2008 REED’s East Coast Edition - Pilot Notes
Planning
NIMA Charts (1:150,000 - 1:300,000) For more information, www.basra.org
11461 Straits of Florida-Southern Portion
26260 Passages bet.Acklins, Haiti & Caicos Isls Time Zone
26280 Eleuthera Island to Crooked Island Eastern Standard Time
26290 Tongue of the Ocean and Exuma Snd (Add 1 hour DST: March 11-Nov. 4, 2008)
26300 Little Bahama Bank to Eleuthera Isl.
t
26303 Tongue of the Ocean-S Part Currency
26305 Eleuthera Isl and northern Exuma Snd Bahamian dollar, on par with USD. U.S. currency widely
ilo
P
26308 Tongue of the Ocean- N Part accepted.
26320 Northern Straits of Florida
Note: Large-scale NIMA chart coverage of the Bahamas Telephones
is deemed unreliable. The privately published Explorer Area code: 242; local numbers, seven digits.
Chartbook series is highly recommended for anyone
cruising the islands. www.explorercharts.com Public Holidays
Emergencies: New Year’s Day, January 1
Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) VHF 16, Labour Day, first Friday in June
2182 kHz. Independence Day, July 10
ahamas
BASRA is an association of volunteers throughout the main Emancipation Day, first Monday in August
B
islands who coordinate response to maritime emergencies. Discovery Day, October 12
BASRA works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard. Christmas Day, December 25
The Nassau headquarters is accessible by way of its Boxing Day, December 26
dinghy dock just west of Paradise Island Bridge and Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday,
Potter’s Cay 242-325-8864. Whitmonday.
Customs Clearance
Recreational vessels arriving in the Baha-
mas with 4 people or less will be charged
On arrival in the Bahamas, vessels must
a flat fee to cover the costs of customs, im-
clear in with customs at one of the following
migration, fishing licenses, and cruising
ports of entry:
permits: $150 for boats less than 35ft; $300
Abaco: Spanish Cay; Treasure Cay; Green
for boats more than 35ft. If there are more
Turtle Cay; Marsh Harbour; Sandy Point
than 4 people on board, there is a fee of $15
Andros: Morgan’s Bluff; Fresh Creek; Con-
per person (ages 6 years and over) for each
go Town; Mangrove Cay
additional person.
Berry Islands: Great Harbour Cay; Chub Cay
You should have proof of ownership of
Bimini Area: Alice Town; Cat Cay; South
your boat. If you arrived under your own
Bimini
power and have been boarded by customs,
Eleuthera: Harbour Island; Spanish Wells;
you’ll be issued a temporary cruising per-
North Eleuthera Airport; Governor’s Har-
mit, Form C-39. Vessels may remain in the
bour; Rock Sound
Bahamas for up to 1 year duty free; duty
Exuma: George Town
exemptions may be granted for an additional
Grand Bahama: West End; Freeport Har-
2 years upon application; application fees are
bour; Port Lucaya; Lucayan Marina Village;
$500 a year. Vessels with a cruising permit
Xanadu Marina advertises customs clear-
may bring in equipment and repair materials
ance, but some cruisers have reported dif-
free of customs duty, but will face a 7-percent
ficulty obtaining services there. Call ahead to
stamp duty for printed matter shipped in. All
confirm availability: 242-352-6783, VHF 16.
firearms must be declared upon arrival and
Inagua: Matthew Town
must remain in a secured place at all times.
Long Island: Stella Maris airport; Flying
For more information, contact customs
Fish Marina; Clarence Town
headquarters in Nassau 242-325-6550.
New Providence: Nassau (any yacht basin)
For U.S. and Canadian citizens, immigra-
San Salvador: Cockburn Town.
tion requires a passport for each person
(Canadians without passports are allowed
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