Anchorage· Eleuthera· Bahamas — Eleuthera, Andros & the Out Islands
Hatchet Bay Harbour
25° 20.9′ N · 76° 29.3′ W
A former salt pond turned into a near-landlocked harbour by a dynamited cut through the cliffs, Hatchet Bay is the best all-round hidey-hole on Eleuthera's Bight coast. Boats come here to sit out fronts in flat water while the wind howls overhead.
Practical
Position from the ActiveCaptain 'Hatchet Bay Pond' anchorage marker. Depths about 7 to 25 ft inside; tide range 2.5 to 3.5 ft (Waterway Guide). Protection from every direction; only a very strong westerly makes the west side uncomfortable. The bottom is the catch: dense turtle grass in places floats anchors over, so look for the darker-looking sand patches on the west side (ActiveCaptain, 2016 to 2019 reports of excellent holding there; a 2024 Waterway Guide reviewer found good holding in 25 to 30 ft mid-bay, thinner grass in 10 to 14 ft near shore). Use a trip line: there is debris on the bottom (Sail Magazine, 2014). Keep the ship channel to the government dock clear: fuel tankers and freight boats enter on the tide. A derelict mooring block lies just below the surface near the north-west side (ActiveCaptain hazard at 25.3499, -76.4953). Avoid anchoring behind Olive Island by the sea wall, which cruisers call industrial. Land at the public dinghy dock with gazebo in Alice Town. Stray dogs ashore were mentioned in a 2025 Waterway Guide review.
Best for
Riding out a cold front in all-round protection
Season
Year-round refuge; the classic front-passage stop on central Eleuthera
Nearby
- Hurricane season on Eleuthera (hurricane holes: Hatchet Bay, Cape Eleuthera)Right here
- Front Porch Seafood House (Hatchet Bay)0.2 NM away
- Alice Town (Hatchet Bay) fuel, water and groceries0.3 NM away
- Hatchet Bay Harbour moorings0.3 NM away
- Hatchet Bay North Anchorage0.3 NM away
- Twin Brothers (Hatchet Bay)0.3 NM away
- Hatchet Bay Cave2 NM away
- Rainbow Inn Restaurant2.2 NM away