Information presented on this page is for the page author's use only. Use of this information by anyone other than the author is offered as guidelines and non-professional advice only. No liability is assumed by the author or this web site. Regardless of information presented here, the captain is solely responsible for the safety of craft and crew.
Target arrival to Miami / Key Biscayne FL approximately mid November. Cross from Miami to Bimini (42 nm, steer 116 deg M; 107 deg T) {125 deg M per Skipper Bob}, then 82 nm to the Berry Islands (Chub Cay). From Chub Cay: The latest apparent sunrise is mid January at 7:03 am. Mid November the apparent sunrise is 6:30 am.
Bahamas Cruisers Guide (online)
Bahamas Customs Clearance Form – boaters print and fill out prior to arrival
Bahamas official ports of entry
Fuel & Dockage Prices (from Explorer Chartbooks)
Bahamas profile by noonsite.com
You may bring anything except fresh fruits, vegatables, and dairy products into the Bahamas. All meats must be frozen. Butter substitutes are not permitted. Only a Hawaiian Sling and pole spear is permitted - no spear guns.
Bicycles and motorcycles should be listed on the cruising permit when clearing into The Bahamas. If you wish to use them ashore, they should be licensed at the first port of call.
Our entry fee will be $300 USD cash. The fee covers an initial-entry cruising permit, a three-month fishing permit, and any attendant fees payable to a Customs Officer, as well as any overtime and travel costs required for the attendaance of an Immigration Officer. There should be no overtime, holiday, or transportation charges above the initial clearing-in fee of $300. Call Customs (302-3509) or Immigration at Prince George’s Dock (323-3330) in Nassau if you have any problems.
Try to get a cruising permit for four months. Get the name of the customs agent. Get a receipt for your cruising permit payment. Ask for a fishing endorsement (for line and pole spear fishing).
It is not necessary to clear out of the Bahamas when exiting the country to go farther south or entering the U.S.
All travelers entering the United States are REQUIRED to DECLARE meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals, as well as plant and animal products (including soup or soup products) they may be carrying. Do not bring any meat back from the Bahamas. The list of restricted meats due to the variety of animal diseases changes frequently. Do not bring any fresh fruits, vegatables, or dairy products back from the Bahamas. You may bring back to the U.S. up to one liter of spirits.
Visiting boaters must clear Customs and Immigration at the nearest Port Of Entry. Fly the yellow quarantine flag upon arrival, and notify Customs of your arrival. Only the captain is permitted to leave the boat until the vessel has been cleared.
All crossings across the Gulf Stream between FL and Bahamas should be made in winds that do not have a northern component (NW through NE). Wait for a several hundred mile, slow moving high over the crossing area. The forecast for this high will be light NE winds, followed by light SW winds. Only depart if your departure will follow a period of at least 24 hours after high winds, in order to allow the ocean waves to settle down. Plan for a destination arrival of 1 or 2 pm (when the sun is past the zenith and at your back so you can visually read water depth).
Crossing calculation. Measure a direct east-west distance between the Florida/Bahamas departure location and your destination. Divide that distance in nautical miles by your expected travel speed in knots, to get the travel time in hours. Determine the Gulf Stream speed (average is 2.5 knots) and multiple the travel time calculated previously by the Gulf Stream speed. The result is the north/south offset your departure location should be (south if traveling east, north if traveling west).
Bahamas crossing planning tool
North Cat Cay South anchorage NNW to E protection. Citris Haven anchorage NE to SE protection.
See also Explorer Chartbooks fuel & dockage prices
Bimini Blue Water Marina $1.00/ft ph 242-347-3166 & 242-347-3291, ch 68. Browns Marina $1.25/ft Big Game Club Marina $2.50/ft + $40/night electric & water. Fisherman's Village Marina closed due to Irma damage?. Mega Marina $5/ft (confirmed 17 Feb 2018).
Try coconut bread toasted and coated with butter. Fish fry lady outside of Stuart's Conch Stand. Lunch at Tropics for Jamaican jerked meat. Groceries at Roberts Grocery and King Brown Grocery.
Anchorage at end of channel as of Mar 2018 with room for 10 boats (waypoing Bimini Bay North).
