Boston Whaler 420 Outrage42' 6"
View Specs & ReviewTwo ports of entry, 174 slips, and a cut you take on a rising tide
Yachting in The Berry Islands
A Minted Location · The Berry Islands, The Bahamas
If you are choosing a Bahamian base on published numbers, the Berry Islands hand you a short, clear set. Two ports of entry. One hundred and seventy-four slips. Ceilings of 160 and 150 feet.
The two ports of entry are not marketing — they are statutory. The Schedule to the Ports of Entry Order, made under section 6(3) of the Customs Management Act (CH.293) and in force since 16 August 1952, lists exactly two places under the heading "Berry Islands": Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay. For a chain with two marinas on it, that is an unusual ratio, and it is the single most useful fact about the Berries — you can make landfall here from Florida and be legal without a detour to Bimini or Nassau.
The slips are real and both operators publish them. Chub Cay, at the south end, states "109 slips, accommodating vessels up to 160ft in length" with "fresh water and shore power – 30/50/100 amp available" at every one. Great Harbour Cay, at the north end, states "65 slips" that "can accommodate yachts up to 150 feet", calls itself a "Hurricane Hole" and prints its whole rate card: $2.50 per foot per day.
⚠️ What neither of them publishes is a depth, and the entrance at the north end is why that matters. Great Harbour Cay's own directions describe the "cut" you must pass through to reach the interior basin: it "is nearly invisible until the final turn just outside. Believe us, the cut is there!" Settle your water on the radio before you commit — Great Harbour Cay monitors VHF 16 and 14, Chub Cay hails on 68 — and take the entrance on a rising tide, in good light.
So treat the Berries as what they are: a two-port chain that solves clearance and settles the water by radio. The paperwork is the easy part here, and the right boat for this market is one whose draft leaves you room to be wrong.
Where to keep a yacht in The Berry Islands
Two marinas, at opposite ends of a seven-mile-long chain, and they publish very different things.
Chub Cay Resort & Marina holds the market's ceiling. Its own marina page states "109 slips, accommodating vessels up to 160ft in length", with "All slips have fresh water and shore power – 30/50/100 amp available." The home page frames the same inventory as "40 - 160' Slips." Hail on VHF 68 — the Members Guide states it plainly: "VHF Channel: 68 (hailing channel)", with "No wake speed in marina and channel" and an instruction to "Request slip assignment and dock assistance prior to entering the marina."
Chub Cay's fuel dock closing time is published two ways. The marina page says "Fuel dock open, 7am to 7pm. Gas & diesel at great rates plus ice and frozen bait available." The Members Guide operating-hours table says "Fuel Dock … Daily: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM." The home page says "get fuel, 7am to 7pm." Plan against 18:00 and confirm on 68 — an hour matters when it is the last fuel for fifty miles.
Dockage at Chub Cay is quoted rather than tariffed. The resort prices like an airline and says so: "A quote is not a reservation", and "The rates are not locked in until you make your reservation." Ask for the quote when you book.
Great Harbour Cay Marina is the opposite: fewer slips, every number on the page.
| Slips | 65 |
| Maximum LOA | "can accommodate yachts up to 150 feet" |
| Character | "This 'Hurricane Hole' is one of the most protected marinas in The Bahamas" |
| Power & water | "Each slip has 30/50/100 amp shore power and R/O water" |
| Dockage (from 1 July 2025) | $2.50 per foot per day · $12.00 per foot per week · $25.00 per foot per month |
| Metered | Electric $0.75/kWh · water $0.50/gal · wash-down water FREE |
| VHF | "We monitor Channels 16 and 14 on the VHF" |
| Office | 07:00–17:00, seven days — "After hours emergency only" |
That monthly rate is worth a second look. $25 per foot per month puts a 60-footer at $1,500 a month in a basin the operator describes as a hurricane hole. The marina adds that "All monthly/long term requests must be approved by management" and that cancellations should be made two weeks ahead.
