Your cart is empty
Knot Workshop
with Windy Chien
Exuma Islands, Bahamas
The Workshop
Sailing Collective is excited to host our third collaboration with artist Windy Chien exploring the Exuma island chain in The Bahama . Living aboard a 55' catamaran, you will have the opportunity to learn from Windy about knots and her creative process. Anyone with a copy of her book, The Year of Knots will already know that she is a natural teacher, and her enthusiasm for making gorgeous objects is infectious.
What’s Included
Windy Chien as host and artist
Sailing Collective captain and chef
Private chef preparing daily meals with locally sourced ingredients
Your private cabin aboard the vessel
Workshop & Charter Package Pricing
Single-Occupancy Cabin: $6,450 per cabin
Double-Occupancy Cabin: $8,850 per cabin
Pricing Breakdown
+ The Windy Chien Workshop is $1,500 per participant.
+ One workshop participant is included in each Workshop & Charter Package.
+ If both guests in a double-occupancy cabin attend the workshop, an additional $1,500 will be added to the final invoice.
The Workshop & Charter Package includes both the Sailing Collective experience and the Windy Chien Workshop.
Optional Activity: Join Windy for a tour of Hitching Post, part of the Art in Embassies collection at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas :: Saturday, May 16th
DEPOSIT: $1,000 per cabin deposit is will be billed in the checkout process.
The Exumas, Bahamas
Arrive at Nassau and head to Palm Cay Marina in the afternoon. Here there are restaurants and a beach and it is a great base to start your charter.
Sail to Allen Cays to see the rare Northern Bahamian Rock Iguanas, which are only found in the Exumas. You can feed these gentle creatures with grapes but beware that the iguanas can grow to a large size and can jump! Sail onwards to Highbourne Cay to snorkel the Octopus Garden reef at Horseshoe Bay.
You can see stromatolite reefs on the east coast, dating back 3.5 billion years, and if the weather is calm, you can also snorkel the Elkhorn and Staghorn reefs. Also spend the night at the Highborne Cay Marina, where you can enjoy the beach, hike the island path and trails and relax during happy hour at the marina restaurant overlooking the gorgeous bay.
Explore the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park at Warderick Wells Cay, an area of outstanding beauty with sand dunes, mangroves and wonderful beaches. Hike the seven miles of trails ashore, wander among the remains of 18th-century loyalist settlements and enjoy bird watching.
There’s even a sperm whale skeleton to examine on Powerful Beach and stromatolites to the south-west of the island, the world’s oldest living reefs. There are three mooring fields, which can be found at the natural harbor, Emerald Rock south of the visitor centre and Hog Cay in the south-west. Tune to VHF Channel 16 at 9am for updates and to request a mooring.
Make for Compass Cay, where you can get into the water with friendly nurse sharks and swim with them. You can also feed the sharks with fish if you have any to spare. On the north coast, you’ll find the famous natural whirlpool called “Rachel’s Bubble Bath”, which is at its best at high tide.
Head to Staniel Cay and provision from the local grocery stores. Near the yacht club, you’ll find the amazing Thunderball Grotto on a nearby outcrop, where the James Bond film Thunderball was filmed. Snorkel this marine cave at low tide and marvel at the shafts of sunlight that illuminate the cavern. Opposite is Big Major Cay, where you can swim with the Exumas pigs on Pig Beach.
Sail onwards towards Shroud Cay, which is part of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Don’t forget your paddleboard or kayaks so you can explore the shallow mangroves and creeks that meander across the island. You’ll be able to spot turtles, rays, and nurse sharks. Once you reach the east side of the island, you will enter a vibrant blue lagoon and set foot on one of the most beautiful beaches in the Bahamas. If you want to stroll Driftwood Beach and take the steep walk to Camp Driftwood, be aware that you can no longer leave mementos, only rocks. It was from this lookout point that the US authorities spied on Norman’s Cay and its drug trafficking activities.
Norman’s Cay is an abandoned former drug trafficking island and run by Carlos Lehder, which explains its runway. You can snorkel the smuggler’s plane wreck, which rests in just 10ft of water on the south-west coast of the island. Or how about a barefoot walk on Twinkie Beach to forage among the seashells and then dine at Norman’s Cay Beach Club to watch the sunset.
Airport: Lynden Pindling International Airport | Nassau, Bahamas
Crew
Windy Chien
Artist
Artist Windy Chien is best known for her 2016 work, The Year of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to room-sized installations that are sought after by private collectors. Following long careers at Apple and as the owner of legendary music shop Aquarius Records, she launched her studio in 2015. Select clients include the National Geographic Society, the De Young Museum, the San Francisco MOMA, Nobu Hotels, Google, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times, and Martha Stewart. Windy's book about her work was published by Abrams in 2019.
Website: www.windychien.com
Lauren Gerrie
Chef
Lauren Gerrie was born and raised in Southern California and moved to New York City 16 years ago to pursue her life as a professional dancer and artist. During college, while serving and cocktailing in restaurants and bars all over lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, she began to explore her deep love of cooking and the unique world that is the service industry. After working and training in Tuscany she returned to NY and began a creative culinary company with her best friend Flannery called bigLITTLE Get Together. She has competed and won on CHOPPED and CHOPPED CHAMPIONS and in 2017 returned to the show as a guest judge. Lauren recently resigned after almost seven years from her role as Marc Jacobs' private chef. She is a partner and pastry consultant for CERVO'S restaurant in the Lower East Side. She continues to work as a private chef and as a food writer for Paper Magazine, Domino Magazine, Furthermore, Counter Service, and other kick ass culinary & lifestyle publications. When Lauren isn't cooking she teaches an all levels adult dance class called MOVES, is a dog mom to her crazy pup Boot, and can be seen biking all over the city.... usually with a back pack of groceries!
