Bahamas Pilot Notes
Coastal Summary 246
Great Harbour Cay 263
Customs Clearance 247
Nassau 263
West End and Little Bahama Bank 248
Andros & Tongue of the Ocean 267
Northwest Providence Channel 248
Eleuthera 268
Harbour Island 268
Grand Bahama Island 248
Spanish Wells 268
West End 248
Hatchet Bay 270
Freeport 248
Governor’s Harbour 270
Lucaya 251
Rock Sound 270
The Abacos 251 Exumas 270
Treasure Cay 252 Staniel Cay 274
Man Of War Cay 252 Little Farmer’s Cay 274
Hopetown 252 Warderick Wells 274
Little Harbour, Great Abaco 252 George Town 278
Green Turtle Cay 252
Cat Island to Great Inagua 278
Marsh Harbour 256
Port Nelson 278
Bimini Islands 258 Cockburn Town, San Salvador 282
Bimini: 25 43N, 79 81W 258 Stella Maris, Long Island 282
Great Bahama Bank 258
Salt Pond, Long Island 282
Alicetown 260
Clarence Town, Long Island 282
Gun Cay and Cat Cay 260
Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana 282
The Berry Islands 260
Matthew Town, Great Inagua: 286
Chub Cay 263
Conception Island 286
Coastal Summary
assess depth in the clear waters is critical to
safe navigation in the islands.
The Bahamas is a huge and intricate chain Many of the primary aids to navigation are
of islands with several organized groups and unreliable or unmaintained. Channels into
numerous distinct individual islands. smaller harbors and marina basins are often
From Grand Bahama, the Northwest Provi- privately maintained. Use caution when rely-
dence Channel is the primary connection ing on any lights and buoys.
to the Abacos, the Berry Islands, Nassau Vessels transiting from the U.S. East Coast
and Eleuthera. Northeast Providence Chan- will often depart from South Florida and
nel takes vessels between the Abacos and make landfall in Bimini or Grand Bahama to
Eleuthera to the open ocean. clear into the country.
From Bimini, it is possible to transit over The Gulf Stream runs N between South Flor-
the Great Bahama Bank to the Berry’s and ida and the Bahamas at its strongest speeds
Nassau, but this passage should only be at- and is the primary consideration in making
tempted in good weather and daylight; clear the passage. The warm water and swift moving
vision of the coral heads and shoals is criti- current dramatically affect local weather and
cal. Similar rules apply to transiting from sea conditions in the Straits of Florida. In the
Nassau across the banks to the Exumas. winter, cold fronts with N winds blow counter
The southernmost Bahama islands are to the Stream and generate fierce sea condi-
more scattered and exposed to ocean swells tions in a very short amount of time. Even
from the E. when conditions seem calm along the Florida
Most of the islands, particularly smaller coast, seas can be violent in the middle of the
ones, are low-lying and can be difficult to Gulf Stream. Observe wind and weather fore-
spot on radar at a distance. casts closely before planning a crossing. See
Shallow reefs, sandy shoals and banks the Weather chapter for more information on
dominate the Bahamas. Learning to visually the Gulf Stream.
246