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Lyford Cay Marina, New Providence, Northern Bahamas

The chart and following text are from The Northern Bahamas Guide by Stephen J. Pavlidis

Lyford Cay Marina

Navigational Information
The well-marked entrance channel to Lyford Cay Marina (see Chart NP-7 and in greater detail on Chart NP-7A) will allow vessels of 9½’ draft to enter the marina.  Vessels with drafts of 11’ may tie up inside solely at their own risk.  A waypoint at 25º 04.00’ N, 77º 30.94’ W, will place you approximately ¼ mile north of the light (Fl W) that marks the entrance channel to Lyford Cay Marina.  Start steering south staying west of the light.  Be sure to stay a little west of the light (if entering the marina channel keep the light to port) to avoid the shallows and breaking reefs to the east.  There is a range ashore consisting of twin green lights at the marina, and a higher set of twin green lights on the hill above the marina.  These lights stay on day and night.  As you begin your passage south down the channel you will notice that there are three pairs of red and green daymarks, keep between these and finally you will come to the entrance jetties which have red and green lights on their respective sides.  Just inside, before the marina, white floodlights shine across the opening.  The fuel dock is to port immediately inside.      

Divers will enjoy Lyford Cay Reef, a gorgeous blue-toned wall dive starting at about 80’ and dropping straight down to the bottom of the Tongue of the Ocean.  The cliff begins at about 115’ when the eastern tip of Goulding Cay bears 225º and the Lyford Cay Water Tower bears 150º.  This area can be very rough due to the current so try to time your dive on an incoming tide.  It is suggested by the pros to start your dive at the deepest depth and work your way up.  You will see coral and caves with a very distinct bluish tone with a lot of sponges, sea fans, and soft corals. 

Another popular dive site in the area is Lambton Wall.  Lambton Wall lies about 2 miles west-northwest of Lyford Cay when the Lyford Cay water tower bears 125º and Simms Point bears 190º.  Here a sandy slope begins at about 30’ of water with scattered coral heads at a 70º angle to about 40’.  At around 50’ there is a nearly vertical drop which joins another sandy slope at 115’ creating an underwater range of small mountains and valleys. 
 

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