Anchorage· Parrot Cays· Bahamas — North
Parrot Cays Anchorage (off Hope Town)
26° 32.4′ N · 76° 58.3′ W · approximate
A handful of small private cays just west of Hope Town, with open water between them and the north end of Elbow Cay where boats anchor in sand outside the crowded harbour. It is a pretty, swimmable spot with the candy-striped lighthouse in view, and the Hope Town entrance route starts here.
Practical
Position approximate: placed in open water midway between the Parrot Cays islet (OpenStreetMap way 198616531, 26.5396, -76.9779) and the Elbow Cay shore below the lighthouse; check it against your chart before dropping the hook. Noonsite (last updated November 2017) reports about 2 m (6-7 ft) with good holding here, but exposed to the north and south, so it is a settled-weather anchorage; move into Hope Town Harbour on a mooring or round to White Sound when a front brings northerly wind. Marinas.com notes that the Hope Town harbour approach begins west of the harbour at Parrot Cays and zigzags toward Eagle Rock before the narrow entrance; depths in the entrance average 5-6 ft, so time it for mid to high tide (see the Hope Town Harbour Entrance passage). The cays themselves are private: do not land. Dinghy into Hope Town and land at the foot of the lighthouse or at the public docks. Keep clear of the ferry route into the harbour.
Best for
Free anchoring within dinghy range of Hope Town when the harbour moorings are full
Season
Settled weather; exposed in northerly and southerly winds
Nearby
- Elbow Reef Lighthouse0.5 NM away
- Hope Town Inn & Marina0.5 NM away
- Hope Town Laundry (Marina Self-Service)0.5 NM away
- Hope Town Harbour Moorings0.6 NM away
- Hope Town Public Docks and Cruiser Trash Drop0.6 NM away
- Lighthouse Marina (Hope Town)0.6 NM away
- Cap'n Jack's0.7 NM away
- Harbour View Grocery (Hope Town)0.7 NM away