Anchorage· Crooked Island· Bahamas — Eleuthera, Andros & the Out Islands
French Wells Anchorage
22° 41.1′ N · 74° 16.5′ W
The anchorage in the channel between the south-west tip of Crooked Island and Long Cay, sheltered by cays and the Bight of Acklins flats, where French pirates once dug wells and lay in wait for ships in the Crooked Island Passage. Waterway Guide calls it the best all-weather anchorage in the Crooked/Acklins/Long Cay group, and noforeignland users rate it 5 stars.
Practical
Waterway Guide position N 22°41.070' W 074°16.480', 15-20 ft, good holding in sand; 'feel your way in' - the farther in you go the better the protection and the sand. noforeignland pin N 22°41.024' W 074°16.447': strong tidal current runs through the channel and boats swing to the tide, and the approach crosses a very shallow sand bank that should be crossed only at high tide (Crooked Island South, just north, has a 2.5 m sandbar). Open to the west. Remains of fortifications and an old cannon at Gun Point are visible near the shore on the approach. No services; the mangrove creek and Turtle Sound are dinghy trips from here. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums at dusk in calm weather.
Best for
Best all-round shelter in the group, mangrove and birding by dinghy
Season
Nov–May; good front shelter if you can get far enough in
Nearby
- Cold fronts and anchorage choice (Crooked/Acklins)Right here
- French Wells anchorage snorkel0.1 NM away
- Gun Point fort ruins (French Wells)0.3 NM away
- Crooked Island and Acklins birding0.7 NM away
- French Wells mangrove creek0.7 NM away
- French Wells North Anchorage1.4 NM away
- Crooked Island South Anchorage2.3 NM away
- Church Grove Landing (Long Cay ferry dock)5.1 NM away