The Bahamas Parliament has enacted the Port Authorities (Amendment) Bill of 2025, which introduces significant changes to maritime regulations and fees effective July 1, 2025.

The bill has new requirements for foreign vessels 50 feet or over in length. Section 40B of the bill mandates these boats now be equipped with a functioning Automated Identification System (AIS) that must remain turned on whether docked, traversing or passing through the nation’s waters.

Non-compliance for this rule will result in a fine of up to $1,000.

Under Regulation 91, the bill increases Temporary Cruising Permit fees. For a period not exceeding 12 months, the new fees are:

• Vessels not exceeding 34 feet in length: $500
• Vessels exceeding 34 feet but not exceeding 100 feet in length: $1,000
• Vessels in excess of 100 feet in length: $3,000 

These fees will cover cruising permits, attendance fees for customs officers, and overtime and travel expenses for immigration officers. The fees do not apply to ancillary equipment being towed or on board, excluding tenders over 25 feet, which will have a $500 fee for up to 12 months. 

If a pleasure vessel carries more than three passengers, each additional passenger aged six or older, who is not an ordinary resident of the Bahamas, will be subject to a $30 tax. The fee for a pleasure vessel allows for two entries into the Bahamas within a 30-day period. 

Foreign pleasure vessel fishing permit fees are also now $100 for vessels up to 34 feet and $300 for vessels over 34 feet.

A new Frequent Digital Cruising Card (FDCC) will be available under Regulation 89B. The FDCC will be valid for two years and permit unlimited visits. 

Requirements include reporting to customs upon each entry, obtaining a Pleasure Craft Request (PCR) number for subsequent voyages, payment of all applicable fees and linking the vessel’s registration number to the FDCC. 

The FDCC aims to streamline processing and reduce paperwork. FDCC fees are:

• Vessels not exceeding 34 feet in length: $1,500 
• Vessels exceeding 34 feet but not exceeding 100 feet in length: $2,500 
• Fees for vessels exceeding 100 feet in length are stated as $8,000 in one source, while another notes that FDCC pricing for vessels over 100 feet is not yet specified.

Proposed anchorage fees for foreign vessels not mooring at a marina have been amended under regulation 91B:

• Vessels not exceeding 34 feet: $200 
• Vessels exceeding 34 feet but not exceeding 100 feet: $350 
• Vessels exceeding 100 feet: $1,500 

Other regulations include changes to Seabed Lease (Section 41A), where individuals or entities undertaking activities affecting the seabed must apply for a lease of up to 25 years. Unauthorized use can lead to a $50,000 per acre penalty or imprisonment. 

A new section (28A) allows the country’s transport minister to enter agreements for lighthouse and navigational structure upkeep. New Marine Traffic Regulations (Section 6A) empower the minister to establish anchorage zones, regulate maritime cabotage, manage marine traffic services, implement measures for marine incident prevention and response, and issue navigational warnings.

Some questions for clarification remain, such as the definitive FDCC fees for vessels over 100 feet, the implementation timeline for digital systems, AIS technical specifications and enforcement procedures.

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Florida and the Bahamas can be great charter destinations all year round, and several companies are promoting yachts with dates open this summer.

For starters, Fraser recently announced that the 206-foot Rossinavi Utopia IV has joined the fleet with availability this summer in Florida, the Bahamas and New England.

Utopia IV is a 2018 build that most recently was refitted in 2022. This is a U.S.-flagged vessel, which is why it’s advertised for charter in Florida and New England, in addition to the Bahamas. Utopia IV has several notable spaces on board, including a beach club that spans more than 760 square feet, a master stateroom with a private salon, office and balcony, and a dedicated children’s playroom adjacent to the formal dining area. There’s also a glass-bottom pool on the main deck aft.

Accommodations aboard Utopia IV are for 12 guests in six staterooms. The yacht charters with 13 crew.

Also advertising availability in the Bahamas is the 164-foot Westport Second Love, which recently joined the IYC charter fleet.

Second Love is a 2010 build that most recently was refitted this year, accommodating 12 guests in six staterooms, and chartering with a crew of 10. The master stateroom spans the full beam with a private office, while the bridge-deck VIP stateroom has a private balcony for expansive views. Cruising speed is reportedly 15 knots with a top hop of 25 knots, which is plenty fast for cruising from island to island to check out the beach bars, restaurants and live music.

Yet another yacht advertising Bahamas availability is Lady Elaine, a 163-foot Christensen that’s part of the RJC Yachts charter fleet.

