Florida to the Exumas by boat: Gulf Stream crossing, route, days and first port of entry

Florida to the Exumas is a coastal hop, a river crossing and a string of island legs. The river is the Gulf Stream, and it decides your departure day. Everything after it is shorter legs between Bimini, Chub Cay, Nassau and Highbourne Cay.

How do you get a boat from Florida to the Exumas?

The usual line for a boat leaving Miami runs east across the Gulf Stream to Bimini, then on to Chub Cay and Nassau, then east out of Nassau Harbor to Highbourne Cay in the Exumas¹.

Leg	What to expect
Miami to Bimini	Across the Gulf Stream, typically about 8 hours sailing or powering, per Leopard Catamarans1
Bimini to Chub Cay	The last 14 miles of the leg run to the anchorage off Chub Cay1
Chub Cay to Nassau	Nassau is a designated port of entry for clearing in6
Nassau to Highbourne Cay	Leave Nassau Harbor eastbound and pick your way down the channel by Athol Island1

Bimini lies about 50 miles due east of Miami and is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States⁸. Highbourne Cay is the gateway to the Exumas¹. The Nassau to the Exumas by boat page covers the passage from Nassau, and the 7-day Exumas cruising itinerary shows how boats usually spend the week after you arrive.

How long does it take to boat from Florida to the Bahamas?

Leopard Catamarans says you should be able to go from Miami to Bimini in about eight hours, whether sailing or powering¹. For Miami to Highbourne Cay in the Exumas it says to plan four days of sailing or motoring without sailing at night, and to spread those days out rather than packing them in¹. Those are one cruising blog’s planning figures for a catamaran route, so add your own margin for boat speed and weather.

How strong is the Gulf Stream, and how do you cross it?

The Gulf Stream is a strong, warm current flowing north between mainland Florida and the Bahamas¹. Wikipedia gives its typical width as about 100 km (62 mi)⁷. The sources describe its speed differently, so here is each figure with its author.

• Leopard Catamarans: the average speed is three knots but may reach six in the middle¹.
• NOAA Coast Pilot 5: a characteristic average surface speed on the order of 2.5 knots, increasing to about 4.5 knots off Cape Florida where the channel is narrowest².
• NOAA Coast Pilot 5: the greatest velocity is between Carysfort Reef and Jupiter Inlet, ranging from 2 to 4.5 knots².

Leopard Catamarans says the stream will push you north about three miles for every hour you are in it¹. Plot your course aiming at a point south of Bimini and hold your compass heading across the stream¹. For a Miami crossing it says to expect 6 to 7 hours in the stream with an average speed of six knots¹. The Coast Pilot says that when crossing at Jupiter or Fowey Rocks an average allowance of 2.5 knots in a north direction should be made for the current². It also warns against fixing your position from ship speed plus a supposed rate of current².

The stream does not stay put. The Coast Pilot says its wavelike meanders propagate east at about 3 to 5 miles per day². Between Fowey Rocks and Jupiter Inlet its inner edge lies very close to the shoreline². The National Weather Service in Miami publishes the approximate location of the stream’s west wall with its marine forecast, so read the live product before you go³.

What wind and weather should you wait for?

Wind against the stream is the danger. Leopard Catamarans says any northerly wind opposing the north-flowing current makes large, steep waves, and advises making sure there has been no northerly component to the wind for 24 hours before crossing¹.

Forecasts move quickly. A National Weather Service Miami product dated 14 October 2026 listed sustained winds of 25 to 30 knots and seas of 10 to 14 feet through the early part of that week³. That is one dated example, not a seasonal norm.

Hurricane season adds a hard rule. The National Hurricane Center names the Gulf Stream as one of the two most prominent areas of danger for mariners in a hurricane⁴. Winds of tropical storm or hurricane force opposing any ocean current can quickly create very steep, short-period waves⁴. Never plan to cross the track of a hurricane⁴. The weather windows guide covers fronts, swell and the forecast sources.

Where do you clear in first when you arrive by boat from Florida?

Your first stop in the Bahamas must be a designated Port of Entry^5,6. For a boat on this route that means one of these⁶:

• Bimini, including Bimini Sands Marina and Weech’s Marina⁶
• Chub Cay, at Chub Cay Marina⁶
• Nassau, including Nassau Yacht Haven⁶

Chub Cay operates as a private, members-only club with a resort and marina⁹. Bahamas Customs also lists Emerald Bay Marina and Exuma Yacht Club Marina as designated ports of entry in the Exumas⁶. Plan your first landfall around that list. The ports of entry guide goes through the full list, the clearing customs guide walks through the online entry, the permit and the fees, and the cruising permit cost table prices the permit by boat length.

What is there to plan once you reach the Exumas?

Highbourne Cay is the gateway to the Exumas¹. Which cuts you use to cross between the Bank and the Sound is covered in the cuts and tides guide. The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park has its own daily mooring and anchoring rates, listed in the park fees guide. If you would rather skip the passage, see how to get to Exuma Park by other routes, and use the getting there hub to compare them.

These pages are not a substitute for charts, forecasts and local knowledge.