Websites, schedules, articles, lists of mailboats in the Bahamas – a compendium

by Eric Wiberg

This is a compendium of websites, schedules, contacts, and articles about mailboats in the Bahamas – please feel free to submit corrections and amplifying information (please note – the author of this blog is not a travel agent and cannot be responsible for the accuracy of schedules or contact details listed):

The official Bahamas.com site provides solid information on 22 mailboats servicing all the islands:

Abaco –
M/V Legacy, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Phone: (242) 367-2653, (242) 394-0245, Fax: (242) 367-5642, deansshippingco@gmail.com / www.deanshipping.com

Acklins & Crooked Islands –
M/V Sea Spirit I, Carib Ship Lines, Potter’s Cay Dock, Nassau, Phone: (242) 341-3468,
M/V Sea Spirit II, Carib Ship Lines, Potter’s Cay Dock, Nassau, Phone: (242) 341-3468,

Andros –
M/V Lady Katherina, Driggs Hill, South Andros, Phone: (242) 369-0010, (242) 471-4441,
M/V Captain Moxey, Driggs Hill, South Andros, Phone: (242) 322-747,
M/V Lady Rosalind, Morgan’s Bluff, North Andros, Phone: (242) 557-1424

Berry Islands –
M/V Captain Gurth Dean, Bullock’s Harbour, Berry Islands, Phone: (242) 464-4998, (242) 393-1064,

Bimini –
M/V Sherice M, Alice Town, North Bimini, Phone: (242) 347-3203, (242) 393-1064,

Cat Island –
M/V KCT, Potter’s Cay Dock, Nassau, Phone: (242) 341-3468

Eleuthera & Harbour Island –
M/V Eleuthera Express, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Phone: (242) 333-4678, (242) 393-1064,
M/V Bahamas Daybreak III, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Phone: (242) 333-2358, 335-1163
M/V Current Pride, Gregory Town, Eleuthera, Phone: (242) 335-5550, (242) 393-1064

Exumas –
M/V Grand Master, Potter’s Cay Dock, Nassau, Phone: (242) 393-1064

Grand Bahama / Freeport –
M/V Mailboat Fiesta, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Phone: (242) 351-1507, Fax: (242) 351-1512,  http://mailboatbahamas.com, marketing@mailboatbahamas.com

Great Inagua –
M/V Lady Mathilda, Matthew Town, Inagua, Phone: (242) 454-2991,

Long Island –
M/V East Wind, Simms, Long Island, Phone: (242) 323-2166, (242) 394-9700, M/V Mia Dean, Clarence Town, Long Island, Phone: (242) 393-1064,
M/V Island Link, Simms/Salt Pond, Long Island, Phone: (242) 436-2506,
G & G Shipping Company Ltd., Clarence Town, Long Island, Phone: (242) 337-0017,

Mayaguana –
M/V Lady Mathilda, Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana, Phone: (242) 454-2991, Phone: (242) 341-3468,

Ragged Island –
M.V. Captain C., Duncan Town, Ragged Island, Phone: (242) 468-4704,

Rum Cay –
M/V Lady Emerald, Port Nelson, Rum Cay, Phone: (242) 457-4738,
M/V Lady Francis, Port Nelson, Rum Cay, Phone: (242) 467-2156, Cat Island,
M/V KCT, Potter’s Cay Dock, Nassau, Phone: (242) 341-3468,

San Salvador –
M/V Lady Francis, Cockburn Town, San Salvador, Phone: (242) 467-2156, M/V Lady Emerald, Cockburn Town, San Salvador, Phone: (242) 457-4738,

….and so on – just type the island you wish to visit in the search box on the upper right:

http://www.bahamas.com/how-to-get-here-bimini-mailboat

Here is the official Bahamas Government “Inter-Island Mail-Boat Schedule” which even shows pricing as well as itineraries, however it seems it was last updated in 2007. It is published by the Ministry of Lands & Local Government, and they suggest contacting the Dockmaster at 1 (242) 393 1064.