The fuel dock is a separate business with a separate clock, and this is the single easiest thing to get wrong in the Berries. Great Harbour Cay's gas station and fuel dock sit "just inside the 'cut', next to the power plant", take gas, diesel, motor oil and 2-stroke, and are open Monday to Saturday 07:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00, and Sundays and holidays 07:00–12:00 only. The marina office is open until 17:00 seven days; the fuel dock closes for lunch, shuts at 16:00, and does not open at all on a Sunday afternoon. Arrive Sunday at two and you are berthed but dry.
Neither operator publishes a depth, so settle it on the radio before you commit: Great Harbour Cay monitors VHF 16 and 14, Chub Cay hails on 68, and Great Harbour Cay's own directions warn that the cut "is nearly invisible until the final turn just outside." Rising tide, good light.
Bullock's Harbour is the settlement on Great Harbour Cay, a few minutes from the slips and the place the marina points visitors for "local culture and an evening out." Clearance is not there — the two places named under "Berry Islands" in the Ports of Entry Order are Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay — and any dock arrangement in the settlement is made by telephone.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chub Cay Resort & MarinaThe market's ceiling, and the operator publishes it plainly: "109 slips, accommodating vessels up to 160ft in length", framed on the home page as "40 - 160' Slips". "All slips have fresh water and shore power – 30/50/100 amp available." Hail VHF 68 — "you may also use this channel to request ice be brought to your slip" — with no-wake speed in the marina and the channel, and slip assignment requested before entering. An air-conditioned fish house with fresh-water hoses, a 24/7 shower house and a convenience store. The fuel dock's closing time is published two ways: "Fuel dock open, 7am to 7pm" on the marina page against "Daily: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM" in the Members Guide — plan against 18:00 and confirm on 68. Dockage is quoted rather than tariffed: the resort's pricing page states that "A quote is not a reservation" and that rates are not locked until you book. No depth is published, so settle your water on 68 before you commit. In-water activity is prohibited in the marina, "including SUPs/foils". | Chub Cay, the south end of the Berry Islands | 160 ft | 109 | Gas and diesel, plus ice and frozen bait — closing published as 18:00 and 19:00; confirm on VHF 68 |
| Great Harbour Cay MarinaThe one operator in the Berries that publishes its whole rate card. "65 slips" that "can accommodate yachts up to 150 feet", in what it calls a "Hurricane Hole" and "one of the most protected marinas in The Bahamas" — the basin was cut as part of a mid-1960s island development, which is why it is interior water rather than a bight. "Each slip has 30/50/100 amp shore power and R/O water." From 1 July 2025: $2.50 per foot per day, $12.00 per week, $25.00 per month; electric $0.75/kWh, water $0.50/gal, wash-down water and WiFi free. "We monitor Channels 16 and 14 on the VHF." Office 07:00–17:00 seven days, "After hours emergency only". No depth is published, and the marina's own directions warn that the cut "is nearly invisible until the final turn just outside. Believe us, the cut is there!" — take it on a rising tide in good light, and call the marina first. | Great Harbour Cay, the north end — inside the cut | 150 ft | 65 | Gas station and fuel dock just inside the cut — Mon–Sat 07:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00, Sun 07:00–12:00 |
| Bullock's HarbourThe settlement on Great Harbour Cay, and the place the marina points visitors for "local culture and an evening out" — a few minutes from the slips, reached by the ride the marina staff will give you. Clearance is not here: the two places appointed under the heading "Berry Islands" in the statutory Ports of Entry Order are Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay. Any dock arrangement in the settlement is made by telephone rather than published, so call before you plan around one. | Bullock's Harbour settlement, Great Harbour Cay | — | — | — |
Fuel docks
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Harbour Cay gas station & fuel dockThe easiest thing to get wrong in the Berries, and worth its own row. The marina office is open 07:00–17:00 seven days a week; the fuel dock is not. It closes for lunch between 12:00 and 13:00, shuts at 16:00 Monday to Saturday, and on a Sunday or a holiday does not open after noon at all. Arrive Sunday afternoon and you are berthed but dry. The operator states it is "accessible by land or water" and located "just inside the 'cut', next to the power plant", with gas, diesel, motor oil and 2-stroke available seven days a week within those windows. | Just inside the cut, next to the power plant | — | — | Gas and diesel, motor oil and 2-stroke; Visa, MasterCard and cash |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from The Berry Islands
Start with the designation, because it is the reason to come here at all.
