Boston Whaler 420 Outrage42' 6"
View Specs & ReviewFifty miles of Gulf Stream, and the first dock in the Bahamas
Yachting in Bimini
A Minted Location · Bimini, The Bahamas
The reason Bimini keeps coming up when American owners talk about the Bahamas is distance. Resorts World Bimini puts it at 50 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida on its own marina page. That is a morning, in the right weather window, in the right boat — and it is the single fact that decides which boats belong here.
What Bimini is, in yacht terms, is a shallow, well-served entry port with a genuine big-boat berth at each end of the size range. Bimini Big Game Club publishes 75 slips to 140 feet over a 9-foot controlling depth. The basin at the north end publishes 200 feet over 12 feet. Brown's Marina, first in as you enter the harbour, publishes slips "Up to 145'+". Cat Cay Yacht Club, six miles south, publishes 108 slips to 160 feet. For an island you can walk across, that is a serious inventory.
What Bimini is not is a refit port. There is no yard and no haul-out on the island; the nearest yacht haul-out in the country is on Grand Bahama, and it is a delivery run away.
So treat Bimini as what it is: the crossing port. You clear in here, you fuel here, you fish here, and you either stay or you carry on east across the bank. The boat that makes it routine is the one that can hold a schedule across the Stream and still float on nine feet at the dock.
Where to keep a yacht in Bimini
Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina is the market's benchmark, and it publishes its whole rate card. Seventy-five slips, "capable of accommodating yachts up to 140 ft LOA", controlling depth 9 feet mlw, power at "100/200 + 30, 50 and 100 amp service", city water, and Bahamian Customs and Immigration on site. Hail on VHF 16 and switch to 9 for the dockmaster.
Its published dockage, per foot per night, subject to a 30-foot minimum charge:
| Season | Standard slip | T-head & catamarans |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (to 31 Mar) | $2.75 | $5.25 |
| Summer (1 Apr – 6 Sep) | $4.95 | $5.95 |
| Fall (7 Sep – 31 Dec) | $3.75 | $5.25 |
Monthly, prepaid per 30 nights and not available on T-heads, runs $1.25 per foot in winter and fall and $2.50 in summer. Monohull sailboats get a D Dock rate of $2.50 per foot per night year-round. Electricity is charged separately — first cord $1.25 per foot under 39 feet, $1.50 per foot at 40 feet and over, with a second cord priced by service, from $40 for 30 amp on a small boat to $120 for 100 amp on a large one. Water is $1 per foot. A 2% ABM levy applies to all dockage rates.
Read that table before you plan a summer trip. The seasonal swing at this dock is not marginal — a standard slip is $2.75 a foot in March and $4.95 a foot in June. On a 60-footer that is the difference between $165 and $297 a night before power, water and levy.
The north-end basin is the big-boat berth. Bimini Bay Marina publishes "Vessels up to 200 feet" over a "controlling depth of 12 feet", VHF 16, and Customs and Immigration clearance inside the resort grounds at the seaplane base, daily 08:15–16:30. It also publishes a $45 per day resort fee covering up to four people with wristbands, additional wristbands $30 each plus 10% VAT, a 15% discount at seven nights and a 30% discount at thirty. Resorts World Bimini runs its own marina page for the same north-end complex: 50 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida, Customs and Immigration processing on the property, and booking handled online.
Brown's Marina is the first dock inside the harbour entrance, in Alice Town, and publishes "Top Quality Slips Up to 145'+" with three-phase 100/50/30 amp service, electricity metered at 65 cents per kilowatt hour, water at 30 cents per gallon, and a flat $2.00 per foot in both its stated seasons — summer 1 May to 1 October, winter 2 October to 30 April. Holidays carry a two-day minimum and a non-refundable deposit. Hail VHF 16.
Cat Cay Yacht Club, at the southern end of the chain, publishes "108-slip capacity for yachts up to 160 feet", a fuel dock, shore power and nightlights at every slip, and — the part that matters for planning — "The Bahamian government maintains a customs station on Cat Cay, making the island an ideal port of entry." It is a private, member-owned island, so the marina is the point of contact.
