Deep draft in the Bahamas

[bes1020]

I imagine that I am not the only one who has spent way too many hours watching Youtube videos of folks in the Bahamas. So many of those boats seem as though they would float in a teaspoon of water. For those of you who have 6" or better of draft; has it in anyway inhibited your Bahama experience?

 

[Wdeertz]

Kadey krogen 52 with single screw and 6’ draft, some of the shallower anchorages I need to anchor out a little farther than someone with a 4-5’ ft but can always find a spot. Went to the ragged islands this year via the Comer Channel which lists a few spots at 1.7m so timed for high tide. Bottom line it’s very doable but there are some routes which you might need to time for the tides.

 

[Dougcole]

Worst thing about a deeper draft would be that it will prevent you from tucking in close to most islands which will expose you to more swell and chop. Also, some of the harbors have shallow entrances, so you would need to anchor out more often. In the Abacos for example, Black Sound on Green Turtle would be very tight to get into with 6', possible, but you would have to be very careful with tides. Same thing with Hope Town. White Sound on Green Turtle carries 6', but you would not want to miss the narrow channel at all.

It would also prevent you from sneaking through some shallower channels which would necessitate longer runs.

If you are OK with those restrictions, it is doable.

 

[SteveK]

What is a doable average draft?

 

[psneeld]

4 Foot is often recommended for Bahamas max draft. It is also a good target for a lot of East Coast US cruising.

Part of that is some skippers want several feet under their keels at all times, others willing to take inches, some like me will sit in/skim over the sand/mud with all things considered, depending on the boat.

Like many things in boating, it's sometimes about perception and lack of flexibility and when it comes to draft, local knowledge/personal experience is usually king.

 

[Larry M]

We traveled from Mayaguana to the Abacos in our 7’ sailboat. The first time we ran into depth issues was in George Town. The Albaco’s was the most restrictive where we bumped several times. We had to pay attention to tides and were limited on our anchorages.

Our last boat was just under 5’ and we did the same trip. It was amazing what that 2’ diference allowed us to do. Getting closer to shore, better anchorages and more harbor accesses just made for less stressful cruising

 

[Dougcole]

4 Foot is often recommended for Bahamas max draft. It is also a good target for a lot of East Coast US cruising.

Part of that is some skippers want several feet under their keels at all times, others willing to take inches, some like me will sit in/skim over the sand/mud with all things considered, depending on the boat.

Like many things in boating, it's sometimes about perception and lack of flexibility and when it comes to draft, local knowledge/personal experience is usually king.

We traveled from Mayaguana to the Abacos in our 7’ sailboat. The first time we ran into depth issues was in George Town. The Albaco’s was the most restrictive where we bumped several times. We had to pay attention to tides and were limited on our anchorages.

Our last boat was just under 5’ and we did the same trip. It was amazing what that 2’ diference allowed us to do. Getting closer to shore, better anchorages and more harbor accesses just made for less stressful cruising

This.

We squeeze into some spots from a depth standpoint that I know many people would not attempt, it all depends on your level of comfort and knowledge. In a calm anchorage I am good with less than a foot under the keel at low tide and I push in close to get more protection all the time.

Shallow draft makes a huge difference, in my opinion, in the quality of the trip. Being anchored 3/4 of a mile outside of the entrance to Black Sound/White Sound GTC getting rolled by every ferry wake (they pass by every 15 to 20 minutes all day), every sportfish or bayliner wake, sitting in the chop when the wind kicks up every afternoon and facing a wet, longish dinghy ride just to go get a goombay smash from Miss Emily's is not my idea of idyllic Bahamas cruising. But there are 6 to 15 deep draft boats anchored out there all the time, so who am I to judge?