North Cat Cay-West Side Harbor

• Location: Bahamas
• Lat / Lon: N 25° 32.942' / W 079° 16.953'
• Depth: 8 feet
• Description:

  There is plenty of depth, good holding if you anchor in one of the many sandy patches, and attractive homes lining the shore. A modest surge persists from seas with any southerly or westerly component. The rocky bar that parallels the island is too deep to diminish the normal swell. Cat Cay is a private island so shore access is limited to the beach below the high water line. Additionally, sections of the shoreline are cordoned off as swimming areas. If beaching your dinghy, note that in some spots although the beach is sand, the bottom is bare, flat rock just 5 feet before the waterline, so be careful with your prop. One should note that the sandy patches are surrounded by grass and that often the border between the two is an undercut ledge. When we were retrieving our anchor, the chain rode had slid up under one of those ledges and was caught fast. The solution was simple enough: we eased the chain and maneuvered the bow to drag the chain out from under the ledge so that it was clear to lift straight up. With the water as clear as it was this was an easy task. Had we been trying to leave before daybreak it would have been difficult to both identify and resolve the problem.

  DISCLAIMER: Before committing to an anchorage, you should confirm that the location is not governed by a regulation that may conflict with your plans. An increasing number of states and municipalities are enacting laws that define where and how long you may anchor.