Catamaran Charter Bahamas
The Bahamas offers 700 islands, a shallow-water palette that shifts from jade to deep cobalt, and prevailing trade winds that make passage-making between the Exumas, Abacos, and Berry Islands genuinely pleasurable rather than just scenic.
Catamarans Available in Bahamas
Browse our selection of catamarans available for charter in Bahamas.
Bareboat Catamaran TURQUOISE
Lagoon 39 · 2014
From
€3k/week
Bareboat Power Catamaran HAUMEA
Catamaran Motor Yacht MY37
From
$3k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 400 S2
Lagoon 400 S2 · 2014
From
€4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Bali 4.0
Bali 4.0 · 2017
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Bali Catspace
Bali Catspace · 2020
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lipari 41
Lipari 41 · 2012
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran DAISY
Fountaine Pajot 45 · 2023
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran INCOMMUNICADO
Lagoon 450 · 2013
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lady Gaby
Lagoon 40
From
$4k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Andante
Lagoon 400 S2
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Blue Butterfly
Lagoon 380 · 2018
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Bali 4.3
Bali 4.3 · 2018
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40
Lucia 40 · 2018
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 450 Owner Version
Lagoon 450 · 2014
From
€5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 400 S2
Lagoon 400 S2 · 2013
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42
Astrea 42 · 2019
From
$5k/week
Luxury Crewed Catamaran BEACH BOOMER I
Aquila 44 · 2011
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran C`EST BON
Lagoon 42 · 2021
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 42
Lagoon 42 · 2018
From
$5k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 450
Lagoon 450 · 2016
From
€6k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Lagoon 450 F Luxe
Lagoon 450 F Luxe · 2017
From
€6k/week
Bareboat Catamaran LU CASA
Bali 4.1 · 2019
From
$7k/week
Bareboat Catamaran SAMOA
Bali 4.3
From
$7k/week
Bareboat Catamaran Bali 4.1
Bali 4.1 · 2019
From
$7k/week
Other Vessel Types in Bahamas
Chartering a catamaran in the Bahamas is one of the most logistically sensible decisions a charterer can make. The Bahama Bank's average depths of three to six metres reward a platform with minimal draught, and the wide, sundrenched cockpits and flybridge layouts of modern cruising cats convert directly into usable social space the moment the anchor drops over a sand bore. The region's prevailing south-easterly trade winds, typically 12 to 20 knots between November and May, produce day sails of two to four hours between anchorages, leaving the bulk of each day for the water.
The archipelago divides neatly into cruising grounds, each with a different character. The Exuma Cays deliver the concentrated highlights: cut anchorages, swimming pigs, nurse sharks, and the luminous Exuma Sound. The Abacos offer a more classic Caribbean harbour-hopping feel, with loyalist settlements, protected Marsh Harbour, and the legendary Man-O-War Cay boatbuilding tradition. Further west, the Berry Islands provide near-solitude and extraordinary bonefishing. A catamaran with its range, shallow draught, and self-sufficiency handles all three without compromise.
Why Charter in Catamaran charter in Bahamas
The practical case for the Bahamas is built on the Exuma Land and Sea Park, one of the western Atlantic's most rigorously protected marine reserves. The no-take policy has allowed reef fish populations to recover to a density rarely seen elsewhere in the Caribbean basin. Snorkelling and diving directly off the stern ladder, without a tender excursion or dive boat, is the norm here. Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay remains the definitive Bahamian underwater experience: a tidal cave filmed for two Bond films, alive with sergeant majors and glassy sweepers.
Provisioning and logistics are well-organised for the price point. Nassau and Marsh Harbour carry charter-grade provisions, while the marinas at Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Highbourne Cay offer fuel, water, and competent mechanics. Customs clearance is straightforward on arrival at a port of entry, and the Bahamas extends cruising permits that allow extended exploration without daily bureaucracy. The US dollar functions as the local currency with no conversion friction for most charterers.
