼ c. Rice wine vinegar ¼ c. Sesame tempura oil Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
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ete’s Pub is as much a state of mind as a place, justly renowned for its superior cuisine, its easygoing island conviviality and, certainly, its numerous differences. There really is a bar with stools a few yards from the water’s edge of tiny Little Harbour, where you’ll arrive most comfortably by boat. Or you can drive there on a bumpy road that adds nuances of adventure. Either way, once arrived, you can sit on a stool or simply stand there, admiring the lucid azure water. Pete’s beers are world-class and the food redefines succulence. Nowhere in the Caribbean is the mystique of a watering hole more hallowed. Order the blackened mahi-mahi or the triggerfish and your palate will be rewarded as seldom before. Ogle the vast collection of T-shirts hung from – or tacked onto – the roof beams. Yes, Pete’s does have a roof. The T-shirts, in a babble of languages, were donated by hundreds of Pete’s devotees over several decades, their printed slogans declaring the quirky attitudes of cosmopolitan beachcombers. Continued on next page
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own a walkway, 60 feet from the bar, is an art gallery of startling refinement. There you’ll discover the sculptures of Pete Johnston and his son Greg cast in bronze at their all but hidden foundry a hundred yards farther on. Resounding with quality more common to major art centres, the Johnstons’ work represents local species of aquatic and avian life and are for sale.
A mile or two away is The Abaco Club on Winding Bay. The championship golf course of this full-service, private sporting club offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic along with a sybaritic lifestyle. Residents of Schooner Bay can call the golf shop to determine tee times when available.
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The vision Ta k i n g S h a p e The vision for Schooner Bay has always included far more than houses, shops, restaurants and the harbour at the centre of it all.
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Schooner Bay site plan
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uality of life is as vital to our well-being as our innovative, eco-friendly infrastructure. The many amenities you expect to find in a carefully planned resort community are, today, in advanced stages of completion.
Continued on next page
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BAHAMIAN ARCHITECTURE in Living Colour
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he Schooner Bay residential collection was designed to meet the needs of both seasonal and second homeowners. While many residents prefer to keep their homes at Schooner Bay as a private retreat, others appreciate the opportunity to earn rental income when they are not in residence. Whatever your pleasure, the new residential collection offers a wide spectrum of choices to meet the unique needs of families of all shapes and sizes. Designer fixtures and finishes create a unique island style cherished by many.
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Yet the most exciting feature of every Schooner Bay home is the unexpected value you’ll find in every Schooner Bay residence. Here, you have your choice from more than a dozen exquisite home designs that can be built in the location of your choice. Looking for a harbour residence with a private dock for your yacht? Check out the Captain’s Collection. Seeking a maintenance-free condominium or villa so you can leave your cares behind? Ask about the Verandah House or Cottage Collections. Perhaps you’re ready for that private family estate where generations gather year after year to create memories together.
Angler’s Cottage
1,154 sq. ft.
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Sideyard Cottage
1,485 sq. ft.
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$810,200
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$1,055,500
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The Ocean Estates or Harbour Collection are certain to impress. Whatever the size of the view, nowhere else in the Bahamas or throughout the Caribbean will you find the unprecedented attributes of Schooner Bay. Convenient air and sea access, authentic architectural design, superior amenities, an organic farm, fishing lodge, full-service marina, awe-inspiring natural beauty and a friendly community of spirited neighbours who are proud to call Schooner Bay home. Priced from the $400s to $4 million, why not make your move? Harbour Courtyard House
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2,748 sq. ft. Schooner Bay
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$1,965,500 43
Financial Advantages for Bahama’s Residents
S ch o o ner B ay Village School Plans for a Village School, scheduled to open to kindergarten students in the future will fully support the precepts that have guided the exceptional vision for Schooner Bay itself. Here is an extract from the K-1 curriculum overview, “Early elementary students … will participate in a challenging and consistent program that will capture their learning interests and prepare them for a lifetime of learning. The knowledge and skills they
The people of the Bahamas and foreign residents benefit from the nation having been a British colony in three important respects: the English language, the parliamentary system of government and the concepts of British Common Law. Americans in the Bahamas benefit substantially from the similarities in our legal systems, not to mention the convenience of the language we share with the British Commonwealth. Nowhere outside the United States is it easier for Americans to do business than in the Bahamas. The Bahamian dollar converts at one-to-one with the U.S. dollar; both currencies are accepted at all places of business. The Bahamas is a tax-friendly nation where there are no capital gains, inheritance or sales taxes. Property taxes are almost unbelievably low. More than 250 foreign banks are at your service in the Bahamas, plus the several
Bahamian banks. The Bahamian economy is admirably stable. In short, there is much to be said for investment in the Bahamas. For many years, the Bahamas has been known as a “safe haven” for the protection of assets, the preservation of wealth and the avoidance or minimization of the burdensome corporate taxes that apply in most countries throughout the world. Retirees especially enjoy the favourable economic policies in the Bahamas. They’re exempted from all taxes and levies on all income and receipts from any source outside the Bahamas, whether from work or investment. When you add to the stunning natural beauty of Abaco and the soft-spoken charm of her people the financial advantages available to you in the Bahamas, a residence at Schooner Bay may appear all the more attractive.