The Schedule to the Ports of Entry Order (section 6(3), Customs Management Act CH.293, commencement 16 August 1952) appoints, under the heading "Berry Islands", exactly two places: "Chub Cay" and "Great Harbour Cay." Both are active and staffed on the Customs Department's own operational ports list.
Both clearances happen at an airport, not at a dock. Chub Cay states "Our international airport has 5'000 feet of runway and hassle-free Customs and Immigration", and its Members Guide gives the location as the "Airport (8-minute golf cart ride from The Clubhouse). Complimentary transportation available." The marina page describes the same transfer as a "5 min drive away." Great Harbour Cay states that "Arrivals directly from Florida will clear Customs and Immigration here on Great Harbour Cay", while "Arrivals from Nassau will clear Customs and Immigration in Nassau."
Chub Cay publishes its clearance hours two ways. Getting Here page: "Customs and Immigration are open daily, 7am - 5pm." Members Guide: "Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM." Home page: "Non-members can still clear customs and get fuel, 7am to 7pm." Treat 17:00 as the planning figure and 19:00 as the upside, and call ahead — the Members Guide publishes the officers directly: Customs 242-359-9020, Immigration 242-451-8253.
The rest of the Bahamian entry regime is national, not local, and it is easy to get wrong.
- Clear at a designated Port of Entry, fly the yellow quarantine flag on arrival, and only the captain may leave the boat until the vessel is cleared.
- ⚠️ Foreign pleasure vessels above 50 feet must have AIS active at all times in Bahamian waters, and the stated fine is $1,000. It is the rule most often missed by American owners who run AIS offshore and switch it off inshore.
- A fishing permit is separate — $100 up to 50 ft, $300 over — and is valid for 30 days whatever the length of your cruising permit.
- Outbound clearance documents, where the next port requires them, are $75.
- Filing is through Click2Clear, and Customs states that no username or password is required to log in.
The 2026 fee schedule, published by the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation under Regulations 91 and 91B and effective 1 April 2026:
| Permit | ≤30 ft | 30–50 ft | 50–100 ft | Over 100 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day (no free re-entry) | $150 | $250 | $350 | $600 |
| 6-month (one free re-entry) | — | $300 | $750 | $2,000 |
| 12-month (two free re-entries) | — | $500 | $1,000 | $3,000 |
A second schedule is also live, and it bands differently. The Customs Department's Pleasure Vessels page publishes 3-month and 12-month permits banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet — $300 for three months on a boat between 34 and 100 feet, $500 between 100 and 150, $800 between 150 and 200, $1,000 above. On a 60-footer that is $300 against $350; on a 120-footer, $500 against $600. Plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule and carry both numbers.
The head tax is published two ways as well. One page states that the cruising permit "covers the departure tax for up to 3 people on board. Each additional person will be charged a $30 departure tax per visit." The other states that for vessels "carrying more than three passengers, every additional passenger of or above the age of six years who is not a resident passenger must pay a passenger tax of $20.00." Count heads before you file and budget the higher figure.
Anchorage fees are separate and apply only to vessels not docking at a marina — $50 / $100 / $200 for 30 days by size, up to $1,500 for twelve months over 100 feet. In the Ministry's own framing the fee applies "only if a vessel actually anchors." A Frequent Digital Cruising Card runs two years.
The South Berry Islands Marine Reserve covers water in this chain. Confirm its boundaries, any anchoring restriction and any fee with the Bahamas National Trust before you drop the hook.
There is no haul-out in the Berry Islands. Neither operator publishes a travelift or a marine railway. Chub Cay runs a boat ramp — its Members Guide states "Boat Ramp Services: Contact the front desk to schedule your boat to be hauled in or out" — with capacity settled on that call. The nearest yacht haul-out is Freeport, on Grand Bahama, so plan yard work as a delivery.