For guests who want activity variety beyond sailing, the tidal cuts between the Exuma Cays generate strong reversing currents ideal for drift snorkelling, the flats around the Jumentos Cays hold permit and bonefish, and the deep-water wall east of Conception Island drops to over 300 metres within a short dinghy ride of the anchorage. This is not a destination that exhausts itself in a week.
Catamaran charter in Bahamas Highlights
Warderick Wells, Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park - The park headquarters anchorage, mooring-ball only, with boar trails over coral limestone hills and bone-white sandbars that dry at low tide.
Thunderball Grotto, Staniel Cay - A tidal sea cave best entered at slack water, where shafts of light illuminate nurse sharks resting on the sandy bottom and clouds of reef fish.
Pig Beach, Big Major Cay - The swimming pigs have become a cultural institution rather than a novelty; arrive before 10:00 before the day-charter boats from Nassau close in.
Shroud Cay, northern Exumas - A mangrove-channel network navigable by dinghy on a flood tide, leading to a surf-washed ocean beach on the Atlantic side - a strong contrast within one island.
Hope Town, Abaco - A loyalist settlement around a working candy-striped lighthouse, with hand-laid stone streets, a rum punch tradition at the Abaco Inn, and access to the protected Sea of Abaco.
Conception Island - A remote, uninhabited national park anchorage on the eastern Bahama Bank edge, with a deep-water wall, nesting sea turtles from May to October, and almost no vessel traffic outside winter.
Highbourne Cay, northern Exumas - A well-managed private island marina and anchorage that serves as a logical first-night stop southbound from Nassau, with a good provisions store and calm holding.
When to Sail
The Bahamas has a defined high season driven by the northeast trades between December and April, with the hurricane window running June through November and the most agreeable sailing conditions concentrated in the winter and early spring months.
High Season (Jun-Sep)
Paradoxically, summer is locally popular but carries elevated hurricane risk. Between late June and October the trades weaken and wind shifts become more frequent. Temperatures sit around 30-32°C with higher humidity. The upside is significantly reduced anchorage congestion, lower charter rates in certain brackets, and calmer seas that suit guests with limited offshore appetite. Charterers taking the Bahamas in this window should monitor NOAA hurricane tracking actively and ensure their charter contract includes a clear force-majeure repositioning clause. The Berry Islands and southern Exumas offer better shelter options than the exposed northern Abacos during this season.
Shoulder Season (May, Oct)
May is an excellent compromise: the northeast trades are still functioning, the charter fleet has thinned from its February-March peak, and water temperatures reach 27°C for comfortable snorkelling without a wetsuit. October represents the statistical tail of hurricane season and carries more uncertainty, though late October departures from Nassau southward can coincide with the first reliable cold fronts pushing light but consistent northerly flow. Provisioning in both months is straightforward, as full marina services remain operational year-round.
Choosing the Right Yacht
A catamaran is not merely convenient in the Bahamas - it is demonstrably the most capable platform for the environment. Draught of 1.2 to 1.5 metres on a 45- to 60-foot cruising cat opens the majority of Exuma Cay anchorages that remain inaccessible to monohulls of comparable length. The Lagoon 560 and Lagoon 620 represent the larger end of the fleet and suit groups wanting full live-aboard comfort with a professional crew: separate crew quarters, a proper charter galley, and a flybridge that doubles as an observation platform for navigating shallow water by eye. For groups of four to eight guests on a guided-independent basis, the Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 and Bali range offer a more owner-managed scale that keeps charter fees sensible without sacrificing the wide beam and cockpit entertaining space the destination rewards.
Seven Days through the Exuma Cays from Nassau
A suggested week-long charter route
Depart Nassau Harbour by midmorning on a starboard tack with the typical south-easterly 15 knots filling the main. Passage south to Highbourne Cay takes approximately five hours under sail and power combined. Clear customs at Nassau before departure; no further formalities required. Highbourne Cay marina offers fuel, water, and a provisions outlet. Anchor off the north bar for the first swim of the charter.