receive in their daily learning experiences will help them compete in a global economy and … lead lives that have as individuals.” Study of the Abaco natural environment will play an
“
Nowhere outside the United States is it easier for Americans
important part in teaching
to do business than
students the integrated nature
in the Bahamas
of life on Earth together with a sense of responsibility for it. 44
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integrity as citizens and
D E S TI NATI O N for A D V E N T UR E
blue holes These intriguing phenomena can be found both on land and out to sea. While on the surface they can be a summer’s delightful swimming hole, dive a little deeper and you’ll find a world of discovery and danger. Unless you’re a very experienced diver and are bringing backup, you’re probably best off signing on with a guide. Bahamas Underground is a highly recommended operation specializing in cave and technical diving. For those who choose not to dive, National Geographic magazine’s article “Deep Dark Secrets” from August 2010 offers a spectacular look inside these mysterious treasures.
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H
Hole in the Wall A renowned point for sailors to steer by for hundreds of years, this historical physical phenomenon was actually destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. While cheeky commentators now call it “hole in the wall,” you’ll still find this is hallowed ground for world-class fishing. Some of the toughest fighters in the world converge here, as do the Northeast and Northwest Providence Channels, which can make the water ... interesting. For a different kind of adventure, find a guide who will take you on the overland route. The road is notorious, but you’ll find the views and the lighthouse well worth it.
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Sandy Point Around to the northwest, the fishing village Sandy Point offers a far more protected experience. Bottom fishing is good here, as is bonefishing on the flats. It also is a perfect spot to try spearfishing. Because of Bahamian laws, and just to make it that much more sporting, you’ll free dive with a Hawaiian sling or pole spear. Do keep an eye out for the “men in grey suits” – and dorsal fins – especially once you catch your fish.
Diving Between the deep-sea diving just offshore from Schooner Bay and the variety of sites and experiences in the Sea of Abaco, this is prime territory to get your tank on. Abaco is largely protected from the Atlantic by a large barrier reef. With the necklace of cays also creating shelter, the sea of Abaco offers colourful reefs within easy distance from most settlements. Not to be missed: Coral Caverns, the Cathedral and Wayne’s World – a tour outside the barrier reef.
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HOMEBUYING IN THE BAHAMAS People considering the purchase of a home in the Bahamas ask numerous questions. The answers are important to the buying decision. Here are some frequently asked questions:
Q. Can “foreigners” buy a house in the Bahamas? A. Anyone can. There are no restrictions based on nationality. Q. Where do I start? A. You can start with any estate agent, but since you are reading this magazine, we suggest you start at the
Schooner Bay Captain’s Cottage Sales Gallery. The sales professionals there are ready to answer all of your questions. They’re among the best-trained estate agents in the Caribbean region.
Q. Is the Bahamian tax law difficult to navigate? A. No, you will be pleased to discover that Bahamian tax law is substantially simpler and less burdensome than in most other countries.
Q. But what about all the extra charges, like closing costs and taxes and things we may not have
heard about?
A. Purchase of a home at Schooner Bay is made easy because our representatives offer a complete package,
meaning that the price you are quoted is the bottom-line price you will pay. All the fees and any extras you may wish to add will be included in that package price.
