Highbourne Cay,
Bahamas

Come for what’s new. Return for what stays the same.

By Liz Pasch

Photography by Liz Pasch and Scott Pearson

The phrase, “better late than never” has never been in my vocabulary so as usual, I’m the first to arrive at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport for my Sky Limo Air Charter flight to the Bahamas. The pilot, appreciative of my punctuality, verifies my passport and assures me that my traveling companions will arrive soon to depart for the annual swimsuit photo shoot, held this year at Highbourne Cay on the north end of the Exumas.

He was right and a few hours later—after clearing customs and immigration on Andros and another 35-minute flight to Normans Cay, 35 miles southeast of Nassau—10 passengers and a pile of equipment and luggage are on two 31-foot Ocean Master center consoles weaving through water that’s skinnier than a supermodel. Our driver, Joel Miller, knows the area well, having lived on Highbourne since he was 14. Just as reassuring is the fact that the photo shoot producer, Paige, knows Joel well, and trusts her friend of more than 25 years with the safety of her most precious cargo—the people who have been put in her care for four days.

We arrive in the protected harbor of Highbourne Cay Marina with over 750 feet of face dock to accommodate yachts up to 180 feet, plus 16 slips for boats up to 75 feet and floating dock for smaller boats and tenders. The marina docks, buildings and cottages have been rebuilt or replaced over the past few years under new ownership, and are fastidiously designed and exquisitely decorated. While some investors would opt for the income that high-rise condo towers would bring, instead, two, three and four bedroom cottages—more aptly described as luxury villas—provide serene accommodations for those who want more space than their boats provide for guests.

But while the impeccably landscaped grounds and facilities are impressive, the fishing and diving superb, and the staff professional and attentive, I sense there’s something else that attracts people to this small island. My growling stomach vaporizes the thought, however, and I head up to the newly opened, open-air Xuma Restaurant for lunch. Perched on a hillside that overlooks the bay and beach, it’s a spectacular location from which to watch the sailing cat headed for the marina, the blue-hulled yacht setting anchor in the bay and later, the widely acclaimed Bahamian sunset. Even with such a spectacular view, the nagging notion returns that there’s something else that lures people to Highbourne Cay. I finish my spinach salad and freshly caught grilled mahi—which I was told school through the area in March, April and May for incredible fishing—and hop on one of the loaner bicycles to find out what that something is.

Managers Kevin and Carolyn Cartwright—who recently replaced Barbara Thrall and Ian Macbeth, the former managers of Highbourne Cay for 14 years—are 7^th and 8^th generation Bahamians with extensive experience in tourism. They have a deep, personal commitment to making the island experience for visitors the best it can be, where snorkeling, lobstering, spearing, renting boats, beachcombing and exploring the island are some of visitors’ favorite pastimes.

“Every Bahamian is an ambassador. It is a privilege to represent such a beautiful country since there are many other places people could go to visit and spend their vacation time and money,” says Kevin, whose commitment to continue to improve the island’s carbon footprint includes recent approval for produce and herb gardens, recycling glass for shipment to Nassau for processing, and receptacles for “Cans for Kids”, a non-profit that supports an orphanage on Nassau.

An easy pedal down the road past my cottage, a sign points the way to a spring, which I find odd, but nevertheless follow a rocky path that ends at a white sand beach where I meet Kerry Wennerberg and Ann Shipley, who dinghied in from their boat anchored on the beach, a 1989 46-foot Jarvis Newman they had been cruising on through the Exumas. They didn’t know the whereabouts of the spring but I promised to tell them if I found it.

The paved road leads past the staff housing, spacious Brazilian-style cottages previously rented to island guests, and service buildings that support the island infrastructure. Riding full circle I end up back at the marina no closer to having found the answer but instead, I have a wicked thirst. As luck would have it, a dockside happy hour had just started by four couples that initially met at Chub Cay while cruising and are now fast friends with three decades of cruising history between them. Hailing from Michigan, Maryland, Missouri and Kentucky, their common thread is a love of the boating lifestyle. “We would never have met if it wasn’t for cruising. We’d always meet at Highbourne on our Bahamas cruises,” says Janet as she hands me a cool drink. “Boating relationships don’t have the pressure of work or competition so we’re free to be ourselves.”

The familiar happy hour scene is played on nearly every dock at nearly every marina but at Highbourne Cay, there’s something different. While I try to figure out what that something is, a yacht approaches a slip while a tall, lanky dockhand makes his way down the dock to catch their lines. A woman on the bow of Retired Sailor III waves enthusiastically to “Talls,” who greets her happily and flashes a huge smile. Once safely in the slip, they exchange more warm greetings with the kind of familiarity that’s comfortable, reassuring, rare.

Over the next few days I discover first-hand that even first-time guests are treated with the same warmth as 40-year island veterans. Like a sumptuous wedding feast or holiday dinner, a Bahamian-style lunch is served in a gazebo high atop a hill with a 360-degree view of the island. Some of the staff, my new Bahamian friends, eat lunch with me and share how they feel about Highbourne. Paul’s very best day working was his first day on the dock and says, “I love the boats.” Jamilah’s earliest memory was as a very young girl walking the rocky shore looking for shells and remembers feeling like an explorer. Malissa talks about the calm of the island and says, “My place is Highbourne Cay.” But the most remarkable comment shared by a staff member was about a guest who had been going to Highbourne Cay since 1979. “He’s someone you can look up to and leads a good example. He has always encouraged me to do my best.” Recalling his sound advice brings a tear to her eye, the kind of emotion that is frequently shared between family members or close friends, but rarely between customers and employees.

Those are the kind of relationships and memories that are prevalent, and are that special something on Highbourne. They occur as naturally as the rock, the sand and the waves, almost as if the island itself requires it, and are sure to be emblazoned on the hearts of all who visit, which make Highbourne more than just an island for all who tarry. Just as Malissa said, “My place is Highbourne Cay,” once you visit, it’s certain to be yours too. highbournecaybahamas.com