Aquila 54 Yacht 54' 2"
View Specs & Review112,640 acres where a national park writes the rate card
Yachting in The Exumas
A Minted Location · The Exumas, The Bahamas
In most markets the marinas set the rules. In the Exumas a national park does.
The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park covers "112,640 acres of land and sea" on the Bahamas National Trust's own figure — 176 square miles, established in 1958, the first land and sea park in the world and the first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean. It is a total no-take zone: in the BNT's own words, "no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering – nothing living or dead may be removed from within the boundaries of Exuma Park. There are fines and confiscation of vessels for poaching violations."
And it charges by the foot to lie in it. Moorings run $27.27 a night up to 39'11" and $172.73 for 120 to 150 feet, net of Bahamas VAT. Anchoring is $0.45 per foot per night under 90 feet and $0.91 per foot at 90 feet and over, plus $14 per guest per day. Those are the numbers that decide what a fortnight in the park actually costs, and the anchoring half is the half that matters — this is a market where owners anchor rather than berth.
The berths that do exist are real but thin on the ground. Staniel Cay Yacht Club publishes 18 slips to 210 feet over 12 feet of draft at low tide — the deepest published water in the chain. Highbourne Cay publishes 750 feet of face dock for yachts to 180 feet at 8 feet of draft. Compass Cay publishes 10 to 16 feet in the harbour but only a 6-foot draft to get in at low water. And the market's large-yacht address, the marina at Emerald Bay on Great Exuma, answers by telephone: reservations by phone, a marina office open 08:00–18:00 and fuelling 07:30–17:00.
So treat the Exumas as what it is: the anchoring market, governed by a park that publishes its tariff, its no-anchor rule and its radio channel, and served by a handful of small marinas whose draft figures, not their lengths, decide whether your boat belongs.
Where to keep a yacht in The Exumas
Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the chain's benchmark, and it is the one operator here that prices itself across eight dated seasons. 18 slips "that accommodate center consoles to mega-yachts", a maximum LOA of 210 feet, and — the number that matters most in the Exumas — drafts up to 12 feet at low tide. A fuel dock with high-speed pumps, 08:00–17:00 daily; 30, 50 and 100 amp service, single and three-phase, billed at $1.20 per kWh with daily minimums; VHF 16.
The seasonal swing is large:
| Season | Under 100 ft | Over 100 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep – 19 Nov | $2.75–$4.15 | $3.85–$5.25 |
| 9 Jan – 9 Mar · 17 Apr – 25 May · 11 Aug – 9 Sep · 20 Nov – 15 Dec | $3.85–$5.25 | $4.95–$6.35 |
| 10 Mar – 16 Apr · 26 May – 10 Aug · 16 Dec – 8 Jan | $4.95–$6.35 | $6.05–$7.45 |
Checkout is 10:00, and anything after 11:00 is billed as another day. A two-night minimum applies over 4–6 July and 30 December – 1 January. And the club states plainly that it cannot guarantee a particular slip, even with a reservation — worth reading before you plan a stern-to arrival around a specific finger.
Highbourne Cay is the northern gate, and it publishes its dock as a length rather than a slip count: "750ft of face dock for yachts up to 180ft (8' draft)" plus "16 back-in slips for boats of up to 75ft." 30, 50 and 100 amp with three-phase available, fuel, water, ice and a store. It monitors VHF 16 and 71 — and it is a private cay, so the instruction on its own site is to call VHF 16 or 71, or telephone, for landing approval. Published 2026 dockage:
| Season | Rate |
|---|---|
| Low, 1 Sep – 16 Nov | $4.50–$5.50/ft |
| High, 17 Nov – 31 Aug | $5.50–$6.50/ft |
| Holiday peak | $6.50–$7.50/ft |
Power is metered by service, $50 for 30 amp up to $320 for twin 100 amp three-phase. Plan against the 8-foot draft attached to the face dock and confirm your approach on VHF 16 or 71 before you arrive.
