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Private Beach House on 3.25 Acres with Spectacular Beach 57 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 reviews
| Sleeps | 2 |
| Bedrooms | 1 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Property type | house |
| Minimum Stay | 4 - 7 nights |
Overview
House, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, (Sleeps 2)
Description of the Cat Island vacation house rental
The Boathouse is a custom built, Bahamian-style home set on a privately owned 3 1/4 acre property. The acreage runs from the ocean to the bay with the house set back from the beach between the ocean and the Bay. The Boathouse is surrounded by water on three sides and has a path to the sugar, white sand beach with gin clear water. Jenn Air Convection oven/microwave, Jenn-Air Stove top, Ice maker, Select Comfort California King Bed w/ down pillows and 400-count. Egyptian Cotton sheets, fabulous outdoor protected shower, DVD, VHS, Film Library, Air-conditioning, Ceiling fans throughout, lending library, Seagrass furniture, Teak chaise lounges & dining area, IKEA cabinets. 12 foot decks all around. The Boathouse is very private, and it is the only house on our property. All living and entertainment space is upstairs, with the garage, and washer/dryer downstairs. Walk to the Pigeon Cay Beach Club with access to beach bar & outdoor dining. Use of kayaks, canoe, and bicycles included in stay. A selection of grocery markets, restaurants and bars are nearby. Bonefishing in Pigeon Creek, Smith Bay & Orange Creek. U.S. owned vacation home with a local property manager/caretaker for assistance with car rentals,restaurants,sights,etc.
-The Boathouse is professionally cleaned and maintained
-Property manager on-island to assist with any questions or requests
-Broadband wireless internet throughout
-Owner's Toyota 4 Runner available to rent by the week, or a car can be arranged by the day in Bennett's Harbor
-Free use of kayaks, canoe and bicycles
New for 2015.......we have added a screened-in section to our outdoor deck for guests added comfort. The custom designed and constructed no-see-um screen system delivers an additional seating/relaxing/eating option outdoors, for those evenings when flying pests may show up. With 1,584 sq ft of covered deck space encircling the entire house, this new screened addition provides maximum flexibility outdoors.
Location
The Boathouse is located on Pigeon Cay beach, in easy walking distance to the Pigeon Cay Beach Club. Our 3 1/4 acre property has a breathtaking, white sand private beach on the warm and gin clear water of the sea. Pigeon Cay is located on the leeward side of Cat Island making for calm waters & beautiful clean beaches. Our beach is located on a secluded, 3 mile beach which extends to Alligator Point. Pigeon Creek is a large salt water inlet which is behind the house and runs parallel to the beach. Pigeon Creek opens to the sea at Alligator Point and provides for exceptional kayaking in calm waters. You can kayak from behind the Boathouse, out to the sea at Alligator Point, & then back to our beach on the ocean. Sea turtles and large rays are frequently encountered while kayaking in Pigeon Creek. Bonefishing on the fly is exceptional in Pigeon Creek,and also in Smith Bay to the South and Orange Creek to the North. Restaurants & bars serving local fare (lobster, conch) are nearby.
Nearest Airports: New Bight Airport (TBI) at 19 miles & Arthur's Town Airport at 16 miles
GPS Coordinates
Latitude: + 24° 31’ 49.80” N
Longitude: - 75° 36’ 30.85” W
Cat Island Overview
Untainted by tourism, Cat Island is the sixth-largest island in The Bahamas. The fishhook-shaped island; is some 48 miles long and 1 to 4 miles wide, and lies about 325 miles southeast of Miami. Named after the pirate Arthur Catt, it’s located near the Tropic of Cancer, between Eleuthera and Long Island. It has one of the best climates in The Bahamas, with temperatures in the high 60s during the short winters, rising to the mid-80s in summer, with trade winds making the place even more comfortable. With its pristine virgin beaches, Cat Island is one of the most beautiful islands in The Bahamas, and it is so little visited that it's inexpensive and still feels undiscovered. Many local historians claim that Cat Island residents were the first to see Columbus. The great explorer himself was believed by some to have been welcomed here by the peaceful Arawaks. Beautiful beaches offer an array of water sports. Visitors can go swimming or snorkeling at several places.
