Feature: Marinas & Channels - Bahamas

Marinas & Channels: Bahamas​

by Capt. David Reams​

*Disclaimer – the following list is not a complete guide. It contains marinas and ports visited by the author. Comments are subjective and are based on experience only. If a marina or port is omitted, it is only because the author has not visited the same.

BAHAMAS…

Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island: This is where we go for short (three or four day) trips to the Bahamas. It is a cute little development with shops, restaurants, and a nearby casino. The best part is that it is only 80 miles from Palm Beach so it’s half a day’s run to a foreign country! It is necessary to clear customs, immigration and port captain upon entrance and departure.

Enter the Bell Channel at 26 29.8N, 78 37.4W, pass between the day marks and head for the center of the breakwaters. The channel is shallow (about 6.5 feet) until you are between the jetties. Once in the jetties the depth increases to about 10 to 12 feet. Go straight in and then left for Port Lucaya Marina, right for Lucayan Marina Village. Deep draft vessels may use the harbor at Freeport, west of the Port Lucaya area.

Port Lucaya Marina: (242-373-9090): Our preferred marina is near the town square, shops and restaurants. The dock master will call and arrange customs clearance upon your arrival.

Lucayan Marina Village: (242-373-7616) this is a newer marina located on the opposite side of the channel from town. A water taxi runs on demand from the marina to town.

Paradise Island: (25 05.4N, 77 21.33W) This is a small island next to Nassau. Here you will find Atlantis and Hurricane Hole marinas. Paradise Island is easy to enter in the daylight. A very short channel will take you to the cruise ship basin, leave the cruise ships to starboard and continue down the channel.

Atlantis Marina: (242-363-6068): You can’t miss the building, orange with a bridge between the two tallest towers. The entrance is between a pair of jetties before you reach the big bridge. The entrance is plenty deep enough for 200 foot yachts, it is however a blind corner before reaching the turning basin. Docks are located all around the basin. The best slips (nearest the casino) are in the 50’s to 60’s (slip number one (1) is WAY around the basin). The Dock master’s office is along the basin away from the hotel towards the low numbers.

Hurricane Hole Marina: (242-363-3600): Located on the opposite side of the bridge from the Atlantis entrance. Several outside face ties and slips all around a small basin form the marina. This is a nice, quiet marina a short walk from the Atlantis casino. Less expensive but not quite as nice as the Atlantis. Beware of the current on the outside face docks; it rips through the channel at up to 4 knots. The last time we were in Hurricane Hole (June of 2002) three boats were broken into including TAS, and several bicycles and a jet ski were stolen. Beware and don’t leave the boat unattended.

Nassau Harbor Club: (242-393-0771): Located on the south shore of the harbor, across the main channel and east of Hurricane Hole Marina, the Nassau Harbor Club can accommodate two or three large yachts at one time. We have had good luck arranging a slip at the Harbor Club even on short notice. The dock master and office staff is friendly and helpful.

Eleuthera...

Harbor Island: As far “down island” as we have been. A truly unique experience, very small island with a very small town (Dunmore Towne). The tricky part is getting to the island. You enter a really shallow channel at 25 28.94N, 76 54.34W near Little Egg Island and head towards the town of Spanish Wells. Contact Bradley Newbold (242-333-4079) to arrange for a pilot before you depart for Spanish Wells. At the entrance of the channel by Little Egg call “cinabar” on channel 16. Bradley will give you directions to Spanish Wells and then come out and meet you in a 14 foot Boston Whaler just before you enter the harbor. Now things get interesting…Bradley who is in his 70’s will take over the controls and take you out of Spanish Wells, through the Devil’s Backbone and into Harbor Island. At times you will be able to spit on the reef on one side of the boat and the beach on the other. Bradley will bring a loaf of homemade bread as a gift. He likes cookies and juice (I think apple juice) for the trip. We always give him some foodstuff for a gift (along with a tip) when he leaves (usually a couple of frozen steaks or chickens). It is about $100 US for him to go each way. Don’t even think of going through Devil’s Backbone without a pilot.

