Find out everything about sailing in the Bahamas: itineraries, ports, yacht rental options & other useful information. Nearly 30, 000 square kilometres of breathtaking blue water tempting us to cruise around on a boat – This is The Bahamas. It is among the most brilliant sailing destinations in the world calling us to explore its seas and lands from all angles. There are seven hundred separate islands here stretched all over the ocean in an area that is larger than Florida, for instance. We recommend this article to those who are planning their sailing adventure in Bahamas to explore the surrounding islands by boat.

The most important vehicle in this region is the boat. We can only explore the true hidden beauty of the region while sailing. There are dozens of amazing anchorages and ports here for those who enjoy themselves best on the sea. Besides the breathtaking view and the pleasant climate, the region is fantastic for many other reasons. The waters of the Bahamas, the spectacular architecture, the exciting museums, and the national parks are all very tempting. Let’s see what the most important things are when it comes to planning a sailing trip to the Bahamas.

This article gives you an overview of the following topics:

• The most beautiful islands and towns on the Bahamas
• The most important things to know when sailing to the Bahamas
• Sail to the Bahamas – Bahamas sailing trips from Florida
• Seven days sailing from Miami to Bimini
• 1 week sailing from Palm Beach to the Abaco Islands
• 14 days sailing from Florida to Nassau

The most beautiful islands and towns on the Bahamas

There is enough to write a book about where to visit in the Bahamas. Each island group, and even every small island, has its own charm and unique atmosphere, along with numerous excellent anchoring spots for sailors. Below, we present a selection of islands and towns that are sure to inspire your next Bahamas sailing trip. We start in the south with Exuma and move north toward the Abaco Islands. Rent a boat in Bahamas and discover the hidden coves and crystal-clear waters at your own pace.

Exuma

Exuma is a chain of islands in the southeastern Bahamas, with its northernmost point, Ship Channel Cay, just 55 km from Nassau. The archipelago is divided into three areas: Great Exuma, Little Exuma, and the Exuma Cays. Each has its own role: Great and Little Exuma are laid-back, while the Exuma Cays are a luxury playground for sailors. A must-see is the Mile-Long Sandbar, a stunning stretch of white sand. On the western side, waters are calmer and more sheltered, making anchoring ideal. The eastern side faces the open ocean, so secure anchoring spots are harder to find. Exuma’s coves are often shared only with iguanas and swimming pigs, creating a unique sailing experience.

Georgetown

Georgetown, the capital of the Exumas, is located on Great Exuma. With a rich history, the city has been a pirate haven and a base for British ships, and during WWII, it was used by the U.S. Navy. Nearly everywhere around the harbor offers good anchoring spots, but avoid the northern channel leading to the government dock due to traffic. Volleyball Beach near Stocking Island features restaurants, bars, and the Kevalli House Marina & Cottages for short or long-term docking. Emerald Bay Marina offers a “non-service” option at a lower cost, though full-service options with fuel and Wi-Fi are available.

Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay, about 60 km north of Great Exuma, is a favorite destination for mega yachts. The Staniel Cay Yacht Club accommodates boats of all sizes. Nearby is the famous Thunderball Grotto, named after the 1965 James Bond film shot on the island. The grotto is a small, protected marine sanctuary filled with colorful tropical fish and coral, and swimming is allowed. Big Major Cay nearby is home to the famous swimming pigs, a major tourist attraction.

Norman’s Cay

Norman’s Cay lies about 65 km southeast of Nassau. From 1978 to 1982, it was the base for the infamous drug trafficker Carlos Lehder. Today, the best anchoring spots are on the southwest coast and near the lagoon entrance. Avoid the southeastern pier, which is mainly used by large cargo vessels. Deep-draft yachts can anchor between Battery Point and Norman’s Cut, while smaller boats find ideal spots near Boot Cay.

Conception Island

Conception Island is a national park and a breeding ground for sea birds, turtles, and migratory birds. It features a large shallow bay with rare staghorn corals. The best anchoring spots are in West Bay on the northwest side. Anchor carefully to avoid coral reefs. Bobby Cay on the east side is a popular anchoring spot, well protected from the west, though sea swells may occur.

