The Schoolhouse is equipped with water pump, propane stoves, a chest freezer, overhead lighting, and ac power for your convenience. The entirety of MAIC is “off-grid,” which means that all the power our guests and staff use is generated by the emission-free sources seen here (solar panels above left and wind turbine, above right), and stored in a battery bank.

Our running water is pure Andros rain, stored in an aboveground cistern and plumbed into the Schoolhouse. Water is solar heated and pumped to the generously sized outdoor thatch shower (above left and center), and the wood fired hot tub (above right).

 

Transportation

To explore Andros, there are many options. The Frog, a “greasil” truck, is one option (left); others include a more traditional van, bicycles,  electric and gas powered boats, and kayak (right).

Sea Grape Deck

The new observation deck at MAIC is huge! Perfect for groups, the sustainably harvested pine and stone deck can easily accommodate artists’ easels, yogic meditation, or good old-fashioned lawn chairs for tanning. Approximately  100 square feet of workspace in a half-moon shape  is located next to the Old School and overlooks the ocean (below).

Old School

The Blanket Sound Schoolhouse was built by the people of Andros in 1935, when The Bahamas was still under British rule.  It has survived for over seventy years, and now flourishes as the axis of MAIC. There isn’t much “indoors” at the Maritime Arts and Inspiration Center, but the Schoolhouse is a gathering place to prepare food, store goods, and listen to music or get out of the sun. (It’s the yellow building).

Chickee Studio

Chickee Huts are a traditional, temporary structures of the Seminole Indians. Built of sustainably harvested Bahamian Pine and Thatch Palm, our hut is generously sized for groups as large as twenty. It functions both as a social gathering space and the formal studio of the Maritime Arts and Inspiration Center. Here, the woodworkers both native and novice interact, cooled by ocean breezes.  Check out the studio’s loft picture on the “Accommodations” page.

Outhouse

The incinerating outhouse is original to the Old School, and has been in (daily!) operation since 1935. It is conveniently located a few hundred yards from all structures at MAIC.  The sturdy construction has withstood the test of time, and the waste extraction method (burning to ash) is still revolutionary.

The Ocean

MAIC is located directly on the water, with rocky shore and sandy beach.  The warm waters within the reef are excellent for  kayaking, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, and windsurfing, while still being family friendly.  Click on “The Reef” for more about the sea.

Maritime Experience

Imagine a place where the only access is by dirt road— or boat. Imagine a place where the tides dictate your route.  Imagine a place where the birds and the sea take the place of an alarm clock and traffic. This is it: The Maritime Arts and Inspiration Center. Find your place  on a spit of land, where one side is tidal flats, two are ocean, and the land is an untouched  sanctuary.

 

Sawmill

For woodworkers, the band saw mill is a exciting new addition! Use reclaimed Bahamian pine or naturally dead and dried mahogany to build, woodcut, or invent your own use for these world-class woods. Not pictured: planar, lathe, various handsaws, sanders, etc.

Grounds