Valentine’s Yacht Club: (242-333-2142) Marcus Pinder is the dock master. Nice marina with several large slips. The office is across the street from the end of the pier, they can arrange for golf cart rentals; great little place with a restaurant and a couple of small dive boats. Beautiful beaches, warm water and friendly people, Harbor Island delivers what the ads for the Bahamas promise.

Exumas…

Highborne Cay: Leave Nassau harbor through the east entrance, staying to the north side of the channel as you head toward Porgee Rock. The depth is at least 12 feet for the entire run to the rock. Pass Porgee Rock and continue on course to a point approx. 25 02.9 N, 077 12.0 W about 2.8 miles from the rock, from this waypoint turn south to run the “seam” between the Yellow Bank and White Banks. At approximately 24 44.7 N and 077 10.7 W turn east and for waypoint 24 42.37 N and 076 52.00 W, this will put you 2.2 miles west of the white stake on the entrance rock, on the range markers for Highborne Cay Marina. This first set of range markers takes you into the first cut, past the white stake, continue on until the second range (north on your port) lines up to take you through the breakwater and into the small marina basin. The basin has a depth of at least 11 feet in the turning basin and slips for several large (110 + foot) yachts. The marina is lovely. There is a small store, fuel dock and walking paths around the island. This is a beautiful private island and a “must do” for a taste of island life.

Staniel Cay: (Thunderball Grotto, direct passage from Nassau) Leave Nassau harbor through the east entrance, staying to the north side of the channel as you head toward Porgee Rock. The depth is at least 12 feet for the entire run to the rock. Pass Porgee Rock and continue on course to a point approx. 25 02.9 N, 077 12.0 W about 2.8 miles from the rock. From here turn south to run the “seam” between the Yellow Bank and White Banks. Continue South to approximately 24 30.2 N, 77 08 W where you will turn ESE to reach point 24 25.9N, 76 49.1 W. On the chart you will see that this course will take you west and then south of the highest concentrations of coral heads. From here turn SSE to waypoint 24 11.00N, 76 29.5W off of Sandy Cay. A course of 100 degrees magnetic will take you to the anchorage at Big Major’s Spot, just north of Staniel Cay. This is an easy anchorage to enter in late afternoon or even night with a depth of 10 to 14 feet carried up close to shore.

(passage from Highborne Cay)

Exit Highborne Cay on the range to a point 24 42.4 N 076 53.11 W, turn south and make for waypoint 24 35.84 N, 076 52.89 W. Turn southeast towards Elbow Cay waypoint 24 31.721 N, 076 49.793 W followed by waypoint 24 30.900 N, 076 49.300 W at the tip of Elbow Cay. Continue generally southeast to waypoint 24 25.400 N, 076 47.00 W maintain a southeasterly heading to waypoint 24 11.103 N, 076 31.825 W then turn eastward to 24 10.88 N, 076 29.46 W. From this last waypoint head into the anchorage just north of the point on Big Major’s Spot.

From this anchorage it is a short dinghy ride to Thunderball Grotto where underwater scenes from the movies “Thunderball”, “Splash”, and “Never Say Never” were filmed. The grotto is located in the north end of the north islet off of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club area. There are small mooring placed able to hold a tender while you snorkel into the grotto. Please beware, there is an extremely strong current making it important to enter the grotto at slack low water. Staniel Cay Yacht Club can accommodate a couple of large yachts at their dock and it is possible to anchor off the dock and near the Grotto for boats with shoal draft. The Cay has a church, three stores, a couple of boutiques and a restaurant. A very nice stop.

Conch Cut is one of the easiest exits from the inside of the Exumas to the open ocean. This cut is located about 6.5 nm north of Big Major’s Spot (anchorage at Staniel Cay). *The cut has deep water at all tides but a moderate to strong current; use caution at peak ebb or flow. The chart will show a partially submerged rock about midway in the cut towards the ocean side, this is easy to avoid and the cut is probably the best exit to ocean in the south Exumas.