Eleuthera

Eleuthera, about 80 km east of Nassau, has its east side facing the Atlantic Ocean and the west side on the Great Bahama Bank. The island is known for its pink sand beaches and pineapple fields. Popular ports include Governor’s Harbour, Current Island, Rock Sound, and Spanish Wells, as well as full-service marinas such as Cape Eleuthera and Russell Island Rocks. Sailing here can be challenging due to shallow waters, reefs, and strong tides, but the breathtaking scenery and friendly locals make it worthwhile.

Harbour Island

Harbour Island, located in the northern Bahamas, is perfect for sailors seeking variety. The old shipyard district offers great walking tours, a ruined fort built under the leadership of pirate Charles Wayne, and stunning pink sand beaches. The island has two well-equipped marinas: Harbour Island Club & Marina and Valentines Marina, both with fuel docks, showers, restaurants, and bars.

Spanish Wells

Spanish Wells is on St. Georges Cay, west of Eleuthera’s northern tip. Its harbor is well-protected, with a hurricane hole on the west side and six mooring buoys on the east. The Spanish Wells Yacht Haven & Marina is a 40-slip full-service marina with bike rentals. The town center is within walking distance. Royal Island Harbour on the west side offers excellent anchoring for deeper-draft vessels but has no services.

Nassau

Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, is located on New Providence Island, next to Paradise Island. Attractions include the Atlantis resort, the Lost City Aquarium, and the 141-hectare Aquaventure water park. Major marinas like Nassau Yacht Haven and Harbour View Marina provide fuel, water, and electricity. Smaller marinas, such as Elizabeth on Bay and Old Bahama Bay, offer a cozier, full-service experience.

Abaco Islands

The Abaco Islands lie less than 300 km from Florida’s southern coast. The main islands are Great Abaco and Little Abaco, with additional small cays. Numerous sheltered coves and anchorages make this area ideal for sailing.

Marsh Harbour

Marsh Harbour is the commercial center of the Abacos and a popular sailing destination. Its lively town offers cafés, restaurants, and shops catering to sailors. Excellent marinas include Union Jack Public Dock, Harbour View Marina, and Marsh Harbour Marina, all with full services, fuel, and shower facilities.

Great Guana Cay

Located on the western side of the Abaco chain near a boomerang-shaped sheltered water area, Great Guana Cay is a 15 km-long barrier island offering natural beauty and nightlife. The famous Nipper’s bar is at the heart of the island. For overnight anchoring, Delia’s Cay to the southeast is preferable; for daytime stops, the small northern protected dock suffices.

Man-O-War Cay

Man-O-War Cay lies east of Great Abaco, between Great Guana Cay and Elbow Cay. Known for its boatbuilding heritage, it has a family-friendly atmosphere. Facilities include a grocery store, restaurant, water, and ice. The entrance is narrow, but the harbor is well protected, though boats often dock close together.

Elbow Cay

Elbow Cay is among the eastern reefs of the island chain. Hope Town Harbor is accessed via a shallow, well-marked channel with excellent anchorages. Dolphins, rays, and turtles often greet arriving sailors. The area is calm and fully protected. In the town center stands a 130-year-old kerosene lighthouse with over 200 steps, offering spectacular views.

The most important things to know when sailing to the Bahamas

The Bahamas is a country consisting of 690 coral islands and 2387 coral cliffs stretching on the western part of the Atlantic Ocean 1, 300 kilometres long. It can be found southeast of Florida. They have been independent since 1973; currently, the country is in a personal union with the United Kingdom. The currency is the Bahamian dollar 29 of the islands are inhabited; the capital is Nassau. There are 30 airports in the area on the larger islands, so we can get to practically anywhere on a plane.