Lady Elaine just announced a reduction in the yacht’s lowest weekly base rate, which previously was $225,000 and is now $200,000. This is a 2008 build that most recently was refitted in 2024, and that previously was known as Casino Royale.

Accommodations aboard Lady Elaine are for 12 guests, and the yacht charters with nine crew. The tenders and toys setup is well-suited for the Bahamas, with a 37-foot Intrepid tender powered by triple 300 hp Yamahas, a quartet of personal watercraft, a trio of Seabobs, and an assortment of paddleboards, kayaks, tow toys, snorkeling and fishing gear, and more.

Looking for a smaller yacht to charter in the Bahamas? Hill Robinson says the 113-foot Ocean Alexander A Salt Weapon is also in these islands this summer, accommodating 10 guests in five staterooms. A Salt Weapon charters with a 36-foot Boston Whaler tender for watersports fun.

How to book a charter on board Utopia IV, Second Love, Lady Elaine or A Salt Weapon: contact a charter broker at fraseryachts.com, iyc.com, rjcyachts.com or hillrobinson.com

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Athos, a 210-foot Holland Jachtbouw that is one of the world’s most impressive sailing yachts, has joined the Fraser charter fleet. The yacht is heading to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda this spring ahead of accepting bookings in the unusual destination of Greenland this summer—part of the current owner’s program of using the yacht to visit remote destinations.

Launched in 2010 from the Dutch shipyard and most recently refitted in 2022, Athos is the world’s largest privately owned two-masted schooner. The amenities listed on board since the time of launch rival what guests find on some power-driven superyachts, with top-quality construction and technology systems.

The award-winning refit was done at Huisfit, which in 2019 took over the Holland Jachtbouw facility where Athos was originally built. The refit included extending the 203-footer to 210 feet by way of the stern overhang.

On deck, the cockpit layouts were redesigned, and a new forward navigation deckhouse was added. New booms, new sails and carbon rigging were installed, and all systems were updated. A considerable amount of the interior was replaced or reconfigured and updated, according to the Huisfit team.

“The multiple modifications to Athos have been beautifully done,” owner’s representative Jeremy “Bear” Wynne said at the time of the refit. “The attention to detail and finish is excellent. The new additions and modifications have not only improved the functionality of the yacht, they have also enhanced the appearance.”

The sheer size of Athos is also notable. The yacht’s main mast towers to about 200 feet in the sky.

The charter team at Fraser says the owner has also added a slew of watertoys to extend adventures in remote locations into all the various harbors, nooks and crannies.

What’s the lowest weekly base rate to charter Athos? It’s $220,000 per week, with a high-season base rate of $235,000.

How to book a week on board: contact a charter broker at fraseryachts.com

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They say life is better in the Bahamas. It’s also about to get bigger, with a residential and marina development called Habacoa that will be able to welcome superyachts as large as 700 feet in its 150-slip marina.

According to the developers, there will also be a 200-vessel dry-stack facility, with an 880-foot turning circle in the basin. Ten of the homesites will have private berths for yachts up to 100 feet long, while additional canal-front lots will have private berths for boats of other sizes.

Zaha Hadid Architects—known for projects such as Infinitus Plaza in Guangzhou, China, and The Opus in Dubai—is designing a 25,000-square-foot members-only yacht club, a nightclub and a casino. Each building will integrate sustainable technologies and use environmentally responsible materials, according to the developers. The site includes an existing deepwater cove, and most excavation is expected to happen on land, minimizing disruption to the shoreline and marine life. Targets for renewable energy include accounting for one-third of the project’s power consumption, taking advantage of the island nation’s substantial sunshine to generate solar power. Rainwater harvesting and a wastewater-recycling plant will add to sustainable water usage.

A spa, wellness center and fitness center will be open to residents and guests, along with shopping, dining and live entertainment. Developers say there will also be “an upscale dedicated crew club” for visiting yachts.

Overall, the project is expected to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the local people of the Abacos, with about 600 of the positions remaining permanent after the development is complete.

Acres of Enticement: Habacoa

The Habacoa development is expected to span 500 acres, surrounded by some 20,000 acres of Abaco National Park. The marina will have on-site customs and immigration services, allowing the property’s resident and visiting yachts a different experience than locations used by other cruisers in the archipelago. The marina will have in-slip fueling, pump-out and utilities, as well as high- and low-tide entry with a 26-foot-deep canal. The yacht club is being designed to serve as a landmark that’s visible to yachts from afar. 

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With 365 cays to choose among, the Exumas chain in the Bahamas offers something for every day of the year. Cruise around the chain’s three major areas—Great Exuma, Little Exuma and the Exuma Cays—to explore its wildlife, sapphire waters, beaches and waterfront dining.

