What the crossing involves, why the weather decides it, and when you should simply fly.
Bimini is about fifty miles from the Florida coast, which sounds like nothing. On a chart it looks like a short hop, and guests regularly ask us to arrange a yacht from Miami to Nassau as though it were a transfer.
It can be a straightforward passage, and in the right conditions it is a genuinely good one. But it crosses the Gulf Stream, and that single fact is what makes the crossing a serious undertaking rather than a taxi ride. It is worth understanding before you plan a trip around it.
The Gulf Stream is a powerful ocean current running north at two to four knots between Florida and the Bahamas. When the wind blows from the north, it is blowing against that current, and the sea state becomes short, steep and genuinely unpleasant very quickly. Experienced crews simply do not cross in a north wind.
This is why a crossing is planned around a weather window rather than a date. A captain who is willing to leave regardless of the forecast is not someone you want at the helm.
Departures are usually early, to use the calmest part of the day and arrive with light to spare. The first hour is coastal, then the water goes deep blue and the coastline drops away behind you. There is a long stretch with nothing to see.
The moment guests remember is the colour change. Deep ocean gives way to the Bahama Banks and the water goes from navy to pale turquoise over a very short distance. After hours of open water it is startling.
Rough figures, and they assume settled conditions. In anything else, add time.
Fuel is the other consideration people underestimate. A long crossing on a large motor yacht consumes a great deal of it, and fuel is charged in addition to the charter rate on passages of this kind. On a week long itinerary that can be a significant line item.
Arriving in the Bahamas by private vessel means clearing customs and immigration at a designated port of entry. The captain handles the process, but every guest needs a valid passport, and the yacht cannot go anywhere else until clearance is complete. Build this into the first day rather than treating it as a formality that happens in the background.
We arrange charters in Nassau, and vessels do move between Miami and the Bahamas regularly. So we have no reason to talk you out of a crossing other than that it is often the wrong choice.
Your goal is the Bahamas rather than the passage. The flight from Miami is around forty five minutes, costs a fraction of a crossing, and puts you on the yacht in the water you actually came to see. For most guests, particularly on charters of under a week, this is simply the better trip.
The passage itself is part of what you want, you have enough days that losing one or two to weather does not ruin the plan, and your group is comfortable in open water. Some people genuinely enjoy a long passage, and for them it is the best day of the trip.
One further point worth knowing: because vessels move between Miami and Nassau seasonally, a yacht you are interested in may be at either end depending on the time of year. That affects availability more than most guests realise, and it is one of the reasons we ask for your dates before discussing specific boats.
Distances, weather, clearance and whether the passage is the right choice.
Bimini is about fifty miles from the Florida coast. Miami to Nassau is roughly a hundred and eighty miles, and Nassau to the Exumas adds another seventy five beyond that.
Miami to Bimini is around two to three hours on a fast motor yacht in settled conditions. Miami to Nassau is a long day and is more commonly broken with a night at Bimini or in the Berry Islands.
It is a powerful current running north at two to four knots between Florida and the Bahamas. When wind blows from the north against that current the sea becomes short and steep very quickly, which is why experienced crews do not cross in a north wind.
No, and neither should anyone else. Crossings are planned around a weather window rather than a date. A captain willing to leave regardless of the forecast is not one you want at the helm.
In the right conditions it is a straightforward and genuinely enjoyable passage. In the wrong conditions it is unpleasant, which is why the window matters more than the calendar.
For most guests it is the colour change. Deep ocean gives way to the Bahama Banks and the water goes from navy to pale turquoise over a very short distance.
Yes. Arriving by private vessel means clearing customs and immigration at a designated port of entry, and every guest needs a valid passport. The captain handles the process itself.
It varies, and the yacht cannot go anywhere else until it is complete. Build it into the first day rather than treating it as something that happens in the background.
Usually not. A long crossing on a large motor yacht consumes a great deal of fuel and it is normally charged in addition to the charter rate. On a week long itinerary it can be a significant line item.
For most guests, yes. The flight from Miami is around forty five minutes, costs a fraction of a crossing, and puts you straight into the water you came to see. We say this despite arranging crossings.
When the passage itself is part of what you want, you have enough days that losing one or two to weather does not ruin the plan, and your group is comfortable in open water.
Yes, more than most guests realise. Vessels move between Miami and Nassau seasonally, so a yacht you are interested in may be at either end depending on the time of year.
A long open water passage is the worst case for it. If anyone is prone to seasickness, we would steer you toward flying to Nassau and chartering from there.
If you are considering a Miami departure, talk to us first. We will tell you honestly whether it suits your dates and your group, or whether flying to Nassau gets you a better trip for less.
Weather windows decide crossings. No reputable captain will promise a date.
Allow flexible days either side of any planned crossing.