Getting Ready to Boat to The Bahamas Checklist

Traveling to a new cruising destination can be stressful, but going across the Gulf Stream and legally getting into a new country is another matter. Cruising The Islands of The Bahamas is a magical experience, but there’s a lot to know, and it can seem like too much trouble. It isn’t, and it’s well worth making the effort. 

Start by familiarizing yourself with cruising the islands by reading our Boater’s Guide to The Bahamas. 

Here’s a handy checklist for the months, weeks, and days before your departure to make planning easier. 

To-Do the Month (or More) Before Your Bahamas Trip

• Ensure everyone has a valid passport that won’t be within 6 months of expiring during your trip.
• Check that the boat is insured for Bahamas cruising. Read all clauses and be aware of time limits or unexpected boundaries to the navigational area. 
• Order a US Customs decal online (a DTOPS sticker). This small sticker proves you’ve paid the fee for returning to the US.
• 📶 Make sure you and the boat have FCC radio licenses (Ship station license for the vessel, Radiotelephone operator permit for the captain).
• 🗺️ Purchase charts and cruising guides for The Bahamas. I like to keep a complete set of Explorer Chartbooks on board. You can get Explorer digital charts on the Aquamap app (one of our favorite boating apps). Other options include Addison Chan’s Bahamas Land and Sea app through Waterway Guide and the printed Waterway Guide Bahamas edition.
• 🐶 🐱 If you have pets: Apply for a pet permit early and arrange for a US vet to see your pet as soon as practical before your planned crossing date. Double-check that your vet of choice does international health certificates — not all vets qualify. To get the form from The Bahamas, you’ll be asked for your ports of departure and entry, but you should be able to change them later. Check out updates on the new Bahamas pet travel updates.
• 🇧🇸 Purchase a Bahamas courtesy flag and a yellow Q-flag, 18×12 size.
• 📱 Determine how you’ll get cell phone and internet service. Will you use Starlink or local Bahamas SIM cards? If you plan to use your regular plan, check your international roaming rates.
• 📬 Make sure all your banking, bill pay, and other routine obligations can be done online. Try to take care of any business needing snail mail — you can’t receive or send mail easily from The Bahamas.
• 💳 Check all your credit and bank cards for international fees. Having at least one card with none to use in the islands is very convenient. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, others less so. Consider notifying your bank to advise them of your travel plans. 
• 🔧 Start accumulating spare parts, tools, and instruction manuals for everything on the boat (engines, generators, watermakers, wiring, electronics, pumps, etc.)
• ✅ Knock as many items off your boat to-do list as possible. 
• ⚠️ Go through the boat and give yourself a complete survey and safety check. Check flares, fire extinguishers, life vests, documentation and registration paperwork, first aid kits, EPIRB battery expiration dates, and everything else. Check your ditch bag, or prepare one if you haven’t already. Be sure to include copies of your important ship and personal documents.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Work with your doctor to ensure you can get enough medications filled in advance. There are a few pharmacies in the Bahamas, and you can get prescriptions using telehealth options. But it’s generally easier to just plan in advance. 
• 🛩️ Purchase medical evacuation insurance. Nearly all major medical problems will require evacuation back to Florida by helicopter or jet, and regular insurance does not cover this cost. We have DAN Boater (but have never had to use it, thankfully). For about $100 a year, we have coverage for medical evacuation, medical repatriation, $25k SAR reimbursement coverage, and access to a 24/7 medical helpline.
• 🚽 Inspect (and test, if you can do so legally) your overboard waste pump-out system. There are very few pump-outs in The Bahamas, and if your thru-hull hasn’t been opened in years, it could prove to be a big, crappy problem!
• Additionally, consider purchasing an international traveler health insurance policy if you’re worried about the cost of medical expenses in the islands. In our limited experience, this is far more reasonably priced there than in the US.
• If you carry weapons onboard, familiarize yourself with The Bahamas laws regarding legally declaring those weapons and the limitations thereof. There are tons of discussions and debates online about this touchy issue. The bottom line is this: Possessing un-declared guns is a major offense in the islands, and The Bahamian authorities take infractions very seriously. Your boat could be confiscated.

To-Do the Week Before Leaving for The Bahamas

• ⛅️ Start watching the weather and practice using your weather apps for the Bahamas crossing. Begin strategizing your Gulf Stream crossing tactics and planning your final departure point.
• 💵 Withdraw enough cash to cover incidentals and moorings. 
• 🔧 Perform routine services on all engines and generators, such as oil changes, filters, impellers, anodes, and inspections. Tend to anything that might need tending. 
• 🐶 🐱 Vet visit: Take your pets to get the Bahamas form signed and get the USDA and CDC forms for returning to the US. Ideally, the vet appointment should be completed within 48 hours of departure. Remember, you’ve got to go to a vet with the authority to sign the forms.
• 🛒 Provision for the Bahamas. It’s easier to do this on multiple shopping trips. Focus on stocking up on things that are expensive or hard to find in the Bahamas: coffee, health and beauty items, sunscreen, specialty foods, soaps, boat care products, paper towels/TP, and meats (if you have space to freeze them). If you have dietary requirements, be sure to research your Bahamas options. It’s very hard to find things like gluten-free or vegan options.
• 📦 Remember, there’s no Amazon! Check supplies of things you typically would just buy or reorder because it might not be easy. 

The Last Days Prior to Setting Off for The Bahamas

• 💻 Begin the Click2Clear customs form process. You can wait to pay until you’re sure you are departing, but it’s easier to do it before you arrive. You’ll need to know where your port of entry will be. 
• ⛽️ Top up on consumables: diesel, gas, water. 
• ⛅️ Check the weather several times a day before your departure to monitor the stability/reliability of your chosen weather window. 
• Stage yourself for the Gulf Stream crossing. Lake Worth (Palm Beach), Fort Lauderdale, or No Name Harbor/Key Biscayne in Miami are the most common departure points. 
• Set off! Remember, your first point of landing must be a Port of Entry. The most common ones are Bimini, West End/Port Lucaya (Grand Bahama), Nassau, Great Harbour Cay (Berry Islands), or Grand/Spanish/Green Turtle/Marsh Harbour (Abacos).

Fair winds and following seas, fellow Bahamas travelers!