Sun Charters
Blue Haven Marina, Leeward, Providenciales
Sun Charters is the longest-running sailing charter in the Turks and Caicos. Having spent nearly 30 years cruising the islands' clear waters, the charter provider and its flagship vessel (the Atabeyra) is a popular choice for visitors and residents looking to explore the Turks and Caicos by sailboat.
The company offers private and public charters as well as multi-day sailing trips, or term charters. These trips of three days or more explore remote jewels that typical day charters don't visit, such as French Cay and Ambergris Cay. During the spring, Sun Charters runs multi-day whale watching charters from South Caicos that allow you to spend several days observing humpback whales up close in their natural environment.
Around Providenciales, the many possible sailing destinations for day charters include Grace Bay, Leeward Reef, Half Moon Bay, the iguana sanctuary of Little Water Cay (Iguana Island), the white-sand beaches of Water Cay and Pine Cay, and the famous sandbars and cannons of Fort George Cay.
The Atabeyra has long offered popular shared sunset and glowworm cruises, as well as a day trip to the Caicos Cays. All day trips include complimentary rum punch, beer, soft drinks, water, snacks, and (on applicable trips) snorkel gear.
The Fleet
Sun Charters has three vessels: the Atabeyra sailboat, the sleek Mamba runabout boat, and the brand-new Marie Helene luxury catamaran.
The Atabeyra
The Atabeyra (named for the supreme mother goddess of the islands' indigenous Lucayan and Taíno people) is an elegant 77-foot (23 m) schooner that began life as a rum runner. It kept Providenciales stocked with rum, fruits, and vegetables during the Haitian embargo of the early 1990s.
Today, the boat offers private and public charters to the incredible cays, beaches, and reefs of the Turks and Caicos aboard her spacious deck.
The Atabeyra can hold up to 50 guests. Public beach cruising and sunset trips aboard the sailboat run several days per week, while glowworm cruises are offered around the full moon. Shared charters aboard the Atabeyra typically include complimentary rum punch, refreshments, light snacks, and snorkel gear.
Marie Helene
Marie Helene is a 65-foot (20 m) Privilege cruising catamaran that offers guests a smooth, luxurious journey to islands in and near the Turks and Caicos archipelago. The vessel has five spacious cabins and can comfortably accommodate 10 guests on term (overnight) charters or private day trips.
Aboard Marie Helene, you can cruise to the incredible snorkeling spots off French Cay, explore uninhabited West Caicos at your own pace, and see up close the humpback whales that migrate to the Turks and Caicos from January to April. If adding the southeast Bahamas to your Turks and Caicos itinerary sounds appealing, Marie Helene is the boat to get you there.
Mamba
The company's fastest and most nimble ride is Mamba. This black Technohull Explorer 40 boat is ideal for beach cruising, island hopping, snorkeling, wakeboarding, tubing, and more. Private charters aboard Mamba, which can hold up to 15 guests, explore off-the-beaten-path locations in the western Turks and Caicos Islands and are a great way to try a new water sport. Mamba also serves as a tender and runabout boat for overnight charters aboard Marie Helene.
Private Charters
Booking a private sailing charter is a great way to explore the incredible marine environment of the Turks and Caicos Islands at your own pace.
Sun Charters can customize private excursions to suit what your group wants to do, whether it's relax on a secluded beach, snorkel the reef habitats of colorful fish and turtles, or simply sail over crystal-clear water.
Beyond the usual charter stops of Little Water Cay and Half Moon Bay, there are several other islands you can discover on a private day charter from Providenciales. The less-visited Fort George Cay, found in the middle of the chain of cays between Providenciales and North Caicos, features a network of scenic sandbars and 18th-century cannons in shallow water where a fort once stood. On Dellis Cay, there's calm water and a beautiful beach.
Public Cruises
Sun Charters' popular half-day boat trip allows you to discover the best beaches, cays, and snorkeling reefs near Providenciales. These trips visit sites like Half Moon Bay (an amazing beach with iguanas and a sheltered lagoon) and the unbelievable white-sand beaches of Water Cay and Pine Cay.
Public charters aboard the Atabeyra usually stop at Leeward Reef for snorkeling. This site is home to a wonderful array of vibrant corals and colorful reef fish as well as larger creatures, including turtles, stingrays, eagle rays, dolphins, and small sharks.
Sunset and Evening Charters
Sun Charters offers several types of evening trips aboard the Atabeyra. A long-time favorite of visitors and locals is the Atabeyra’s sunset downwind sail. Sunset excursions come with bottomless rum punch and an epic view of Provo's sunsets. Both private and public evening sails are available.
The company also offers star-gazing excursions that visit the sheltered channels in the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve near Mangrove Cay and Donna Cay, which experience very little light pollution. The captain and crew point out stars, constellations, planets, and satellites with a powerful laser pointer.
Glowworm Cruises
For many years, the Atabeyra has run a glowworm cruise every third, fourth, and fifth night after the full moon in the Leeward and Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve area. An hour after sunset, these marine creatures light up the water like stars with their phosphorescence. All sunset and evening excursions come with complimentary drinks.
Snorkeling Charters
The incredible turquoise waters of the Turks and Caicos hide amazing snorkeling reefs. Depending on weather conditions, day charters on the Atabeyra typically visit either the barrier reef off Grace Bay, Leeward, and Water Cay or the more sheltered reefs in the bay.
Underwater sightings vary, but commonly seen sea creatures include many types of colorful reef fish, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, turtles, small sharks, and sometimes even dolphins.
Snorkeling equipment is provided for guests.
Liveaboard Whale Charters
Want to spend several days sharing the water with humpback whales and their calves? Sun Charters offers the only liveaboard whale-watching experience in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Over two or three days, guests can enjoy private and close-range encounters with whales from the boat and in the water (often, it’s possible to quietly swim and snorkel alongside these amazing creatures).
Whale charters depart from South Caicos, which is a 20-minute flight from Providenciales, and visit the waters off Salt Cay and Big Sand Cay. Large groups of humpback whales are known to gather in this area during their January–April migration to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
All liveaboard whale-watching experiences take place onboard the company's luxury sailing yacht, Marie Helene, which can sleep up to 8 in its four comfortable guest rooms. Refreshments, meals, and accommodation are included.
Located at Blue Haven Marina
The luxury Blue Haven Marina is located at the beautiful Leeward Going Through channel off the east end of Providenciales. This extensive complex offers the full range of amenities, including fuel, water, and electricity services, restaurants, a market grocery store, and concierge services, along with the onsite resort. Yachts up to 220 feet (67 m) can be accommodated.