Rum Cay is one of the most quietly rewarding stops in the Bahamas, a small island of roughly 80 permanent residents where Port Nelson provides a sheltered anchorage of genuine character and the surrounding waters offer some of the best wall diving in the island chain. Motor yachts arriving in the Bahamas and Caribbean region number over 160 charter vessels, and those calling at Rum Cay are typically making the passage between Nassau and the southern Exumas or continuing toward the Turks and Caicos. The island sits at the junction of several natural passages, making it a convenient overnight stop on a longer itinerary or the objective of a deliberate detour. The H.M.S. Conqueror, a British man-of-war that struck the reef in 1861, lies in accessible water off Cotton Field Point and provides one of the most historically significant wreck dives in the Bahamas. Flamingo Bay on the southern coast offers a protected anchorage with good holding and a beach that sees no other visitors on most days. Weekly charter rates for motor yachts covering the Nassau and Bahamas region range from approximately 75,000 euros for a capable 30-metre vessel to 350,000 euros for a larger flagship. Provisioning allowances of around 30 percent cover fuel, food, and berthing in Nassau, where most Bahamas itineraries begin. The Bahamas has no VAT, and anchorage at Rum Cay is free. December through April is the most comfortable season, with the trade winds settled and the Exuma Sound at its calmest.
