At sea with the boys of summer

The beamy catamaran was surprisingly comfortable. Gary and I unpacked in one teak-trimmed cabin, and the boys decided it'd be fun to share the berth just forward of ours -- within giggling distance. The crew roomed on the other side of the boat, and each air-conditioned cabin had a private head. With Melanie's small galley filled with potted herbs, baskets of fresh fruit and, thanks to the pre-cruise preference sheet, an assortment of our favorite foods and drinks, the Meltemia instantly felt homey.

Our gear stowed and the boys chomping at the bit, Dave steered the boat out of the harbor and into the blue-green waters of the Sea of Abaco. It was another sign that our crew had experience in dealing with kids that our first stop was nearby, a warm-up snorkeling spot called Mermaid's Reef. It allowed the boys to burn off some nervous energy and Marlie to spot a few fish while we all made sure our masks and fins fit.

After that, it was Alex's turn. Dave sat beside him at the helm, demonstrating the GPS and explaining how he determined the best angles for the sails as we made our way to Great Guana. Veterans of the serious Australian yacht-racing circuit, Dave and Melanie became Alex's personal sailing instructors for the week and seemed to thoroughly enjoy having the rapt attention of such a willing pupil.

With both the boat and the kids under our crew's control, Gary and I lounged on the trampoline stretched across the bow, breathing in the fresh sea air, taking in the view of the islands scattered on the horizon and letting the boat's gentle motion rock us into a state of extreme relaxation.

We'd scheduled our trip over the 4th of July, which coincides with the Abacos' biggest event of the year, Regatta Week, a series of major races and epic parties that migrate to a different island each day. One of the wildest shindigs is held at Nippers Beach Bar & Grill on Great Guana. Melanie warned us that things can get a little PG-13 there, but also said that they had great fireworks. We decided to have the best of both worlds by touring Guana by day and then retreating to our own party aboard the Meltemia, where we'd have a great view of the show.

Dave dinghied us ashore, and we set off down the main road -- basically a sidewalk that served as a golf-cart highway. There wasn't much on the long, narrow island beyond a tiny village of clapboard houses and small shops, with a few cottages perched atop the bluff. We followed a hand-painted sign that led off the sandy track and came to a series of multi-level decks rising from a 40-foot dune overlooking a seemingly endless stretch of gleaming white sand fronting the Atlantic: the infamous Nippers. I was prepared to distract the boys from any bootie dancing or bikini-top malfunctions, but we'd timed it right and the crowd seemed content to sit in the sun nursing cocktails and lunch platters. Not that my guys would have noticed: The second they saw the view, they only had eyes for the ocean and dashed down the stairs and into the water. We adults arrayed ourselves on calypso-colored stools along the railing at the edge of the dune and ordered drinks.

After running the beach, jumping around in the water and climbing on the big rocks, the boys clambered back up to the bar. Then Marlie spotted the pool. I said yes to the inevitable so it would seem like I was in charge. He dove in and was immediately inspired by the pirate logo painted on the bottom. His next request was a skull-and-bones "do rag" just like the Nippers Pirate had. At the gift shop, I was in charge again -- this time because I had the credit card.

As the bar began to fill, we headed back to the boat. The Guana Cay Regatta was just starting, so Dave and Melanie got the chance to explain to Alex how the 50 or so boats were jockeying for position and how they'd race around the markers. Watching him staring out at the collection of colorful sails, I could tell Alex was picturing himself at the wheel of one of the speedy boats and planning his winning strategy.

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