Keywords: Beach House
About The Owner
Sarah and I love traveling and have been visiting Cat Island for 23 years. I grew up exploring the Out Islands of the Bahamas by boat, and have ventured throughout the islands regularly since 1967. We bought this spectacular beachfront property in the late 1990's, and built the 'Boathouse' in January 2007. We moved back to the USA 7 years ago after living 3+ years in Costa Rica and another 3 years living in Mexico. Both our boys are grown; our youngest (marine biologist) is engaged in Sustainable Fisheries in Portland, Maine, and the oldest is in International Business Development living in California.
Why The Owner chose Bahamas
Cat Island is truly an unspoiled paradise. The people are wonderful and still wave to everyone as they pass. The Boathouse sits on a beautiful white sand beach with water clear as gin. The beach runs for 3 miles, but you can spend days without seeing another soul (read the guest comments). Snorkeling, scuba diving and 'bonefishing on the fly' , island exploring, beach combing, and sunbathing are among other favorites.
Our property is 3 1/4 acres and is surrounded by water on 3 sides. You can launch the kayaks or the canoe behind the house on Pigeon Creek and paddle around to our beach on the ocean. Leslie Kennedy lives on-island and manages the house for us. She will greet you upon your arrival and familiarize you with the house. The Boathouse is professionally cleaned and maintained and Leslie is available to answer any questions you may have or provide assistance with anything you may need.
What makes this house unique
The use of kayaks, canoe and beach cruiser bicycles are included with your stay at the Boathouse. There are 2 single kayaks and a tandem to choose from (they are located either behind the house on the backbay, or on the ocean side tied up at PCBC). The bicycles are located in our garage.You can bike for miles on the sea road or ride on the main road to Bennett Harbor for lunch at Derrick's Conch Shack or Sammy T's.
3-4 times/week Pigeon Cay Beach Club serves dinner beachside(the small club has only 7 rooms, and is a 5 minute stroll up our beach). All Boathouse guests are invited and have full signing privileges for dinner, drinks, and wine. There is also a beachside honor bar at PCBC which is fully stocked with cold beer, wine, and your favorite cocktails. There is no need to carry cash or drive home when dining and/or enjoying a cocktail up the beach at PCBC.
We enjoy cooking and have equipped the Boathouse with a Jenn Air Convection oven/microwave, Jenn-Air Stovetop, Ice maker, and a 36,000 BTU Stainless Weber. There is Calphalon cookware, a Waring commercial blender, and an ice cream/sorbet maker. There are 12 foot decks which encircle the entire house perfect for reading, relaxing, cocktails, or just taking in the incredible views. There is a screened area of the deck for dining, reading, or a glass of wine. Ceiling fans are installed throughout the house and on the decks (11 in total). Although rarely needed, the house is also fully air conditioned.
The Boathouse has high speed wireless internet included.
Guestbook comments from the manager
The Boathouse, Molly S.,Jackson, Michigan Date of stay: December 20-28,2009
The Boathouse was exactly what the website pictures promised and more. It even felt roomier than the pictures indicated. Every item you've chosen for the house is of the highest quality. I never looked for a thing that wasn't available: flashlights, lighters, kitchen utensils, etc. The linens were wonderful and plentiful. We loved going through the guest binder and learning the ins-and-outs of Cat Island: where to eat, how to get around, sights to see, history, activities... Your insight there is priceless. We spent many hours on the Pigeon Cay beach and took long walks. I think we probably saw other people maybe a dozen times in the week we were there, but it was usually the same 3 or 4. No one ever bothered us or disrupted our peace and enjoyment in any way. We felt like we were in our own romantic world. The water was amazing; the sand like powdered sugar. The palm frond tiki hut even sheltered us from passing rainshowers. Leslie was a very nice hostess for a Christmas Eve meal at their resort. She also easily arranged a rental car for us, even had it delivered there at the resort. The Cat Island experience is very unique and one I will always remember. I'm sure we will visit again, although probably in the spring or early summer to avoid some of the inclement weather that can muddle up the winter season. I also have a few couples from work who are interested in the Boathouse, and I'm sharing great reviews with them, too. One of the couples is a pair of avid divers who spend lots of time around the Caribbean. Although they usually travel resort-style, they also seek out a getaway like your place every year or two. Watch for the Baldwins from Michigan, I bet they'll be your guest someday.
