Port Howe - Docking
This is a secure and safe anchorage protected by a reef (photo courtesy of SV Pas de Deux).
See approach and anchoring advice in comments at the bottom of the page.
The entrance to the reef is 24.08,773N and 75.21.347W. Make your approach in good light. When you come through the reef make a right and go approximately 1/2 mile East.
Here you can anchor in 6-12 feet of water on a sandy bottom near the private moorings directly off the town, with the conspicuous ruins of the Deveaux Plantation and a concrete boat ramp nearby. If there is a heavy blow from the south you might get a slight surge over the reef at high tide, but it is perfectly safe.
A slightly calmer spot would be to anchor a little further west, although don’t expect to be able to anchor close to shore.
You can bring your dinghy ashore any place on the beach which is accessible. A recommended spot is just to the west of a blue-roofed stone house with carport (and probably lots of large fishing floats hanging from nearby trees).
Note: If you attempt to go ashore near low tide you will be picking your way through shallows which can be challenging.
Last updated: December 2012
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Related to following destinations: Bahamas, Cat Island, Port Howe
Port Navigation
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Taken from the blog of SV Pas de Deux: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/pas_de_deux/1/tpod.html
To enter Reef Harbour at Port Howe, set up a virtual range between reef entry waypoint 24*08.773 N /075*21.347 W and the single-story house with a red roof on the beach ahead. This will result in a bearing of approximately 10* magnetic. In good light, you’ll see the reef opening, which is quite wide. Turn east after entering the lagoon, but favour the reef side. Shallows extend far from shore and should be well depicted on your charts. We observed a new moon tidal range of over three feet here.
Along with this course inward we always had at least 25′ MLW. In minutes, however, you will find yourself in an expansive area of good holding sand where the depths will decrease to 12 ft and you will want to be thinking about where to anchor as you continue your approach in good light to avoid an occasional shallow coral head along the way. We anchored in 6 feet MLW on an expansive sand bottom near the private moorings directly off from “town” with the conspicuous ruins of the Deveaux Plantation and a concrete boat ramp nearby.
But this places you only about 200 yards inside the outer reef and subject to swells at high tide (we had no wind-driven chop with less than 10 knots true wind during our stay). It might be slightly calmer to anchor a bit further west (not directly in front of town) and closer to the first of two private moorings you will readily see in this harbour.
This would place you closer to the only place we would recommend taking a dinghy toward shore where a beachfront remains fairly accessible at low tide and near the road we described above, just to the west of a blue-roofed stone house with carport (and probably lots of large fishing floats hanging from nearby trees).
Above the crest of the beach, the road will lead to a mustard-coloured house (it has an adjacent patio with a green thatched roof) just northwest of the beach stone house. Do not expect to anchor very close in. This anchorage should be very good in a norther.