Exumas

I’ve just moved out of a 52C and into a 75CMY. New boat draws 6’, old boat drew 5’. Spent most of adult life around Abacos in various Sport Fishers that I’ve owned and am proficient reading water. Will be single handing boat with help from fam.

Wife does NOT like being on hook, am attempting to remedy by installing SeaKeeper on new boat. Planning a inaugural Thanksgiving trip with family, rondevous at Palm Cay Marina (Nassau) then on towards Exumas. As a family, we all enjoy active rather than passive vacations. Like to spearfish and fish.

With an emphasis on CALM anchorages and nearby snorkeling, spearing, fishing as a secondary want; does anyone with local knowledge have specific recommendations?

Will the 6’ draw be a problem. In the Abacos I had to be careful with 5’.

Tow a 20’ open fisherman or stick with on board 16’ dingy? I’m shying away from the tow as it further complicates a trip that I’m trying to make as seamless as possible.

As a plan B, I can pre position boat in Exumas if weather forecast looks to be sporty, then bring fam in.

If I blow this trip remainder of boating life will be limited to marinas....

Brett

Most anchorages in the exumas are pretty calm and rolling / surge isnt much of an issue unless a cold front swings thru.

Shroud somtimes has a little surge but rarely above noticeable levels. A sea keeper will take care of it.

You can alternate anchroign and marinas with stays ar highborne, compass and staniel.

6' drafts is no problem in 95% of the exumas. I used to run a boat with 6 1/2 draft and there are only a handfull of anchorages where i d have to play with tides all in the southern exumas (Rudder cay, Lee Stocking..)

The run between NAS and th exumas is rarely bad but stabs are big plus. Alternate is to have people fly to staniel out of fort lauderdale on watermakers air

Towing is alot of work and hassle and a good tender is fine as you never have to go far, except for fishing. Every anchorage has so many beaches within dinghy range.

A watermaker is a must in the exumas

Now, in winter watch the fronts and tuck in sheltered anchorages or marinas. Or your wife will never go again... staniel cay yc is not a viabel option in a front. Highborne, compass and cave cay are but sometimes boats dont leave with an approchaing front and your reservation is worthless. Good frontal anchorages are between the majors, cambridge mooring field, normans, and warederick main mooring (not emerald) if you can get a mooring

Hope this helps... any question feel free to ask. We ve been going to the exumas for over ten years, soemtimes every couple of months, primarily running charter, currrently with an 84 lazzara

Oh, and time permitting dont overlook the souther exumas (south of staniel)

Pascal if I am not mistaken when a Westerly blows in Staniel will not accept boats, and they will punt you if a stout Westerly blows in. By and large most moorings throughout the Exumas are exposed to the West.

https://www.stanielcay.com/marina/marina-policies/

Warderick and other land and sea parks do support boats over 65 feet with specially marked balls. Otherwise boats under 65 can use any ball. Highbourne has some of the goofiest people working the reservations and phone I have ever had to deal with. Hopefully that has improved since 2014. Getting in touch with Compass to get a spot can be challenging but worth it.

Your odds of getting into the main mooring field at WW on one of the large yacht balls, and I heartily recommend it, improve by joining the Bahamas Natural Trust. When calling in the morning to get a ball mention you are a member (and they know who is). We know people with an 80' Lazzara that dinged a prop in the mooring field on the outside.
Like the parks in the Abacos, fishing and bugging is illegal. Here is a link to the membership page; https://bnt.bs/join-us/become-a-member-2/

Here is a map of the park which shows it covers Shroud and just north of Compass with all in between. https://bnt.bs/exuma-cays-land-sea-park/

If you want to fish, and you knew this was coming, towing the CC down will be the way to go unless you go out in the CPMY.

Deb and I ran quite a bit of the area (Compass to Stainiel) in a 13' AB with a 40 etec and it was merely "ok". When we got to Staniel they had no gas. Think about that before you go out LOL.
A 16' will be better but I am thinking you won't go outside often.

Edit:

We crossed Yellow Bank on the way back. With the sun above you it's ok. You will be dodging coral.

Indeed you cant stay at staniel with westelies over 15 which is why i said it wasnt a viable option with a front.

That may change soon though, when we were there a month ago a couokd of workboats were taking sounding on the reef just west of the marina. I was told they were about to build a breakwater.

Avoid the two large moorings outside Warderick Wells, they are very rolly. They have two or three mooring inside, past the headquarters, that can take up to 80/85. Been there with the 84, and before with 6 1/2 draft, plenty of water.

As Dan said, do not fish within the well charted park boundaries, even on the sound side. They ve been cracking down. Offenders end up spending a few days at RBDF coral base awaiting appearance ront of her Majestys judge. They get teh boat back, minus fishing gear, after paying thousands in fines.

I always avoid the yellow bank and do a dogleg to a point almost due south of Porgee Rocks. Only add a few miles and it s coral free. Safer especially at night.

We try to avoid nassau and usually get on the Exumas bank south of SW Reef and then run direct to Normans /Shroud or straight to Compass/Pipe. Both routes are deep and coral free

Hi Brett,

How did the Thanksgiving trip go? Very curious as I am working on a similar trip with the family. Similarly, my family is also hooked on the Abacos and Marinas. I have been lobbying for the Exumas with more time on the hook. Did you miss the towed CC or was the rib enough? Hope it was a good trip and appreciate the additional insight.

We re heading back there Monday morning to pick up a charter in Gtown on Thu

If you want to combine marina and anchoring to wean the family from docking, plan stops at Highbourne, Compass and Staniel which are pretty much perfectly spaced for a couple of days on the hook in between.

There are so many good anchorages in the Exumas that distance between the boat and the places to explore are very short and unless you want to fish you probably don’t need a center console. Unless your rib can’t carry the whole group.