Abacos

Bahamas — North

Bahamas

The northern Bahamas are the shortest hop from Florida and some of the most forgiving cruising water in the world. The Abacos are a 120-mile arc of barrier cays enclosing the Sea of Abaco: protected, shallow (mostly 8-20 ft) and mostly line-of-sight sailing between Loyalist villages like Hope Town, Man-O-War and New Plymouth, with Marsh Harbour as the hub for provisions, parts and the bareboat fleets. The Abacos were devastated by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019; most cruiser infrastructure has since been rebuilt, but always confirm a marina or restaurant is open. Grand Bahama (West End and Lucaya) and the Biminis are the classic Gulf Stream landfalls and ports of entry. The Berry Islands are a thin, quiet chain of about 30 cays with blue holes, empty beaches and a handful of marinas, and the jump to Nassau. Nassau and Paradise Island are the country's capital, its biggest provisioning and repair center and its busiest harbor, with Rose Island as the nearby escape. Rage at the ocean cuts, especially Whale Cay Passage, and winter cold fronts are the hazards that set every plan.

Top of the list

1. 1Hope Town Harbour MooringsA storybook harbor of clapboard cottages under the candy-striped Elbow Reef Lighthouse; the defining Abaco stop.
2. 2Elbow Reef LighthouseOne of the last kerosene-burning, hand-wound lighthouses in the world; climb it for the view over Hope Town and the reef.
3. 3Tahiti BeachA curving sandbar at the south tip of Elbow Cay that dries at low tide; the classic Abaco beach anchorage.
4. 4Nipper's Beach Bar & GrillGreat Guana Cay's double-decker beach bar on a 7-mile Atlantic beach, with reef snorkeling straight off the sand.
5. 5New Plymouth (Green Turtle Cay)Loyalist village of narrow lanes, the Albert Lowe Museum and the Memorial Sculpture Garden.
6. 6Manjack Cay AnchorageQuiet, privately owned cay with walking trails, mangrove creeks, rays and turtles; a cruiser favorite north of the Whale.
7. 7Treasure Cay BeachA 3.5-mile crescent of powder sand often listed among the best beaches in the world.
8. 8Pete's Pub & Gallery (Little Harbour)Bronze foundry, gallery and barefoot beach bar in the near-landlocked Little Harbour.
9. 9Sandy Cay Reef (Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park)Some of the healthiest elkhorn coral in the Abacos inside a no-take national park.
10. 10Lynyard Cay AnchorageEmpty beaches and easy sand holding at the south end of the Sea of Abaco, a dinghy ride from Little Harbour.
11. 11Fowl Cay Reef PreserveProtected shallow reef north of Man-O-War Cay with moorings for day snorkeling.
12. 12Man-O-War Cay HarbourBoatbuilding village of the Albury family, a dry island with two protected harbors and mooring fields.
13. 13Great Sale Cay AnchorageThe classic overnight stop on the Little Bahama Bank crossing, a wide anchorage with strong holding.
14. 14Grand Cay SettlementA lively fishing settlement and port of entry at the top of the Abacos, with the remote Double Breasted Cays nearby.
15. 15Walker's Cay MarinaThe northernmost Bahamian island and a historic sportfishing outpost, rebuilt after Dorian.
16. 16Hoffman's Cay Blue HoleA 600-foot-wide blue hole ringed by a 20-foot cliff, a short walk from the anchorage.
17. 17Honeymoon Harbour (Gun Cay)A tiny reef-ringed anchorage at the north end of Gun Cay, famous for its friendly stingrays.
18. 18SS Sapona WreckA concrete ship grounded south of Bimini in 1926; climb it, jump from it, snorkel it.
19. 19Bimini RoadAn underwater line of limestone blocks off North Bimini, snorkeled by those chasing the Atlantis legend.
20. 20Great Harbour Cay BeachAn 8-mile sweep of beach on the Berry Islands' quietest big island, with the Beach Club for lunch.
21. 21Chub Cay WallThe Tongue of the Ocean edge drops away off Chub Cay, with caves, caverns and pelagics.
22. 22Little Harbour Cay (Flo's Conch Bar)The hand-built conch bar in the middle of the Berry Islands, a cruiser institution.
23. 23Lucayan National ParkMangroves, Gold Rock Beach and one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world on Grand Bahama.
24. 24Peterson Cay National ParkA tiny protected cay and reef off south Grand Bahama, a classic day anchorage from Lucaya.
25. 25Rose Island South (Sandy Toes) AnchorageNassau's backyard escape: turquoise sand anchorages, reefs and beaches 6 nm east of the harbor.
26. 26Ocean Atlas (Clifton reef sculpture garden)The largest underwater sculpture in the world, a short dinghy ride from the Clifton anchorage.
27. 27Shark Wall and Shark Arena (Stuart Cove's shark dives)Kneel on the sand as Caribbean reef sharks circle within arm's length, off the Tongue of the Ocean wall on New Providence's south-west coast.