The following vessels are listed (you can see below that there are many more mailboats than just this list):

  1. Bahamas Daybreak III,
  2. Bimini Mack (substitute for Sherice M.),
  3. Captain C.,
  4. Captain Gurth Dean,
  5. Captain Moxey,
  6. Captain Emmett (Island Link),
  7. Current Pride,
  8. Eleuthera Express,
  9. Fiesta Mail-Boat,
  10. Grand Master,
  11. United Star (K.C.T.),
  12. Lady D.,
  13. Lady Emerald,
  14. Lady Francis,
  15. Lady Katherina,
  16. Lady Mathilda,
  17. Lady Rosalind, Legacy,
  18. Mia Dean.

The list is in PDF format.

http://forms.bahamas.gov.bs/documents/TRANSP_Inter%20Insular%20Mailboat%20Schedule%202007.pdf

The present-day mailboat schedule, showing the following vessels still in service:

  1. Bahama Daybreak II,
  2. Bimini Mack,
  3. Captain Gurth Dean,
  4. Captain Moxey,
  5. Current Pride,
  6. Eleuthera Express,
  7. Grand Master,
  8. Lady ‘D’,
  9. Lady Gloria,
  10. Lady Francis,
  11. Lady Eddina,
  12. Lisa J.,
  13. Marcella III,
  14. Mia Dean,
  15. Sea Hauler,
  16. Sherice M.,
  17. United Star, and
  18. Mal Jack,

along with the islands and ports of call and timings for those with some wanderlust. The post is called “Bahamas Mailboat – A True Bahamian Experience” by Bahamas Beach House Ltd. (2009):

http://bahamas4u.com/bahamasmailboat.html

There is a good list of specific vessels and ports on this link, called “Travelling Between Islands” by geographia.com. It includes the

  1. United Star,
  2. Captain Moxey,
  3. Lady D,
  4. Lisa J. II,
  5. Lady Margo,
  6. Mangrove Cay Express,
  7. Bimini Mack,
  8. Sea Hauler,
  9. North Cat Island Special,
  10. Bahamas Daybreak III,
  11. Captain Fox,
  12. Current Pride,
  13. Eleuthera Express,
  14. Marcella III,
  15. Sherice M.,
  16. Mia Dean,
  17. Lady Francis.

http://www.geographia.com/bahamas/travbetween.htm

A nice short article about Mailboats from www.briland.com – it includes practical contact information for traveling to North Eleuthera at least –

Mailboat Contact Information:
Eleuthera Express
T: (242)333.4677, F: (242)333.4674
Current Pride
T: (242)335.3220
Bahamas Daybreak
T: (242)335.1163
Bahamas Fast Ferries
T (242)323.2166 or info@bahamasferries.com

http://www.briland.com/topmenu/mailboat.html

A January 2013 article in the New York Times by Porter Fox about voyages to Eleuthera and Andros called “Off the Tourist Grid in the Bahamas”:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/travel/off-the-tourist-grid-in-the-bahamas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

For a thoroughly modern mailboat experience between Nassau and Freeport –

http://mailboatbahamas.com/

From Frommer’s travel guides, some good comments about the “Post Office Navy” and the Chief of Transportation – includes phone contacts to obtain the latest schedules:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bahamas/0205020156.html

A “Bahamas Guide” also showing a schedule of mailboats from Nassau:

http://bahamas-guide.info/getting.around/ferries.and.boats/mail.boats/

For more high-speed service to Eleuthera, Abaco, Andros, Exuma and Andros see Bahamas Ferries, operating near their mailboat brethren from Potter’s Cay dock –

http://www.bahamasferries.com/

A very good detailed and well-photographed blog about taking a mailboat between the Exumas and Nassau, by Dawn, a “recovering lawyer” and blogger in the Exumas. An article entitled “Behold the Islands of the Bahamas – by Mailboat,” from the blog “Choosing a Better Life”

http://choosingthebetterlife.com/2013/02/mail-boat.html

From the “Discover Eleuthera” website a guide to mailboat and inter-island ferry services in Eleuthera as well as Abaco:

http://www.discover-eleuthera-bahamas.com/bahamas-ferry-services.html

James Henderson in October 2009 wrote this article on traveling from Nassau to Governor’s Harbour Eleuthera on the Bahama Daybreak III:

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2009/10/the-bahamas-by-mailboat/