From Bimini it is 74 nm (Bullocks Harbor) to 84 nm (Chub Cay) to the Berry Islands, and ~61 nm to Port Lucaya.
Bimini Sands Marina; $1.50/ft/night + $20/night electric; fuel dock; marina map
Stay at Old Bahama Bay Marina, $2.00/ft/day + $20 resort fee. ph 242-350-6500 or email sales@obbresort.com An official port of entry. Call Old Bahama Bay VHF 16 (switch to 10) 9 am to 5 pm. marina online reservation request form From West End, travel 46 nm to Great Sale Cay. Avoid rounding Memory Rock (waypoints 'Memory Rock E & W') by taking 'The Cut' (waypoint 'The Cut S') beginning at Indian Rock at mid or high tide, see Explorer page 47.
Anchorage area available Customs check-in available. Flamingo Bay Hotel & Marina $0.5/ft/day. Port Lucaya Marina ($2.20/ft/d); a port of entry. Grand Bahama Yacht Club Marina ($2.20/ft/day); a port of entry. From Port Lucaya, travel 73 nm (9.2 hrs) to Great Sale Cay.
ICW crossover vis Biscayne Channel for departure to Bahamas. Anchor nearby in ICW at waypoint Key Biscayne Bight. ~STM 1095
Crossover wait point. Hillsboro Inlet provides a safe anchorage. The Hillsboro Inlet Bridge (13 ft) must be opened for excursions beyond the Hillsboro Inlet anchorage. Lighthouse Point Marina a short distance north of the anchorage has fuel, pump out, etc. 954-941-0227 ext 206
63 nm to West End by Memory Rock, 48 nm by Indian Cay Cut. 35 nm to Hawksbill Cay. Anchorage recommended by Skipper Bob. Anchorage at waypoint 'Great Sale Cay 1' has good holding and is protected except for SW winds. For SW protection, travel 16 NM to E side of island, or 9 nm to N end for SW-S protection.
Alternative stop. Approach requires exposure to Atlantic. Excellent snorkeling and fishing. Fuel, dockage, restaurants.
Anchorage recommended by Skipper Bob. Waypoint 'Hawksbill Cay anc' position approximate. Fox Town has grocery, restaurant, bar, gas, internet, and casino (by dink only). The cracked conch at Da Valley is reported to be the best. Anchor only, no moorings. Large anchorage. Protection N-NE, SE-S-SW (exposed E, W-NW). Travel 5 nm to NE side for proection from SE-S-SW (waypoint N Little Abaco).
Anchorage 6.3 nm from Fox Town protected N-NE-E-SE-S. Travel 10 nm to Hawksbill Cay for SW-S-SE protection. Waypoint 'Allens Cay'. Park your dink at the Walmart parking sign. Visit beach and explore trails. Short distance for offshore fishing (route offshore A).
Alternative stop. Protected except for W to NW.
Crab Cay / Anglefish Pt Protected N-NE-E-SE-S-SW.
22 nm from Allans Cay, 31 nm from Hawksbill Cay, 5.2 nm from Green Turtle Cay. Anchorage waypoint 'Manjack Cay South - 1' protected N to SE. From beach, walk trail NW to NE snore for great beach. Nearby North Manjack Channel offers access to the ocean.
Location recommended by Skipper Bob with great protection. Explorer Chartbook Near pgs 31,32. Moorings ($20/night) from Brendals (yellow w/ red strip), Phil Roberts, or D&P Rentals. Anchorage in White Sound (5-1/2 MLW). Several other nearby anchorages with protection NNE to SE. Many services available - see Explorer Guide. Kestrel favoriate stop in the Bahamas. Kestrel anchored off of Joyless Point, and found others had anchored off of Black Sound to the South, where New Plymouth is located. Dink to the Green Turtle Club on the north side of the island in White Sound (free dinghy dock) and stop at the bar for a Tipsy Turtle rum punch (winner of the Kestrel 2018 Rum Punch Face Off). Historic landmark Loyalist Sculpture Memorial Garden has 24 busts of Loyalists and their slaves. Great cheap lunch at Shorty's Takeway. Black Sound has three free dinghy docks: the government dock under the “Welcome to Historic New Plymouth” sign, in front of Curry’s Grocery, and directly in front of the anchorage. There are two huge dumpsters for dumping trash for free. One is on the government dock, and one is down towards Curry’s Grocery Store. Kestrel. Moorings in White Sound $20/night.