Compass Cay is the protected harbour, and it publishes the tide gate honestly. Its own page states "depths range from ten to sixteen feet" inside, and then the constraint: "Boats with up to six-foot draft at low tide and eight-foot at high tide can enter the harbor." Dockage is a flat $5.00 per foot for vessels 25 feet and over, with a three-night minimum and the harbour open 24/7. Power is priced by service — $60 a day for 30 amp, $150 a night for 50, $290 for 100 and $350 for 100 amp three-phase — and water is $0.50 a gallon. There is no fuel at Compass Cay; the nearest is Staniel Cay, about five miles away, so arrive with what you need.
The marina at Emerald Bay on Great Exuma is the market's large-yacht answer, and it works by telephone. It is a designated Bahamian port of entry — the Ministry of Tourism's own boating pages list it as one — with reservations by telephone, a marina office open 08:00–18:00 and fuelling 07:30–17:00. Slip, length, beam and depth are all settled on that call, so if you are bringing a large boat to Great Exuma, start with the telephone rather than a booking form.
George Town is the southern end of the chain. Exuma Yacht Club, the second designated port of entry on Great Exuma, states "4000 linear feet of dockage and a newly installed breakwater", 30, 50 or 100 amp service, fuel and water, and "Handling drafts up to 7 feet at high tide" — seven feet at high tide is the operative constraint in George Town, and berth length and availability come from the dock office. February Point on Elizabeth Harbour publishes "floating docks" with "LED lighting and dry boxes for storage"; its 150-foot figure belongs to a planned five-acre "inland harbor marina with fuel service" that carries no opening date, so do not plan a 150-foot berth around it.
Haul-out here is a passage, not a stop. No yard in the Exumas publishes a travelift or a marine railway. The nearest published refit capability is Freeport on Grand Bahama — a 150-ton travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock — across the bank and up the Northwest Providence Channel, so schedule yard work as a delivery run.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highbourne Cay MarinaPublishes its dock as a length rather than a slip count: "750ft of face dock for yachts up to 180ft (8' draft)" plus "16 back-in slips for boats of up to 75ft." 30, 50 and 100 amp with three-phase available, priced $50 for 30 amp up to $320 for twin 100 amp three-phase. Monitors VHF 16 and 71, and — as a private cay — instructs boats to call for landing approval before arriving. 2026 dockage: low season 1 Sep–16 Nov $4.50–$5.50/ft, high season 17 Nov–31 Aug $5.50–$6.50/ft, holiday peak $6.50–$7.50/ft. Plan against the 8-foot draft attached to the face dock and confirm your approach on VHF 16 or 71. | Highbourne Cay, the northern Exumas | 180 ft | — | Fuel, water and ice on the dock |
| Compass Cay MarinaOne of the few genuinely protected harbours in the chain, and it publishes the tide gate honestly: "depths range from ten to sixteen feet" inside, but "Boats with up to six-foot draft at low tide and eight-foot at high tide can enter the harbor." Takes "up to 180' mega yachts." Power by service — $60/day for 30 amp, $150/night for 50, $290 for 100 and $350 for 100 amp three-phase — and water at $0.50 a gallon. No fuel here: the nearest is Staniel Cay, about five miles away, so arrive with what you need. Berth count and radio watch come from the office. | Compass Cay, north of Staniel Cay | 180 ft | — | None — nearest fuel is Staniel Cay, about five miles away |
| The Marina at Emerald BayThe market's large-yacht address on Great Exuma, and a designated Bahamian port of entry on the Ministry of Tourism's own list. It works by telephone: reservations by phone, a marina office open 08:00–18:00, fuelling 07:30–17:00 and a named harbourmaster. Slip, maximum length, beam and depth are all settled on that call, so bringing a large boat to Great Exuma starts with the telephone rather than a booking form. | Rokers Point, Great Exuma | — | — | Fuelling 07:30–17:00 |
| Exuma Yacht ClubThe second designated port of entry on Great Exuma. Its own page states "4000 linear feet of dockage and a newly installed breakwater", 30, 50 or 100 amp service, fuel and water, and "Handling drafts up to 7 feet at high tide." Seven feet at HIGH tide is the operative constraint in George Town and the tightest published figure in this market — plan Elizabeth Harbour around it. Berth length and availability come from the dock office. | George Town, Elizabeth Harbour, Great Exuma | — | — | Fuel and water on the dock |