Q. But does that mean the package price includes taxes and all the government fees? And what about the
agents’ fees?
A. ALL the costs will be included and fully explained before you make your final decision. The all-inclusive
price that you are quoted will remain the price you are expected to pay at closing time. You are free, of course, to add any features you wish before or after you receive the package price. They will simply be added to the total.
Q. What’s the stamp duty? A. The stamp duty is an old British method of formalizing a receipt. In the past, most receipts executed under
British law had to have a stamp – like a postage stamp – affixed to them before they could be considered legal. In the Bahamas, the stamp duty is shared equally between the vendor and the buyer, and it totals from 8 to 12 percent of the cost of the property, meaning that your share would be 4 to 6 percent. Continued on next page There is also stamp duty on certain items, such as furniture.
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I T’ S A LL INCLUDED I N SC H OON ER BAY’S PR IC IN G Schooner Bay pricing is all-inclusive. All fees, stamp duty and taxes with absolutely no surprises. This is a vitally important point – the price you are quoted is the bottom line price, the only sum you will be expected to pay. Homebuying is remarkably easy here. The government of the Bahamas has put in place a number of measures that facilitate homeownership at very advantageous administrative costs.
I T MA KE S SENSE There are no restrictions on foreigners buying freehold property in the Bahamas Legal fees range from 1 to 2.5 percent of the property purchase price Stamp duty ranges from 8 to 12 percent and is usually shared equally between vendor and buyer; there is no inheritance tax, capital gains, tax or wealth tax Foreign owners can apply for residency status; preferential consideration of applications for permanent residence is given to investors and to qualified owners of residential property valued in excess of US$500,000 (£315,000) No government approvals are required for first-time homebuyers Purchasers buy fee simple titles to property
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Q. What kind of a deed would I get? A. You would receive a fee simple title to your property, meaning that simply by paying the cost plus the fees, you become the freeholder of the property.
Q. What would I have to do if I wanted to live permanently in
the Bahamas? A. Foreign owners can apply for permanent residency. You will receive preferential consideration if your home is worth at least US$500,000 or £315,000.
The government of the Bahamas has put in place a number of measures that facilitate homeownership with very advantageous administrative costs and tax benefits.
• There are no restrictions on foreigners buying freehold property in the Bahamas • Legal fees are low, ranging from 1 to 2.5 percent of the property purchase price
• There are no inheritance, capital gains, or wealth taxes
• Foreign owners can apply for residency status
• Independent judicial system based on English Common Law
• Purchasers buy fee simple title to property
• No government approvals are required for first-time in the Bahamas
Island Living interior style
You’re moving to a new Bahamian out-island paradise. Your home’s exterior design draws inspiration from a native architecture shaped by history, comfort and common sense. Now, what story do you want to tell within its walls? Here, where inside flows into outside as easily as a breeze, there is plenty of room to create an island home that speaks of the place as well as your individuality.
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Continued from page 30
•• Early morning bike ride, stopping in for coffee at the Blackfly Lodge before heading home to breakfast. •• Book a day of bonefishing out on the flats. •• Practice yoga on a platform elevated above the dunes facing the Atlantic. •• Swim at Schooner Bay Beach in a protected cove. •• Play – or watch – sports on the outdoor green. •• Come night … hike up to Iron Shore for some stargazing.
This idea that true wellness can be woven seamlessly into life started with the planning our developers did before your arrival. They decided that twothirds of our 320-acre space would be left as a nature preserve, that turtle nesting grounds would be protected and primary dunes restored. They created a place that encourages walking, where golf carts replace cars and hiking trails lead through a 40-acre native coppice forest. Tracks through the dunes meander up along the Iron Shore through indigenous vegetation growing around tiny embedded bits of coral, a reminder to pause and look closer. Then you find the bench placed there for the most ancient of meditations: the watching of waves spilling deep blues onto the shore. When you’re ready to venture beyond Schooner Bay, the wilderness to its south offers pink sand beaches, limitless blue holes, and a 25,000-acre national park.
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he whir of a golf cart is about the loudest mechanical sound you’ll hear at Schooner Bay. When the breeze is right, you might catch the faint buzz of conversation across the harbour or a boat engine starting up. Otherwise, it’ll be just your own voice and the whisper of your feet on the sandy surface of the street. Apart from the pleasant feel of the sand, it absorbs sound very efficiently. Your car is parked at The Commons, ready to take you north, maybe to Marsh Harbour, or south to the bird sanctuary, maybe to the Nassau Ferry. You won’t need it at Schooner Bay.