WARNING - Rage at Whale Cay Channel exit to Atlantic between Green Turtle Cay and Treasure Cay.
Anchorage recommended by Skipper Bob. Anchor outside at waypoint Treasure Cay (outside) with protection SW-W-N-NE. Verify by dink channel depths to mooring field before entering and taking mooring inside ($20/day fee) (all-around protection). May 2018 report that moorings were in poor condition. Many services available from Treasure Cay Harbour. Great rum drinks on beach at north shore.
Water Cay & Archer Cay anchorages offer S-SE protection
Baker's Bay anchorage offers N-NE-E-SE protection. Take dink north to tip of island for fantastic snorkeling and beach. Fish channel 'GT GUANA 4'.
Crossing Bay anchorage offers N-NE-E-SE protection. Fishing spot 'GT GUANA 5' nearby
Settlement Harbour. Waypoint 'Great Guana Cay' marks harbour entrance. Moorings in Settlement Harbour $20/day (Dive Guana). Services in harbour. Guana Hideaways Marina dockage $1/ft/day. Anchor in 13 feet of water at Fisher's Bay (northwest of Delia's Cay) or take mooring (N-NE-E-SE protection). Rum pumch at Grabber's Bed, Bar, and Grill are very expensive. Grocery and liquor store on island. Another access to the island is to dink to Grabbers at Fisher's Bay and take a "Nipper-mobile" golf cart for pick up and drop off. Drinks at Nippers is very expensive, but the beach is very pretty. Pig roast every sunday at Nippers. Kestrel.
In light NE-E winds, anchor boat at Fowl Cay south for the day and then dink to the ocean side reef for snorkeling.
Waypoint 'Man-o-War Cay'. Several anchorages near harbour provide N to SE protection. Must enter SE harbour entrance at high tide with boat. Moorings in American (Eastern) and North harbor $17/day with all-around protection. Many harbour services. Boat Harbour anchorage is just off of Boat Harbour Marina. $25 per day to use the dinghy dock at Boat Harbour Marina (credit toward spending at their restaurant, gift shop). Kestrel anchored west side of Dickies Cay, next to Man O War Cay in 13 feet of water. Dry Island - no liquor is sold or can be publicly consumed on the island. Mooring balls were judged to be too close to each other. Free dinghy dock in town. Diesel, gas, and laundry available. Man O War grocery is well stocked. Albury’s Sail Shop sells bags of all sizes made from Sunbrella. Hibiscus Café highly recommended. Kestrel. Access Man-O-War Channel North for fishing the Atlantic. Fishing is good betwen Man-O-War Cay and Garden/Sandy Cay (try trolling, or anchored near islands).
Old Scopleys Rock anchorage. Protected N-NE-E-SE. Must find soft sand to anchor in, otherwise will have holding problems. Possible to beach dink on bay side, and then walk across to visit the beach on the Atlantic side.
Anchorage recommended by Skipper Bob. Large well protected anchorage (waypoint 'Marsh Harbour'). Largest town in Abacos with all the services you can think of. Marsh Harbour Marina $0.85/ft/day for 2+ days and BoatUS discount. It may be posssible to realize a reasonable dockage fee ($26/day) for the month here. Kestrel anchored on Mermaid Reef in 12 feet of water. Day moorings for snorkeling are near Mermaid Reef. Conch Inn & Marina has slips for transients. Free floading dinghy dock to the left of Mangoes Marina. Fifteen minute walk to Standard Hardware, Ace, and NAPA. The best stocked liquor store and with good prices is Jimmy's Liquor across the street from Mangoes Marina. Two bakeries, Island Bakery and Da Bes’ Yet. Maxwell's Supermarket is well stocked. Great food at a fair price at Golden Grouper. Kestrel Marsh Harbour Anchorage. Kestrel Marsh Harbour.
Protection W-NW-N. On the opposite of the island from Marsh Hbr. Must pay $25 to dockmaster to land dink, and then that money is used as credit for food, etc.
