This PWC trail was researched and accomplished by the Jetski Junkies Bahamas Ride Crew with the intention to share with the world, not only our story, but the details and navigational information needed for anyone wishing to also make this journey.

This PWC Trail starts at the Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach, Florida. Crossing the Intra-Coastal Waterway out through the Boynton Beach Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean heading east to West End, Grand Bahama Island, home to Old Bahama Bay. The West End has your Customs & Immigration Dock, fuel dock, bathrooms and a small store to get a drink and snack if needed. From the West End, you head North to the Goodwill Channel. The Goodwill Channel is not too far up from the West End, just a mile or two.

Once reaching the Goodwill Channel, you take a bearing more northeast for a good ways until you reach the Dover Channel Cut. The Dover Channel Cut takes you Southeast at an approx 45 degree angle back towards the Island on your way to the Dover Channel, which is your entrance into the Grand Lucayan Waterway. The entrance is very well marked by tall red and green navigation pilings. Do yourself a favor and stay inside those markers as it is extremely shallow and rocky outside of it. The channel is dredged so at low mean tide you have at least 4-feet until you are inside the actual Grand Lucayan Waterway which is narrow but has minimum of 10-foot water depth.

The waterway is fun and beautifully colored, mostly sea-walled and only one bridge closer to the southern end of the waterway which has heights of 25-feet at low tide so very passable by many. The waterway itself is not well maintained and lined with scrub brush grown from what should have been a housing development. You will find a few homes along the waterway, some finished and some unfinished. Once through the waterway you will be in the Tongue of the Ocean on the south side of Grand Bahama Island just east of Port Lucaya.

From here you go right heading back West along the shoreline but not too close due to the many rocks and coral you can’t see. You will go down two canals to the Bell Channel, the Bell Channel takes you into Port Lucaya. As you come in the channel it will split going right or left; right is the way to the Flamingo Bay Resort and Marina, left will take you to Port Lucaya and the fuel dock.

Heading right to the hotel, you will take your next right into the Flamingo Bay Resort Channel. The docks are permanent wood docks, some have ladders so those are the best to use as the docks are tall. The resort does have floating docks but only for their PWC rentals. The great part about Flamingo Bay is they are attached to the Taino Beach Resort so all the amenities are open to guests at no extra charge.

Flamingo Bay is already a very reasonably priced hotel and your rooms are right at the marina overlooking your PWC. Twenty-four hour security is on site also, beautiful lagoon style pool and grotto with swim up bar along with pool volleyball, a waterslide and a lazy river. The beach is on the south side combined with a tiki hut and Taino Beach restaurant all within walking distance of the hotel. Of course, if you wish to go to Port Lucaya, the ferry dock is right in Flamingo’s Marina or you can rent scooters from the resort to go and explore the island on your own.

The ride in from the States will be a total of 127 miles give or take. From Boynton Beach to West End, Bahamas is approximately 69 miles and then from the West End to Flamingo Bay is another 58 miles give or take. When you are ready to head home, you will understand the title. You will leave out either from Flamingo Bay or the fuel dock in Port Lucaya heading out the Bell Channel and into Atlantic Ocean. From here, you will go right heading west following the shoreline of Grand Bahama Island.

Now I want to reiterate, do not try to run the shoreline; we had more than a few close calls the closer to shore we were, so it’s best to stay in that darker blue water. You will make your way to the West End of the island again but from the south side this time, this will be approximately 30 or so miles versus the 58 you did coming in from the North Sound. Refuel at West End and then head out due west for Boynton Beach. This totals approximately 227 miles.

You will find all the navigational waypoints, points of interest and links to informational websites that make up this PWC trail HERE.