In closing, a lot of friends and family have asked would we do it again. I have said, without hesitation, yes! You have a lovely getaway spot on a special island. Thank you so much for allowing us to be your guests. We look forward to a chance to stay again.
Amenities
Cat Island House Accommodation and Amenities
- house
- Guests provide their own meals
- Max. occupancy: 2
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters
- not suitable for children
- pets not allowed
- smoking allowed
- Beach View ...
- Oceanfront ...
- Air Conditioning ...
- Clothes Dryer ...
- Garage ...
- Hair Dryer
- Linens Provided ...
- Living Room ...
- Parking ...
- Telephone ...
- Washing Machine ...
- Wireless Internet ...
- Cooking Utensils ...
- Ice Maker
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave ...
- Refrigerator ...
- Dining Area
- seating for 8 people
- 1 Bathroom
-
Bathroom 1 -
- In October 2014 we installed a new, state of the art septic system that has a minimal impact on the environment, yet is guest friendly. The original compost system was 100% replaced with this low impact, conventional system. Gigantic shower with extra large brass overhead, showerhead. View of the ocean and backbay while you shower.
- 1 Bedroom, Sleeps 2
- King size bed (1) Select Comfort California King Bed. There are floor to ceiling folding doors on two sides which allows you to open the bedroom completely to the protected deck, should you choose.
- Books ...
- CD Player
- DVD Player
- Music Library ...
- Stereo
- Television ...
- Video Library ...
- Balcony
- Deck / Patio ...
- Kayak / Canoe ...
- Outdoor Grill ...
- restaurants
- boating
- shelling
- wildlife viewing
- cycling
- fishing
- hiking
- kayaking
- sailing
- snorkeling/diving
- spelunking
- swimming
- wind-surfing
Reviews
Excellent!
4.7/5 -
(64 traveler reviews)
Amazing property and location! - Highly Recommended!!
We wanted to thank you for a wonderful stay at the Boathouse on Cat Island. The house has a wonderful location on what we thought was the best beach on the Island. The gorgeous beach at Pigeon Cay has sand like talcum powder and very calm seas even during windy days. The palapa provided us great comfort and sun protection and we ended up using it on many occasions. The location of the rental property is very nice being close to all things north and it’s north central location allowed us to venture south on the island just as easily. We found the market at Smith Bay to be the most well stocked and that was an easy and fun drive from the property. Also, venturing out back into Alligator Creek is a must. Though the bottom of the creek starts off just a bit soft, it quickly firms up to a nice firm sand base and you can walk and explore for literally miles through the creek system observing fish, turtles, baby sharks (don’t worry – they are afraid of you), bonefish, rays, etc. Bonefishing is excellent and you can find them off the heads of mangroves on either side of high tide. Wonderful area to fish and explore. The Atlantic beaches in the area are amazing as well. We especially enjoyed the beach about 1 mile south of the property. Go south on main road and take a left at the cell tower to the Atlantic. Gorgeous isolated endless pink beach with great snorkeling and fishing. The people of Cat are wonderful and we made many new friends up north at Pigeon Cay, Arthur’s Town, Bennett’s and Orange Creek. Orange Creek is a beautiful area. Don’t miss it. The house is very comfortable with all the conveniences you need for your trip. We especially enjoyed the open feel of the house with the breezes coming through. The deck and shower are wonderful. Leslie, Ned and everyone at the Pigeon Cay Beach Club were so helpful and friendly. It was nice to have them close by and Leslie helped us out a number of times. Thank you! We highly recommend the Boathouse and hopefully will be back to enjoy this beautiful area of Cat Island soon! We’ve been to numerous out islands and stayed at many places and the Boathouse and Cat Island are now very close to the top of our list! Thank you, Mark and Sarah!
