7 Day's Sailing - Northern Exumas - Itinerary

[BahamaMomma]

Hi all!

This is our first time sailing the Northern Exumas and we have a few questions about our itinerary.

We are sailing from Nassau (early morning departure) on Tuesday, Feb 25th. We will be returning after 7 days on Monday, March 2nd, arriving at the marina in Nassau by 4pm.


--We are looking at stopping at Highbourne, Normans, Shroud, Warderick Wells, Compass, Staniel and Black Point.

1) If we are looking to avoid the other boats. What island order would you recommend? What night of the week would you recommend for each anchorage? ( Will Staniel and Black Point be less busy on the weekend since most tours will start in Nassau on the weekend? )

2) Is getting to Black Point too much to attempt? Also, is Black Point worth the stop?

3) Do you recommend the cut through Yellow Bank from Nassau or do most Captains go around to the south?

4) Is Rose Island a "must-see"?

Many thanks in advance for any and all input you may be able to provide!

[Lowcountry]

You'll love the Exumas. Hopefully you'll get weather that cooperates with you and lets you maximize your time in the Exumas and not Nassau.

1. Highbourne has a nice beach on the banks side. The rest of the island is private. It's not a bad stop, but if you leave Nassau early enough there is no real reason to stop at Highbourne. You can go straight to Norman's on your way down. At Normans, depending on your draft, you can anchor off the great beach on the banks side, or you can go into the cut south of the island where the plane wreck is. The anchorage in the cut is beautiful, and there are several small islands to explore via dinghy. Downside is that there is a lot of current in there, and your boat might dance around a bit. I always slept better anchored off the beach, but YMMV.
Shroud Cay is stunningly beautiful. If I had to choose between spending time at Highbourne, Normans or Shroud, I would spend all of it at Shroud.
Warderick Wells is the jewel of the Exumas. You should try to spend as much time as possible here. There is nowhere on earth more beautiful. Give yourself at least two full days here.
I have never stopped at Compass, so maybe someone else can chime in on that.
Staniel Cay is good fun, but it will be crowded. We used to party at the SCYC a lot when I was younger, but now that I'm older I prefer less crowded places. I think that the pigs at Big Majors have had a negative effect on this part of the Exumas in that there are just too damn many boats coming to see them. It's bacon on the hoof. Big deal. They also bite, so beware.

2.Black Point is a nice settlement. People there are very friendly, but it isn't much of a tourist destination. It's no more difficult to get to than Staniel, really, but I wouldn't forego a day in the Land and Sea Park in exchange for a day at Black Point.

3. The route you take from Nassau to the Exumas will depend on your draft. If you are about 5.5' or less, you can cross the Yellow Banks (pay attention to coral heads, which are numerous). If your draft is greater than that, you will want to go south between the Yellow and White Banks. Your trip will be about 15 miles longer, but you should be at Highbourne in about 7 hours if you can make 6kts.

4. For me, Rose Island is a "must skip." After seeing the Exumas, you'll kick yourself for wasting a single minute on Rose Island.

If I were doing your trip, here's what my ideal itinerary would be:

Day 1: Nassau down to Norman's. Leave Nassau crack of dawn, anchor down at Normans around 3-4pm. Go ashore and kick around until dark. Dinner and drinks at McDuff's (call ahead for reservations).

Day 2: Anchor up early, sail on one tack down to Warderick Wells. Moor or anchor down by 1pm. Spend the rest of the day exploring.
Day 3: Spend all day exploring Warderick Wells.

Day 4: Anchor up early, sail down to Staniel Cay. Dock at SCYC or anchor at Big Majors by mid-day. You can anchor near the grotto, but lots of current there and holding isn't great. My anchor chain dragged around on hard bottom there and made noise/kept me up all night. Boat sat over anchor much of the time with chain grating on my hull/keel. I slept much better in the marina or anchored in sand at Big Majors. Go see the pigs if you like. Go snorkel the Grotto at low tide, but beware of currents. Go have dinner and drinks at the yacht club.

