Starting to do my homework on a Bahamas trip. If I understand correctly, I have to be able to fly a US flag and a Bahamian flag. So how do you fly a flag, physically? Anchor light? That might be a bit too much stress for a flimsy anchor light?

Also, tell me the procedure, which flag to fly when???

I've had my best luck flying a string of $20.00's (at least 5' in length). U.S. currency has lowest wind resistance , so stern/anchor light should work. Enjoy your trip , beautiful water!!!

found this

WHAT TO DO

• Hoist the yellow quarantine flag near a port of entry.

• Report to a Customs and Immigration facility as soon as possible upon entering Bahamian waters.

• Only the captain may go ashore to clear Customs. No others are allowed off the boat until the vessel is cleared.

• The captain should have the following information ready for officials: ship’s documentation/registration, passports for all persons aboard, pet import permit, and firearms information (make, model, serial number, and number of rounds or ammunition—don’t take weapon).

• Treat officials with respect; follow their instructions.
Be courteous and neatly dressed. Officers may limit the stay of anyone deemed a security threat or who may be seeking to take the jobs of Bahamians.

• After receiving your cruising permit, take down your “Q” flag and hoist your Bahamian courtesy flag (cruising pennant).

some seem to take handguns, but I am pretty sure they are a no no

make sure if you do take a rifle or shotgun that you are VERY careful with your ammo if there is even a single round missing from the reported count when you go to leave it is a big deal

Forget the firearms, the guns are more hassle than they are worth.... If you were going to remote areas and staying aboard anchoring overnight maybe.

Flag works great on a 6 ft stick of 1 inch PVC pipe. Yellow flag when you arrive, Bahamian flag once you clear. I have never flown the US flag while there. We usually wedged the PVC pipe in a grab handle and it would be good.

Just a stupid question.
Why do you fly their flag when you are US registered boat? Do US ships normally drop flags and put up their host countries?

Most ships when in a foreign port fly the American and the country of call.

Put a $20 bill in each passport. You (or whoever the captain is) hands all the passports to the official. If you do a $100 - they will push you through even faster.

-If they get nothing I guarantee it takes you an hour or more...
-Dont be intoxicated, they dont take kindly to it.

I suspect the yellow flag tells local officials you haven't paid your entry fee. Bahamian flag tells them you have.

I can't tell if you are joking or not.....but this is 100% false. I have cleared in several different places and would be afraid the $20 bribe would indicate to them that I am trying to get away with something. I cleared in Bimini with a 12-15 boat poker run and it took less than an hour plus the 10-15 minute walk from the docks and back.

I cleared 3 weeks ago in Bimini and it took about 45 seconds. Longest customs experience was last summer leaving Nassua, US Customs has a clearing spot there (you clear US Customs while in Nassua but when you land in the US you walk out like it was just a domestic flight). US Customs probably took an hour, maybe hour and fifteen minutes but there were 100-150 people in line at the airport.