The Workshop
Windy Chien Website :: www.windychien.com
The Knot Workshop is an opportunity to learn with Windy about knots and her creative process. You will learn many of the knots that inspire Windy’s work, as well as the elegance and utility of knots used on boats. We will create both functional and artistic objects, with plenty of time to experiment, under Windy’s guidance, on your own projects while sailing. Those who have attended Windy’s workshops in the past will be delighted to learn new knots and have time to perfect the ones you’ve already mastered.
As Windy explains how a line’s journey creates strength and meaning in each knot, she will also detail her own creative journey — and guide you on yours. Windy takes every opportunity to share her in-depth knowledge of an art deeply intertwined with nautical culture. Throughout the journey, participants will get to know the itinerary through a sailor's eye and get to know knots through an artist's lens.
Windy Chien IG :: www.instagram.com/windychien
Each day there will be guided knotting, learning a knot or technique from Windy while we sail. There will also be plenty of time to relax and swim and explore your surroundings while we anchor each night at a new location.
The vast majority of the nearly four-thousand named and documented knots come from maritime culture: they are artifacts of human ingenuity, and each is a perfectly designed object. To the intersection of function, mathematics, and history where knots reside, Windy’s practice introduces aesthetics to illuminate what’s most fascinating about them: the journey of the line.
General Information
Provisioning Sailing Collective will provision your journey with local foods and produce. Cooking Aboard: Your Sailing Collective chef will thoroughly review your guest form with your culinary preferences and will customize a menu specifically for your departure.
Included in provisioning package*:
6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners*, snacks, water, coffee & tea
* Subjected to change, 3 meals will take place shore.
Dietary Restrictions We can accommodate as long as we know in advance! It is important to notify us of any dietary restrictions ahead of time and include full details in the Guest Form that you will fill out prior to the start of the trip.
Beverages You can choose to bring your own beverages aboard or request for your crew to provision beverages on your behalf to be billed at the end of the charter. Select locations will have online ordering options. If you would like your crew to purchase beverages, we ask you be specific with quantities and quality (for example: we prefer light red wine in the $20 - $30 per bottle and scotch no pricier than $50)
ADDITIONAL COSTS We recommend planning on having at least $300 – $1000 in spending money depending on spending habits. You will be responsible for paying for:
All expenses on shore including meals and drinks
Flights and transportation to and from the marina location
Onboard beverages
Gratuity (a 10% to 20% offering)
GRATUITY Tipping your captain and crew is welcomed. If you are satisfied with your service, the industry standard for yacht charters ranges from 10-20% of the cost of the charter. Gratuity is split evenly between the crew and can be paid via cash, check, Venmo, or PayPal. Please contact your Sailing Collective Journey Coordinator if you have any questions.
10% - Standard good time on holiday with good service.
15% - Exceptional service on your holiday with exceptional service!
20% - Extraordinary experience and your crew sent the voyage to the moon and back!!
PACKING LIST Collapsible bags in place of large rigid suitcases are advised for ease of transport on and off the boat. Loading and unloading from the dingy can be a wet activity, a pair of shoes such as flip-flops that you can get wet if we are landing on a beach is recommended.
As the vast majority of your time will be spent outside, prepare for elements - bring a light raincoat just in case, a hat to shield yourself from the sun, and a warm layer. Throughout the week we may dine out at a nice restaurant, so bring an outfit looks nice and suits your style.
We also encourage that people bring ecologically appropriate products into ocean environments. You can read more about those recommendations on the Sailing Collective Journal here: Packing for a Healthy Ocean
The Journey Schedule Meeting time is at 9:00am on Day 1 of the charter (unless previously discussed boarding time change). We return back to port on the final evening by 5:00pm and disembark between 8-9:00am on the final day.
Terms & Conditions By booking this journey, you agree to comply with the stated Terms & Conditions available on our website. Please contact info@thesailingcollective.com with any questions.
Travel Insurance We recommend purchasing a travel insurance policy that protects you in case of general and covid-related trip interruptions. If you choose not to purchase travel insurance, you forfeit the right to a refund or credit in the event you have to cancel your trip with Sailing Collective.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS Please ensure your passport is valid for the period of travel and for six months after you return. The Sailing Collective cannot be held responsible for refusal of entry or travel due to lack of visas. If you are in any doubt please contact your Embassy for full details.
REALISTIC DISCLAIMER ABOUT BOATS Boats can break. Charter boats are like a rental car, they are checked before and after each charter. The engineer team is required to check the vessel for maintenance issues and make repairs during the half-day turnaround. Vessels require constant attention like any other complex mechanical system. If you are particular about your exact vacation requirements, we recommend booking a yacht charter with a higher price point allowing for three-crew and we are happy to assist brokering a luxury yacht charter for you and your group.
Galleries
Stay Updated
For news on upcoming journeys, events and more sign up for our newsletter
© Sailing Collective Travel Co. 2026