The
No Cars, No Rush The absence of cars in the centre of the community is an inspired means of safeguarding the calm that pervades life here. You can walk everywhere or ride your golf cart or a bike. No one seems to be in a hurry; everyone is moving quietly through the day, enjoying the sunshine and the warm air, the colours of the water, the absence of stressful noise. It’s a delightfully timeless, truly Bahamian way of living, especially for people who may have had enough noise and bustle.
Medical Centre
Schooner Bay’s Integrated Medical Centre provides convenient medical services to its residents and visitors as it joins the growing list of independent businesses in The Commons. Led by Dr. George Charite, a wound-care and hyperbaric medicine specialist, the Centre brings his expertise to clients in South Abaco. Although Schooner Bay’s residents will still have full access to Dr. Charite’s Marsh Harbour clinic and its team of five doctors when needed, the convenience of having a facility here in the community is immeasurable. The Integrated Medical Centre will have the capabilities and equipment of a private doctor’s office, sufficient for emergency triage and routine medical care. Nurse Siren Davis will hold regular clinic hours and will also be available on call when away from the facility. Future expansion on the horizon will provide opportunities for collaborative research with the Schooner Bay Institute.
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Designer
Show Homes
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here is a very good reason that Schooner Bay and its homes have been featured in Verandah Magazine and Coastal Living. On an island surrounded by a sea of every hue of blue, with its marine creatures shimmering in otherworldly colour, design inspiration is immediate and abundant. And then there’s the historical influence. Carefully researched, our home designs echo those refined through centuries of living well and sustainably in the Bahamas. Put it all together and you have one of the newest attractions of Abaco. Schooner Bay is creating model homes to showcase the latest trends in interior design as well as our newest floorplans. Quite simply, they’re gracefully beautiful inside and out – and located on one of the planet’s lovelier spots. So come visit Schooner Bay. A world of inspiration awaits. 52
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Artist
IN RESI D EN C E
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hether you come to Schooner Bay by land or sea, you will be greeted by the work of Antonius Roberts, one of the Bahamas’ premiere creatives and our own artist in residence.
A mermaid carved in limestone awaits at the harbour. By land you’ll see a joyous turtle set into a limestone wall. It’s no surprise to find his work outside, a part of the very nature of this place.
In 2005 Clint Kemp – yes, now our own captain at Blackfly – was a pastor determined to make a difference in New Providence. As a part of the church’s environmental justice program, his congregation cleared years of trash off an abandoned site. But as the work progressed, and some strangely timely hurricanes changed the landscape again, it became clear that a larger process was at work. Kemp brought in Antonius and fellow artist Tyrone Ferguson, and the work found its form, demanded its shape. They knew this would not be about bringing sculptures in. They would need to answer the call and create the work in place.
His art is inspired by found objects, materials that people – or the seas – have discarded, only to find new and surprising life in his hands.
for local artists, including himself. Art symposiums with College of The Bahamas students in Schooner Bay. It is a list that goes on and on.
As do so many things. Seemingly this man can’t help but create. Galleries, exhibits and installations throughout the Bahamas. Hillside House, with his studio and gallery in Nassau. Programs like the Schooner Bay Institute for the Arts and Sciences. A studio here made out of converted shipping containers
Antonius, a native Bahamian, was trained in the States, earning his BFA at the then Philadelphia College of Art. He has since travelled the world, exhibiting his work as far afield as China. But no gallery is more important to him than the one without four walls. The one he calls home.
There are those who consider art a calling. For a privileged few, it is a wild howl deep in the night that says keep going. Get up again. Don’t stop. And do not let me go ...
When you do come to Schooner Bay – and you must – look more closely at the turtle. Created out of old tuna netting with the help of students from The College of The Bahamas in the first art symposium in Schooner Bay, it could be said to symbolize the keys to his philosophy. Finding the art in things that others have left behind, finding the place where they truly belong and passing this knowledge, experience and joy on to yet another generation.