When to go

December through April is the best season (The Moorings recommends December-April), with steady easterly trades. From December to February, winter cold fronts arrive every week or so with the wind clocking from SE through W to NW and N, often 20-30 kt; pick anchorages for the wind shift. May-June is lighter and hot. Late June to early July brings Regatta Time in Abaco. Summer (July-August) can be calm and glassy but is inside hurricane season.

Weather and hazards

Rage: when a northeast or north wind or a distant Atlantic swell opposes the ebb at the ocean cuts, the seas stand up and break, sometimes in calm local weather. Whale Cay Passage is the notorious one: the inside route west of Whale Cay is shallow, so boats over about 4 ft draft must go outside, and a NE wind above about 10 kt often closes it; ask for a report on VHF and listen to the Abaco Cruisers Net. Other cuts (North Man-O-War Channel, Tilloo Cut, North Bar Channel, Little Harbour Bar, Loggerhead Channel) rage in the same conditions. Banks navigation: much of the Little Bahama Bank and the Sea of Abaco is 6-15 ft with sand bores, grass and coral heads; read the water with the sun high and behind you. The Gulf Stream runs north at an average of about 2.5 kt; never cross with any north component in the wind. Nassau Harbour is a busy commercial port with cruise ships, mail boats and ferries; theft and crime warrant ordinary city care. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums in calm weather near mangroves.

Hurricane season

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1-November 30, with the peak from mid-August to mid-October. Hurricane Dorian (Category 5, September 2019) stalled over the Abacos and Grand Bahama and destroyed much of Marsh Harbour, the Mudd and Treasure Cay; Hurricane Matthew (2016) damaged West End and Lucaya. Charter insurance and many marinas restrict summer and fall cruising; plan to be south of the box or hauled out by August, or monitor NHC daily and know your hurricane hole.

Entry and clearance

Complete the Click2Clear online application (customs and immigration) before arrival and keep the PCR number. Fly the yellow Q flag and go directly to a port of entry; only the captain goes ashore to clear. Northern ports of entry include Walker's Cay (by arrangement), Grand Cay, Spanish Cay, Cooper's Town, Green Turtle Cay (Green Turtle Club), Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay, West End (Old Bahama Bay), Freeport/Lucaya (Grand Bahama Yacht Club, Port Lucaya), Bimini (Alice Town and Resorts World Bimini), Cat Cay (members only since 2020), Chub Cay, Great Harbour Cay, and Nassau (Prince George Dock and several marinas such as Palm Cay). Ports of entry and office hours change often, so call ahead. Arriving outside hours can incur overtime fees; marinas often charge non-guests a landing fee. Visitors normally receive a 90-day stamp, with extensions possible at immigration. Foreign vessels over 50 ft must run AIS at all times in Bahamian waters.

Permits and fees

Fees effective July 1, 2025 (US$; verify on Click2Clear before departure): 12-month temporary cruising permit $500 under 50 ft, $1,000 for 50-99 ft, $3,000 over 100 ft; $30 for each passenger beyond three who is 6 or older; tenders over 25 ft $500. Anchorage fee (12 months) $200 under 50 ft, $350 for 50-99 ft. 30-day fishing permit $100 under 50 ft, $300 for 50 ft and over, renewed online every 30 days. Frequent Digital Cruising Card (2 years, unlimited entries) $1,500 under 50 ft, $2,500 for 50-99 ft. Before July 2025 the cruising permit was $300 (over 35 ft) including fishing, so older guides understate costs. Bahamas National Trust parks (Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, Fowl Cay Reef Preserve, Lucayan National Park, Peterson Cay) are no-take; mooring fees vary.

