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 close together, which suits weeks of swimming, snorkelling and beach stops 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 flights from Florida a short hop away. The Exumas carry the season: a long chain of cays and sandbars with sheltered anchorages along its length, including the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at its centre, a protected marine reserve. The shallow banks decide which yachts and which routes work, and a captain plans the week to the tides as much as the wind.
The season runs from December to April, outside the Atlantic hurricane season, with settled weather and warm water. The year-end holidays are the tightest weeks for yacht availability. The season overlaps with Florida's and the Caribbean's, and many yachts move between them.
A Bahamas yacht charter is matched to the draught the banks allow and run end to end by one advisor: the yachts and crews that know the cays, the embarkation from Nassau or a marina in the cays such as Highbourne Cay, and a route 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 planning.
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 to April
- Prevailing winds
- Trade winds · steady
- Base ports
- Nassau · Highbourne Cay
December to April, outside the June to November hurricane season. Cruising centres on Nassau and the Exuma cays, in shallow, sheltered water; when the season ends, much of the fleet heads north to New England or across to the Mediterranean.
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- When is the best time for a Bahamas yacht charter?
- From December to April, the dry winter season, with settled weather and warm, calm water. The year-end holidays are the busiest weeks, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.
- Which areas does a Bahamas charter cover?
- Most charters cruise from Nassau into the Exuma cays, a chain of small islands with sheltered anchorages along its length, including the protected Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at its centre.
- How far ahead should a Bahamas charter be arranged?
- Six months is comfortable for a standard week. The year-end holidays tighten availability across the winter fleet, so for those weeks earlier is safer.
- How do you reach a Bahamas charter?
- Nassau is the gateway, with international connections and a short flight from Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Most charters embark in Nassau or at a marina in the cays, 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. The route is set to the cays, the tides and the weather.
- What does a Bahamas yacht charter cost?
- Motor yachts are usually quoted per week plus expenses. The Advance Provisioning Allowance, typically 25 to 35 percent, the 14 percent Bahamian charter tax and the crew gratuity, customarily 15 to 20 percent, come on top, and the full cost is set out before anything is signed.
- What size of yacht suits the Bahamas?
- The shallow banks favour yachts of moderate draught, and both motor yachts and catamarans work well among the cays. The advisor matches the yacht to the draught 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.