For a week Roberts worked in a fever, starting at 6 a.m., transforming the invasive casuarina trees into 12 women while Ferguson crafted bells. For all of them it was a spiritual experience and the first of the Sacred Spaces. There’s one in Schooner Bay now too. Up on a bluff and made out of limestone blocks. But I think we’ll let you discover its true nature ...
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Marsh Harbour
A Village
of Marinas
marsh harbour is a town of comings and goings – and yet there are as many reasons to stay put. It is the place to run errands, do your banking and shop for everything from furniture, hardware, groceries to your personal supply of neem oil products. (The farm is local, as is the manufacture of lip balms, soaps and more.) This friendly harbour town also plays generous host to the boating community with three marinas along its Gold Coast, as well as the boat harbour at the Abaco Beach Resort and Marsh Harbour Marina. Several have restaurants attached, including the well-loved Curly Tails at The Conch Inn, Mangoes 54
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(housed in a tiny colonial villa) and Wally’s (best conch chowder ever) along Bay Street across from the water. At all of these destinations expect to brush shoulders with yachties and locals. And you can’t go wrong with the catch of the day. In season, that could mean lobster; otherwise menus offer grouper, mahi-mahi and conch, especially tasty cracked, as fritters or chowder. Chefs are imaginative, proud of their work, and offer up Bahamian cuisine and fusion influences. Of course, ending your day watching the sunset over the harbour, listening to live music with a cool drink in hand … is no bad “ting.”
It is the place to run errands, do your banking and shop for everything from furniture to hardware to groceries
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JUL
2014 Event Calendar Annual Christmas Junkanoo Competition Elbow Cay, Abaco
This is an island that loves to celebrate— and our community does so much! February
June
August
Lightbourn Farm/Ripples of Hope Farm to Table Weekend
Bahamas Rotary Tuna Classic (SB is weigh station both days)
Sands Beer/Bahamas Ferries – Schooner Regatta
March Schooner Bay Winter Soccer Tournament
Goombay Summer Festival at Sea Spray Resort – Elbow Cay, Abaco
Lobster Fest
July
April Schooner Bay Family Soccer Challenge Art at The Beach Lyford Cay Offshore Fishing Tournament (SB is Friday 2nd weigh station only)
May Bahamas Billfish Championship Series (BBC) begins on Great Guano Key (Please see pages 14–17 for more information) Goombay Summer Festival at Sea Spray Resort – Elbow Cay, Abaco
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The Sandpiper/DSB – South Abaco Family Fishing Rodeo (Saturday & Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend)
39th Annual Five Towns Regatta Time in Abaco from Green Turtle Cay to Marsh Harbour Bahamas Independence Celebration – Marsh Harbour, and all over Abaco Goombay Summer Festival at Sea Spray Resort – Elbow Cay, Abaco
AY
DEC
39th Annual Five Towns Regatta Time in Abaco from Green Turtle Cay to Marsh Harbour
South Abaco Family Fishing Rodeo
Abaco Dinghy/Skulling Event
November Thanksgiving Weekend Season Opening Farmer’s Market
December Annual Abaco Christmas Festival – Marsh Harbour Annual Christmas Junkanoo Competition – Elbow Cay The Sandpiper Inn – Official Opening – Concert & Weekend Event Island-Style New Year’s Party
Escape to S c h o o n e r B ay Turn Winter blues into Island Adventures Consider the Bahamas out island of Great Abaco and the gentle harbour village tucked away on its Atlantic coast. Welcome to Schooner Bay. Perfect for a romantic couples getaway, family vacation, a girls getaway and adventure seeking – indeed, anyone wishing to be winter and car free for a while.
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Schooner Bay welcomes you with villa rentals that meet your needs – and names that promise a beautiful stay. Choose from Over Yonder, Sun Blue, Post House, The Anchorage or Mermaid’s Lair.1
The logistical side of your visit can be nicely handled by Tracy Kelly, owner of T’s Island Delivery. Tracy has three services for renters, or those on Discovery Visits.2 As an owner at Schooner Bay, the rental management program is a convenient added bonus that helps to offset your expenses if you choose to participate. 1 For rental inquiries, please contact: info@schonnerbay.com 2 For specific details on our Discovery Visit packages, please see pages 62-63.