Day 5: Depart early, head up to Compass Cay for the day. Spend the day ashore there doing whatever.

Day 6: Depart early and sail up to Shroud Cay. Spend the rest of the day exploring the mangroves and beaches. Stunningly beautiful here.

Day 7: Depart very early for Nassau.

This all assumes that you have cooperative weather. Best wishes for a fun, memorable and safe trip!

[billknny]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

3. The route you take from Nassau to the Exumas will depend on your draft. If you are about 5.5' or less, you can cross the Yellow Banks (pay attention to coral heads, which are numerous). If your draft is greater than that, you will want to go south between the Yellow and White Banks. Your trip will be about 15 miles longer, but you should be at Highbourne in about 7 hours if you can make 6kts.

Everything LowCountry says... except this: We have ran the rhumb line from Rose Island Harbor to Allens Key without a problem and we draw 6'7" It was a few years ago, but I don't remember needing to dodge anything.

If you stay at the marina on Highbourne, you have access to the resort ashore. We waited out a frontal passage there, and it was a nice stop. But only you can decide if it's worth the money to you. https://fetchinketch.net/2019/01/27/highborne-cay/

Double votes for the Park.
https://fetchinketch.net/2019/02/03/more-on-exuma-park/

[sailjumanji]

You've been given some great advice. Warderick Wells and Shroud Cay are both our favorite places. Warderick Wells accepts reservations one day in advance, taken at the roll call over VHF, I believe starting around 9 am the morning before. The park will come on the radio, ask for departing boats to check out, give assignments for those checking in, and then take reservations. I don't remember exactly what time or channel, but check the Explorer Chartbook. (Buy it if you haven't already) If you want to stay in the mooring channel near the park headquarters, you will need a reservation. The other mooring fields will not.

Also, provision everything in Nassau. The only stores you will come across will be at Staniel, and then you are at the mercy of your arrival timing vs when the mail boat came in. Produce could be old.

Finally, weather will likely be an issue in February, and can sock you in for a couple of days anywhere. We crossed over in April of last year, and immediately got stuck in Bimini for three days waiting for the blow to pass thru. February will be even more unsettled, with fronts. Consult Chris Parker, Marvs Weather, and whatever other sources you can get. The crossing from New Providence to Exumas can be rough. It's for that reason and the weather that we had guests fly into Staniel for their week in the Bahamas, and even then in late April they had a day stuck on anchor watching thunderstorms come through.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by billknny

Everything LowCountry says... except this: We have ran the rhumb line from Rose Island Harbor to Allens Key without a problem and we draw 6'7" It was a few years ago, but I don't remember needing to dodge anything.

If you stay at the marina on Highbourne, you have access to the resort ashore. We waited out a frontal passage there, and it was a nice stop. But only you can decide if it's worth the money to you. https://fetchinketch.net/2019/01/27/highborne-cay/

Double votes for the Park.
https://fetchinketch.net/2019/02/03/more-on-exuma-park/

I second LowCountry, but, I have the same impression you do about the Yellow Banks as an overrated threat, after having crossed it a few times. The last time there, I made it a point to ask every single Bahamian and boat I saw, if they knew of anyone who had ever hit a reef crossing the Yellow Banks. I never found a one.

[neworleansrich]

We were just there. It seems the charter industry has decamped the Abacos and reestablished itself in the northern Exumas. Their base is Palm Cay Marina in Nassau. All anchorages from Ship Channel Cay to Waderick Wells are now stuffed with happy cruisers.

South of Waderick they thin out, but if the weather is settled many try to make it down to Staniel Cay.