Harbor recommended by Skipper Bob. Waypoint 'Hope Town / Elbow Cay' marks entrance to general area. Any approach to harbour or anchorages after waypoint 'Hope Town / Elbow Cay' must be done at high tide. Moorings in harbour $20/day. Anchoring not permitted within the harbor. Many services. Popular place with both boat and land tourists. The Elbow Reef Lighthouse built in 1863 is the last lighthouse in the world manually powered and fueld by kerosene (free to visit). Vernon's Grocery Store sells groceries and fresh baked goods. Kestrel.
Explorer Chartbook Near pgs 13,45,46. Approach harbour (waypoint 'Little Harbor') only at mid tide or better.. Moorings in harbour $20/day from Petes Pub. The harbour is very well protected. Very limited anchorage opportunity in this small harbour. Petes Pub is a classic beach bar (not much else in services in this quiet area). Kestrel anchored off of the west side of Lynyard Cay, slightly northeast of Little Harbour. Kestrel.
Explorer Chartbook Near pgs 13,46. Anchorage waypoint 'Cherokee Point' has protection NW to SE. Plan arrival carefully to avoid rage / ocean swells. Services available.
Explorer Chartbook Near pgs 13,46. Waypoint 'Schooner Bay' is approximate location - Garmin charts have no detail - see Explorer Chartbook Near pg 46. Staying at the Schooner Bay Marina for $2.00/ft/night is likely the only option. Services available including fuel.
Anchorage west of Sandy Pt. ~55 nm from Little Harbor to Sandy Pt anchorage. Explorer Chartbook Near pgs 13,23. Anchorage waypoint' Sandy Pt anc' has limited protection (ENE to SE only). Option for S and SW protection by entering Sandy Pt Cr to the north during a high tide. Lightbourn Marina accessible at high tide (only 4 slips), ph 242-366-4185 (limited info - reserve and confirm!).
It was noted in Mar 2018 that many markers have been moved by the hurricane, so follow those shown on your chartplotter.
Avoid traveling the Toungue of the Ocean in strong east winds.
Fuel, water, grocery, restaurant. Protected NE thru SE. 82 nm from North Bimini.
At the NE end of the island. Limited protection to N and S only, E exposed.
This harbor is at the south of the island (not north east), SE of Bullocks Hbr anc. Class A anchorage with room for only two boats.
90 nm from Bimini. Anchorage waypoint 'Frazier's Hog Cay North' protected SE, S, W, NW, N (NE to E exposed). Berry Islands Club marina at nearby Chub Cay provides fuel, water, etc. 35 nm from Chub Cay to Nassau.
Nassau has a class C harbor. Busy harbor. Security is a concern. 35 nm from Chub Cay to Nassau. 93 nm from Nassau to Ship Channel (Exumas). From Nassau to the Exumas, you will cross the Yellow Bank. Plan crossing the Yellow Bank at noon so you can see coral heads.
Nassau Yacht Haven. $2.15/ft
breakfast at a place called Caribe Café
Solomon’s Fresh Market has whatever you want, but for a $
You can achieve good wind protection in this anchorage, although you may need to move around. Kestrel anchored off of the west side of Meeks Patch, a small ladle-shaped island about a mile and a half southwest of Spanish Wells, and then took their dinghy to Spanish Wells. Diesel, water, and groceries available. Pinder's Grocery has a free dinghy dock. R&B Boat Yard and Spanish Wells Marine and Hardware have marine supplies. Try lunch at Budda’s Snack Shack.
Protection NE to S only. Excellent fishing and underwater exploring.
Fun stop (Iguanas), but don't plan anchoring overnight except in exceptional weather.
Class B anchorage with protection NE thru S.
Last stop north side of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park ($$$) Reasonable protection from NE thru SE winds (waypoint Normans Cay). A class A anchorage is accessible from the Exuma Sound side (6 ft MLW, but it requires good weather to enter/exit). 30 nm from Normans Cay to Compass Cay.
Within Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park ($$$)
Within Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park ($$$)
First stop south side of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park ($$$) Limited area in class B harbor for mooring balls. The area in general has good NE thru SE protection. 30 nm from Normans Cay to Compass Cay.
Good anchorage with protection N thru S.
Probably best to anchor near 'Big Majors' and then dink to Staniel Cay. 26 nm from Staniel Cay to Rudder Cut Cay.