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Explore S c h o o n e r B ay
1. SCHOONER BAY KARTS: Golf Cart Rental Service. Four-seaters are available for anyone who comes to visit Schooner for the day, as well as those who intend to stay for a spell. 2. T’S ISLAND DELIVERY: Provisioning services for residents and visitors renting in Schooner Bay. The owners/visitors should contact Tracy via e-mail before their stay with the arrival information, home and list of items they would like stocked in their home. Tracy usually installs groceries (from her own general store in the village or Maxwell’s or Abaco Groceries in Marsh Harbour). She can also provision liquor and fresh produce from Lightbourn Farms. She pays the store bills and invoices until you arrive. As an added convenience, Tracy can also make arrangements for a Bahamian meal, cooked and ready to eat for the evening of your arrival. 3. SCHOONER BAY HARBOUR GENERAL STORE: It’s remarkably well stocked with all the things Schooner Bay’s residents and visitors would like to have only a golf cart ride away. The short list includes groceries, charcoal, and household items, as well as marine items, including fishing gear, dock lines and batteries. Most intriguing are the items on consignment (cutting boards from artist-in-residence Antonius Roberts) and specialty items from Lightbourn Farms (like pepper jelly, sour orange marmalade and mango jam) as well as the Abaco Backcountry photo book by Jim Todd. Plans are in the works for more pieces from local artists. If you have any questions about the store’s supplies or her services, e-mail Tracy Kelly at tislanddelivery@ gmail.com.
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Island Flavours, Schooner Style
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Two new additions have recently joined the village community at Schooner Bay. This relaxed and laid-back harbour is often frequented by visitors exploring the Abacos, sportsmen and yachts dropping by the marina for provisions, avid fly fishermen staying at the Blackfly Lodge,and a myriad of residents and guests who welcome the conversation amongst travellers. The atmosphere is casual, the conversation is priceless and the food is pure Bahamian. The Schooner Bay Harbourside Grille and the delightful Snack Shack are the newest dining venues in the community. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served at the water’s edge, where everything is better with a cold Kalik. Stop by and say hello to the friendly and talented staff ready to tempt you with a taste of the islands.
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Let ’s
C o nn e ct Really, really need a dose of Schooner Bay right now?
Nothing as original and as destined for success as Schooner Bay could come to life without the visionaries, the planners, the engineers, the designers, the builders, the artists, the growers, the entrepreneurs and the social genius of folks who love the best that life has to offer – and think it should be shared. Now, the only one we’re missing ... is you. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and even LinkedIn, with pictures and stories so fresh you’ll swear you just felt an ocean breeze go by! It’s an exciting time here. The village is more vibrant every day as new homes, friendly residents and dynamic businesses join us in this one-ofa-kind adventure. So whether you’re planning your next vacation or the rest of your life, find out what you want to know through any or all of the social media below. We promise we’ll be there whenever and wherever you need us.
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ry Visit e v o c is D t n e r fe if d e iv F ut packages run the gam of things to do.
y ver o disc visit
It’s time to plan a visit to Schooner Bay
iscovery Visits, eraries of our D in it er pl m Sa fe ily Li erbay.com For detailed da ugh info@schoon ro th am te s le our sa please contact 888.275.1639. or call toll-free ght stay for three-day/two-ni a as ed gn si de Visit is e at Schooner Each Discovery th luxury cottag ba ow /t m oo dr two-be rte or for four people in a available à la ca so al e ar ns io at ommod e you select. Bay Village. Acc d on the packag se ba ry va es ic es. Pr rport and varying time fram t between the ai or sp an tr l ca lo Visits, r golf cart For all Discovery e of a four-seate us e th is as , ed includ Schooner Bay is of your stay. for the duration 62
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hill” “THE Island C leisure. is dedicated to Itinerary-light, it enjoy leaves room to roll our beaches, st et about, eat gourm meals, and hang Pub, loose at Pete’s t perhaps the mos atering sought-after w amas. hole in the Bah
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2 ss” “THE Wellne Discovery Visit suggests beach walks and early des, morning bike ri yoga swimming and by the sea. Tour our organic farm ick with a chef to p for items he’ll cook eal. your evening m y For a digestif, tr stargazing from the dunes.
“THE Ecovites Explorer” in ll you into the fu h wonder of Sout s Abaco. Day tour pport with guides, su boats and the ty necessary safe you gear will have exploring blue holes, old ruins s, and caves. (Bat tites!) orchids, stalac Kayaking, d spearfishing an snorkeling will increase your e appetite for th delicious and . plentiful meals
5 “The Full Angler” led With unparalle fishing on the nearby flats and blue-water an charters, enjoy e angler’s paradis
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“The Spirit o Cuisine”
akfast Champagne bre served en suite, arily, followed, necess ure. by a day of leis bour Beach club? Har ce. stroll? Your choi e to Then come hom for a your verandah lunch. chef-prepared r at Later, it’s dinne b. And The Delphi Clu , is this, make note day. only your first
blessed with unpressured waters and fish waiting to s surprise you. A will the genius of the chef who prepares the day’s catch.
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schooner bay An Out-Island Harbour Village
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1 Authentic Bahamian cottages in a charming harbourside village – it’s what living in the Bahamas is all about. The Cottages make the perfect getaway second home and they can be placed into our Villa Rental Program for the enjoyment of our guests. It’s an excellent rental income opportunity and the ideal island hideaway.
The planned Harbour Club amenities will include a new resident fitness centre, coffee shop, library, business centre, a roof-top observatory, general store and the Schooner Bay Sales and Rental Office.
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Marsh Harbour and the Abaco Cays are just waiting to be explored. Take a ferry to the neighbouring islands, stop in at popular watering holes, grab lunch or shop in the quaint island villages. It’s a fun-filled way to immerse yourself in the friendly Bahamian culture. 64
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Your well-being should be a top priority, and at Schooner Bay there’s plenty of ways to relax and unwind. New beachside yoga platforms are popular destinations for meditation, yoga or personal reflection.
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The Ocean Estates Collection at Schooner Bay is the ultimate island escape. Nestled into the dunes along Schooner Bay’s crescent-shaped pink sand beaches, there’s no better place to create memories with family and friends. The new Ocean Estates Collection includes a variety of single-family residences, all with magnificent views of the ocean. Call Schooner Bay for the pricing, and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Tropical island flavours served in a casual, waterside location – that’s what dining in the Bahamas should be. The addition of the Snack Shack and Harbourside Grille at Schooner Bay will provide another dining option for those who cherish spending time in the village in a relaxed island ambience.
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The Schooner Bay Sports Complex is an exciting addition to the quaint harbourside village. After spending a day relaxing on the beach, it’s a fantastic place to gather with friends and family for a little competition. Tennis, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, beach volleyball – you name the sport. And the littlest members of the family will enjoy the tot lot for sure!
Schooner Bay’s protected harbour is surrounded by colourful, authentically designed Bahamian homes. Wide wraparound Verandahs and charming architecture create a picturesque village where residents can easily cast a wave to the arriving yachts in the harbour. Relax on the front porch and enjoy those spectacular Bahamian sunsets.
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The Cabana Beach Bar and Grill at Schooner Bay is already famous! Pictured on the cover of Coastal Living magazine, the beachside cabana is a popular gathering place for a refreshing cocktail. The summer kitchen has seen its share of fresh fish and lobster. The nearby firepit invites conversation to continue until the stars come out in force, creating another spectacular Schooner night.
Carefree condominium living has arrived at Schooner Bay from the $400s. Adjacent to the new Sports Complex and overlooking the marina harbour, Verandah House is the quintessential Bahamian retreat for those who want carefree, maintenance-free living. Get in early as these types of opportunities don’t come along very often.
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schooner bay An Out-Island Harbour Village
Find
Your
homeport
Great Abaco in the Bahamas is home to Schooner Bay, a sustainable New Urbanist village destined to capture your soul. A protected harbour marina, tranquil beaches, natural forests, eco-adventures, organic farming, infinite fishing and water sports – it’s a cherished out-island life that celebrates an authentic Bahamian village and its extraordinary natural surroundings. Be among the first to discover the all new Schooner Bay Residential Collection and the new Harbour Club, Beach Club and Sports Complex. It’s an unprecedented real estate opportunity and an astonishing value, from the $400s to $4 million. Ask about our Discovery Visit Packages.
888.275.1639 • 242.366.2048
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Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.