Leaving in two weeks from west palm to west end. Any suggestions were to leave the truck and trailer in west palm? Do I need to uses circle hooks throughout the Bahamas? Any other advice would be appreciated
PM skinneej! He knows all about it.
PS; You have your coast’s mixed up!
Check Lake Park Marina near West Palm. Near inlet and $25/day. 24-hr security and decent area. Straight shot to West End about 60 miles… did it 3 weeks ago. Bottom fish/snorkel/spear a few miles north of West End where the bank comes up, goes from 1,200 ft to 15 ft in a short distance. Also troll there.
Thanks JIYC tiger! They don’t take reservations. Any trouble with it full?
lots of people cross from Sailfish Marina in West Palm Beach, nice place.
Hey Incompletely, I’ve made the crossing a handful of times. There is no circle hook requirement in the Bahamas. My boat stays at a marina, so I don’t know about long term parking, but I would be very careful where you parked your vehicle and not leave anything valuable in your car.
You can get a copy of the laws when you check-in but a few things to remember:
<> You don’t want to be caught with a gun or ammo unless you declare it.
<> You aren’t supposed to fish in Bahamian waters until you clear customs
<> Bring lot’s of cash. Depending on how long your boat is and how many people you have on board, customs fees are going to be a couple hundred to a few hundred dollars (CASH - No credit card).
<> It’s hard to get stuff in West End. Bring extra oil, extra water, drinks, etc. Don’t count on getting anything from there. Fuel is expensive, but you can get ice if needed.
<> Do not have SCUBA on your boat if you are fishing. Do not have spear guns on your boat. Only hawaiian sling and pole spear are allowed (freediving only) and you must tell the customs agent that you plan to spear fish. It won’t cost extra, but he will write “OK to spear” on your fishing permit.
<> Last I was there the limit was 18 pelagics per boat. For benthic species, it’s 20 fish or 60lbs of fish whichever is the most restrictive. That’s PER BOAT (not per person). For instance, you could not have 20x 10lb grouper on board. You could have like 20 yellowtails, or 3x 20lb grouper… The only fish that actually has a season is Nassau grouper and lobster. Their seasons run opposite each other. Pretty much anything else is in season and there aren’t really any size limits (except for conch, Nassau grouper, lobster). Also, it’s not a “per day” or a “per person” limit. That is the maximum allowed on the boat. Even if you have been there a month, and you get stopped on the way back, you had better not have more than 18 pelagics or 60lbs of “scalefish” (benthics) on the boat. The idea
Good advice from skineej.
quote:
Bring lot's of cash. Depending on how long your boat is and how many people you have on board, customs fees are going to be a couple hundred to a few hundred dollars (CASH - No credit card).
Amen to that, and be prepared to grease the skids with a little extra. The customs and immigration folks expect to be tipped. Also if you come in late, they charge overtime rates after 5 and on weekends, and will stall you until after 5 if possible.
As to the guns, they encourage you to come armed, but they count every bullet and shell when you come in, and again when you leave, so don’t do any target practice 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Oh yeah, almost forgot… Larry is right about the guns. They will count your bullets and expect you to check back in. The check back in part is why we do not carry firearms there. If you do not have a firearm, you do not have to “clear out” of the Bahamas, only check in. Be aware that you MUST check back in with US customs when you come back into the USA before you step foot on the dock. This also means that unless you have the “Local Boater Option” card, then you will be required to physically visit a US Customs office within 24 hours of your arrival. I typically make my friends, register online (https://svrs.cbp.dhs.gov/) the WEEK BEFORE they come down, and set up their “interview” the DAY BEFORE our trip. Doing so, will mean that you can file a float plan electronically with the SVRS before you go and then you can check-in electronically when you come back (i.e. no visit to Customs every time you come back to US, only phone call).
You also need a Florida fishing license when crossing back into US waters if you bring fish home.
You are also supposed to carry the YELLOW quarantine nautical flag and by flying that once you hit Bahamian waters, and you would have that displayed until you are checked in. Technically Bahamian waters starts HALF WAY (not 12 miles) between FL and Bahamas, but we don’t put our yellow flag up until we come off of plane going into the marina.
Also, no more than 6 rods fishing at once…
Good info to know. I’ve always wanted to make the crossing in my 22’ mako. My biggest concern would be navigation, I’ve heard not to trust your gps. And if you’re using a compass, how do you compensate your course for the stream current? Obviously I’m retarded when it comes to navigation. Also why can’t I carry my SCUBA tanks over, and fish?
