April 25- May 1, 2026

Anchoring in the Middle of the Ocean (Yes, Really) — No Bad Weather Fam Reaches the Berry Islands

Nurse sharks, a mega yacht neighbor, laundry on passage, and a split-second low-tide decision that had us pulling anchor in under an hour. This is the Bahama Banks to Chub Cay leg — and it did not disappoint.

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The Bahama Banks: Where the Ocean Becomes Your Anchorage

Saturday morning we were up early and pointed toward the Berry Islands. There’s one catch with this particular passage: it’s too far to complete in a single day of daylight sailing. So we did what cruisers do — we anchored overnight on the Bahama Banks.

For the non-sailors: the Bahama Banks is a massive shallow-water plateau in the middle of the ocean. No land in sight. No marina. No mooring field. You just… drop your anchor in the middle of the sea and call it a night.

It is equally cool and deeply eerie. Highly recommend.

The 11-hour sail to our anchor spot was a long one, but the kids made the most of it — hanging out on the trampolines and dolphin seats up front while we motored through glassy blue water. I made the most of it too: I did an entire load of laundry underway, which at this point feels like a legitimate life skill.

Also anchored near us? A mega yacht. As one does on the Bahama Banks.

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Snorkeling with Nurse Sharks (Church Can Wait)

Sunday morning we woke up to flat calm water and no land anywhere on the horizon. Surreal doesn’t cover it.

It was also stake conference Sunday for our home ward back home. And while we obviously couldn’t be there in person, snorkeling as a family in the middle of the Bahamian ocean with nurse sharks circling a coral reef felt like a reasonable second option. (We kid. Mostly.)

The reef near our anchor spot was teeming with life — nurse sharks, colorful reef fish, and the kind of visibility that makes you forget you’re technically in the middle of nowhere. The kids were absolutely electric about the reefs. So were Josh and I, for that matter.

It was calm enough and beautiful enough that we decided to stay a second night. No regrets.

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The Split-Second Low-Tide Decision

Monday morning hit differently.

Conditions on the Bahama Banks were rougher than expected — choppier water, building swell — and we were staring down a low-tide window that was closing fast. The Bahama Banks are notoriously shallow in places, and if we were going to make our move to Chub Cay in the Berry Islands, we had maybe an hour to thread the needle between shallow water and the main channel before the tide made the decision for us.

We pulled anchor in under an hour.

Within 60 minutes of that wake-up call, we were maneuvering out of the shallows and into the deeper main channel, pointed toward Chub Cay. The swell settled down over the course of the four-hour motor sail, and we pulled into a calm, beautiful anchorage on the other side.

Our second Bahamian destination. Just like that.

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Chub Cay: Trash, Fuel, and a Whole Lot of Relief

Chub Cay in the Berry Islands is one of those practical stops that cruisers dream about after a long stretch of passage making. We hadn’t been able to offload trash since leaving No Name Harbor in Miami. We needed fuel. We needed to feel like functional human beings again.

Chub Cay delivered on all counts — and it’s gorgeous while doing it.

If the Bahama Banks passage was the adventure, Chub Cay was the exhale.

The small deserted island near us was covered in conch shells, so we stocked up. It was small enough to circumnavigate on foot, so we got out some kiddo and puppy wiggles exploring the little patch of sand.

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What’s Next?

We are officially two Bahamian destinations in, the Berry Islands have our whole hearts, and the Abacose are still on the horizon. We will keep pinching ourselves until further notice.

Follow along so you don’t miss what comes next — it only gets better from here.

🌊 Sam + Josh + the NOBAD crew

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Life happens outside.

Don’t cancel plans. Make more.

Nobad life.