-Kevin and Kelly (Seattle, Wa)
Great spot with easy access to alligator point for some true alone beach time.
Cat island is the perfect spot for some true seclusion. Friendly locals and Ned and Leslie have the island dialed and can help arrange anything you want or just leave you alone. The boathouse is a neat little property with all of the basics provided. I understand how island life, salt water and remote location can present challenging upkeep but I feel that some upkeep and upgrades are needed at the house. I could make a ton of recommendations but it's not my place. We are 2 very easy going, basic travelers that don't need much so if you are a true DIY traveler this is a great spot and property for you.
We will return!
We absolutely loved staying at the Boathouse. It is secluded, quiet, and very relaxing. Since all the walls open up it gives you a similar feel to camping out, but at night you can close up the walls and have a nice bed to sleep in with air conditioning. While we split this trip between Nassau and Cat Island, we've decided next time we'll do nothing more than pass through Nassau so that we can maximize our time on Cat Island. Here are a few points of advice for your stay at the Boathouse:
1) Have plenty of cash with you as most places are cash only. There is an ATM in New Bight if you run low on cash, but it doesn't take all debit cards. It does however take Visa debit cards.
2) A taxi ride from Arthur's Town will run you $40 - $50 for two people. A guest at Pigeon Cay Beach Resort said it cost him and his wife $80 for the trip from the New Bight Airport.
3) Have your taxi stop by the grocery store on your way from the airport because there are no stores near the Boathouse. We didn't do this as the stores close at 1 pm on Sundays, but a visit to the honor bar at Pigeon Cay Beach Resort for something to mix with our rum landed us some provisions. One of the guests there offered us some food because they were leaving a couple days later and had more than they could eat. We visited the grocery store in New Bight the next day and found it to be a nice, well stocked store. There is also a good grocery store in Arthur's Town north of the airport.
4) Bring bug spray with you. It needs to have the highest Deet content you can get. I took Off with 7% Deet and the mosquitos and no-see-ums weren't phased in the least. The higher Deet content spray I bought on the island did the trick.
Tremendously relaxing!
The Boathouse has been a welcoming refuge for this past week. The warmth, sun, sea breeze, and wind combined beautifully to make our stay one we will reflect on often. The openness of the layout is freeing as you float from room to room, all while choosing which side of the house to walk by.
Morning walks on the beach and lazy afternoons there as well sufficed our need for the soft sand and warm sun. The wind allowed for the perfect temperature, and kept the flies away for the most part. Evenings cooking with the BBQ and eating outdoors as the sun sets were lovely. The outdoor shower is a must for an island home and is to be experienced over & over again.
The bikes were a fun way to get to Alligator Point, mixed with walking through the sandy parts of the road. Nice beaches at the point as we spent the majority of the afternoon there one day.
Julia the taxi lady met us at the airport and took us by the grocery store. Also stopped at Derricks conch stand for other travellers in the taxi. All part of the great experience. The fruit man was also at the airport and told us he'd stop by that night, which he did. Good fresh fruit & veggies as well as homemade tomato sauce (super with pasta or rice), and some baked goods. Scrumptious!
We brought about 60lbs of food with us as we're on the island for two weeks (two locations), including frozen meat, canned sauce, dried goods (oatmeal, tea, sugar, rice, granola, chocolate!) and spinach, simply to know we had some staples for our evening fare. No problem bringing food over on the airplanes and our frozen food stayed frozen in a cooler bag packed within our suitcase.
Many books to choose from, DVDs too, and Bluetooth system to pipe your music through. Very nice with the open surroundings.
I can only say good things about our stay at The Boathouse as it was fabulous! We are quite self sufficient yet Leslie is a short step or a phone call away if needed. Would love to return one day if time allows. We highly recommend The Boathouse if your thinking about coming here. I would say it's a 'glamping' experience. Thanks for sharing your Cat Island home with us!
unbelievable vacation and rental property...enjoyed it even more the second time around!