| February PointFebruary Point's own page describes existing "floating docks" with "LED lighting and dry boxes for storage" on Elizabeth Harbour; depth, length and fuel for those docks come from the office. The 150-foot figure that circulates belongs to a PLANNED five-acre "inland harbor marina with fuel service" with "docks available for vessels reaching lengths up to 150 feet", and its own page attaches no opening date to it — so do not plan a 150-foot berth in Elizabeth Harbour around a marina village that has not been built. | Elizabeth Harbour, Great Exuma | — | — | — |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staniel Cay Yacht ClubThe chain's benchmark, and the one operator here that prices itself across eight dated seasons. 18 slips "that accommodate center consoles to mega-yachts", maximum LOA 210 feet, and drafts up to 12 feet at low tide — the deepest published water in the Exumas. 30, 50 and 100 amp, single and three-phase, at $1.20 per kWh with daily minimums. VHF 16. Dockage runs from $2.75 a foot under 100 ft in the 10 Sep–19 Nov window to $7.45 over 100 ft at peak. Also 21 mooring balls. The club cannot guarantee a particular slip even with a reservation, so keep a stern-to arrival flexible. Its own site quotes the Customs three-month permit schedule at $150–$1,000; plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule. | Staniel Cay, the central Exumas | 210 ft | 18 | Fuel dock with high-speed pumps, 08:00–17:00 daily |
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 Exumas
The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park is the regime that defines this market, and the Bahamas National Trust publishes it in unusual detail.
| Size | "112,640 acres of land and sea" — 176 square miles |
| Established | 1958; the BNT Act signed 13 July 1959 |
| Standing | First land and sea park in the world · first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean · 2018 Platinum Global Ocean Refuge Award |
| Headquarters | Warderick Wells Cay |
| Radio | VHF 09 to call "Exuma Park" and check in · VHF 16 monitored 24 hours for emergencies |
| Office | Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 · Sun 09:00–12:00 |
| Boundaries | NW 24°30'37"N 76°52'37"W · NE 24°35'30"N 76°45'50"W · SW 24°14'25"N 76°36'02"W · SE 24°18'37"N 76°28'47"W |
The rule that governs everything else is the no-take rule, and the BNT states it without qualification: "Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a NO TAKE ZONE: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering – nothing living or dead may be removed from within the boundaries of Exuma Park. There are fines and confiscation of vessels for poaching violations." That covers a dead shell on a beach as squarely as it covers a lobster. If you fish The Bahamas, you stow the gear at the park boundary.
Where you may and may not anchor is published, and it is the part most owners get wrong. The BNT states: "Anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs, and certain other designated areas within the Exuma park." Call "Exuma Park" on VHF 09 before you set a hook anywhere inside the boundary. The rest of the on-water rules are unambiguous:
- All vessels — including dinghies and jet skis — must operate at idle speed in any mooring field or anchorage.
- Jet skis must stay at least 300 yards off any moored or anchored vessel.
- The north tidal creek at Shroud Cay is a strict Idle Speed / No Wake Zone, and motorised vessels are prohibited from entering any of the other tidal creeks at Shroud Cay.
- There is no trash disposal in the park — take out everything you bring in.
- No open fires and no fireworks.
- Camping needs a permit and is allowed only at Hawksbill, Warderick Wells and O'Briens.
There are eight active mooring fields, listed by the BNT north to south as Shroud Cay, Hawksbill (North), Hawksbill (South), Warderick Wells, Emerald Rock, Hog Cay, O'Briens Cay and Cambridge Cay. The park takes no reservations. Its own words: "Payment made in advance does not constitute a reservation" and "the ECLSP does not accept reservations." Everything outside Warderick Wells is first come, first served; the Warderick Wells fields — Warderick Wells North, Emerald Rock and Pirates Lair — require a call in advance on VHF 09, and payment is to be made after you have secured a ball, not before.
The park's own tariff, per night, net of the 10% Bahamas VAT applied at checkout:
| Vessel | Mooring | Anchoring |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 39'11" | $27.27 | $0.45 per foot |
| 40'–49'11" | $36.36 | $0.45 per foot |
| 50'–59'11" | $45.45 | $0.45 per foot |
| 60'–69'11" | $72.73 | $0.45 per foot |
| 70'–89'11" | $109.09 private · $104.55 charter | $0.45 per foot |
| 90'–119' | $136.36 | $0.91 per foot |
| 120'–150' | $172.73 | $0.91 per foot |
Add $14 per guest per day to either. Annual passes run $12,545 science and research, $18,800 private and $22,560 charter, and a beach setup is $1,000. Diving is $14 per person.
