Nassau - Docking
Before entering Nassau harbour, when within a mile or so, be sure to call Nassau Harbour Control on VHF 16, who will shift to working Ch. 9. This procedure must be followed even if passing through to one of the marinas). They will ask for your last port of call, request details etc. and you will be advised of traffic and given permission to enter. You should also call them before changing location in, or leaving the harbour, for permission to do so, when they will ask for your destination and advise traffic.
Anchoring in Nassau Harbour
It is possible to anchor anywhere in Nassau Harbour outside the main channel, but you must stay clear of commercial shipping areas where freighters manoeuvre and unload. Harbour Control will probably advise you where to go.
Anchoring is possible in front of the Green Parrot restaurant and bar, at 25°04,7’N 077°19,6’W. Mooring buoys are planned. There are a dinghy dock and rubbish bins. Just have a meal or take a beer for this service.
There are two bridges across the harbour, clearance over the main channel is 70ft at high water springs.
There are two other anchorages around New Providence, both good in settled weather: Old Fort Bay just East of the Lyford Cay channel on the North Shore; the other further West at West Bay East of Goulding Cay. Coral Harbour on the South Shore is no longer available to the cruising public and is now the headquarters of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. However, you can gain shelter in extreme conditions.
Dinghy Docks
There is a dinghy dock at Bay Street Marina, in front of the Green Parrot restaurant and bar. Both Texaco fuel docks, one at Harbour Central Marina, west of the bridges, and the other at Texaco Harbour View, east of the bridges, have dinghy docks. They make a small charge and you can take garbage ashore too. You should lock your dinghy and its motor both at anchor and while ashore, but do not impede access to the dinghy dock for others.
Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) has a small dinghy dock so, if you come ashore here (and even if you don’t), please go in and join this voluntary Association – it’s the only rescue service in The Bahamas. Just west of BASRA is Crocodile’s Restaurant, where there is a floating dinghy dock alongside the wall, for your use at any time. Please visit the restaurant for a meal and a beer or two. Both places are happy to accommodate visiting yachts but take no responsibility for loss or damage, so be sure to lock your engine and dinghy when you leave it, but do not block the facility for others.
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Related to following destinations: Bahamas, Nassau, New Providence
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This feedback posted by SV Gallivant elsewhere on the site:
GRAFT—NASSAU CHECK-OUT
We called to see if we could check our sailboat out of the country at Nassau Harbour customs. No answer.
We walked up to the office, which was behind a locked gate.
We asked the uniformed guy at the gate if we could check our sailboat out of the country there the next day. He told us we should check out through our marina. We told him we weren’t in a marina. He recommended we go to a marina to handle check out. We again asked if we could check our sailboat out of the country there. He was discouraging but said if we wanted to try, we should get there early because the area was likely to fill up with construction work. There was also a cement wall we weren’t too keen on tying off at, as unlike at a marina, we knew we wouldn’t get any assistance and were concerned about surge. The concrete wall seems to be in fair condition with two medium-sized bollards to tie off to.
We decided to check out via Nassau Harbour Haven, coming in only long enough for checkout ($1/foot+tax).
Upon arrival, Nassau Harbour Haven contacted customs. About 1 ½ hours later someone from customs showed up and boarded our boat. After she went through the paperwork, she said we owed her $50 because customs had to come to us.
We said we tried to go to the dock initially and were discouraged. She said we talked to the wrong person.
As we dug for $50, and only came up with $49, she said that was ok. She refused to offer a receipt for the payment.
We told the folks at Nassau Harbour Haven and they said customs was not supposed to charge us. They said this is not the first time it’s happened, and they report it when it does, and encouraged us to do that. They also said they would report it to the office of tourism and encouraged us to do the same.
Bottom line: If someone from Bahamas customs tries to charge you for exiting, refuse to pay it, or, at least refuse to pay it until they hand you over a receipt on your amount of payment.
We have Camping Gaz butane bottles and consulted our gas inspection company concerning a refill with propane. They said it’s dangerous because of the wall thickness of the bottle and they absolutely not recommend doing it. We didn’t find a butane refill (Exumas, NP, Eleuthera) so I would recommend to bring enough gas with you to the Bahamas if you use butane…
For that European needing to refill a Camping Gaz LPG bottle, you need to call 242 445 4562. A very professional guy with a propane truck will meet you where you are and will fill up your bottle. He’s probably the only one who can do it in the Bahamas. Don’t be afraid, propane works very well in a butane system.
Posted on Women Who Sail Facebook Page:
I just want to tell all cruisers to be aware when they’re in Nassau, to secure the companionway at night. Two boats were boarded by an unknown person last night and one was our boat.
They stole our paddle board and went to our saloon and searched for things to take. Luckily my DH heard the noise and got up but the person had jumped into the water. So be Careful. Last week another boat was boarded too.
Palm Bay Marina, on the SE shore is excellent, clean, reasonable, and the staff goes out of their way to assist in any way possible. Fuel, water, plenty of electric and a straight forward well-marked entrance. We draw 6′ and no problem. Free loaner car available for shopping, perfect for going south into the Exumas.