Reviews from Martin Filion (10)

Anchorage Review for Ship Channel Cay

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Feb 6, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

This little bay is a wonderfull place, one of the most beautifull beach sand I've seen in my life. We where there for 2 nitghts and it was pretty well protected from the west winds. The norkeling was really nice with a lot of reefs. There is a place where the water goes completely out a low tides revealing nice rose sand. There were a lot of turtles and conchs. This is a hidden paradise.

Holding: Really good
Shore Access: Yes, many beaches

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Oyster Cay (East)

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Feb 2, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

We anchored there for 2 nights and it was really rolly with a West, north-west wind. There not much places to get ashore. The bottom was ok but not perfect, we drifted a little bit on 25 knots of wind. Tu current and swell was of a different side than the waves from the wind and we needed to put a "bahamian style" anchor at our stern to orient the boat in the right direction in order to stop rolling so much on the swell.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Flagler Monument Island

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Jan 21, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

This anchorage is a good way to get near the dinghy dock to get to restaurants and shopping. The holding is good but you will be in the middle of a lot of trafic and the peoples just don't slow down so be ready to roll even on calm weather. Once the wind pick up, with the strong current of the inlet, it may become unstable and really rolly. But otherwhise a great spot to be near everything with great shore access.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina

Reviewed by: Martin Filion , Emyliz I, on Jan 21, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Nice marina with clean docks, restaurant and pool. A bit expensive though. The dock master is helping and funny. We liked our stay there, spent only a night because of the high price but it was a nice stay. The current is strong so be carefull when you get into your slip, it is a bit hard to get there smootly. Call the dock master when you get into the channel to get your slip assignation. The customs are right by the marina and the showers are nice and clean.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Clifton Bay - West Bay

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Jan 21, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

This place is beautifull, the holding is really good and there is enough water to be able to get close to the beach but be aware that the swell is greater near the beach. If you want to be in flat water, go to the north part of the bay. The beach is beautifull and clean. Be aware that there is nothing there, no restaurant, no businesses, you will have to walk a long way to find anything commercial. The shore access is inexistant, you will have to leave your dinghy on the beach and there nothing to tie it down exept if you bring it to one of the tree that are about 75 foot from the water so not so easy. To get to the beach in dingy, aim for the pilars and stay on the left side because all on the right side is rocks rocks rocks that will get out of the water on low tides.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Morgans Bluff

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Jan 21, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

We get to this anchorage after our crossing from Bimini so we came from the west. The access to this location requires you to make a north approach to avoid the coral reefs and rock that are in the way from the west approach. The holding is good and the place is a nice. It is a bit loud at time because they have a commercial facility on the shore that brings barges and ferry and they were doing work on the east shore when we where there but as soon as the sun goes down, the place become quiet and we slept well there. Ideal for a protection from south wind. There is plenty of water, we anchored in 14 foo of water right in the middle of the bay.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Nassau Harbour Club Hotel & Marina

Reviewed by: Martin Filion , Emyliz I, on Jan 21, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

We where among the first customers to try their brand new docks after marjor work done. The docks are really nice and clean with all the services and meters for electricity and water, awesome work. The only thing is I think they made the docks a little bit too high because even at High Tides we where really low and at low tides we where praticaly unable to get out of the boat, the dock being about 5 foot higher than our deck. The tension on the ties was soo high because of the angl of attack that we where worried that the cleats would be thorn from the boat at low tide and were getting pretty loose at high tide. I really think they made a mistake there and we where not the only one with this observation. Other than that it is a beautifull marina, not expensive (2$ a foot) and offering all the services you may ask from a marina (Showers, Laundry machines, restaurant) and a lot of business just in front of the place in a little mall. We loved our stay in this marina.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Tavernier Harbor

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Feb 6, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.0'

We anchored there for 3 days, trying to dodge a cold front bringing some 40 knots winds from North and we've been able to anchor pretty strongly with our Rocna 15kg, great bottom. The waves where a little bit heavy but the swell from the sea was really low due from the shallow water around the island that cuts it out. The shore access is not perfect, but we could get to some public street that ended right on the water so not too bad but no dinghy dock anywhere. The Lime Pie factory is a must ... don't miss it.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Long Key Bight

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Feb 6, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.0'

The holding was good, water depth pretty steady in the 7-8 foot as charted. We used our Rocna 15kg and it was an easy anchorage with a good bottom. The wave and the swell was a bit hard on the boat as the wind was heavy for 2 days prior to our anchorage. We tried this anchorage for a couple of hours but as the wind was about to pick up in the night coming from north-east we chosed to move on the other side of the bridge, just beside the resort. It didn't seems to be a place to get on shore easily and there not seems to be anything there to watch, see or do... maybe just as we had done, a good stop and go. Be aware that there is an enormous quantity of crab cages to dodge to get there and from there, on both sides of the bridge; you definitely need someone on the front of the boat to guide you through this mine field.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Anchorage Review for Rachel Key

Reviewed by: Martin Filion, Emyliz I, on Feb 6, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'
Draft: 4.0'

We where at anchor for 3 days with our Rocna 15kg with a strong holding. The shore is near but a little smelly like if the city sewage where dumping just beside the anchorabe but still the water was no really filty but not "great". The stores are near on shore but getting out requires a little bit of logistic and we didn't find a "REAL" dinghy dock but that seems to be that way pratically everywhere so we figured out a place to get on shore as usual. Great parks and beaches not too far and great restaurant, the best meal of our whole trip was here at the Lobster House on 3660 overseas Hwy in Marathon. There is plenty of marinas on the west east side of marathon to get services like pump out, water and diesel but not too much on this side... the only option seems to be Faro Blanco but they are not selling water to people not in the resort and they are not doing pump out on the weekends. Stil they have Fuel. We where well protected from the north-east winds and from the swell of the sea but still get little strange chops that seems to come from nowhere from times to times.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer