Bahamas by Bénéteau

We make swift work of a passage

to the island nation next door.

The invitation for a weekend trip to the Bahamas sounded nice; making the trip on a new Bénéteau Swift Trawler 52 sounded even better. I like Bénéteau’s 42-footer and was eager to try out her big sister, not only for a test drive but for living aboard. Plus, I wanted to see what was happening at Old Bahama Bay.

My husband and I joined Wayne Burdick, president of Bénéteau USA, and his wife, Joyce Harvey, at Harbourtown Marina in Ft. Pierce, Florida. After stowing provisions and belongings, we headed out for a shakedown run to Jupiter through a choppy Ft. Pierce Inlet. We cruised down the coast at 16-18 knots with the engines turning 2200 rpms. The ST52 proved to be easy to handle from the interior helm station. I can attest that the instruments were all within arm’s reach and the helmsman’s leather chair adjusted every which way, quite a feat when you consider Wayne is well over six feet tall and I can’t stretch to five feet on a good day. Still, both of us had fine visibility.

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Soon the trawler was tied up at the Jib Club Marina, standing out among the mostly sportfishing boats docked there. Now I had a chance to more fully explore the Pierre Frutschi interior designed for comfortable living. The cockpit, shaded by the top deck, has room for seating, a ladder to the top deck, and access to the engine room. Sliding glass doors create a light and airy main saloon. A U-shaped leather sofa is to port while two armchairs and the hidden TV-console are to starboard.

Immediately forward is the galley, complete with a ceramic cooktop, Force 10 convection-microwave oven and a residential-size refrigerator/freezer. The counters provide adequate workspace. An added bonus is a small drawer-style dishwasher. The garbage container is in a dedicated locker that also can be accessed from the sidedeck for emptying; no more dragging trash through the saloon.
Stairs from the galley lead up to the pilothouse while steps amidship descend to the accommodations. The guest stateroom forward can be made up as a large V-berth or a queen-size bed. A separate head and shower, which also serves as the day head, adjoin the stateroom. The standard layout also includes a third stateroom with bunks; an office dressing room for the master is optional.
The owner’s stateroom is definitely set up for living aboard and extensive cruising. It’s in the center of the boat, stretching across the full beam yet there is no sense of being “below decks,” as huge hull-side ports allow light to stream through the suite. Storage exceeds adequate with multiple drawers and hanging lockers. Along the starboard hull, a large desk provides an office space or dressing table. An ensuite head with a separate shower proved to be attractive as well as functional. Underway, it was mesmerizing to watch the sea rush past the ports.
The next morning was beautiful with no wind and a high tide making it easy to skirt the shoals at Jupiter inlet.  We departed in high spirits, crossing the Gulf Stream at an easy 16 knots. The flybridge helm station proved to be the place to be, not only for its views but also for the large L-shaped settee that allowed us to share the passage. Having made the trip more than once on sailboats, I was amazed to see Grand Bahama Island appear on the horizon by early afternoon.
The entrance to Old Bahama Bay Marina is straightforward, making a turn to the south once through the breakwater. Lighted entry markers allow nighttime navigation. The main channel is 13 feet deep while the inner basin has eight feet MLW. By the time we reached our slip, two dockhands were ready to catch our lines as well as hand us all the forms needed for Customs and Immigration clearance. That office is conveniently located at the fuel dock but keep in mind that fees must be paid in cash.
A late lunch on the flybridge, complete with a champagne toast for our first passage to a foreign port on the ST52, gave us a bird’s-eye view of the recently renovated marina and resort now operated by Ginn Sur Mer and Credit Suisse.  The basin has 72 slips and can accommodate yachts up to 130 feet, however, when we were there, not all slips had power. Several restaurants and shops ring the far end of the basin while the hotel, pool and beach are east of the marina. Onshore heads and showers are also adjacent to the marina. Until March 31, transient dockage is $2/foot/day.
A walking exploration took us along paths through tropical vegetation and flowers, through the low-key resort buildings to the beach, pool and the Straw Bar, which offers drinks, lunch and music. The beach was great for sunbathing but not too conducive to swimming with rock and coral outcroppings. An impressive amount of Old Bahama Bay infrastructure was already accomplished before the economic crunch, including villas, a series of canals, a 6,000-foot airstrip and an Arnold Palmer golf course. Original plans for a 10 to 15-year build-out are on hold.
Aqua is the resort’s more formal restaurant but we selected Bonefish Folley’s Bar & Grille for dinner. It is clearly the area’s social gathering place. No matter when we walked by, guests were sipping drinks, playing cards or just visiting. I badly needed a conch fix and indulged myself with conch chowder, conch fritters and cracked conch.
We had planned to stay a second night but were growing concerned about an approaching cold front. In the morning, besides a visit from the bread lady and a conch fishermen, a staff member delivered a weather report that made us decide on an early departure. The wind was already blowing harder and one yacht that left while we breakfasted returned to port.
We cast off, motoring out into choppy seas that quickly built to four- to six-foot waves. We had a rough, bouncy ride but the ST52 remained responsive to the helm and dry inside. In the pilothouse, the two-person raised settee and table was a secure spectator spot. Plenty of handholds made moving about fairly easy. Knowing what the conditions were outside, I was surprised at the relative comfort of the return passage. Built with expertise gained over 120 years, the 52 Swift Trawler turned out to be a strong sea-going vessel with all the modern comforts and technology. Her 500-mile range should be a boon to those like us who enjoy island-hopping and coastal cruising.