New Bahamas fees down.

Aye, never ending…
Since I started cruising the Bahamas in 1999 the fees have changed, up then down, up and down..
Never heard about anchoring fees in the past, anchoring has always been free.
(If you have the right to navigate you have the right to anchor, not counting transit)
Mooring fees are different, you pick up a mooring ball, then you are renting from some guy or organization who installed the mooring. Never trusted those things anyways, always carried my own anchors/rode and always slept good.

If I charter a bareboat in Nassau all the above fees should be included right, right….?

Not an April fools joke. I've seen the fee schedule in a couple other places..

According to ChatGPT:

Short answer:
No — as of now (2026), Bahamas boating entry fees have NOT been reduced. They were increased in 2025 and are still at those higher levels.

What actually happened

• The Bahamas raised fees effective July 1, 2025
• The new structure is still in place through 2026
• There has been talk about reviewing or revisiting the fees, but no confirmed rollbacks yet

Current typical costs (2026)
For most private boats:

Cruising permit (12 months)

• Under 50 ft: $500
• 50–100 ft: $1,000
• 100+ ft: $3,000

Additional NEW / separate fees

• Fishing permit (no longer included): $100–$300
• Anchoring fee: $200–$1,500
• Passenger tax: ~$30 per extra person

Bottom line: even if the base permit looks reasonable, the total trip cost went up because of the added fees.

Why people are asking about reductions

• Many boaters pushed back hard on the increases
• The government has acknowledged concerns and said they may review them
• But no official reduction has been implemented yet

Bottom line for you (South Florida boater reality)

• Costs today are higher than a couple years ago
• Especially if you:
  • fish
  • anchor instead of marina
  • bring more than 3 people

It hasn't been updated yet on the official websites, but it is posted on the Bahamas Marinas website.

Very simple. When I looked at the Bahamas site it showed the same high fees.

With a little luck,,, the government will realize that that they fracked up and resend most (all?) of this mess.

It is the weekend warrior that will be most effected. The small boat cash that has supported so much for so long will dry up.
The locals will feel the pinch (pain) long before their corrupt government can take any hints.

If it's not cheap and convenient, the weekend warrior will find good waters somewhere else and lots cheaper.
We stayed in the upper keys last June/July. Didn't miss a B thing.

Oh, After Hurricane Dorian, most of our Bahamian friends moved to the states.
Lack of government & ports support to rebuild.

The click 2 clear website is already updated, has a section to check if you are anchoring or not, fees etc. etc.