1982 MITCHEL CC 18’ FOR SALE http://greenville.craigslist.org/boa/3560767324.html
1971 NEWPORT DAYSAILER 21’
1970 MAKO CC 22’
quote:Because they will assume that you are spearing on scuba which is illegal in the Bahamas. Remember, it's not the USA. There is no concept of "innocent until proven guilty". The concept over there is "arrest his ass and throw him in jail until the magistrate comes back from his vacation". You could probably drop your SCUBA off at the hotel, but I wouldn't have them on the boat at the same time.
Originally posted by BREEZE1Also why can’t I carry my SCUBA tanks over, and fish?
A 22’ boat is a bit small for an overnight trip in the Bahamas. The distance really isn’t that far. I typically leave out of Boynton Inlet and it’s 57nm to West End which is about the same distance from the Charleston Jetties to the SW Banks. When I come back, I usually go straight from Memory Rock to Lake Worth Inlet which is about 46nm. The sketchy part is that when you stay over night you will be asleep at some point and not watching the weather. How many days have you seen a nice weather forecast only to have to cancel when you wake up in the morning? It’s easy to get “trapped” over there.
Also, since the Gulfstream is always flowing from S to N, you have to take a NE wind seriously (which is blowing in the opposite direction and can make things a bit more hairy).
I got stuck in West End one time for 10 days because of bad weather, and that was on a 32’ sailboat. We got our buts kicked bad that trip! That being said, I’ve made the crossing several times in my 18’ skiff with my wife. The weather is usually settled and predictable in mid summer.
Like skinny said, fly your Q flag on the starboard rigger when entering. After clearing customs you replace it with a Bahama courtesy
flag. When you first tie up, only the Captain can leave the ship until they are done extorting you.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Isn’t there a group crossing they do a few times a summer? I’d prefer to do that on my first time, being that my boat is 22’ with a single 200. I would probably put a kicker on it as well to calm my nerves.
1982 MITCHEL CC 18’ FOR SALE http://greenville.craigslist.org/boa/3560767324.html
1971 NEWPORT DAYSAILER 21’
1970 MAKO CC 22’
No issues with Lake Park being full but we showed up at 8 am (I think it opens at 6 am) on a Friday (we were second trailer in the lot). May be full at 1 pm on a weekend. Lake Park Marina also has shower facilities in the main office by the fuel dock for when you return. There is also a Winn-Dixie right there in the parking lot and you can buy ice/bait at the marina. Besides last month on a little boat, I’ve taken a big boat from Lake Park twice a few years back and left my vehicle there for a week each time - Never any problems. And that inlet is one of the better ones I’ve been through in Florida. Last year, parked/left trailer at Harbourtowne Marina in Ft. Lauderdale (headed to Bimini then the Berrys). That was only $6/day with better facilities, but you only go down there if going further south, not Grand Bahama.
Of all the places I’ve checked into customs in the Bahamas, West End (Old Bahama Bay) last month was the fastest and easiest I’ve ever been through. The Bahamian dudes liked our 22 ft SC registered boat and they bumped us ahead in the customs line and we basically cut two Sporties and 2 cabin cruisers (FL registered) that had been ahead of us. Just don’t rush them and be cool, and the Bahamians dudes will like you better than the south florida yankees.
Have Fun and explore. If you want a 1 or 2 day adventure from West End, check out Grand Cay (Rosies) and Double Breasted Cays (nothing but sand) to the north.
Also Great Sale Cay would make a nice full day excursion from West End (about 50 miles, 20 ft deep water), as it is supposed to have very nice anchorage and snorkeling; Unfortunately we had to rush past it to outrun a thunderstorm, but that is on my to do list for next time in the area.
Thanks for all the great info! We are leaving Sunday for a 4 night stay at OBB. We were thinking of venturing to the Abacos but decided to get some experience before that journey. We have all the flags, good to know when to start flying it. Planning on being back midday Thursday. Is there a US customs office accessible by water or do you have to go to the airport or somewhere?
The closest one is in Palm Beach, but I have not been there. The next closest is in Miami.
Probably too late for your pending trip, but if you register with the Small Vessel Reporting System, all you have to do is call their number when you return to the U.S. and you are done - No visit to customs/immigration required.