Anchorage· New Providence (Nassau)· Bahamas — North
Fort Montague Bay Anchorage
25° 4.3′ N · 77° 17.9′ W
Just outside the east end of Nassau Harbour, tucked behind the east end of Paradise Island off the old Fort Montague: quieter than the harbour, with very good holding and the Royal Nassau Sailing Club on its western shore.
Practical
Waterway Guide position N 25°04.290' W 077°17.856'; depths 8-12 ft, with more water than charted. Very good holding in sand; avoid grass. Protected SW through N by Paradise Island; usable in all directions in settled weather, but easterlies over 15 knots make it choppy, especially on a rising tide when the harbour current meets the wind. Wakes are lighter than inside the harbour. Go ashore at the Royal Nassau Sailing Club's breakwater-protected docks along the western shore (ask permission) or on the man-made swim beaches along the shore. ActiveCaptain (Montague Beach pin 25.07282, -77.30325, 2023-2026 reviews): 2.5 to 7+ m depths; do not cut the corner too closely coming in from the harbour; call Nassau Harbour Control on VHF 16 before transiting the harbour to Montagu Bay (they ask for last port and registration number). Weak current. Good protection from all but E and SE. Closest dinghy dock is under the Poop Deck restaurant at Nassau Yacht Haven ($1/ft paid at the marina office unless you eat there). No speed limit is enforced in the harbour, but wakes subside before reaching the anchorage; anchoring farther south puts you nearer the jet-ski runs. Fort Montagu (1741-42), Nassau's oldest fort, overlooks the bay.
Best for
The most comfortable free anchorage on the Nassau waterfront
Season
Year-round; choppy in fresh easterlies