Cruising the BAHAMAS
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is a hospitable island nation as little as 42 miles from Florida's coast, offering a cornucopia of cruising opportunities and a diminishing level of urbanization for 800 miles to the southeast and stretching to within 250 miles of Puerto Rico. The FCD print version includes information on crossing the Gulf Stream, Customs, Bahamas marina listings, tide tables and more.
We visit nearest-to-Florida Bimini and Cat Cay first, West End and Grand Bahama Island next. On to The Abacos chain (the most-cruised area of the Bahamas) where we start at Walker's Cay and island-hop down to Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Elbow Cay (home of the world-famous lighthouse at Hope Town) and Great Abaco Island.
The Berry Islands lie south of Grand Bahama and west of the tip of Great Abaco. The 30-odd islands and countless little cays form a 40-mile arc.
Nassau, on New Providence Island, is the capital city and a world port with every marine and shore facility. The city is a tourist's delight! Paradise Island, just to the east of Nassau, is connected by a high bridge with fine marinas at each end.
Andros, the largest island in the Bahamas, 20 miles west of New Providence, offers great fishing and diving but not much for cruising boatmen, though there are a few small settlements with marinas. There are anchorages too, of course, and something to be said for enjoying its out-island charm before, someday, it becomes a fishing/diving mecca!
Eleuthera is northeast of New Providence, down a 30-mile chain of small cays and home to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island.
The Exumas are another crescent chain of more than 350 islands stretching 90 miles from Sail Rocks, midway between New Providence and Eleuthera to the big island of Great Exuma.
Long Island lies 20 miles east of Little Exuma with cruising destinations on the northwest end and at Clarence Town on the southeast shore.
Cat Island is yet another long (40-miles), narrow island only one mile wide in places. It's the highest of the Bahamas with elevations over 200 feet.
We touch on Conception Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Ragged Island and the Jumentos Cays which are very much "out islands" to complete our Bahamas cruise. Now it's back to the States.