Region · yacht charter
Bahamas.
Exuma cays and Nassau-based cruising in shallow, sheltered Atlantic waters.
- Exumas
- Nassau
Overview
What to expect.
The Bahamas are a shallow-water cruising ground of low islands and clear, sheltered banks, a short passage east of Florida. The water is calm and the anchorages are close together, which suits relaxed weeks of swimming, snorkelling and beach anchorages rather than long passages. Nassau is the gateway and base, and the Exuma cays, a chain of small islands running south-east, are the principal cruising ground.
Nassau, on New Providence, is the point of entry and provisioning, with connections from Florida a short hop away. The Exumas carry the season: a long chain of cays and sandbars with sheltered anchorages the length of it, including the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at its centre, a protected marine reserve. The shallow banks and the draft they allow shape which yachts and which routes work, and a captain plans the week to the tides as much as the wind.
The window runs November through April, the same dry winter as the Caribbean, with settled weather and warm water. The year-end holidays are the tightest weeks for yacht availability. The season overlaps with Florida’s, and many yachts move between the two, wintering in the region before repositioning north or to the Caribbean.
A Bahamas yacht charter is run end to end by one advisor: the shortlist of yachts and crews suited to the shallow banks, the embarkation from Nassau, and the routing set to the tides and the weather. Because the region draws on the same winter fleet as Florida and the Caribbean, the holiday weeks reward early commitment.
Destinations
Where we cruise in the Bahamas.
2 destinations curated through our network of brokers, owners and management firms.
Season
When to cruise.
- Best months
- December–May
- Prevailing winds
- Trade winds · steady
- Base ports
- Nassau · Highbourne Cay
December through May. Exumas and Nassau-based cruising in shallow, sheltered Atlantic waters. Hurricane season runs June through November: the fleet repositions north (US east coast) or south (Caribbean) accordingly.
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- When is the best time for a Bahamas yacht charter?
- November through April, the dry winter season, with settled weather and warm, calm water. The year-end holidays are the busiest weeks. The season overlaps with Florida’s and the Caribbean’s.
- Which areas does a Bahamas charter cover?
- Most charters run from Nassau into the Exuma cays, a chain of small islands with sheltered anchorages the length of it, including the protected Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at its centre.
- How far ahead should a Bahamas charter be arranged?
- Three to six months for a standard week. The year-end holidays tighten availability across the winter fleet, and for those a brief further ahead is safer.
- How do you reach a Bahamas charter?
- Nassau is the gateway, with international connections and a short hop from Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Embarkation is from Nassau, and the advisor arranges the transfer to the yacht.
- What is there to do on a Bahamas charter?
- Swimming, snorkelling and beach anchorages above all, along the sheltered banks of the Exumas, with the marine reserve at the centre of the chain. Itineraries are built around the cays, the tides and the weather.
- What does a Bahamas yacht charter cost?
- As a guide, a crewed yacht in the 30 to 50 metre range runs from around EUR 100,000 to EUR 400,000 per week, with the advance provisioning allowance and gratuity additional. The advisor sets out the full figure before anything is signed.
- What size of yacht suits the Bahamas?
- The shallow banks favour yachts with a manageable draft, and both motor yachts and catamarans work well for the cays and the anchorages. The advisor matches the yacht to the draft the route allows.
Plan your charter
Guides and charter services.
Elsewhere
Other cruising grounds.
Plan a charter
Plan a charter in the Bahamas.
A private advisor will return a short, curated proposal within the hour.