Anchorage· Long Island· Bahamas — Eleuthera, Andros & the Out Islands
Thompson Bay Anchorage (Long Island)
23° 21.2′ N · 75° 8.3′ W
The winter home of Long Island's cruising community: a big, well-protected bay off Salt Pond with room for scores of boats, excellent holding, the best groceries south of Nassau, and a morning VHF net.
Practical
ActiveCaptain: protected from all winds except south-west; the wide bay gives room for many boats with minimal current. Depths about 6-9 ft over sand (one crew had a consistent 6 ft far in, south of Long Island Petroleum; another found 6-12 in more than charted) and good holding in 25-30 kt easterlies; westerlies ahead of a front make it choppy. The bottom is silty, so clean watermaker filters often. About 25 boats were anchored in January 2025 (cruiser blog). Dinghy landings: Basil's private T-dock under the BTC tower (mostly destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025; donations for rebuilding accepted at Long Island Petroleum), the beach at the cultural centre just south of the government dock, or Tiny's (patrons only). Trash bins at the dinghy dock and government dock (bag it). Seaside Car Rental (Mr. Fox) is a two-minute walk from the dock; a 2025 crew paid $75 cash per day. Fuel and water at Long Island Petroleum. Cruisers' net 8:15 am Monday to Saturday on VHF 18. noforeignland (2025-26) rates it 4.5 and notes Melissa damage to dinghy access.
Best for
A secure base for provisioning, fronts and exploring the island
Season
Nov–May; best front shelter on the island (move for SW)
Nearby
- Long Island Cruisers' Net (VHF 18)Right here
- Long Island Rally (from George Town)Right here
- Thompson Bay and Salt Pond laundry optionsRight here
- Winter cold fronts on Long Island's lee coastRight here
- Atlantic Fisheries (Salt Pond seafood)0.6 NM away
- Salt Pond groceries and hardware (Hillside Grocery)0.6 NM away
- Seaside Car Rental (Salt Pond)0.6 NM away
- Indian Hole Point Anchorage (Thompson Bay NW)0.7 NM away