Natural Attractions

Big Major Cay is home to one of the Exumas’ biggest attractions: the world-famous swimming pigs. The 20 or so frequently photographed feral pigs and piglets are the only residents of this uninhabited cay just a short cruise from Staniel Cay. Arrive early to avoid the crowds.

On Allen Cay off Great Exuma, boaters will find a literal mess of its namesake Allen Cays rock iguanas—that’s the term for a group of these scaly creatures. This endangered species can grow up to 4 feet long, but they’re gentle giants.

The 112,000-plus-acre Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in 1957, was the first of its kind in the world and remains a model of marine preservation and biodiversity. A visitors center and hiking trails provide a lay of the park’s land, while moorings make it easy to explore the pristine waters and vibrant reefs. They are part of the second-largest coral barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.

Thunderball Grotto became a requisite dive and snorkel spot in the Exumas after its appearance in two James Bond films. Located just west of Staniel Cay, this underwater cave system teeming with marine life is best entered at ebb tide.

Breathtaking beaches stretch across the entire island chain. The white-powder crescent of Tropic of Cancer Beach straddles its namesake latitude along the coast of Little Exuma. Secluded Cocoa Plum Beach, known for excellent shelling, is a cruisers’ favorite, far easier to access by water than by road. The beaches of Stocking Island, just across from Georgetown’s harbor on Great Exuma, range from tranquil coves to legendary hangouts.

Refuel and Refresh

Visitors from the world over flock to the landmark Chat ’N’ Chill on Stocking Island. This quintessential beach bar, known for a family-friendly vibe, has it all: a sizable drink menu, a delicious Sunday pig roast, freshly made conch salad, live music, volleyball courts, and a chance to feed and swim with stingrays.

Boaters will find a more upscale atmosphere at the Sea Level restaurant at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a longtime hub for cruisers. Reservations are required for dinner, which can include such refined fare as duck confit and rack of lamb.

On Little Exuma, the casual beachfront Santanna’s Bar & Grill is a must-stop for freshly prepared seafood, particularly lobster and grouper dishes. Save some cash and appetite for the adjacent Mom’s Bakery, where the delectable desserts include rum cake, cinnamon rolls and banana bread.  

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As the summer yacht charter season nears its peak, several popular charter fleets have added yachts in destinations all around the world.

In the Bahamas, Fraser just welcomed the 107-foot Burger Silver Seas. It’s a 1998 build that most recently was refitted in 2022, and that will base in the Bahamas all year round. Accommodations are for eight guests in four staterooms that can be set up for families or groups of couples. This yacht charters with an Intrepid tender for watersports fun.

Up in New England, Edmiston has welcomed 168-foot Feadship Acta to the charter fleet. Acta is a 2007 build that accommodates 10 guests in five staterooms. Equipment includes Quantum zero-speed stabilizers for guest comfort at anchor, and the yacht has a wheelchair-accessible elevator and side deck. The master stateroom is on the bridge deck with expansive views.

For charter clients seeking more exotic locales, IYC has just added the 131-foot Westport Rule No. 1 to its fleet, with inquiries being accepted through September 2025 for Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica. Rule No. 1 is a 2011 build that most recently was refitted in 2023, with accommodations for 12 guests in five staterooms. This yacht charters with a 37-foot Freeman tender for fishing, and has toys that include an inflatable slide.

Also available farther afield is the 75-foot Sunreef Diana, a sailing catamaran that’s in French Polynesia as part of the Y.CO fleet. Diana is a 2017 build that just completed a refit this year. The yacht accommodates eight guests in four staterooms. Amenities and crew services include a hot tub, a fitness trainer, a masseuse, a yoga instructor, and various water toys.

In Croatia and the West Mediterranean, the 137-foot Kingship Ocean’s Seven has joined the Fraser fleet. This is a 2012 build that was most recently refitted this year. Interiors on the yacht are by Vripack, with five staterooms for 10 guests. The master spans the full beam on the main deck and has a king-size berth.

Are there any options being advertised for scuba diving? Indeed, Edmiston says the 154-foot Feadship Lady Victoria is still accepting inquiries this summer in the Bahamas, and is offering scuba diving right from the yacht. Accommodations are for 12 guests in six staterooms, with a master that has its own deck and a VIP on the main deck. The swim platform can be extended and raised for diving, or submerged for guests who want to step right into the sea.

How to book a week on board: contact a charter broker at fraseryachts.com, edmiston.com, iyc.com or y.co.