When is the best time to sail to the Bahamas

The Bahamas has a subtropical monsoon climate, characterised by moderate warm weather during the entire year. The average annual temperature is 28° Celsius; this means 21° Celsius in the winter and 27° Celsius in the summer. The temperature rarely drops below 16° Celsius or above 32° Celsius. The dominant wind blows from the northeast in the winter and from the southeast in the summer, freshening up the air a bit. The velocity of the wind is an average of 15 km/h during the entire year. Most of the precipitation falls in the summer months. At the end of the summer – during the period between June and November – tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may be a threat.

The strong wind (with a blast of over 90 km/h) and the seawater that rises, as a result, may cause heavy damage. The weather is usually pleasant in the Bahamas during the whole year, meaning that sailing is also enjoyable in all seasons. We should definitely avoid the hurricane season though, as storms may be very challenging.Check the sailing conditions and wind rose diagram of The Bahamas.

Clearance

In order to get clearance on the Bahamas, we will need some important documents – we can find the relevant information on the official website of the country. We can also download the customs form from here – we should always have that at hand. The registration documents and the passports as well as the migration cards of all passengers will also be required. We should arrange our clearance at our first stop, at one of the entry ports – we can find some of these on almost every island. We should put out the yellow flag and inform the customs office about our arrival. Before leaving, we must hand over a copy of our migration card at the last port.

Sail to the Bahamas – Bahamas sailing trips from Florida

The Florida-Bahamas trip is the most popular and exciting one among all the Bahamian sailing routes. Bimini is app. 80 kilometres from the eastern shores of Miami, and the distance between Palm Beach and Grand Bahama West End is around 100 kilometres. Even though the area is very popular, we must be aware that this trip may be challenging for quite a few reasons. The weather has a key role in a pleasant and enjoyable sailing trip, and this is especially true when sailing on the Bahamas. We will navigate on the open ocean with no land for long kilometres, and the devices assisting navigation are often far from each other. Another difficult factor is passing through the Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream can be compared to a river in the ocean. The stream moves from the south to the north. It carries warm water from the Mexican Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean along the eastern shores of the USA. Given that the weather conditions are ideal, passing through can be a wonderful experience; if they are not, it can be dangerous. We should plan our trip well in advance to avoid any surprises. We are going to give you some advice.

• Let’s find a weather window and check the wind velocity as well as the ocean currents. It is not recommended to pass through if the wind is blowing from the west and has a velocity of over 30 km/h. The conditions are more ideal when the winds turn towards the south; we should still wait if the velocity is larger than 35 km/h. It is best to choose a calm day with only a mild northern wind.
• Let’s check cape activity. This measures the electric activity present in the air, and provides a forecast of the possibility of upcoming storms and rainstorms. If there is a high chance of a storm, we should wait for a quieter day.
• Let’s decide whether to pass through during the day or night. Because of the popularity of the route, it is recommended to sail during the day, as we can obviously spot the other boats more easily.

With an average speed of 10 km/h, we will spend around 10-12 hours on the sea – we should leave early at dawn, and we will have a good chance of arriving in the daylight.

Seven days sailing from Miami to Bimini

The section between Miami and Bimini is among the shortest ones on the trip between Florida and the Bahamas. So if we are not experienced Bahamian sailors, we should choose this route. Bimini is the westernmost island chain in the Bahamas. It has wonderful waters, marvellous coral reefs, and rich sea life. It is a fantastic sailing destination thanks to the great anchorages and suitable location. On this route, we will have a chance to get to know every tiny island of Bimini and get a taste of the true Bahamian atmosphere.

Day 1.  Miami, Biscayne Bay – Fort Lauderdale 48.70 km (30.26 nm), Day 2. Fort Lauderdale – Bimini, North Rock 87.75 km (54.53 nm), Day 3. North Rock – Bimini, Bimini Big Game Club 8.40 km Day 4. North Bimini – South Bimini, Nixon’s Harbour 5.40 km (3.36 nm), Day 5. South Bimini – Gun Cay, Honeymoon Harbour Day 6. Gun Cay – North Cat Cay 4.55 km (2.83 nm), Day 7. North Cat Cay – Miami, Biscayne Bay 93.40 km (58.04 nm)

1 week sailing from Palm Beach to the Abaco Islands

On this trip, we are leaving from Palm Beach and will arrive in the centre of the Abaco Islands, Marsh Harbor after passing by Grand Bahama. The trip is particularly beautiful as we can get acquainted with a new detail of the region day by day, and it is also a nice sailing challenge due to the greater distances. Every island has great anchorages, so we will never have a problem with anchoring. Marsh Harbor has an international airport, from where we can fly back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on a direct flight.

