It's the Bahamas Waters. They can do whatever they want. But I'm not going to pay their fees or modify my boat. A new regulation, 40B, has been inserted into the principal Act in the new bill. This new section states that every foreign vessel that is in Bahamian waters shall at all times:

• Be equipped with an automated identification system, AIS;
• Ensure that the automated identification system is properly functioning; and
• Ensure the automated identification system is turned on.
• Temporary cruising permits for vessels not exceeding 34 feet in length will be $500 for a period not exceeding 12 months.
• Temporary cruising permits for vessels exceeding 34 feet in length but not exceeding 100 feet in length will be $1,000 for a period not exceeding 12 months.
• Temporary cruising permits for vessels exceeding 100 feet in length will be $3,000 for a period not exceeding 12 months.
• http://www.the-triton.com/2025/06/ne...-rule-changes/

not motivating me at all to visit them, even if it was on my bucket list...

There are many WaveRunners that head over there and they are subject to the same Fees and regulations. Having a AIS on a WaveRunner...... There are many other fees that I didn't list that are in the article. You can also go to the Bahamas government website.

In 2020 the fees jumped to these numbers:

• Boats up to 34 feet: $150 for 3 months; $300 annually.
• Boats 35-100 feet: $300 for 3 months; $600 annually.
• Boats 100-150 feet: $500 for 3 months; $1,000 annually.
• Boats 150-200 feet: $800 for 3 months; $1,600 annually.
• Boats over 200 feet: $1,000 for 3 months; $2,000 annually.

They also added the VAT tax along the way (10%) to everything that was already overpriced in the Bahamas!

Its really just bad math. Small country, #1 income generator is tourism so they think by adding fees/taxes it will simply increase revenue but if tourism is down, then they will have to implement new fees to cover the lower amount of visitors. Less tourism = higher crime because the locals aren't making any money through tourism. Florida's east coast is 50-60 miles from the Bahamas. I could see locals just "head south to the keys and avoid the fees!"

I suspect the AIS plan is so they can monitor boats coming/going and make sure they got paid for your visit! Plenty of people fish Bahamian waters and turn around and go home without paying for the cruising permit

My thinking exactly. And if you don't have AIS and you get caught. Will they confiscate your boat? Will they heavily fine you? It's something I will not find out. They lost my business.

That`s some democrat logic. Works the same in the Blue states.
1. spend a ton of money on social programs and fraud and waste, give illegals everything.
2. can`t balance the budget, they raise taxes
3. more people flee these **** states
4. now there`s less people to pay the taxes and they have to be raised again.
5. even more of the working people leave the state.
They don`t get it and never will. democrats think the answer to everything is taxation.

Prime example, $hitacago raised taxes on cigarette by A LOT, so people just go over the border to Indiana to buy them or other counties.
So instead of getting something in tax revenue they are now getting much less since people refuse to pay such high taxes.

Weed sales taxes are 25% and bring in an extra 500 million in taxes.
Gambling brings in almost 2 billion in taxes.
Where did all that money go? Why aren`t the taxes less now?/ nope Illinois just passed the highest tax increase ever.
VOTE DEMOCRAT!

WTF does Democrat voting have to do with this?
My 42 footer isnt going anymore -I'd rather spend the $1,000 on gas and beers in the Keys. Too bad because their waters are beautiful but there are cheap cruises if I really get the urge.

Been to the Bahamas a bunch and have always said I’ll take the Poor man’s Bahamas in the Keys any day for the convenience and affordability.

I like spear fishing and no spear guns only Hawaiian slings are allowed. Groceries and fuel are costly not to mention dockage these days .

I was pondering going over for 3 months in the Spring since I can top off with cheap fuel delivered at my dock and have enough freezer space and storage to last 6 months.

$1650 for cruising and anchoring plus fishing permit is a lot of beer and vodka I can buy .

The Bahamas is a lot like the Caribbean it looks beautiful until you get on the beach and walk inland a few 100 feet and realize you’re in a 3rd world country or California.

We use to take my buddies 22 SeaCat across the stream from Marathon to a little Uninhabited island chain 20 miles from Cuba named Cay Sal bank .

. It’s Bahamian waters so we never checked in just spear fished and pulled lobsters the size of small dogs and ran back across the stream in the dark.

I wonder if the Bahamians are going to start patrolling that area now, it’s a long way from Bimini lol.

It boggles my mind the amount of property tax and sales tax money that is collected in little Naples and Bonita Springs.

Then I drive onto the same entrance ramp that has been crumbling for a year and ask what the hell are they doing with all the money. They build a road here and it last 30 years before they have to replace it and there is barely any road maintenance workers because there is nothing to do but fix sprinkler heads.

60% of the houses are in private development that are privately maintained roads. The majority of the houses are 5 mill plus owned by out of state owners so no homestead and no kids going to school.

You build a house here it’s a twenty thousand impact fee to start and any commercial 10 times that.

What the hell do they do with all the money ?

There is no room to build more roads and old 2 story condos are coming down replaced by 20 story buildings with a 100 times more taxable value.

I was a private real estate appraiser here in Naples back in 2006-2008 . Property values doubled in 3 years leading up to the crash and because of all the sales many longtime properties saw special reassessments .

So in a short amount of time the county tax collection almost doubled than the crash hit. 2 years after the crash when real market values went down to almost a 1/3 of 2008 values , which was just the real 2002 value , property owners started screaming for appraisal adjustments.

County finally gives in and lowers the appraised values . Guess what they do a year later ? Double the millage.

These county governments make the Federals look like saints.