Two more names in Alice Town are a telephone call rather than a plan: Bimini Blue Water Resort, and Bimini Sands on South Bimini. Slips, length, depth and rates are all settled on that call, so ring before you build a trip around either.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bimini Big Game Club Resort & MarinaBimini's benchmark dock, with the whole rate card on its own page. 75 slips "capable of accommodating yachts up to 140 ft LOA", controlling depth 9 feet mlw, and "100/200 + 30, 50 and 100 amp service". Bahamian Customs and Immigration on site. Hail VHF 16, switch to 9 for the dockmaster. Dockage $2.75/ft winter, $4.95/ft summer (1 Apr–6 Sep), $3.75/ft fall; T-heads and catamarans $5.25–$5.95. Electricity and water billed separately, plus a 2% ABM levy on all dockage. | Alice Town, North Bimini | 140 ft | 75 | Fuel a quarter-mile away, per the marina |
| Bimini Bay MarinaThe market's big-boat berth: "Vessels up to 200 feet" over a "controlling depth of 12 feet", VHF 16, and Customs and Immigration inside the resort grounds at the seaplane base, daily 08:15–16:30. A $45 per day resort fee covers up to four people with wristbands; additional wristbands are $30 each plus 10% VAT. Slip count, power and fuel are settled when you book. | North end of North Bimini | 200 ft | — | — |
| Resorts World Bimini MarinaThe north-end resort marina: "Sail only 50 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida", Customs and Immigration processing on the property, and direct access to the pool, casino and restaurants. Booking is handled online, and slip length, depth and power are settled when you book. | North end of North Bimini, at the resort and casino | — | — | — |
| Brown's MarinaPublishes "Top Quality Slips Up to 145'+" with three-phase 100/50/30 amp service, electricity metered at 65 cents per kilowatt hour and water at 30 cents per gallon. Unusually, the same $2.00 per foot in both its stated seasons — summer 1 May to 1 October, winter 2 October to 30 April. Hail VHF 16 for a slip and for the water at the entrance. | Alice Town — the first marina inside the harbour entrance | 145 ft | — | By arrangement — hail VHF 16 |
| Bimini Blue Water ResortA long-standing Alice Town marina, and one to arrange by telephone rather than plan around: slips, maximum length, depth and rates are all settled on the call. Ring before you build a trip around it. | Alice Town, North Bimini | — | — | — |
| Bimini Sands Resort & MarinaThe South Bimini option, and another telephone call: slips, maximum length, depth and rates are settled when you ring. South Bimini is a separate island from Alice Town, so plan the ferry or the tender, not a walk. | South Bimini | — | — | — |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Cay Yacht Club"108-slip capacity for yachts up to 160 feet", with nightlights, shore power and wireless internet at every slip, and a basin ringed on three sides by the island, the airstrip and a sandy spit. The planning fact: "The Bahamian government maintains a customs station on Cat Cay, making the island an ideal port of entry." Depth, amperage and rates are settled with the marina. | Cat Cay, at the southern end of the Bimini chain | 160 ft | 108 | Fuel dock on site |
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 Bimini
Clearing in is the first thing that happens, and in 2026 the fee schedule changed. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation published revised cruising permit and anchorage fees under Regulations 91 and 91B, effective 1 April 2026. Plan against these:
| 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 |
Anchorage fees are separate and apply only to vessels that are not docking at a marina — $50 to $200 for 30 days depending on size, up to $1,500 for twelve months over 100 feet. The Ministry's own framing is the useful part: the fee applies "only if a vessel actually anchors", not merely on entering the country. A Frequent Digital Cruising Card runs two years.
The Bahamas Customs Department publishes a second schedule, so carry both numbers. Its Pleasure Vessels page bands permits at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet, with a 3-month permit at $300 for a boat between 34 and 100 feet and $500 between 100 and 150. On a 60-footer that is $300 against the Ministry's $350; on a 120-footer, $500 against $600. Plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule and carry the difference as a contingency.
The rest of the entry rules are not negotiable and are easy to get wrong.
- Clear at the nearest 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 over 50 feet must have AIS active at all times in Bahamian waters. The stated fine for non-compliance is $1,000. This one catches American owners who run AIS only offshore.
- The cruising permit covers departure tax for up to three people on board; each additional person is $30 per visit.
- A fishing permit is separate — $100 under 50 feet, $300 over — and Customs states it is valid for thirty days even if you hold a 12-month cruising permit.
- Outbound clearance documents, where the next port requires them, cost $75.
- Filing is digital through Click2Clear, and Customs states plainly that no username or password is required to log in.
Where you clear in Bimini is a choice. Bimini Big Game Club has Customs and Immigration on site; the north-end resort clears inside the grounds at the seaplane base, 08:15 to 16:30; Cat Cay has a government customs station on the cay; and Old Bahama Bay on Grand Bahama — the alternative landfall 56 miles up-range — is the only night-navigable port of entry on that island.
On depth, the operators' own numbers are the ones to plan against: 9 feet at Big Game Club and 12 feet in the north basin. ⚠️ The Bimini harbour entrance itself is a local-knowledge approach. Take it on a rising tide in good light, and call the dockmaster on 16 before you commit.
