BAHAMAS CRUISING PERMIT - PROPOSED CHANGES

[wannacat]

Illegal to use your pressure pistols in the Bahamas. Maybe else where in The Caribbean? but I doubt it! Make sure you declare them if entering. They mark down my pole spears, slings and even fishing rods along with my shotgun and number of rounds on my cruising permit.
Don't think you can spend less than $300 for 3 months in anchoring in the Keys. You'll also have to watch out for the pump out police, local marine cops/ Coastguard and probably spend more than $300 in 3 months just pumping out your head so they'll allow you to land your dingy at the dock in Key West. Things have changed everywhere, get used to it or sail off the edge of the earth. The Bahamas are still a bargain even if they jump the rates. We just carry more of our own supplies over and push the water line down a little more, not in a hurry anyways!

[Scatterling]

So if these rates are the ones implemented, the confusion will continue. What would be the rate for a boat 34' 6"? It's more than 34', so not $150. It's not between 35 and 100, so not $300. The category should be "Less than 35': $150; 35' to 100': $300".

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by wannacat

Illegal to use your pressure pistols in the Bahamas.

News to me, I sail the southern Exuma's often, declare the spear guns upon entering their waters and have never had an issue.

SeaQuest OE II

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

News to me, I sail the southern Exuma's often, declare the spear guns upon entering their waters and have never had an issue.

SeaQuest OE II

That's very curious, as every entry we've made, we've had to specify not spear gun (slings are acceptable) would be used in our fishing, and the cruising permit is so annotated...

Note that we also have a spear gun aboard - and declare it, but they are firm to say that it's not to be used in Bahamian waters...

[TBW]

Last winter paid 300$. Am 50 feet. Stayed 2 or 3 weeks . Everybody was nice. Felt safe. Chubb. Norman. Warderick. Staniel. Nassau. Chubb and straight to Beaufort NC. Probably skip Nassau . Most money probably Dockage not puppies and weather. Do it again without a worry.

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

News to me, I sail the southern Exuma's often, declare the spear guns upon entering their waters and have never had an issue.

SeaQuest OE II

Spear guns are absolutely forbidden, Hawaiian Sling seems to be the only acceptable mechanically propelled spear for use in Bahamian waters

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by TBW

Last winter paid 300$. Am 50 feet. Stayed 2 or 3 weeks . Everybody was nice. Felt safe. Chubb. Norman. Warderick. Staniel. Nassau. Chubb and straight to Beaufort NC. Probably skip Nassau . Most money probably Dockage not puppies and weather. Do it again without a worry.

Same here, paid $150, 32 foot sailboat. Stayed 3 months, extended stays at Grand, Spanish, Green Turtle, Marsh Harbour, Great Guana, MOW, Hope Town, Little Harbour, and Treasure. At anchor and in marinas, walked everywhere, day and night, never felt 'at risk', nothing but friendlies. Big fan of the Bahamian people.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

Spear guns are absolutely forbidden, Hawaiian Sling seems to be the only acceptable mechanically propelled spear for use in Bahamian waters

That would be for loose spears. The one very commonly used is named after the country, and it's the one I use - Bahamian Sling.

Mine is a FoldSpear, aluminum breaking down into 18" segments like tent battens with a bungee inside to put it together as one piece.

https://www.foldspear.com/...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

News to me, I sail the southern Exuma's often, declare the spear guns upon entering their waters and have never had an issue.

SeaQuest OE II

I've been cruising the Bahamas since 1974 and all the guides and documentation I've ever read specified you are not allowed to use spear guns in the Bahamas and further you can only use pole spears or Hawaiian slings when free diving and not while using SCUBA.

[Nelsons]

Where is the problem? Simply stay away if 100 bucks a month is too much.

But stop talking b******t about the „terrible“ European economy. It’s all fine with normal ups and downs. Don’t listen to moron orange guys with very bad intentions.

Looking forward sailing both Bahamas and the Keys.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Group9

The Bahamas increasing their cruising fees won't mean that cruisers will increase their cruising budget. It just means that money that was being spent in local businesses and marinas, will simply be re-directed to government coffers in Nassau.

On our last trip to the Bahamas, we probably spend $2000 in marinas and another $1500 to $2500 in local restaurants and shops. That is where the cruising fee will come from when we go next time. We'll just anchor out more, and cook more of our own food. The locals will suffer, but hey, it's their government.

All I can say is thanks for the heads up. Bahamas off our list. Cruising Windward and leeward Islands is free by comparison. We love the French Islands, €0-5 and Dominica, a few EC. Bahamas fees appear designed to keep boats away. It works.

[raymondrains]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

I understand.

SeaQuest OE II

We have cruised the Abacos from Morain Cay to Little Harbour for more than fifteen years, mooring the boat at Man-O-War Cay. We have never experienced any crime or corruption and have found the Bahamian people in the Abacos to be honest, hard-working and helpful.

[GinoDelG]

My wife and I have spent the last two winters in the Bahamas and have had nothing but positive experiences. We’ve always felt their fees are a bargain. Assuming they don’t go up a lot, we’ll be happy to pay the fee for staying in paradise.

[sailorboy1]

the fee is really a drop in the cruising bucket big picture

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

All I can say is thanks for the heads up. Bahamas off our list. Cruising Windward and leeward Islands is free by comparison. We love the French Islands, €0-5 and Dominica, a few EC. Bahamas fees appear designed to keep boats away. It works.

This, so far, is a tempest in a teapot. It has not been implemented, and some pretty notable folk are actively engaging folks at the government level.

A swing was made at increasing fees not too many years ago; it ebbed and disappeared under pressure. The game is still afoot; read early in the thread, and have a look at the FB page cited, where there is considerable real-time knowledge on the subject...

While I may modify my use of the Bahamas, I very much doubt I will cruise elsewhere with any similarity to the opportunities here (I'm now anchored off the bottom of Lynyard Cay, at the bottom of the Sea of Abaco, enjoying the full water tanks due to the rain in the last 10 weeks), at any cost.

I *might* do the east coast US again next summer, offshore to ME and then hopping back down, but here in Abaco, the water is clear for 40 or more feet to the bottom, it's warm, but not too hot for us to comfortably sleep under a double sheet, food is functionally (if you're so inclined) free to anyone who can snorkel-dive to 10 feet with a spear, and, at least this season, it's rained enough to keep our tanks full.

Don't panic yet.