[BahamaMomma]

Oh my goodness, you all are so incredibly kind. Lowcountry, Thank you, Thank you for your very detailed and extremely helpful comments. We couldn't have hoped to get such detailed advice, but we are so thankful you were willing to take the time to share. Everyone else, thank you also for your comments and additional advice. Words cannot express how very grateful we are to you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

[longhorn]

For us Shroud Cay was the jewel of the exumas. Take your dinghy up the north mangrove creek and to the ocean side. There's a beach right before it exists where you can land it. Everything about that excursion was majestic. Hopefully it's not ruined by the guests of a 400 foot superyacht with their big center console and jetskis doing donuts in the rage of the mouth of the creek.

Staniel was packed when we were there last month. Every day there were multiple fast boats that had 10-20 guests that zoomed through the anchorage to either the pigs or thunderball.

[Lowcountry]

Originally Posted by longhorn

For us Shroud Cay was the jewel of the exumas. Take your dinghy up the north mangrove creek and to the ocean side. There's a beach right before it exists where you can land it. Everything about that excursion was majestic. Hopefully it's not ruined by the guests of a 400 foot superyacht with their big center console and jetskis doing donuts in the rage of the mouth of the creek.

Staniel was packed when we were there last month. Every day there were multiple fast boats that had 10-20 guests that zoomed through the anchorage to either the pigs or thunderball.

The pigs have ruined Big Majors/Staniel Cay.

[a64pilot]

The pigs have been there for a looong time, I guess it’s the last few years they have become popular?
I guess 20 years ago we were there on a dive boat in the middle of Summer and it was almost deserted, not now.
But unless you just want to say you saw the pigs, if time is short give Big Majors a skip.
There isn’t much at Compass either, except for feeding / petting the Nurse sharks, which in my opinion beats the pigs, and when we were there, there was no one else.
It’s also a good place to sit out weather if needed.
There is a fee for going ashore, it’s not much and your not getting rid of trash there, they will but the fee is exorbitant.
Of course no trash disposal or water available at the park either.
Fuel and water at Staniel
I’d plan on keeping the trash as your only gone a week, it’s not worth trying to find a place or get rid of it.
Also don’t plan on being able to buy much of anything, be sure to take all food etc when you leave, that way you won’t be spending any part of your week searching out supplies.

The park is a must, everything else as time allows, there are also Iguana’s that will come up to you on one of the islands I forget which.
When we were at the park there were squadrons of big spotted Eagle rays that would cruise by under the boat in formation, they were so big that at first I thought they might have been Manta’s

[Woodland Hills]

If you are sailing out of Palm Cay there is an excellent Solomon’s supermarket a couple of miles away, if out of Nassau the Solomon’s Fresh Market is very good with more organic produce, but is also more expensive. The expats all drive to the Solomon’s on the East End. There is also a very large Fresh Market over in the pricy West End to service all the mansions and gated communities there, but we didn’t try it.
Either way they are comparable to a us supermarket with higher prices and some different brands.

[GordMay]

There are numerous Iguanas on Allen's Cay, Leaf Cay, and Bitter Guana Cay (& perhaps others), in the Exumas.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

The pigs have ruined Big Majors/Staniel Cay.

The 4 legged ones or boating ones?

[Palarran]

I agree that LowCountry nailed it. Of course, the wind may make some of this more difficult or you might need to really search out a different anchor location. There is a Facebook group for Bahamas Cruisers which has a lot of good input if you run into a west wind situation. It can be hard to find a spot unless you pre-plan.

Dinner at McDuffs

[The Traveler]

I'm looking at some of the suggested itineraries (on here and elsewhere) for a 7 day charter out of Nassau and they seem awfully ambitious and optimistic. These are 20-60+ mile days. Am I missing something? I'm all for getting underway early and enjoying some good sailing but this is a lot to ask of the crew and doesn't leave much room for weather.

Would the trip be worth it if we just fit in Nassau, Norman Cay, Waderick Wells, and Shroud Cay? This still requires long days crossing from Nassau but the rest of the legs are about 20.

Biggest priority for us is snorkeling and beautiful anchorages but a few restaurants or shore experiences would be nice also.