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Two charter-management companies have announced programs that are intended to take the guest experience up a few notches everywhere from the most popular islands of the Bahamas to the remote areas of Indonesia.

Close to home in the United States, the owner of the 121-foot Numarine Amore is offering private jet flights from the East Coast to charters in the Bahamas for the first three weeklong bookings in August. As management company Fraser Yachts says, “What better way to start the trip of a lifetime?”

Amore is a 2022 build with two master staterooms: one on the main deck, and one on the bridge deck. There’s a cinema room belowdecks, and the air-conditioned beach club has its own day head. Tenders and watertoys include a 29-foot Scout, a 16-foot Highfield RIB, Seabobs and an inflatable slide.

On the other side of the world, Aqua Expeditions has announced two new itineraries in Indonesia for 2025. As the company says, these itineraries are in “a region so remote, it can only be experienced by ship.” There’s a 12-night itinerary that includes the Spice Islands, Raja Ampat and West Papua Expedition, and a nine-night West Papua and Asmat Tribe Expedition itinerary.

The 12-night itinerary will include the Koon archipelago, home to renowned snorkeling and diving sites with chances to spot hammerhead and leopard sharks. Also in this region is the One Thousand Temples, rocks that have been eroded by the ocean and rain to leave behind steep spires of limestone. Another stop on the itinerary is the Kitikiti waterfall in Momon, which drops directly into the sea. In Triton Bay, charter clients can scuba dive with more than 1,000 species of marine life.

The nine-night itinerary starts in Kaimana, where the world’s smallest, half-inch pygmy seahorses are often spotted. Charter clients will be able to head into the jungle on private speedboats to discover local villages and meet with members from Indonesia’s most remote Indigenous Asmat community. Guests can visit the tribe’s communal houses and observe their wood-carving tradition. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a collection of Asmat art.) Also on this itinerary is a chance to swim with 40-foot whale sharks and to see the prehistoric cave paintings of the Namatote Passage.

What kinds of boats does Aqua Expeditions offer? These vessels take 16 to 40 guests with 1-to-1 crew ratios. The company also operates river explorations in Peru, Cambodia and Vietnam, and coastal yacht voyages to Komodo National Park and the Galapagos Islands.

Take the next step: Contact a charter broker at fraseryachts.com or aquaexpeditions.com

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With the spring yacht-charter season heating up in the Bahamas, several top companies are promoting yachts that are looking to secure more bookings into the summer months.

First up is the 180-foot Amels Amigos, a 2017 build that is part of the Edmiston charter fleet. The owner will consider short-term charters with a minimum of four days, including during July and August.

Amigos is a Tim Heywood design that accommodates 12 guests in six staterooms, including a full-beam master with a private terrace. The VIP is on the main deck forward with a foldout balcony. Interiors are by Laura Sessa. Up on the sundeck, there’s a countercurrent pool along with alfresco dining shaded by the superstructure. There’s also an outdoor cinema. Down at water level, the beach club has a steam room.

Also headed to the Bahamas with availability this spring is Eros, a 121-foot Ferretti that’s part of the Fraser charter fleet. This yacht is a 2019 build that most recently was refitted in 2022. The owner is offering a reduced weekly base rate of $130,000 to encourage bookings.

Accommodations aboard Eros are for 10 to 12 guests in five staterooms. There also are quarters for seven crew. Also notable is that Starlink is included with each charter, so guests can have online access virtually all the time.

Fraser says another yacht in its charter fleet, the 142-foot Christensen Grade I, is also offering a reduced weekly base rate of $130,000 in the Bahamas.

Grade I is a 1995 build that most recently was refitted in 2018. The yacht accommodates 12 guests in six staterooms, and has modern features such as at-anchor stabilizers for guest comfort on board.

Yet another option in the Bahamas is the 144-foot Burger Crossed Sabre, which recently joined the fleet at CharterWorld.

Crossed Sabre has a seven-stateroom layout, including a king-berth stateroom on the main deck, a queen-berth VIP on the bridge deck, and three queen-berth staterooms on the lower deck. The remaining lower-deck staterooms have twin or convertible berths. Notable features aboard Crossed Sabre include a folding balcony in the salon, a sundeck hot tub, and an elevator with wheelchair accessibility.

What else is happening in the Bahamas? The Potlatch Club boutique hotel is expected to open on Eleuthera in June. It’s a property that was popular with visitors in the 1960s and ’70s before it fell into disrepair in the 1980s. It has been restored with garden cottages, ocean-facing cottages and ocean-view villas, along with a restaurant, bar, spa and gym.

