Drinks & snacks (BYOB)
It’s your private boat, so pack a cooler with the bubbly and whatever the crew likes. Cans over glass for safety, and we’ll have ice ready. Don’t forget cups and a bottle opener.
Décor & the bride kit
Bring the sash, the décor, banners and any props for photos. A speaker for your playlist (or use the boat’s), and maybe matching outfits or hats. Keep it boat-friendly — nothing that’ll blow away easily.
Sun & comfort
- Sunscreen (reef-safe) and sunglasses
- A hat and a light cover-up
- Flat shoes or sandals (many go barefoot)
- A light layer for a sunset cruise
From the Helm: What We Hand Off at the Rail Before the Keewaydin Sandbar Stop
There’s a moment on almost every bachelorette trip when the boat noses up to a sandbar and the bride gets handed whatever sash, veil or sign the group packed, and everyone at the rail leans in for the photo. Our captains favor a stop like the sandbar off Keewaydin when it’s fully exposed on an outgoing tide, since dry sand instead of ankle-deep water makes for a much better group shot and gives everyone somewhere solid to stand for a few minutes.
What guests don’t always think to pack is something to actually hang the decorations with. We’ll suggest command hooks or a roll of painter’s tape rather than anything adhesive that could mar the boat’s finish, and our captains are happy to point out where a banner or balloon garland can go without blocking a sightline or a walkway. A gust off the water can turn a loose banner into a problem fast, so anything decorative gets secured, not just draped.
Music runs through the boat’s own speaker system rather than a phone propped in a cup holder, so it’s worth having whatever playlist the group wants ready to connect before you leave the dock instead of fumbling with it once you’re underway. Our captains will ask early whether the group wants a live mic moment for toasts, since that changes how we position the boat — usually drifting slow and quiet rather than cruising, so the words carry over open water instead of getting lost in engine noise.
Our captains usually plan the sandbar stop early in the cruise, before too many toasts have happened, since footing on wet sand and a rocking swim ladder go a lot smoother earlier in the afternoon than after a few hours of celebrating. It’s a small sequencing call that keeps the best photos safe instead of shaky, and it still leaves the group plenty of cruising time afterward to relax at the rail.
For the sandbar stop itself, our sandbar tour option is built around exactly this kind of pause — time to stand on real sand, take photos, wade a little before climbing back aboard. If you’re still mapping out the rest of the day, our bachelorette boat photo ideas guide pairs well with this stop, since a lot of the shots guests want happen in that same sandbar window.
On a windier afternoon we’ll sometimes shorten the sandbar stop and tuck the boat into a calmer pocket of water instead of holding position broadside to a stiff breeze, since loose hair, hats and lightweight fabric decor all fight the wind the same way. It’s a small adjustment, but it’s usually the difference between photos everyone loves and a sandbar stop that feels rushed.