New daily anchoring fees for Exuma Land and Sea Park

[h2ojunke]

Seems a bit much to drop the hook, we will choose to just keep sailin'!

[travellerw]

This would be very similar to the costs to drop anchor in St. John's USVI...

However, what burns my butt is Bahamas charge you $300 for a cruising permit. Personally, I think a cruising permit should include the park fees.

Its a magical place, but I have seen it once and probably won't go back.

[boatman61]

That's what happens when places 'Get on the Map'..

[JC Reefer]

I love the exumas and will go back. Not so sure they will get my anchoring fee though. I’ll see what happens when I go down there but in the last visit I never thought that the exumas has enough man power to enforce such rules.

[sailorboy1]

Last year when I anchor way out due to my draft and dinghies in i was charged a fee.

[rognvald]

The Bahamians have always had a difficult time grasping the importance of cruisers and their tourist dollars to the local economies. We stopped cruising the Exumas back in 2003 since it was becoming a circus and there were many other places that we preferred without the mega yachts and crowds. In economics, people vote with their dollars. I give a "no" vote to the Exumas. Good luck and safe sailing . . . Rognvald

[Vasco]

The park is only a small part of the Exumas. About a 20 mile stretch of the 130 mile long chain. There are many spots more scenic than the park. On our way up and down the chain we seldom anchored in its waters. Once in a while we'd anchor at Shroud. Now we won't even bother.

[406Columbia]

I am a complete newbie to this just to be clear. However, it seems like a poor practice to charge for both a cruising permit and also another daily fee for a cruiser to then use their own equipment at their own risk.

As a few other have mentioned, if they had something they offered in return such as at least a mooring ball perhaps it would be more reasonable. In general I have great distain for any level of government charging fees and providing no service or a service I don't want or use. Unfortunately it seems this is becoming more and more common.

[JC Reefer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Last year when I anchor way out due to my draft and dinghies in i was charged a fee.

So that’s how they get ya. The old watch and wait.

[DotDun]

Interesting how neither their website nor brochure mention boats under 90'. The brochure does state the anchor fee is 'New', but only for boats 90+'.

http://exumapark.org/Portals/0/ECLSP...20Brochure.pdf

https://bnt.bs/exuma-cays-land-sea-park/

[Bean Counter]

They would make more money fining jet skis that shoot up the creek at Shroud Cay - say $500 a pop.

[bumpman]

Greed is like an infectious disease that spreads easily. Now everyone wants more $ for less. But with inflation around the corner and sooner or later an economic downturn, those entities that have promoted 'bad blood' or 'bad feelings' among customers will then be in dire straits. There's the small 1% who will do whatever, but the many rest of us (including the tourists during hard times) will avoid the gougers, who might not make it financially in the long run. That includes businesses as well as governments, especially if they depend on the fragile tourist dollar.

[Vasco]

On top of everything else every morning on the vhf they beg the cruisers for donations.

[Pitchondesign]

I have been to the park HQ, and have had a look at the equipment used to keep the place running. There are three generators, one is completely inoperative and more rust than iron, the second burns more oil than fuel (it needs oil every few hours), and the third leaks oil out of one cylinder, and needs oil only every day. The refrigeration works, but the box is mostly rust. The park boats are barely running. The list goes on and on. The Park employees are not getting lavish salaries. It appears to me they genuinely need money to keep operating. What I don't know how much the park collects and how the money is spent. The Park employees I have met are dedicated and hard working. They are good people. The Park management and their compliment in Nassau I wonder about.

[alansmith]

Can you blame them for foreigners coming into their waters and they want to make a living and feed their families? You think this is the only place that will be doing this? Or do you think that they are an aberration in their request to pay as you use their pristine waters?

I am always amazed at how entitled we become when we use other country's resources and then get all butt hurt when they say they would like compensation for it. Just because you got a free ticket for the last couple of decades (or years) doesn't mean we should get offended that they now want compensation for it. You are crapping in their waters and fishing...and whatever.

This is the real world nowadays. Forget what you got away with for free in bygone days. Sense of entitlement doesn't play well ...and seriously...just be grateful that you got it for free for so many years. Cruising permit is one thing.

Look at the Florida Keyes...those days are long gone also and will never be back what they were in the 70's. All prime time cruising areas will go that way eventually as gov't look for revenue to protect resources and manpower to protect what is rightfully theirs.

I don't think I'm being illogical or unfair to our creed as cruisers. It is just the way it is and not unfair of the Bahamians to do it. My only surprise is why did it take them so long to do it?