April 2021 in Exumas; recommendations?

[Cool Hand Luke]

We are doing a Moorings bareboat charter on a Moorings 4500 catamaran in April. Any recommendations on itinerary, destinations, etc.?

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

-Lukas

[AllenRbrts]

How long is your charter? Are you starting in Nassau?

[dougweibel]

More info please. I can tell you what I'd do, but you might rather eat a nice meal out than go kiteboarding, so uninformed advice may not be helpful

[Cool Hand Luke]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

How long is your charter? Are you starting in Nassau?

It's 6 full days... Wednesday to Tuesday. First night is mandatory in Moorings marina. Yes, leaving Nassau from the Moorings marina -> going to Highbourne Cay most likely as first stop.

Originally Posted by dougweibel

More info please. I can tell you what I'd do, but you might rather eat a nice meal out than go kiteboarding, so uninformed advice may not be helpful

As mentioned above... 6 full days. Looking to definitely hit up the "pig" beaches and the "iguana" beaches. Definitely go by the "sunken Escobar drug plane" and whatever else is worthy to see. My crew is looking to go a lot of snorkeling and some nice beaches. We'd like to do some fishing along the way. Some grilling off the back of the boat.

Would love to visit some mom-and-pop restaurants and bars... very low key...

Thank you

P.S. It'll be my first time doing a bareboat charter in Bahamas... I've done 3 in BVIs, 2 in St. Martin, 1 in St. Lucia, 1 in Belize, and 2 in Thailand.

[dougweibel]

Well, for a one week charter I'd say seeing the pigs at Big Majors is more or less your turn-around point. For first timer's I'd say try to get these in (not in order):

• Anchor at Big Majors. Hit pig beach and Thunderball Grotto.
• Pick up a mooring at Warderick Wells, preferably in the mooring field by the office. Good snorkelling and hiking.
• Anchor at Shroud Cay (north anchorage). Take your dingy through the mangrove creek. Hop out to swim with the turtles. Continue on to the beach on the Exuma sound side
• Anchor or pick up a mooring at O'briens Cay. Snorkel the airplane there at low tide. There are a ton of airplanes to snorkle in the Exumas and once you've sen one.... However, the coral here is great.
• Choose an anchorage close enough to dingy in to Compass Cay marina and swim with the nurse sharks.

That is more or less the list we do when we have guests aboard in the northern Exumas.

We are very far from expert fishermen/women but we never have any luck fishing on the banks side. If you are traveling on the Exuma Sound side throw out some lines when you get deeper than 150'. Shallower and we catch too many barracuda.

There is not much in the way of mom-and-pop restaurants or bars in the northern Exumas unless you count marinas. Previous years there was a fundraiser fish fry weekly at Staniel Cay but probably not this year with Covid

[Cool Hand Luke]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

Well, for a one week charter I'd say seeing the pigs at Big Majors is more or less your turn-around point. For first timer's I'd say try to get these in (not in order): ......

Thank you soooooooo much!! I'll make a rough itinerary based on all of the above! I'll post it when I'm done.

Thanks, again

[chris mac]

For iguanas, your best bet is leaf and Allen's cays up by highbourne.
You can anchor there, but it does fill up. It is an easy dingy ride from highbourne as long as the wind isnt too high.

[sailorboy1]

Well I have been "trapped" here at Big Majors for basically 10 days with looking like 7 more to go. If starting from Nassau with 6 days you could try to see:
- Allen Cay iguanas
- Norman's plane
- Cambridge/Compass Cay, Sea Aquarium & Rocky Dungas
- Hawksbills Cay ruins (not much really)
- Big Major swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto
- Shroud Cay, Warderick Wells

good luck
-

[Lowcountry]

Research what you want to do in the Exumas, make a plan to do it all, then cut that plan in half and try to do that. So many people approach a week in the Exumas with too much ambition. The weather will likely preclude you from doing everything you want to do.

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well I have been "trapped" here at Big Majors for basically 10 days....
-

Same, only at Great Harbor Cay in the Berrys. It looks like Saturday we will be able to make our way south to Nassau then to Highborne cay.

[wathey]

We're all stuck down here somewhere... In George Town but am thinking about braving the sound Saturday and moving over to cat to change the horizon from which I watch the wind whip.

[Cheechako]

6 days isn't much. Don't try to do too much, just pick stops down the island chain short of exiting for Georgetown. G-town is too far for that charter. Do you have a guide?

[dougweibel]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Do you have a guide?

I think this meant guidebook?

We use this one regularly - https://www.amazon.com/Exuma-Guide-3rd-ed/dp/1892399318

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

I think this meant guidebook?

We use this one regularly - https://www.amazon.com/Exuma-Guide-3rd-ed/dp/1892399318

Yes, guidebook. Just read up and decide, short trips from Nassau down the chain. Should be a lot of fun.

OP: April is nearing the time the "thimble " jelly fish come out in droves. For sure by May. They are about the size of a large sewing thimble and red. They can make you itch, but it isn't bad stings. Still, some people are bothered more than others. A "thin skin" diving suit type of thing works very well to avoid this.

[jim King]

Ditto on all the spots mentioned. If you stay in Allen Cay to feed the Iguanas don't anchor in the pass between Allen and Leaf Cay for the night as there is a pretty intense tidal swing in the middle of night that will turn you completely around and could dislodge your anchor and set you adrift in this fairly narrow passage. We drug anchor at 2 in the morning as did two other boats in this passage. Better to drop anchor in the middle of the nice bay in U Cay just 200 meters away. It actually had more iguanas and better snorkeling.
My favorite anchorage was off Long Cay where we dingyed over to the passage between Long Cay and Lobster Cay. You can do a drift dive off your dingy over the best snorkeling in the Exumas. Not many people know of this snorkeling spot as it does have about a 1 to 2 knot current during the tidal swings. It makes for an effortless snorkeling. Just don't let anyone drift more than 50' away from the dingy because off the current. Also the anchorage off Long Cay was one the most peaceful on the cruise.