Benetti B.YOND 40M130' 11"
View Specs & ReviewTwo 250-foot berths, at opposite ends of one island
Yachting in Nassau & Paradise Island
A Minted Location · Nassau & Paradise Island, The Bahamas
New Providence will take a 250-foot yacht, and it will take one twice — at opposite ends of the island, in completely different water.
The Marina at Atlantis, on Paradise Island inside Nassau Harbour, publishes 63 mega-yacht slips for "vessels of up to 250 feet or 76.2 meters", reached through a "100-foot-wide channel" with a "minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide" and unrestricted mast height — the channel lies west of the northbound bridge, so nothing overhead limits a rig. Albany, on the south-west shore outside the harbour altogether, publishes 71 slips for "vessels up to 250 feet in length" on floating concrete docks, with a dedicated fuel slip at each berth.
Between those two sits Nassau Harbour itself, and it runs on the telephone. The harbour's long-established marinas settle slip, length and depth on the call rather than on a page, so a boat over 100 feet planning a harbour stop books it by phone before it sails.
That shape suits what Nassau is genuinely good at. The airport works, the provisioning works, the clearance works, and the boat can be met by people flying in.
So treat Nassau as what it is: the arrival-and-crew-change market, with two berths on the island big enough for almost anything you are likely to bring.
Where to keep a yacht in Nassau & Paradise Island
The Marina at Atlantis is the harbour berth, and it publishes the fullest set of numbers on the island.
- 63 mega-yacht slips, "vessels of up to 250 feet or 76.2 meters"
- a 100-foot-wide channel "located to the west of the north-bound Nassau/Paradise Island bridge", which is why it offers unrestricted mast height
- "minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide" in both the channel and the marina
- "Single-and three-phase power (30 amps to 100 amps)"
- "Onboard Customs and Immigration Clearance"
- Monitors VHF 10 and 16 — 10 for the dockmaster, 16 for harbour control
The largest berths are given two ways on the same page: "200-foot or 60-meters finger piers with a 37-foot or 11-meter beam" and "220 ft. finger piers with a 37 ft. beam." Plan against 200 ft (61 m) and confirm the actual pier with the dockmaster before you commit — twenty feet matters when you are stern-to on a 200-footer. Boats wider than 37 feet go on the lay-alongside berths, which carry no beam restriction.
Albany is the outside-the-harbour alternative, and the quieter one. Its own pages publish 71 slips and "vessels up to 250 feet in length" on "Bellingham Marine's … floating concrete dock system", with a dedicated fuel slip, electricity, cable and internet at each berth, marina attendants seven days a week and a yacht-watch programme.
Settle the depth with Albany when you book. For a boat near the top of that 250-foot range it is the number to have in hand before the length is worth anything.
Nassau Harbour's own marinas work the same way — by telephone. Slip, maximum length and controlling depth are agreed on the call rather than printed on a page, so a boat over 100 feet planning a harbour stop confirms the berth with the operator directly rather than from a listing.
Haul-outs happen on Grand Bahama, not here. Bradford Marine in Freeport runs a 150-ton travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock, with capacity for over 25 feet of draft and unrestricted air draft. Nassau is a berthing, clearance and provisioning market — schedule yard work as a delivery.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Marina at Atlantis"63 mega-yacht slips" for "vessels of up to 250 feet or 76.2 meters", reached through a "100-foot-wide channel" west of the northbound bridge — which is why the marina publishes unrestricted mast height. "Minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide" in both channel and basin, so plan against 12 ft and confirm your draft before you commit. Single and three-phase power, 30 to 100 amps. Onboard customs and immigration clearance. Monitors VHF 10 for the dockmaster and 16 for harbour control. The largest berths are given two ways on the same page: "200-foot or 60-meters finger piers with a 37-foot or 11-meter beam" and "220 ft. finger piers with a 37 ft. beam." Plan against 200 ft (61 m) and confirm the actual pier with the dockmaster. Lay-alongside berths carry no beam restriction, which is how boats wider than 37 feet get in. | Paradise Island, inside Nassau Harbour | 250 ft | 63 | Ask the dockmaster on VHF 10 |
| Albany Marina"71 slips" for "vessels up to 250 feet in length", on "Bellingham Marine's … floating concrete dock system" with electricity, cable and internet at each berth, marina attendants seven days a week and a yacht-watch programme. It sits on the south-west shore, outside Nassau Harbour and away from the commercial traffic. Settle the depth with the marina when you book — for a boat near the top of that 250-foot range it is the number to have first. | South-west shore of New Providence, outside the harbour | 250 ft | 71 | Dedicated fuel slip at each berth |
| Nassau HarbourThe harbour holds several long-established marinas, and they work by telephone rather than by tariff: slip, maximum length and controlling depth are all agreed on the call. A boat over 100 feet planning a Nassau harbour stop confirms the berth with the operator directly before it sails. The harbour itself is a commercial port — cruise berths, mailboats and tugs — so call harbour control on VHF 16 on approach and take the instruction you are given. | Nassau Harbour, East Bay Street and the harbour front | — | — | — |
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 Nassau & Paradise Island
Twelve feet at low tide is the number that governs the harbour. Atlantis publishes it for both its channel and its basin. A 250-foot yacht drawing more than that is not an Atlantis boat regardless of the length on the sign, so plan against 12 ft and confirm your draft with the dockmaster on VHF 10 before you commit.
The compensating advantage is air draft: there isn't one. The Atlantis channel lies west of the northbound bridge, which is why the marina publishes unrestricted mast height. For a large sailing yacht that is the single reason to choose this berth.