Bimini is a berthing, fuelling and clearance port rather than a yard. There is no travelift and no marine railway on the island; the nearest yacht refit capability in The Bahamas is Freeport on Grand Bahama, and the nearest in any other direction is South Florida. Budget your haul-outs on the American side.
- Anchoring in The Bahamas — the fee, and when it applies — Bahamian waters generallyFrom 1 April 2026 the anchorage fee under Regulation 91B 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.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haul-out and yard workBimini is a berthing, fuelling and clearance port rather than a yard: no travelift and no marine railway on the island. The nearest yacht refit capability in The Bahamas is at Freeport on Grand Bahama — a 150-ton travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock — and the nearest in any other direction is South Florida. Plan yard work around a crossing, not around Bimini. | Bimini — the whole island group | — | — |
On the Bimini calendar
Bimini is a year-round port with a hard seasonal pricing line, and the one operator that publishes a full rate card draws it clearly.
- Bimini Big Game Club seasons: winter to 31 March, summer 1 April – 6 September, fall 7 September – 31 December. Summer is the peak and it is priced like it: $4.95 per foot against $2.75 in winter.
- Brown's Marina seasons: summer 1 May – 1 October, winter 2 October – 30 April — and, unusually, the same $2.00 per foot in both.
- The north-end basin discounts by duration rather than season: 15% at seven nights, 30% at thirty.
- Customs and Immigration at the north-end resort: daily 08:15–16:30. Old Bahama Bay, the Grand Bahama alternative, publishes check-in 09:00–17:00.
Bimini's fishing calendar is set by the organising clubs — confirm dates directly with the organiser. The seasonal rate lines above are the operators' own, and they are the dates that actually change what a trip costs.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Bimini
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a yacht be hauled out in Bimini?
No — Bimini is a berthing, fuelling and clearance port rather than a yard: no travelift, no marine railway, no haul-out capacity on the island. The nearest yacht refit capability in The Bahamas is at Freeport on Grand Bahama, where a 150-ton travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock are published, and the nearest in any other direction is South Florida. Schedule yard work around a crossing.
How far is Bimini from Florida by boat?
Resorts World Bimini states 50 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida on its own marina page — a morning's run in the right weather window. Old Bahama Bay at West End on Grand Bahama, the other short-crossing port of entry, publishes 56 miles from Florida. The distance is why Bimini works as a weekend destination for a fast boat, and why the weather window rather than the range is usually the limiting factor.
What does a Bahamas cruising permit cost in 2026?
Under the schedule the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation published effective 1 April 2026, a 30-day permit is $150 up to 30 feet, $250 from 30 to 50 feet, $350 from 50 to 100 feet and $600 over 100 feet. Six months runs $300, $750 and $2,000 with one free re-entry; twelve months runs $500, $1,000 and $3,000 with two. Anchorage fees are separate and apply only when the vessel is not at a marina. The Bahamas Customs Department's Pleasure Vessels page carries a second schedule, banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet — a $50 to $100 difference on most boats. Plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule and carry the difference as a contingency.
Do you need AIS to cruise the Bahamas?
Yes, over 50 feet. The official Bahamas boating regulations state that foreign pleasure vessels above 50 feet are required to have an Automatic Identification System active at all times while in Bahamian waters, and that non-compliance results in a fine of $1,000. This is the rule most often missed by American owners who run AIS offshore and switch it off at the dock. The other non-negotiables on arrival: clear at a designated port of entry, fly the yellow quarantine flag, and keep everyone but the captain aboard until the vessel is cleared.
What is the largest yacht that can dock in Bimini?
Bimini Bay Marina publishes "vessels up to 200 feet" over a controlling depth of 12 feet at the north end of North Bimini — the largest published figure in the market. Cat Cay Yacht Club to the south publishes 108 slips for yachts up to 160 feet. Brown's Marina in Alice Town publishes slips "Up to 145'+", and Bimini Big Game Club publishes 75 slips to 140 feet over a 9-foot controlling depth. Depth, not length, is the real constraint here: plan the approach around the operator's stated controlling depth and call the dockmaster on VHF 16.
Is there dock and dine in Bimini?
In an unusual form, yes. Bimini Big Game Club publishes landing dock fees for non-registered vessels — $30 for boats to 30 feet, $60 to 60 feet and $100 to 130 feet, plus 10% VAT — which is a published price for tying up and coming ashore for a few hours rather than for the night. Brown's Marina states it shares 200 feet of waterfront boardwalk with Big John's Bar. Beyond those two, dining works the way it always has: berth and walk. North Bimini is only a few hundred metres wide.