One passage note, from the marina's own directions. Great Harbour Cay states that the island "can be reached by passing either around the North end of Bimini or the South end (though the South end is a bit trickier)", that both paths "join long before the final approach", and that a boat may "anchor out at Bimini or Mackie Shoals, or passage straight through, and clear Customs and Immigration" on arrival. That is a marina publishing a routing and a legal option in the same paragraph, which almost none of them do.
- The Berry Islands' two ports of entry — Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay — Berry Islands waters — clearance at both caysThe statutory fact behind this market. The Schedule to the Ports of Entry Order (section 6(3), Customs Management Act CH.293, in force 16 August 1952) appoints exactly two places under the heading "Berry Islands": "Chub Cay" and "Great Harbour Cay". Both are active and staffed on the Customs Department's own operational ports list. Chub Cay publishes its clearance hours two ways — "Customs and Immigration are open daily, 7am - 5pm" on its Getting Here page against "Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM" in its Members Guide — so plan against 17:00 and call ahead. Clearance is at the airport on both cays; Chub calls the transfer a "5 min drive" on one page and an "8-minute golf cart ride" on another, with complimentary transport. Customs 242-359-9020, Immigration 242-451-8253. Great Harbour Cay states arrivals direct from Florida clear there, and arrivals from Nassau clear in Nassau.
- Anchoring in The Bahamas — the fee, and when it applies — Bahamian waters generallyFrom 1 April 2026 the Regulation 91B anchorage fee is separate from the cruising permit and, in the Ministry's own framing, applies "only if a vessel actually anchors" rather than on entering the country. Thirty days runs $50 not exceeding 30 ft, $100 from 30 to 100 ft and $200 over 100 ft; twelve months runs $200, $350 and $1,500. A Frequent Digital Cruising Card covers two years. Two government schedules for the cruising permit itself are live and band differently — a 30-day/6-month/12-month one banded at 30, 50 and 100 ft, and a Customs Pleasure Vessels one banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 ft with 3-month and 12-month terms — so carry both and budget the higher. The head tax is published as $30 per additional person beyond three on one page and $20 for every additional passenger aged six or over who is not a resident on the other; count heads before you file. Great Harbour Cay's own directions name Mackie Shoals and Bimini as anchor-out options on the way in.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haul-out and in-water workNeither Berry Islands operator publishes a travelift, a marine railway or any lifting capacity. The nearest thing to one is Chub Cay's boat ramp — its Members Guide states "Boat Ramp Services: Contact the front desk to schedule your boat to be hauled in or out" — with capacity settled on that call. In-water work is available at both ends of the chain: Chub's own dive centre publishes hull cleaning, and Great Harbour Cay publishes boat wash-downs. The nearest yacht haul-out is Freeport, on Grand Bahama. Plan yard work as a delivery. | The Berry Islands — the whole chain | — | — |
On the The Berry Islands calendar
The Berries run year-round, and every clock that matters here belongs to a marina or to Customs. Two of them are published twice, with different answers.
- Chub Cay Customs and Immigration: 07:00–17:00 on the operator's Getting Here page, 07:00–19:00 in its Members Guide and on its home page. Plan against 17:00; treat 19:00 as the upside. Customs 242-359-9020 · Immigration 242-451-8253.
- Chub Cay fuel dock: "7am to 7pm" on the marina page, "Daily: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM" in the Members Guide. Plan against 18:00 and confirm on VHF 68.
- Great Harbour Cay marina office: 07:00–17:00, seven days a week, "After hours emergency only."
- Great Harbour Cay fuel dock and gas station: Monday–Saturday 07:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00; Sundays and holidays 07:00–12:00 only. The narrowest fuel window in the market, and it closes for lunch.
- Chub Cay marina check-in 13:00, check-out 11:00. Front desk 06:30–22:00; the ship store 07:00–17:00.
- Chub Cay guest approval: 48 hours ahead, through the guest portal — a real deadline, not a formality, and it applies to anyone you bring aboard.