Two things to read off that table before you budget. First, anchoring is dramatically cheaper than a ball — a 75-footer pays $33.75 a night at anchor against $109.09 on a mooring — but you may not anchor in the mooring fields, so the saving only exists where the park allows it. Second, the rate card runs to 150 feet. Above that there is a published anchor rate and no mooring band, so a boat over 150 feet is a call to the park rather than an assumption.
The BNT publishes its marine rates twice, and two lines do not line up. Its printed Quick Guide gives the same rates VAT-inclusive — $30, $40, $50, $80, $120, $150, $190, and 50¢ and $1 per foot at anchor — which reconciles with the live page cleanly. What does not: the camping permit is $300 on the live fees page and $250 in the Park Rules PDF, with the daily kayak-and-camp fee $27.27 against $25.00; and the science annual pass is $12,545 on one page and $12,550 on the other. Carry both numbers. Separately, from 1 July 2026 park entrance fees update across all national parks to $15 adults, $8 children and $10 seniors.
Clearing into the country is separate from the park, and in 2026 the national schedule changed. The Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation published revised cruising permit and anchorage fees under Regulations 91 and 91B, 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 |
| Frequent Digital Cruising Card (2 years) | — | $1,500 | $2,500 | $8,000 |
The anchorage fee is the half that matters here, because the Exumas is where people anchor. It is charged separately and applies only to vessels that are not docking at a marina — in the Ministry's framing, "only if a vessel actually anchors" rather than merely on entering the country. Thirty days runs $50 / $100 / $200 by the same size bands; six months $150 / $350 / $1,000; twelve months $200 / $350 / $1,500; and the two-year card $200 / $350 / $1,500. ⚠️ Inside the park you pay twice — the national anchorage fee for the period, and the BNT's per-foot rate for every night you are inside the boundary. Budget both.
Two government permit schedules are live at once, and a marina in this chain quotes the older one. The Customs Pleasure Vessels accordion publishes 3-month and 12-month permits banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet — $150 / $300 three months under and over 34 feet, $500 from 100 to 150 feet, $800 from 150 to 200 and $1,000 above, with twelve months at double. Staniel Cay Yacht Club quotes that three-month version on its own site, at "$150–$1,000 for up to three months" covering cruising permit, fishing permit and departure tax for three people. The two pages also differ on the extra-passenger charge — $30 per visit on the regulations page against $20 per passenger aged six and over on the accordion. Carry both, and plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule.
The rest of the national rules are not negotiable and are easy to get wrong.
- Clear at a designated Port of Entry. In the Exumas the Ministry's own list is Exuma International Airport, the Exuma Public Dock, the marina at Emerald Bay, Exuma Yacht Club Marina on Great Exuma, and Staniel Cay airport and dock.
- Fly the yellow quarantine flag on arrival and only the captain leaves the boat until the vessel is cleared.
- ⚠️ Foreign pleasure vessels over 50 feet must run AIS at all times in Bahamian waters. The stated fine is $1,000.
- The permit covers departure tax for three people; each additional person is $30 per visit on the regulations page.
- A fishing permit is separate — $100 under 50 feet, $300 over — and is valid thirty days even under a twelve-month cruising permit. In the Exumas it buys you nothing inside the park boundary.
- Outbound clearance documents, where the next port requires them, are $75.
- Filing is digital through Click2Clear, live since 22 February 2021, and Customs states that no username or password is required.
Outside the marinas, plan on the operators' own figures — 12 feet of draft at Staniel Cay, 8 feet on the Highbourne face dock, 10 to 16 feet inside Compass Cay behind a 6-foot low-water gate. Elizabeth Harbour, the George Town cuts and the bank crossings are eyeball navigation: cross on a rising tide in good light, and take the cuts on local instruction.
- Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park — a no-take zone that charges by the foot — Shroud Cay to Cambridge Cay — 112,640 acres of the central chainThe Bahamas National Trust publishes "112,640 acres of land and sea" — 176 square miles — established 1958, the first land and sea park in the world. It is a total NO TAKE ZONE: "no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering – nothing living or dead may be removed from within the boundaries of Exuma Park. There are fines and confiscation of vessels for poaching violations." "Anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs, and certain other designated areas within the Exuma park" — call the park on VHF 09 before you set a hook. All vessels including dinghies and jet skis must run at idle speed in any mooring field or anchorage; jet skis stay 300 yards off any moored or anchored vessel; Shroud Cay's north creek is a strict idle-speed/no-wake zone and the other creeks are closed to motorised vessels. No trash disposal, no open fires, no fireworks. Eight mooring fields north to south: Shroud Cay, Hawksbill North, Hawksbill South, Warderick Wells, Emerald Rock, Hog Cay, O'Briens Cay, Cambridge Cay. No reservations: "payment made in advance does not constitute a reservation" — outside Warderick Wells it is first come, first served, and payment comes after you secure a ball. HQ at Warderick Wells Cay; call "Exuma Park" on VHF 09, emergencies on 16, office Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 and Sun 09:00–12:00. The rate card runs to 120–150 ft; above 150 feet there is a published anchor rate and no mooring band, so ask the park. The camping permit is $300 on the live fees page and $250 in the Park Rules PDF, with the daily fee $27.27 against $25.00 — carry both.
- Anchoring in The Bahamas — the national fee, on top of the park's — Bahamian waters generallyFrom 1 April 2026 the Regulation 91B anchorage fee is separate from the cruising permit and, in the Ministry's framing, applies "only if a vessel actually anchors" rather than on entering the country. Thirty days runs $50 up to 50 ft, $100 from 50 to 100 ft and $200 over 100 ft; six months $150/$350/$1,000; twelve months and the two-year Frequent Digital Cruising Card $200/$350/$1,500. In the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park you pay this AND the park's own per-foot nightly rate — the national fee covers the period, the park fee covers each night inside the boundary — so budget both. The Customs Department's Pleasure Vessels page publishes a different permit schedule banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet over 3 and 12 months, and prices the extra-passenger charge at $20 per passenger aged six and over against the regulations page's $30 per visit. Carry both numbers and plan against the effective-dated Ministry schedule.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haul-out and refit — Freeport on Grand BahamaNo yard in the Exumas publishes a travelift, a marine railway or any haul-out capacity, so yard work here is a passage rather than a stop. The nearest published yacht refit capability is Freeport on Grand Bahama — a 150-ton travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock — which from the Exumas is a delivery across the bank and up the Northwest Providence Channel. Schedule it as a passage and budget the days. | The Exuma chain, Highbourne Cay to Great Exuma | — | — |
On the The Exumas calendar
The Exumas runs year-round, and the clocks that matter belong to a park office and two rate cards.
- Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park office, Warderick Wells: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, Sun 09:00–12:00. Call "Exuma Park" on VHF 09; VHF 16 is monitored 24 hours for emergencies.
- The park takes no reservations, in any season — "payment made in advance does not constitute a reservation." Everything outside Warderick Wells is first come, first served, and payment comes after you secure a ball.
- Staniel Cay Yacht Club runs eight dated seasons. The cheap window is 10 September – 19 November at $2.75–$4.15 a foot under 100 feet; the peaks are 10 March – 16 April, 26 May – 10 August and 16 December – 8 January at $4.95–$6.35. Checkout 10:00, and after 11:00 you are billed a further day. Two-night minimum over 4–6 July and 30 December – 1 January.
- Staniel Cay fuel dock: 08:00–17:00 daily.
- Highbourne Cay seasons: low 1 September – 16 November at $4.50–$5.50 a foot, high 17 November – 31 August at $5.50–$6.50, holiday peak at $6.50–$7.50.
- Compass Cay is open 24/7 with a three-night minimum.
- The marina at Emerald Bay: office 08:00–18:00, fuelling 07:30–17:00, reservations by telephone.
- National fee dates: the cruising permit and anchorage schedule took effect 1 April 2026. Park entrance fees update across all BNT national parks on 1 July 2026 to $15 adults, $8 children, $10 seniors.