We have limited vacation time due to work schedules and after much research we were lucky enough to find The Boathouse on Cat Island last year. We had an amazing time...for the very first time on any vacation, we were not ready to go home (we both love where we live and miss our dog if away). After such an extraordinary trip last year we searched for a new adventure and found nothing that could compare...another year leaves us only anticipating the next soonest time we can return. The island and property are wonderful. Any questions or concerns are immediately answered by Leslie or Ned down the road....two people that made our first vacation such a success with their care and knowledge...(and again a year later), and the property owner was so kind and in touch to ensure all was in order and we had settled in. We could not ask for a nicer place or more wonderful people...island wide.
Starting to show its age
Just returned from two weeks at the Boathouse and while the location is beautiful and the beaches just gorgeous, the house itself is showing its age. Unfortunately for us the weather wasn't the best and we had a number of days with medium to high winds. The roof bumped and banged very loudly (parts of the deck roof on the north side were completely loose) the whole time making sleeping difficult. Overall the house looks like it needs a new coat of paint, some deep cleaning and perhaps a refresh on the furniture (we found the seagrass couch to be quite uncomfortable due to sagging in the seats). When the wind dies down the no-see-ums can get quite bad and when we tried to close the bug screens they did not connect properly making them quite useless. The Kayaks are stored at the Pigeon Cay beach so if you plan on kayaking the creek you need to carry the boat(s) from the resort to the creek which is farther than we expected.
On the positive side, it is a unique experience and we thoroughly enjoyed that component of our stay. The decks are a great place to hang out and read and being on all sides you can move away from the wind if desired. The outdoor shower is great (although a bit cool when the winds are up :-)), bed was comfortable, and the TV and internet worked well but we were not able to get the CD or DVD players to work. I had some trouble with the BBQ but once lit it worked well enough to cook on the one side. We biked and kayaked (yes we managed to get the kayak to the creek) and it was wonderful. Saw a lot of wildlife in their natural habitat (Osprey, Herons, Turtles, etc.) and we even managed to bike across the island to spend a day exploring the Atlantic beach. A car is optional but plan on renting for a few days as nothing is really within biking distance (small general store) so you will need to drive to get groceries, find a restaurant (we did eat at the Pigeon Cay Resort but they only offer meals on random nights which for us was twice in two weeks) and to explore other beautiful beaches (E.g. Man o War beach).
Map
Kayaking
Pigeon Creek, located just steps behind the Boathouse, makes for a peaceful, quiet trip through an aquatic wonderland. The creek is a nursery for sea turtles, baby sharks, bonefish, manta rays and other small fish. Paddlers can see them cruising along the sandy bottom or darting in and out of the mangrove trees. If you have never kayaked before, this is the place to learn. Our ocean kayaks are wide and stable and do not restrain your legs or body. They are easy to get in and out of and it is easy to learn for first timers.
Boating/Sailing & Diving/Snorkeling
Uninhabited cays, hidden coves, annual regattas. Diving Coral reefs. Blue holes. Walls. Caves. Shipwrecks. Dolphins. The variety of islands in The Bahamas presents a variety of diving experiences. Beginners and experts are welcome.
Deep Sea Fishing is a thrill with huge tuna, wahoo,dolphin, snapper and marlin. Bonefishing 'on the fly' is exceptional in Pigeon Creek,Smith's Bay & Orange Creek.
Note: there is one clinic on the island which can handle most illnesses or medical emergencies. The nearest major hospital is in Nassau.
Photos
Rates & Availability
Cat Island House Rental Rates
- Rental Basis:
- per property
- Manager accepts payment in:
- USD
| Rate Period | Nightly | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly | Event | ||||
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Standard weekly rate
Mar 21 2017 -
Dec 31 2017
7 night minimum stay
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$1,350
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My Standard Rate
4 night minimum stay
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$225
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$1,350
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Additional information about rental rates
| Tax Rate | 10.0% |
Deposits may be made via PayPal to bocasblues@yahoo.com
Manager's Cancellation Policy
- 50% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date.
- 100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.
- Available
- Unavailable
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