- Great Harbour Cay dockage changed on 1 July 2025: $2.50 per foot per day, $12.00 per week, $25.00 per month. Long-stay bookings "must be approved by management"; cancellations two weeks ahead.
- Chub Cay publishes a hurricane policy: if a major hurricane is bound for The Bahamas or your home town during your stay you may move the booking, re-booked within 90 days of the intended check-in and completed within a year, with changes in writing within 48 hours of intended arrival. Peak-season and holiday moves carry a surcharge.
- Bahamas cruising permits run on duration, not season — 30-day, 6-month and 12-month, the last two carrying one and two free re-entries — and fishing permits expire at 30 days regardless.
Fishing tournament dates are set by the organisers — confirm them directly. The marina and Customs clocks above are the ones that actually change a trip.
Yachts we'd shortlist for The Berry Islands
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest yacht that can dock in the Berry Islands?
One hundred and sixty feet, at Chub Cay. Its own marina page states 109 slips accommodating vessels up to 160 feet in length, with fresh water and 30/50/100 amp shore power at every slip. Great Harbour Cay at the north end publishes 65 slips for yachts up to 150 feet inside what it calls a hurricane hole. That is 174 slips across the chain. Length is not the real constraint here, though: neither marina publishes a depth, so a boat at the top of either range should settle its water on the radio before it confirms a berth — Great Harbour Cay monitors VHF 16 and 14, Chub Cay hails on 68.
Is there dock and dine in the Berry Islands?
Dining here works from your berth rather than from a guest dock. Chub Cay states that non-members can still clear customs and get fuel from 7am to 7pm, and separately that its amenities are for registered members and approved guests only with guests submitted 48 hours ahead — so the fuel dock is open to a passing boat and the restaurant is a club. At the north end, Great Harbour Cay's marina publishes Monday night pot-luck, Thursday pizza night and Friday chill and grill, and its staff will run you into Bullock's Harbour for an evening out. Berth first, then eat where you are tied up or take the ride into town.
How deep is the water at the Berry Islands marinas?
Neither operator publishes a depth, so settle it before you commit rather than on the approach. Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay both publish slip counts, maximum lengths, power and hours, and both are silent on water. Great Harbour Cay is candid about the approach instead: its own directions state that the cut you must pass through to reach the interior basin is nearly invisible until the final turn just outside. Take the entrance on a rising tide in good light and call the marina before you commit — Great Harbour Cay monitors VHF 16 and 14, Chub Cay hails on 68.
How much is dockage at Great Harbour Cay Marina?
From 1 July 2025 the marina publishes $2.50 per foot per day, $12.00 per foot per week and $25.00 per foot per month, with electricity metered at $0.75 per kilowatt hour and water at $0.50 per gallon. Wash-down water and WiFi are free to registered guests. That monthly figure puts a 60-footer at $1,500 a month in a basin the operator calls one of the most protected marinas in The Bahamas. Long-term requests must be approved by management and cancellations are asked for two weeks ahead. Chub Cay quotes rather than publishes: its own pricing page states that a quote is not a reservation and that rates are not locked until you book.
Is the Berry Islands a port of entry for The Bahamas?
Yes, twice. The Schedule to the Ports of Entry Order, made under section 6(3) of the Customs Management Act and in force since 16 August 1952, appoints two places under the heading Berry Islands: Chub Cay and Great Harbour Cay. Both are active and staffed on the Customs Department's own operational list. Clearance at both happens at the airport rather than at the dock, with complimentary transport from the marina at Chub Cay — which is what makes the Berries a legal Florida landfall without a detour to Bimini or Nassau.
What time does customs close at Chub Cay?
The operator publishes two answers, so plan against the earlier one. Chub Cay's Getting Here page states that Customs and Immigration are open daily 7am to 5pm; its Members Guide states daily 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and its home page says non-members can clear customs and get fuel 7am to 7pm. Treat 17:00 as the planning figure and 19:00 as the upside, and call ahead — the Members Guide publishes the officers directly on 242-359-9020 for Customs and 242-451-8253 for Immigration. Clearance is at the airport, roughly a five to eight minute ride from the clubhouse, with complimentary transport.