Anchoring in Exuma Park: where you can anchor, fees and speed rules

Anchoring inside Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park is not free and not unrestricted. The Bahamas National Trust sets out where the hook may go down, how fast you may move around once it does, and what you pay. This page puts those rules in one place for skippers who prefer to anchor, or who arrive to find the mooring fields full.

Where you cannot anchor

Anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs and certain other designated areas within Exuma Park¹.

The rule covers several kinds of place. The mooring fields are closed to anchors, so if no ball is free you look elsewhere rather than dropping the hook among the balls. Coral reefs are closed too. The last category, “certain other designated areas”, is not listed by name. When you plan an anchorage, check the chart and any signs, and call the park office on VHF channel 09 if you are unsure³.

For how the balls themselves work, including why the park takes no reservations, read the guide to moorings in Exuma Park.

What anchoring costs

The Trust charges anchorage by the foot of your boat, per day, in Bahamian dollars (BSD). VAT of 10% is added at checkout².

Boat length (private vessel)	Rate per foot	Example
Under 90 feet	BSD 0.45 + VAT	40 ft boat: BSD 18.00 before VAT2
90 feet and above	BSD 0.91 + VAT	100 ft boat: BSD 91.00 before VAT2

Charter vessels pay a surcharge per person on top of the anchorage fee². The park fees and mooring fees page has the charter rates, the mooring table and the other park charges, so they are not repeated here.

Anchorage fees are paid through ParkPay, the same system used for mooring fees². The Trust’s ParkPay page is the place to confirm current rates before you pay.

Speed rules in anchorages

All vessels, including dinghies and jet skis, must operate at idle speed in any mooring field or anchorage¹. The rule covers the tender you use to go ashore, not just the mother ship. Run the dinghy slowly past neighboring boats and keep the wake down.

Jet skis are required to stay at least 300 yards off any moored or anchored vessel¹.

The dinghy rules page collects the speed and landing rules for tenders in one place.

Shroud Cay tidal creeks

Shroud Cay has its own rule for small boats. The north tidal creek on Shroud Cay is a strict idle speed, no wake zone¹. Motorized vessels are prohibited from entering any of the other tidal creeks in Shroud Cay¹. That means you do not take a motor dinghy up those creeks, whatever the tide.

Before you drop the hook

A short sequence keeps you inside the rules. Pre-payment holds nothing, so settle on a plan before you pay²:

• Check whether a ball is free first. Fields outside Warderick Wells are first come, first served, and Warderick Wells asks for a call on VHF channel 09 first (see the mooring guide)².
• If you anchor, stay out of the mooring field and off any reef.
• Run the dinghy at idle speed around the anchorage¹.
• Pay for your anchorage in ParkPay².

Park rules also include the no-take zone: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering. The park rules page and the no-take zone guide cover those. For the wider picture of cruising the islands, start from the Exumas boating hub.

Choosing an anchorage

Because the mooring fields and reefs are off limits, pick a spot clear of the balls and clear of any coral you can see from the bow. Then open ParkPay, choose the anchorage product that matches your length, and pay for the days you plan to stay².

Anchoring outside the park

The park rules above apply inside the park boundary. Outside it, other anchorages in the Exumas have their own conditions. Plan the route first: the Exuma Bank or Exuma Sound guide and the weather windows guide help you choose where to be each night, and the cuts and tides guide covers the passages between anchorages.