Tides and currents

Semi-diurnal tides with about 2.5-3.5 ft range (The Moorings gives 3-4 ft for the Abacos). Currents run strongly through the ocean cuts and in Bimini's harbor entrance. Reference station: NOAA Settlement Point, Grand Bahama (9710441), tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov; Nassau subordinate station TEC4623 is referenced to Settlement Point. Explorer Chartbooks Near Bahamas includes tide tables and time corrections for Abaco, Bimini and the Berry Islands. Many shallow entrances (Green Turtle's Black Sound and White Sound, Bimini Cove, the Berry Islands' Little Harbour) need half tide or better.

Money

Bahamian dollar (BSD), pegged 1:1 to the US dollar; US dollars are accepted everywhere. Cards are common in Nassau, Marsh Harbour and Freeport; carry cash for the outer cays, moorings and customs overtime. ATMs in Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Green Turtle Cay, Freeport, Alice Town and Nassau.

Radio and phones

Abaco Cruisers Net: VHF 68 at 8:15 am Monday to Saturday from Marsh Harbour, opening with weather and reports on the cuts (weather repeated around 9:00 am); reception is weak at Green Turtle Cay. VHF 16 for calling and hailing, then switch; in the Abacos many businesses and boats monitor VHF 16 and 68. Nassau Harbour Control (VHF 16, 24 hours) must be called for permission to enter, leave or move within Nassau Harbour. Cell data from BTC and Aliv covers settlements; coverage is thin at Great Sale Cay, the Berry Islands' middle cays and the far north cays.

Charter bases

• Marsh Harbour, AbacoGreat Abaco, Sea of AbacoThe Moorings (Abaco Beach Resort, Bay St; sailing monohulls, sailing and power catamarans), Cruise Abaco (Abaco Beach Resort / Boat Harbour Marina; bareboat and captain-by-day charters, 39-52 ft), Navigare Yachting (Conch Inn Marina; Lagoon and Bali catamarans 39-52 ft; base opened 2021), MarineMax Vacations (power catamarans, Abaco Beach Resort)
• Nassau (Palm Cay Marina)Southeast New ProvidenceNavigare Yachting (Bali, Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot catamarans 40-54 ft), Dream Yacht Charter (Palm Cay Marina base, opened 2018 with partner Navtours), Several smaller bareboat and crewed operators via brokers; verify current operators

Getting there

• Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (Marsh Harbour) — MHHMain Abaco gateway; about an hour from several Florida airports. Closest to the charter bases.
• Treasure Cay Airport — TCBNorth-central Abaco; ferry or water taxi to Green Turtle Cay and Great Guana.
• Grand Bahama International Airport (Freeport) — FPOFreeport; taxis to Port Lucaya and West End.
• South Bimini Airport — BIMSouth Bimini; short water taxi to Alice Town.
• Great Harbour Cay Airport — GHCBerry Islands; small-plane service from Florida and Nassau.
• Chub Cay International Airport — CCZSouthern Berry Islands, beside Chub Cay Marina.
• Lynden Pindling International Airport (Nassau) — NASMain international gateway; connections to every Out Island.

Charts and guides

• Explorer Chartbook Near Bahamas, 12th edition (September 2025): Gulf Stream crossings, Grand Bahama, Abacos, Bimini, Berry Islands, Andros and New Providence; tide tables 2026-2027
• The Cruising Guide to Abaco, Bahamas (White Sound Press)
• Waterway Guide Bahamas (with online marina and anchorage listings at waterwayguide.com)
• Navionics and Garmin ActiveCaptain community data
• Bahamas National Trust park pages (bnt.bs) for park rules and moorings