44 nm from Rudder Cay to Stocking Isl. Must take Farmers Cut east into Atlantic and travel open water to Stocking Isl.
Waypoint 'Stocking Isl'. Moorings available $15/day. Chat & Chill Bar & Grill.
Georgetown is to the west of Stocking Isl.
Effective 1 Mar 2018 the park charges $0.50/ft/day for vessels 90 feet and under in length for ANCHORING in the park limits. The park extends from Wax Cay Cut in the North (N24 35.782 W76 47.759) to Conch Cut in the South (N24 17.073 W76 32.072), and extends outward 4nm to the East and the West. Anchoring is permitted only in the Hog Cay anchorage.
The approximate coordinates of the extents of the 176 square mile park are:
N24 34.806 W76 53.465
N24 35.828 W76 43.397
N24 17.466 W76 26.903
N24 16.523 W76 39.709
I will be boycotting this area because I feel the fee is excessive.
Free diving with a Hawaiian sling is permitted. Spearfishing is not allowed within 1.6 km off the coast of New Providence, within 1.6 km off the south coast of Freeport or Grand Bahama Island, or within 200 yards off the coast of all the Out Islands. Spearing or taking marine animals by any means is prohibited within national sea parks.
Fishing gear is restricted to hook and line and you may not fish with more than six rods at a time. Closed season on grouper from Dec-Mar.
Lobster or Crawfish: Six tails per person, at any time. Annual closed season is 1 April to 31 July. Minimum size limits are 3 3/8" carapace length or 6" tail length. Egg-bearing female crawfish are protected. Harvesting and possession of conch without a well-formed lip is prohibited. Bag limit at any time is 10 per vessel.
The first SSCA Net will remain at 0715 hrs EST or 1215 hrs UTC on SSB frequency 8.104 immediately following the Coconut Telegraph Net. The intended audience for this net is primarily Caribbean cruisers, and focuses heavily on news and updates from the Caribbean Safety and Security Net (Safetyandsecuritynet.org).
The second SSCA Net will begin at 0815 hrs EST or 1315 hrs UTC on SSB Frequency 8.104 which is 15 minutes before the start of the Cruiseheimers Net. The intended audience will primarily by Bahamas and East Coast cruisers.
The primary purpose of both nets will be to provide current news updates of interest to cruisers from such sources as the Caribbean Safety & Security Net, Noonsite, The Salty Southeast Cruisers Net, Caribbean Compass, Bahamas Chatter, etc., as well as providing our land based resources to cruisers
the Abacos/Exumas weather is within the trade wind belt, so most of the weather is the result of prevailing E and NE winds in the winter. Cold fronts (Northers) from the U.S. are proceeded by S SW winds, followed by strong W NW winds. After a few days the winds die down to normal prevailing E NE winds.
Plan day trips from one destination to another just prior to the arrival of a cold front, in either the NE trade or S SW winds proceeding the arrival of a cold front. Choose a destination anchorage that provides good W NW protection from the strong cold front winds, and then be prepared to change anchorage when the winds die down and clock to the NE.
Avoid strong tidal currents against the wind during travel, and especially whene entering a cut between islands, or a harbor.
The northern Abacos cruising area provides options for protection all-around, but the Exumas generally only has wind protection NE - E - SE. The prevailing wind at Freeport Bahamas from December through March as measured between 2007 and 2018 daily from 7am to 7pm local time is shown in the table below.
| Month | Direction | Avg Speed (kts) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov | NE | 12-14 |
| Dec | ENE | 10-13 |
| Jan | NNE-ESE - ESE - SSW | 8-10 |
| Feb | NE - ESE - SSW | 9-10 |
| Mar | ENE - ESE - S | 8 - 10 |
| Month | Abacos | Nassau | George Town | Marathon FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec | 75/73 | 80/70 | 80/72 | 78/69 |
| Jan | 73/70 | 77/66 | 79/70 | 75/65 |
| Feb | 73/70 | 78/67 | 79/70 | 76/67 |
| Mar | 73/70 | 79/68 | 79/71 | 79/69 |
Weather Spark - Annual Climate Data
.png "log"){kind=icon}
Log
Atlantic ICW
Florida
Bahamas
Cuba
The Great Loop