How to book a week of charter in the Bahamas: contact a broker at edmiston.com, fraseryachts.com or charterworld.com

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Cruisers heading to the Bahamas often bypass the Berry Islands en route to the Abacos or Exumas. But this group of around 30 islands—anchored by Great Harbour Cay—provides a quiet stopover to clear customs, cast a line, and catch some sun on sugar-fine beaches.

Great Harbour Cay 

This is the largest of the Berry Islands. It was a popular vacation spot in the late 1960s for the Rat Pack, Cary Grant and other A-list celebrities. The island’s glam resort and golf course have since closed, allowing for a decidedly quieter vibe.

The cay’s well-protected namesake hurricane hole marina, a port of entry, is a convenient base for cruisers. It has 65 slips and can accommodate yachts up to 150 feet.

Nearly 5 miles of uninterrupted picturesque beaches stretch along the cay’s east coast. Toward the northern end, Sugar Beach often ranks as one the prettiest beaches in the Bahamas. Its caves entice visitors to explore when the tide is right, often eliciting comparisons to European beaches. Near the airport along Great Harbour Beach, The Beach Club is a popular midday stop for lunch and a drink. At the southern tip of the island, the wide, shallow Shark Creek Beach attracts shell collectors and nature lovers. In addition to its toothy namesake residents, the beach and its mangroves are home to myriad juvenile fish, eagle rays, baby sea turtles and spoonbills.

Chub Cay

The Berry Islands is known as “the fishbowl of the Bahamas,” and Chub Cay (at the far southern tip of the Berry Islands) in particular is considered the country’s billfish capital. Catch a charter out of Chub Cay Marina to try your luck in The Pocket. The well-developed marina, a port of entry, offers slips ranging from 40 to 160 feet and day passes that provide cruisers access to all its facilities. Stock up on provisions at the Marlin Market. Take a dip in the infinity pool or at the resort’s beach. The Clubhouse Restaurant & Bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (reservations recommended for dinner). Its menu features a mix of Bahamian and continental fare, including grilled lobster tail, conch chowder and guava crème brûlée.

Other Cays 

From Great Harbour Cay, adventure-seekers can sail south to Hoffmann’s Cay to leap off the 20-foot cliff into the cay’s 600-foot-wide blue hole, the largest in the Berry Islands.

Continue south to Little Harbour Cay, which anchors the middle of the Berry Islands and is known for Flo’s Conch Bar. The pink restaurant, with the words “You Welcome” in large white letters on the roof, has welcomed such celebrities as Sylvester Stallone, Shakira and Brad Pitt since opening its doors in 1993. Call in your order three hours in advance to guarantee your share of the famous conch fritters and rum punch.  

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Lee Mandel doesn’t talk much about his 52-foot Sea Ray, which he skippers with friends and family up and down the US East Coast. Instead, the boat he’s eager to discuss—all day, every day—is the 116-foot Azimut Tail Lights, which he bought in 2019.

And the first thing he’ll tell you, if you’re thinking about chartering Tail Lights? You should think of it as your yacht, right down to the advance provisioning allowance.

“I want the guests to feel like it’s their vessel,” Mandel says. “If they’re repeat clients, we’ll pay some of the taxes. We’ll offset their APA costs. We’ll give them some extra days. Our goal is to get every customer to want to come back.”

That approach to the charter business has Tail Lights already booking guests for the Bahamas and Caribbean into 2025, with an average notice of three to five months, and with a rotating crew to avoid burnout. Mandel says regular maintenance is also a key component of the Tail Lights charter program, along with investments that help guests have memorable experiences aboard the 2011 build.

“One of the things I saw a lot of the yachts doing was theme nights. I wanted to give the crew technology to create incredible themes,” Mandel says. “Now we have disco night, pirate night, ’70s night, and we tie it into the electronics and AV on the boat. There’s a smoke machine. There’s disco lighting throughout the boat. We have a DJ system.” In the Bahamas, he partners with Furze Entertainment to bring various entertainers on board. “We have a singer who sings as well as Whitney Houston,” Mandel says. “We have a saxophonist who’s on the bow performing. We have steel-drum bands that come on the boat. We’ve had magicians. We’ve even had fire dancers on land. We’ve created a whole entertainment portfolio of partners we work with.”    

Charter Details

• HMY Yachts manages Tail Lights for charter.  
• Accommodations are for as many as 12 guests in five staterooms, including a full-beam master amidships with a private entrance, separate from the guest staterooms. 
• Bahamas bookings are typically available from May or June through the summer season.
• Caribbean itineraries generally start around November and go through the winter.
• Flash drives of photos and videos from the charter are given to guests as a keepsake.

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