In the sprawling, sun-drenched archipelago of the Exumas, where the water transitions from electric sapphire to a translucent gin-clear in a single boat length, there are islands that everyone knows—and then there are those that you discover. Rudder Cut Cay is in the latter category.
Tucked away in the southern reaches of the Exuma chain, just north of Little Farmers Cay and south of the resort of Musha Cay, Rudder Cut is an island that feels like a shared secret among the cruising community. It is a place where high-tech illusions meet raw Bahamian nature.
We entered through the southern cut. I’m not going to lie: it was a bit gnarly. But we have no regrets.
Things We Loved Most About Rudder Cut Cay
1. The Musician
If you’ve heard of Rudder Cut Cay, it’s likely because of “The Musician.” Commissioned by world-famous magician David Copperfield (who owns the neighboring Musha Cay resort), this life-sized stainless steel sculpture of a mermaid lounging next to a Steinway grand piano is one of the most iconic snorkeling spots in the world.
Located off the southwest coast of the cay, the sculpture sits roughly 12 to 15 feet below the surface.
It wasn’t easy for us to find at first, but we brought our iPad and were able to pull it up on Navionics.
We recommend you go at slack tide. We didn’t have the luxury of timing our visit, and the currents were really, really strong. We were pretty wiped out by the end of it.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
2. The Dinghy Garage
One of the most spectacular features of Rudder Cut Cay is the “Dinghy Garage” (sea cave) located on the northwestern side. It’s one of the few caves in the Bahamas that actually has a small, sandy beach hidden inside. At mid-tide, you can dinghy right up to the entrance, which we did. The acoustics are hauntingly beautiful.
We had it all to ourselves.
We saw another cave nearby.
3. The Sandbars
While the island of Rudder Cut Cay itself is private, Bahamian law allows access to beaches up to the mean high tide mark.
We were heading out to see the sandbars there, and we passed the one other boat in the anchorage.
When we arrived, it was really pretty. We anchored our dinghy and walked out a long way to enjoy the calm, ankle-deep water.
At low tide, the areas between Rudder and Musha Cay turn into a patchwork of shimmering sandbars. It was lovely.
When it was time to go, this guy accompanied us all the way back to ur boat.
4. The Whale
People told us, “Look for the whale!” We did.
As we left Rudder Cut Cay, we snapped this picture. It really does look like a whale.
Accommodations
There are no hotels or other accommodations on Rudder Cut Cay, only neighboring Musha Cay.
We anchored in the Rudder Cut Cay anchorage. There was only one other boat there at the time.
It was paradise.
Getting There
Unless you want to use the airstrip at Musha Cay, you can only access Rudder Cut Cay by boat. That’s what we did.
Final Thoughts
Rudder Cut Cay was a small slice of paradise on our Bahamas journey.
Snorkeling “The Musician” and visiting the dinghy garage….wonderful. Walking the sandbars and dinghying with a stingray? Even better.
As cruisers, we loved it and would highly recommend it.
You can see a map of Rudder Cut Cay here.
Originally experienced in January 2024; content refreshed in March 2026.
