Routing question: Nassau to West End, Grand Bahama

[Lowcountry]

Greetings, all. I've been in the Exumas for a couple of months and it's time to sail back to Charleston. We're looking at leaving with weather around January 28th, bound for Old Bahama Bay, then west to Florida or straight to Charleston SC. I'd like to route through NW Channel Light towards Mackie Shoal, turning northward about 20nm east of the shoal and going off the banks into deep water somewhere east of Gingerbread Ground, then sailing NW up to West End. Have any of you ever gone this route? My other option is to sail north from Nassau, staying in deep water, then turning NW once above Great Stirrup Cay. That route is substantially longer, however, and I would prefer the first route I mentioned. Can anyone comment on the viability of the banks route I suggested? Boat is a well-found Mason 44 with 6.5' draft. Explorer charts indicate plenty of water for this. Thanks for the help.

[Lowcountry]

Surely someone here has done this route before. West through NW Channel, then north on Berrys Bank and into deep water at about 78° 30'W longitude. Explorer shows nothing less than 5 meters MLW once beyond the shoal N of NW Channel waypoint. No takers?

[Capt.Alex]

I recently did that route in reverse from west end through the gingerbread grounds to NW channel light and on to Chub Cay. No problem with depths, but we intentionally went through gingerbread grounds to hunt lobsters. That area is full of coral heads and should be avoided in anything less than ideal visibility conditions. Staying E. of the gbread ground you should be fine.

[Lowcountry]

Thank you for the response, capt Alex. My plotter shows that Gingerbread grounds are indeed full of heads, and I have no desire to get close to it. Were you successful in your quest for lobster?