The Tribune

Palm Cay Marina & Beach Club says its 194-slip marina is getting positive reviews from visiting yachtsmen on a website that is the tripadvisor for the boating world.

“We have been blown away by the compliments about the marina on a website called ActiveCaptain,” said Zack Bonczek, Palm Cay’s director of sales and marketing.

Like TripAdvisor, ActiveCaptain.com allows users to report on their experience, the only difference being that the latter is aimed at those who go by boat. Reviews cannot be taken down or changed by a marina.

“We got comments like ‘the docks are beautiful and the beach is superb. This is a first class marina that will only get better’. That was from the captain of a boat from Newburyport, Massachusetts,” said Mr Bonczek.

Nearly every one of the reviewers rated Palm Cay five stars, the top ranking. A boater from Portland, Oregon, called it ‘Nassau Sanctuary,’ and wrote: “We are kicking ourselves for not going to Palm Cay Marina sooner...If you need to be in Nassau for a while and want some place where you can watch the turtles and hear the birds and wander safely at night, Palm Cay is worth checking out.”

Other boaters cited rates they called attractive, the availability of gas and diesel fuel, showers, laundry, ‘the quiet of being out of town’, use of a courtesy car, security, pools, beachfront and a restaurant.

They also spoke of location in Yamacraw that slices about six miles off a sail from Nassau to the northern Exumas. One guest stayed 26 days and reported “off the beaten path...class without the cost.”

“A lot of thought went into the design and construction of this multi-million dollar marina,” said Mr Bonczek. “From the pilings to the docks to the harbourmaster’s office to the triple source energy supply, the developers went first class all the way.

“They were committed to creating a lively, friendly, secure, relaxed atmosphere to attract a mix of local boaters who would keep their boats here year-round and transients who would enjoy the marina and the community offerings for shorter periods of time, usually on their way to or from the Exumas.”