Day 1.  Florida, Palm Beach – Grand Bahama, West End 99.70 km (61.95 nm), Day 2. West End – Crab Cay 45.60 km (28.33 nm), Day 3. Crab Cay – Great Sale Cay 65.60 km (40.76 nm), Day 4. Great Sale Cay – Spanish Cay 67.60 km (42.01 nm), Day 5. Spanish Cay – Nunjack Cay 20.01 km (12.44 nm), Day 6. Nunjack Cay – Green Turtle Cay 8.75 km (5.44 nm), Day 7. Green Turtle Cay – Great Guana Cay – Marsh Harbor 37.10 km (23.05 nm),

14 days sailing from Florida to Nassau

Similarly to the previous trip, we are also leaving from Palm Beach, but after the Abaco Islands, we will navigate towards Berry Islands. We are going all the way through the archipelago and arrive in Nassau. Berry Islands consists of the app. 30 islands and sandbanks, stretched out 52 kilometres long on the sea in the shape of a crescent. We will find some marinas and anchorages in the region which all serve the needs of sailors properly. On our way, we can admire the beautiful beaches and the marvellous sea. At the end of the trip, we can spend a few days in Nassau, then fly back to Florida on a direct flight.

Day 1. Florida, Palm Beach – Grand Bahama, West End 99.70 km (61, 95 nm), Day 2. West End – Grand Lucayan Waterway 56.45 km (35.07 nm), Day 3. Grand Lucayan Waterway – Moore’s Island, Hard Bargain 81.70 km (50.76 nm), Day 4. Moore’s Island – Castaway Cay 24.95 km (15.50 nm), Day 5. Castaway Cay – Lignumvitae Cay (BI) 49.00 km (30.45 nm), Day 6. Lignumvitae Cay – Great Harbor Cay, East Side 11.10 km (6.90 nm), Day 7. Great Harbor Cay – Little Harbor Cay 20.85 km (12.96 nm), Day 8. Little Harbor Cay – Chub Cay 25.40 km (15.78 nm), Day 9. Chub Cay – Andros Island, Morgan’s Bluff 33.40 km (20.75 nm), Day 10. Morgan’s Bluff – Kamalame Cay 38.90 km (24.17 nm), Day 11. Kamalame Cay – Nassau, Albany Marina 43.15 km (26.81 nm), Day 12. Albany Marina – Old Fort Bay 12.90 km (8.01 nm), Day 13.  Old Fort Bay – Crystal Cay 17.00 km (10.57 nm), Day 14.  Crystal Cay – Harbor Central 3.60 km (2.24 nm)
Bahamas sailing routes

One simply can’t get tired of the experiences awaiting on the Bahamas. This is a region where we must return several times, as we will never have the feeling that we have seen everything. If we can, we should arrange a holiday that lasts longer than a week, as we will definitely not want to leave – the Bahamas is a must-see paradise for sailors! Find Caribbean luxury yacht charter, crewed yacht charter Caribbean, bareboat yacht charter Caribbean, catamaran rental Caribbean, last minute yacht charter Caribbean, sailboat charter Caribbean, motor yacht charter Caribbean, luxury catamaran charter Caribbean, bareboat catamaran charter Caribbean, bareboat motor yacht charter Caribbean, Caribbean sailing yacht charter bareboat, sailing holidays Caribbean skippered, luxury motor yacht charter Caribbean, luxury sailing yacht charter Caribbean, crewed catamaran charter Caribbean, bareboat catamaran charter Caribbean
Let the sea guide you! The picturesque bays of Bahamas are waiting for you; every detail of the yacht is prepared. Request a quote, fill out the form, and enjoy the experience of carefree sailing!