The Bahamas archipelago consists of more than 3,000 islands, cays, and rocks, and stretches 590 miles from northwest to southeast.

As a cruising destination, the Bahamas are probably the most popular and best known in the world, but they are also an ideal location for exploration in small craft. With their shoal draft, small boats can navigate the numerous shallow mangrove creeks, and with their light weight they can be portaged or carried up the beach.

There are many beautiful and pristine locations, particularly in the “out islands,” that can be reached by cruising boats, but are best explored by dinghies and small craft, including kayaks. A few of my favorites include Bennets Creek on Cat Island, North Bight in Andros, Normans Cay and Cave Cay in the Exumas, Joes Sound in Long Island, the shallow north coast and Bight of Crooked Island, the intricate back passages of the Berry Islands, and the Exumas Land and Sea Park.

One can explore the spawning grounds of mangrove snapper, baby sea turtles, bird hatcheries, the shallow flats of baby conch, and turquoise tidal pools in pink sand beaches where you can recline in a natural bathtub while warm water flows over you with the ebb tide. We also use our dory and kayak extensively for snorkeling and fishing. I spend many pleasant hours anchored or drifting over extensive coral reefs with a handline baited with a piece of conch on my hook.

Reuel B. Parker

Above—While the Bahamas are a well-known cruising destination for large boats, they also present great opportunities for exploration in small boats. Inset—Shoal-draft cruisers can get to the Bahamas on their own bottoms, and nose right up to a sandy beach.

We dive from our dory by exiting and re-entering her over her transom. I carry a 6′-long “Hawaiian sling” surgical-tubing-powered spear for fishing, as mechanized spear guns are illegal in the Bahamas (to give the poor fish a chance). We also collect conch and spiny crayfish (Bahamian lobster).

I cannot recommend the Bahamas highly enough as a destination for small boats. If you cruise there in a vessel under 30′ in length, the entrance fees including visas, cruising permit, and fishing license are only $100—a third of the fees for larger boats. These islands are ideal for beach cruising, kayaking, and exploring by small boat. And they are only 50 miles from the U.S.!

Resources

Explorer Chartbooks provides detailed cruising information and charts for boating in the Bahamas, and its website includes numerous links to information on customs, regulations, and other necessary trip-planning details.

Ready to plan your next small boat cruise?

Read our guide on choosing the right destination for your trip where we share some other top small-boat destination ideas.