Anchorage grand Bahamas south

Looking for advice on anchorages in the Lucayan canal area.
Plan on crossing to West End and going to Berries from there.
Active Cptn lists a few with limited space.
Looking for experience and advice in this area.
Thanks for your help

I crossed to at night from Lake Worth, entered the cut at West End at daybreak, and then anchored at Mangrove Cay. It's about another 3 hours from West End however IIRC.

cardude01 said:

I crossed to at night from Lake Worth, entered the cut at West End at daybreak, and then anchored at Mangrove Cay. It's about another 3 hours from West End however IIRC.

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That’s the way I’ve gone in the past but headed south to Berries this year.
Thanks

Whoops, sorry. I totally missed the Lucayan canal reference!

So will you cross over to West End, then follow the shoreline south the the canal?

How do the Berry Islands compare the the Abacos (only place I've been so far)?

I've anchored IN the Luc. Waterway near the south terminus. I've anchored between Petersen Cay and the beach, but can't recommend that. I've anchored inside the Lucayan harbour (Port Lucaya) numerous times, but also have got kicked out, so can't recommend that. The best protected anchorage I've found in that area is the inlet one East of Port Lucaya, Fortune bay. I've anchored in view of homes there with no issue. Not a huge amount of privacy until you steam east of Fortune, in any case.
Forgot one. I've tied up in the Oil terminal half way to McCleans Town, and definately can't recommend that one either (too many guns).

You could consider Deep Water Cay. I've put a 42' trawler in there, but dicey for a first timer. And, if the sun is out, you will be constantly buzzed by bonefishing skiffs.

Don't even think about Sweetings Cay. Carries 3.4 feet at dead high water, and even then, not at all straighforward. I've shot it a few dozen times with inboards, but not ever a 42. Not a chance.

Almost the entire south coast of GBI is a minefield of coral, a mile from shore. Beware...

Between December 2016 and March 2017 we anchored inside the southern end of The Grand Lucayan canal 3 times (Choose any basin without homes) and tied to trees on the concrete banks twice, No problems, good holding, very well protected.

I've moored right off the Lucayan canal hundreds of times.....but the boat was 537 feet long.

Benthic2 said:

I've moored right off the Lucayan canal hundreds of times.....but the boat was 537 feet long.

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On a tanker waiting to off load/on load? Or Apollo program.

Cruise ships a bit further West...

Unless there is a storm coming why would you want to spend the night in the canal? No breeze and bugs. Did it once and never again. I found a canal with no home and anchored and tied the stern to the pine trees.

Bigsfish said:

Unless there is a storm coming why would you want to spend the night in the canal? No breeze and bugs. Did it once and never again. I found a canal with no home and anchored and tied the stern to the pine trees.

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Thanks for all the replies guys
Looking to check in at West End spend the night there or in the abandoned development just south. Then onto the canal area next day, one night, next day to Berries.
Bigsfish, where would you recommend other than the canal? Even with good weather doesn’t seem to be an anchorage on the outside?
Not into long passage to the Berries from West End. I like shorter hops 50-60 miles max, will be traveling with a 5kt boat.
Thanks

Panacea123 said:

Not into long passage to the Berries from West End. I like shorter hops 50-60 miles max, will be traveling with a 5kt boat.
Thanks

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Bimini, chub, berries. That's your 50 nm hops. Lots of anchor out possibilities. GBI, not so much. GBI is the wrong combination of too built up and too much non available coastline with that barrier reef.

diver dave said:

Bimini, chub, berries. That's your 50 nm hops. Lots of anchor out possibilities. GBI, not so much. GBI is the wrong combination of too built up and too much non available coastline with that barrier reef.

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Bimini to Chub 85+nm??
Why go from West End to Bimini? Then to Chub

diver dave said:

On a tanker waiting to off load/on load? Or Apollo program.

Cruise ships a bit further West...

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In the early 90's there was a cruise line that had a mooring right outside the Lucaya channel. I worked for them. They were They Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney, before they got their own ships, aka "The Big Red Boat"

I remember the Big red boat, and the sidekick, the little red boat(s). Off of Lucaya/Bell channel, actually. They had a 4 point mooring in about 100' of water, right?

Panacea123 said:

Bimini to Chub 85+nm??
Why go from West End to Bimini? Then to Chub

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My way is more miles, true. But, I would clear at S Bimini via Miami, not West End. Either option will work.
Berries has some North/south to it. If you want Gt. Harbour, then the West End route has merit. But, if its the South end, then consider the Great Bahama Bank crossing. You can anchor out on the bank. No such possibility S of GBI. Its deep water that entire way south.

I get the impression you are an anchor out type of cruiser, and GBI is not set up for that. As noted before, the "protected" anchorages are not official, and you will be wildly dependant on genset and a/c for survival.

Pancea

I would head straight for the Berries, turn the throttle up and make Great Harbor. Depending on what you draw you can head thru the canal and go out south near Sandy Point then a short hop to GB.

diver dave said:

My way is more miles, true. But, I would clear at S Bimini via Miami, not West End. Either option will work.
Berries has some North/south to it. If you want Gt. Harbour, then the West End route has merit. But, if its the South end, then consider the Great Bahama Bank crossing. You can anchor out on the bank. No such possibility S of GBI. Its deep water that entire way south.

I get the impression you are an anchor out type of cruiser, and GBI is not set up for that. As noted before, the "protected" anchorages are not official, and you will be wildly dependant on genset and a/c for survival.

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Want to avoid going south to Miami, hate that area, leaving from Lake Worth, cant fight the Stream from there to Bimini. And yes going to north Berries.
By Wildly defendant on gen and A/C do you mean bugs? And if so in late Nov-Dec?

Bigsfish said:

Pancea

I would head straight for the Berries, turn the throttle up and make Great Harbor. Depending on what you draw you can head thru the canal and go out south near Sandy Point then a short hop to GB.

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Not flowing you.
Where is Sandy Point?