Anchoring near West End Bahamas

[ecriscuolo]

Is the canal located at N26 41.936 W078 59.490 (just south of Old Bahama Bay Marina) still a viable anchorage as of April 2019? Looking for a place to wait out a front passage next week before crossing over to Ft Pierce inlet Florida.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, ecriscuolo.

[Steven UK]

I don’t know about west end but I was in here for a few days and it was very nice, calm well protected, restaurants safe dinghy dock e.t.c

Good luck...

[ecriscuolo]

Thanks Steven, but that's Freeport, a good 25 mi away from the place I'm inquiring about in West End.

[bratzcpa]

A few years back, we anchoredjust outside of West End customs dock. To the north. Just for one night, it was a disaster.

The people in the marina said yeah sure, it's fine. But it definitely definitely was not. The ground was rock hard and we drug several times at night. At one point we were aground and at a different point the anchor rode was wrapped around our fin keel. Total mess.

Very strong tidal currents there as the whole Bahama Banks pours off into the ocean and then back on every few hours.

Your experience might be different, but there's no way in the world I try that again

[cagney]

Last year we anchored in the abandoned marina development "Ginn Sur Mer", at position N26 40.585 W078 57.905. This is just a few miles from West End, towards Freeport. Easy deep entrance, we're drawing 6.5 ft, very protected, but nothing there.

Thomas

[ecriscuolo]

Originally Posted by cagney

Last year we anchored in the abandoned marina development "Ginn Sur Mer", at position N26 40.585 W078 57.905. This is just a few miles from West End, towards Freeport. Easy deep entrance, we're drawing 6.5 ft, very protected, but nothing there.

Thomas

Thanks Tom,

That is one of the alternates I was looking at.

[Panacea2183]

Yes good spot, wide entrance, but very bad outside of channel
Easily visible in good light.
I found good holding last spring, very wide canals, no one there, no shore access.
Very protected
Only viable anchorage near West End.