- Fishing permits expire at thirty days whatever the cruising permit says — and buy you nothing inside the park boundary.
Regatta and race dates are set by the organising clubs — confirm them directly with the organiser. The rate seasons and the park's hours above are the operators' and the Trust's own, and they are the dates that actually change what a trip costs.
Yachts we'd shortlist for The Exumas
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a mooring cost in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park?
The Bahamas National Trust publishes a nightly tariff banded by length, net of the 10% Bahamas VAT applied at checkout: $27.27 up to 39'11", $36.36 from 40 to 49'11", $45.45 from 50 to 59'11", $72.73 from 60 to 69'11", $109.09 from 70 to 89'11" for a private vessel, $136.36 from 90 to 119 feet and $172.73 from 120 to 150 feet. Add $14 per guest per day. The park's printed Quick Guide states the same figures VAT-inclusive at $30, $40, $50, $80, $120, $150 and $190. Annual passes run $18,800 private and $22,560 charter. The rate card runs to 150 feet — above that there is a published anchor rate and no mooring band, so ask the park.
Can you anchor in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park?
Yes, but not everywhere and not for free. The Bahamas National Trust states that anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs, or in certain other designated areas within the park, so call the park on VHF 09 before setting a hook. Where anchoring is allowed the park charges $0.45 per foot per night under 90 feet and $0.91 per foot at 90 feet and over, plus $14 per guest per day and 10% VAT. That is separate from the national anchorage fee the Ministry of Tourism introduced on 1 April 2026, which runs $50 to $200 for thirty days and applies only when a vessel is not docking at a marina. Inside the park you pay both.
What is the largest yacht that can dock in the Exumas?
Two hundred and ten feet, on published figures, at Staniel Cay Yacht Club — 18 slips accommodating center consoles to mega-yachts, with drafts up to 12 feet at low tide, which is also the deepest published water in the chain. Highbourne Cay publishes 750 feet of face dock for yachts up to 180 feet at 8 feet of draft plus 16 back-in slips to 75 feet, and Compass Cay publishes up to 180 feet behind a six-foot low-water gate. Great Exuma's answer comes by telephone rather than off a website: the marina at Emerald Bay is a designated port of entry, takes reservations by phone and keeps its office open 08:00–18:00, so call it if the boat is longer than Staniel Cay's 210 feet.
Where do you clear customs by boat in the Exumas?
The Ministry of Tourism's own boating pages list five designated points in Exuma: Exuma International Airport, the Exuma Public Dock, the marina at Emerald Bay, Exuma Yacht Club Marina on Great Exuma, and Staniel Cay airport and dock. Fly the yellow quarantine flag on arrival and keep everyone but the captain aboard until the vessel is cleared, and remember that foreign pleasure vessels over 50 feet must run AIS at all times in Bahamian waters, with a stated $1,000 fine. Filing is through Click2Clear, which requires no username or password. Two permit schedules are live at once — the effective-dated 1 April 2026 Ministry version banded at 30, 50 and 100 feet, and a Customs Pleasure Vessels page banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet. Plan against the Ministry schedule and carry the difference.
How deep is the water for yachts in the Exumas?
Depth is the number that selects the boat here, and the figures to plan on are the operators' own. Staniel Cay Yacht Club publishes drafts up to 12 feet at low tide. Highbourne Cay attaches an 8-foot draft to its 750-foot face dock. Compass Cay publishes ten to sixteen feet inside the harbour but only six feet of draft to get in at low water and eight at high. Exuma Yacht Club in George Town publishes drafts up to seven feet at high tide — the tightest figure in the market. Elizabeth Harbour, the George Town cuts and the bank crossings are eyeball navigation: cross on a rising tide in good light, and take the cuts on local instruction.
Can you fish in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park?
No. The Bahamas National Trust states that the park is a no-take zone: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering, and nothing living or dead may be removed from within the park boundaries, with fines and confiscation of vessels for poaching violations. That covers a dead shell picked off a beach as squarely as it covers a lobster. A Bahamian fishing permit — $100 under 50 feet, $300 over, valid thirty days — buys you nothing inside the boundary. The park covers 112,640 acres of the central Exuma chain, was established in 1958, and is the first land and sea park in the world.