Sample routes

• Abacos Highlights (7 days, from Marsh Harbour)Day 1 · Marsh Harbour → Great Guana Cay · 11 nmFisher's Bay anchorage; walk across to Nipper's Beach Bar and the reef off the Atlantic beach.Day 2 · Great Guana Cay → Manjack Cay · 17 nmThrough Whale Cay Passage in settled weather; trails, mangrove creek, rays and turtles.Day 3 · Manjack Cay → Green Turtle Cay · 5 nmWhite Sound moorings; New Plymouth, Albert Lowe Museum, Memorial Sculpture Garden.Day 4 · Green Turtle Cay → Hope Town (Elbow Cay) · 27 nmLong reach back south; climb the Elbow Reef Lighthouse, Wyannie Malone Museum.Day 5 · Hope Town (Elbow Cay) → Little Harbour · 13 nmPast Tilloo and the Pelican Cays; Pete's Pub & Gallery. Enter on a rising tide.Day 6 · Little Harbour → Lynyard Cay · 3 nmSnorkel Sandy Cay Reef in the Pelican Cays park; quiet west-side anchorage.Day 7 · Lynyard Cay → Man-O-War Cay · 14 nmBoatbuilding village and Atlantic beaches before returning to Marsh Harbour.
• Florida to Abaco and back via the Little Bahama Bank (12 days)Day 1 · Lake Worth Inlet, Florida → West End (Old Bahama Bay) · 55 nmGulf Stream crossing in a south or east wind; clear in at Old Bahama Bay (distance approx).Day 2 · West End (Old Bahama Bay) → Great Sale Cay · 60 nmOnto the Little Bahama Bank past Mangrove Cay; anchor in the wide west-side bight (distance approx).Day 3 · Great Sale Cay → Allans-Pensacola Cay · 25 nmRemote, landlocked anchorage; the old missile-tracking station ruins and the Signing Tree (distance approx).Day 4 · Allans-Pensacola Cay → Manjack Cay · 20 nmPast Spanish and Powell Cays; Manjack's trails and creek (distance approx).Day 5 · Manjack Cay → Green Turtle Cay · 5 nmNew Plymouth, Green Turtle Club, provisions at the village grocers.Day 6 · Green Turtle Cay → Great Guana Cay · 12 nmWhale Cay Passage on a calm morning; Nipper's and the reef (distance approx).Day 7 · Great Guana Cay → Man-O-War Cay · 6 nmFowl Cay Reef Preserve snorkel on the way; harbor moorings (distance approx).Day 8 · Man-O-War Cay → Hope Town (Elbow Cay) · 6 nmLighthouse climb, Tahiti Beach at low tide (distance approx).Day 9 · Hope Town (Elbow Cay) → Little Harbour · 13 nmSandy Cay Reef snorkel, Pete's Pub.Day 10 · Little Harbour → Marsh Harbour · 15 nmReprovision and fuel; clear out arrangements (distance approx).Day 11 · Marsh Harbour → Great Sale Cay · 70 nmLong day west across the bank (distance approx).Day 12 · Great Sale Cay → West End (Old Bahama Bay) · 60 nmStage for the Stream crossing home; wait for a window with no north in the wind (distance approx).
• Bimini, Berry Islands and Nassau (10 days)Day 1 · Fort Lauderdale or Miami → Alice Town (North Bimini) · 50 nmGulf Stream crossing; clear in, conch salad on the waterfront (distance approx).Day 2 · Alice Town (North Bimini) → Honeymoon Harbour (Gun Cay) · 10 nmSS Sapona wreck snorkel en route; stingrays at Honeymoon Harbour (distance approx).Day 3 · Honeymoon Harbour (Gun Cay) → Great Harbour Cay · 75 nmAcross the Great Bahama Bank past Russell Beacon and the Northwest Channel; long day (distance approx).Day 4 · Great Harbour Cay → Great Harbour Cay · 0 nmBike the island, Great Harbour Cay Beach, the Beach Club, Sugar Beach caves.Day 5 · Great Harbour Cay → Hoffman's Cay · 15 nmHoffman's Cay Blue Hole cliff jump; beach walks (distance approx).Day 6 · Hoffman's Cay → Little Harbour Cay · 6 nmFlo's Conch Bar (distance approx).Day 7 · Little Harbour Cay → Frazers Hog Cay · 12 nmSea turtle mangrove creeks; Berry Islands Club moorings (distance approx).Day 8 · Frazers Hog Cay → Chub Cay · 5 nmDive or snorkel Chub Cay Wall; fuel and clear customs at Chub Cay Marina (members-only club: no day passes or dining for transients, written permission on VHF 68) (distance approx).Day 9 · Chub Cay → Rose Island · 40 nmLeave Chub Point at first light for a daylight arrival; about 40 nm on 116° true across the Northeast Providence Channel to Chub Rock Channel and the Rose Island reefs and beaches.Day 10 · Rose Island → Nassau Harbour · 6 nmCall Nassau Harbour Control; provision, Fort Charlotte, Queen's Staircase (distance approx).