Just curious.. but all these comments complaining about the moorings, in particular the cost/ free anchoring aspect.... how many of y'all are sailboaters?? and how much $$'s do you otherwise contribute to the bahamaian people/ economy?? never mind, im pretty sure i know the answer there.... carry on.. :)

Too bad for us. It was part of my travel plan for 2024 and 2025. Fortunately, there are a lot of other good places anyway (outside the Great Exumas island area) that provides good anchoring at no charges. Let us know, Georgetown, if you can still provide us with good locations to safely set our anchor and only then, we will return. Good luck.

In response to Gary's comments, I think the moorings will HURT George Town. I would think that the fees will go to BNT and Dockwa. Does he have some indication that $$ will go to the town? We like moorings too, but in the Park, our fee is $40 a night with no weekly rate, so that adds up very fast. And by taking over the prime spots in Gtown, people will move out of that area a lot faster.

I kind of like moorings. They keep order to an anchorage. Nothing worse than having someone anchor too close and drag. As far as reliability. I power test any mooring I take. IF my boat can't pull it loose with a good tug than I'm not going to worry about Mother Nature so long as she is not mad. In the Bahamas you can also dive the mooring. As far as the money part. I like George Town and it needs the money. Tourism is a big part of the Bahamian economy and everyone is entitled to make a living. The Bahamian people deserve this chance. I am happy to pay my share for the issues our boats cause to these beautiful people, islands and waters. The only problem I see is the Dockwa system is not much better than an inexperienced boater anchoring on top of you coupled with a disgruntled employee taking the reservation. With Dockwa you never know what you reserved until you get there and if it is inadequate no one to call. They could have given a Bahamian a job instead of Dockwa.

This is a solution in search of a problem. If they want revenue, they already charge a huge cruising fee to enter the country. What services are they going to provide? Will they provide a water taxi to Georgetown for shopping, a pump out boat service, liability protection for storm damage or a mooring failure that damages a boat. I suspect not. This is a way for the government AND Dockwa to make money.

Now I have even less reason to go to George Town. It's going to be interesting when the Peace and Plenty shuttle or Elvis goes roaring by in the water taxi at night. Why does BNT have jurisdiction in this part of the island anyway? The Park down there is farther south. If the prices are the same as in the rest of the Park system, only the cruisers with deep pockets are even going to think about picking up a ball. And who is going to monitor who comes and goes off the moorings? Dockwa is too far away to control these balls and the rangers are spread too thin already. Next thing you know, we will be charged to ANCHOR in Gtown - just like in the Park.

Very sad. The local business owners will truly suffer. In heavy weather, I would trust my own ground tackle over a mooring maintained by others.

This is another typically Bahamian government money grab: short sighted, and under the "environmental protection" b.s. verbalization umbrella. And of course begs the obvious question of who is going to maintain and assure the integrity of the mooring. If/when someone's boat is damaged by a failed chain, for example, the official response will undoubtedly be "used at your own risk" and the mooring ownership therefore has no responsibility.

People sail to Georgetown to be free of things like this. Most are on a fixed budget. What that means is that they will spend less going into the local market and the local businesses will be the ones to suffer. It's very sad. I will not come back to Georgetown.....