Clearing in. Atlantis publishes "Onboard Customs and Immigration Clearance" — clearance at the boat rather than at an office — which for a yacht with guests aboard is worth more than it sounds. Albany arranges clearance too; ask for its procedure when you book. Country-wide, the rules are the same everywhere and are easy to get wrong:
- Fly the yellow quarantine flag on arrival; only the captain may leave the boat until the vessel is cleared.
- ⚠️ Foreign pleasure vessels over 50 feet must run AIS at all times in Bahamian waters, and the stated fine is $1,000. In a working commercial harbour it is good practice regardless.
- The cruising permit covers departure tax for three people; each additional person is $30 per visit. On a crewed yacht with guests that is a real number — count heads before you file.
- A fishing permit is separate — $100 under 50 feet, $300 over — and expires at thirty days even under a twelve-month cruising permit.
- Outbound clearance documents, where required, are $75. Filing is through Click2Clear, with no username or password required.
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 |
Two schedules are in circulation, and both are government figures. The Bahamas Customs Department's Pleasure Vessels page bands 3-month and 12-month permits at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet and prices a boat over 100 feet at $500 for three months, against the Ministry's $600 for thirty days. Budget against the effective-dated Ministry schedule and carry both numbers. For a yacht over 100 feet the twelve-month permit at $3,000 is usually the right instrument anyway — two free re-entries remove the question entirely.
Anchorage fees apply only to vessels not docking at a marina — $200 for thirty days over 100 feet, $1,500 for twelve months. In the Ministry's framing the fee applies "only if a vessel actually anchors." For a boat that will live at Atlantis or Albany, it does not arise.
Two working notes on the harbour itself. Atlantis instructs VHF 16 for harbour control and VHF 10 for the dockmaster — use both, in that order. And Nassau Harbour is a commercial port with its own traffic: make the call on 16 on approach and take the instruction you are given.
- 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. For a boat living at one of Nassau's two marina berths it does not arise at all.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haul-out — Bradford Marine, FreeportYard work for a Nassau boat is a delivery to Grand Bahama. Bradford Marine in Freeport runs a 150-ton Marine Travelift and a 1,200-ton drydock, with capacity for over 25 feet of draft and unrestricted air draft. Nassau itself is a berthing, clearance and provisioning market — plan the haul-out as a passage and build the days into the schedule. | Nassau and New Providence | — | — |
On the Nassau & Paradise Island calendar
Nassau runs year-round, and the two superyacht marinas price by conversation rather than by season.
- The Marina at Atlantis publishes slip count, length, channel width, depth, power and clearance, and no rate card. Pricing on a 250-foot berth is a conversation, not a tariff — dockmaster on VHF 10.
- Albany likewise publishes berths, dock construction and services with no seasonal pricing. Ask when you book.
- Bahamas cruising permits run on duration rather than season: 30-day, 6-month and 12-month, the last two carrying one and two free re-entries. From 1 April 2026 that choice, not a calendar, is what shapes a Bahamas cruising year.
- Fishing permits expire at thirty days regardless of the cruising permit's length — a recurring renewal for anyone basing a boat here for a season.
Regatta and sportfishing dates are set by the organising clubs — confirm them directly with the organiser.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Nassau & Paradise Island
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 Nassau?
Two hundred and fifty feet, and New Providence offers it twice. The Marina at Atlantis on Paradise Island states 63 mega-yacht slips for vessels of up to 250 feet or 76.2 metres, and Albany on the south-west shore states 71 slips for vessels up to 250 feet. Those are the two berths on the island built for that size. Note that Atlantis's channel and basin carry a published minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide, so draft rather than length is the practical ceiling there — plan against 12 ft and confirm with the dockmaster on VHF 10.
How deep is Nassau Harbour for yachts?
The published figure is the Marina at Atlantis's minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide, stated for both its channel and its basin. That is the number to plan against: a 250-foot yacht drawing more than twelve feet is not an Atlantis boat regardless of the length on the sign. Albany and the harbour's other marinas settle depth on the telephone, so confirm yours with the marina you are booking before you sail.
Where do you clear customs by boat in Nassau?
The Marina at Atlantis publishes onboard customs and immigration clearance — the officers come to the vessel — which for a yacht with guests aboard is materially easier than an office visit. Albany arranges clearance too; ask for the procedure when you book. Country-wide rules apply: fly the yellow quarantine flag on arrival and keep everyone but the captain aboard until 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.
Can a sailing yacht with a tall rig get into Nassau?
Yes, and it is the specific reason to choose the Paradise Island basin. The Marina at Atlantis publishes a 100-foot-wide channel located to the west of the northbound Nassau/Paradise Island bridge, which gives unrestricted mast height — nothing overhead limits a rig on the way in. The same channel carries a published minimum water depth of 12 feet at low tide, so the rig is free and the keel is the thing to check. For a large sailing yacht that combination is the reason to come here.
What does a Bahamas cruising permit cost for a yacht over 100 feet?
Under the Ministry of Tourism schedule effective 1 April 2026, $600 for thirty days with no free re-entry, $2,000 for six months with one free re-entry, or $3,000 for twelve months with two. For a yacht that will be in and out of the country across a season, the twelve-month permit is usually the right instrument — the re-entries alone often justify it. The Bahamas Customs Department publishes a second schedule banded at 34, 100, 150 and 200 feet, which prices a boat over 100 feet at $500 for three months; budget against the effective-dated Ministry figures and carry both numbers.
Is there dock and dine in Nassau?
Not in the sense of tying up at a restaurant — dining here works from a berth rather than from a guest dock. What Nassau has instead is two resort marinas where the berth is the destination: the Marina at Atlantis, with 63 slips to 250 feet and restaurants inside the resort, and Albany, with a restaurant and groceries on the marina property outside the harbour. Nassau Harbour itself is a working commercial harbour with cruise berths, mailboats and tugs, so plan to berth at a marina and stay inside it, or take a car.