A 22-nautical-mile run south through Norman's Cay, where a Lockheed Lodestar drug-runner aircraft sits in 5 metres of water just off the beach - a snorkelling stop that needs only the dinghy. Continue to Shroud Cay for the afternoon and dinghy the mangrove creek system on the flood tide to reach the Atlantic beach. Anchor in the deep-water pool south of the island.
Transit to Warderick Wells and secure one of the park mooring balls by VHF reservation made the previous evening. The northern moorings offer shallower water and better light for snorkelling the reef. Walk the Boo Boo Hill trail at dusk for elevated views over the cays. No fishing or spearfishing in the park; all waste out.
Full day at Staniel Cay: dinghy to Thunderball Grotto at the first slack water around 07:30, well ahead of day visitors. Pig Beach on Big Major Cay occupies the late morning. Staniel Cay Yacht Club provides a proper lunch, ice, and one of the more reliable fuel docks in the central Exumas. Anchor off the western shore of Big Major for the night - holding is good sand at four metres.
Push south to Bitter Guana Cay or Great Guana Cay for a quieter day. The iguanas here are habituated and will approach the dinghy on the beach. In the afternoon, continue to Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay, the largest Bahamian settlement in the central Exumas, for fresh bread from Lorraine's bakery - a practical provisioning stop and a genuinely local interaction.
Sail south to the Pipe Creek anchorage system, a shallow maze of sand channels between Compass Cay and Sampson Cay. Morning spent exploring by paddleboard and dinghy. Compass Cay Marina has a population of nurse sharks habituated to swimming with visitors at the dock - a different experience from the park snorkelling. Return north in the late afternoon with the wind now astern for a comfortable reach back to Sampson Cay or Norman's Pond Cay.
Final northbound passage to Nassau, approximately 55 nautical miles. With a typical south-east wind the return is close-hauled on port tack; a catamaran handles this more comfortably than a monohull at the same length. Arrive at Nassau Harbour by late afternoon for provisioning, fuelling, and final guest disembarkation the following morning. Nassau Harbour Club or Albany Marina both accommodate larger cats with crew.
Local Tips
- •Customs and cruising permits are handled at Nassau, Bimini, Freeport, or Marsh Harbour as official ports of entry. The cruising permit is issued vessel-wide and valid for a defined period; ensure your crew list is accurate as amendments require a port-of-entry visit.
- •Provisioning at Nassau (Super Value or AML Foods near Cable Beach) is comprehensive and comparably priced to South Florida. Stock generously before heading into the Exumas; Staniel Cay and Black Point carry basics but not charter-grade quantities of fresh produce.
- •Bahama Bank navigation by eye is standard and expected. Polarised sunglasses are non-optional kit for the helm; coral heads appear as dark shapes against the sand and are read best with the sun overhead and behind you. Charterers unfamiliar with visual depth assessment should plan tidal transits through cuts for rising water.
- •Mooring ball availability in Warderick Wells is limited and is reserved by VHF Channel 09 with the park warden. Call the evening before, not the morning of, to secure a ball. Anchoring is prohibited in the park itself.
- •The conch fritter and cracked conch tradition is real and varies enormously in quality. The most reliable versions are at local settlements rather than marina bars - Black Point, Staniel Cay village, and the shack behind the fuel dock at Great Harbour Cay in the Berrys.
- •US mobile data roaming from major carriers functions reliably across Nassau, the northern Exumas, and the Abacos. Coverage in the southern Exumas and the Jumentos Cays is limited; download Navionics or the Explorer Chartbook app offline before departure and do not rely on cloud-based chart services below Staniel Cay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a captain and crew for a catamaran charter in the Bahamas+
What is the minimum charter budget for a crewed catamaran in the Bahamas+
Which is better for a catamaran charter, the Exumas or the Abacos+
What size catamaran suits a group of eight guests with crew+
Is the Bahamas suitable for inexperienced sailors or guests who have not chartered before+
When should I avoid chartering in the Bahamas+
Speak to a SelectYachts broker to match the right catamaran to your group size, budget, and preferred Bahamian cruising ground.
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