Bahamas Anyone?

We left from the Key Biscayne marina in 2000. At the time the parking/marina security guards were quite accommodating for long term storage. They only charged us $75 to store our vehicles and trailers in a 24hr a day monitored lot (part of the marina) for the 4 weeks we were gone. They did, however, tell us to lock our trailers to our vehicles, then put locks on the locks (we think they were just kidding -- !). No problems when we returned.

We went to customs at Bimini, I believe it was 54nm from Key Biscayne. BTW, we chose Key Biscayne at the last minute, the Miami marina was hit by a tornado 3 days earlier, it was still under repair. This was in late May.
 
First time to the Bahamas? We suggest crossing to West End, only reasons to go in to a marina is for water,ice or dive air. Anchor out every night and restrict your cruising ground to the Northern Abacos. You can spend 3 weeks there and still no go everywhere. Lots of good places to hole up and explore especially if you like to dive and snorkel. We recommend you snorkel everywhere you stop. Some of the most gorgeous beaches anywhere but amazingly you'll find just about anything ever made by man and enough lumber to build a house. This is especially true on the outer eastern islands.For a jump off spot we use the public ramp at Riviera Beach. The pass to open water is a 5 minute idle from the ramp. Never have had a problem leaving the truck and trailer and no charges as yet the last time we were there. Fuel wise, this trip is much easier to manage than going to the Dry Tortugas where there aren't any facilities whatsoever. Were no experts and Capt. D has had more experience, just our 2 cents worth....
 
I agree with Molly Brown. I am not a big fan of Marinas in general, and even less so in the Bahamas--lots of great anchorages and snorkeling etc.
But remember that the N. Bahamas can get cool weather in the winter--the gulf stream will keep the water temperature up. I am concerned about people being on an absolute schedule because of weather. To cross this area in a 16 you would really want ideal conditions I believe....

As we age we become more conservative, but do keep personal EPIRB's, flares and submersiable VHF radios in our jacket pockets when offshore. We also have the dinghy ready to use as a life raft if necessary. I did have a CO2 bottle rigged--and may do that again for this crossing.
 
Dont' know if it's a consensus, but there seems to have been some migration toward the Abacos, via West End, in the Mid May through June time window. I'll go ahead and get the additional planning materials recommended by Skipper Bob (The Cruising Guide to Abaco Bahamas, by Steve Dodge, Explorer Chartbook Near Bahamas, by Monty & Sara Lewis, and, perhaps, Great Abaco and Cays Chart, AB001), and begin to put together some rough outlines of possible cruise plans. Anyone else who is interested might want to get these same materials, or do a post of other resources they have or are acquiring, so we can begin to form something which will pass as an information base, and ask some intelligent questions of people who have already done this area.

My present thinking, which is pretty much off the top of my head, is to develop a "master" cruise plan, which would reflect a corresponding maximum commitment of time, with allowances for weather and other contingencies, and include "cutouts" from the master plan, which would require less time commitment. We would sail with the master, or whatever lesser cutout plan corresponded to the time commitment most of the participants are able to make. Changes to lesser or greater cutouts would then be made along the way, based on actual weather, mechanical, medical or other contingencies.
 
As we have mentioned before, our time frame is fixed on early March, so if mid-May is the consensus, then we will unfortunately have "been there, done that" by the time you all go.
 
Cosmic C":3py1x5ek said:
As we have mentioned before, our time frame is fixed on early March, so if mid-May is the consensus, then we will unfortunately have "been there, done that" by the time you all go.
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Maybe two "flotillas"? Got our Skipper Bob's books, a Maptech chartbook, and also looking at the Feb/March timeframe.
 
Mid May - early June is when Thataway will be headed toward Alaska, according to current plans. If we go with the group, it will be earlier.

Nothing wrong with several smaller groups going at different times.
 
It might be helpful if everyone making the crossing used the same waypoints, as much as possible, and if those waypoints correspond to those on Chart AB001. So, I've done a Garmin format file of all of these waypoints, which I will use to lay out some potential planning routes, and, eventually, to make the crossing in May/June, 07. If anyone would like a copy of this file, please let me know, and I'll e-mail it to you as soon as I've finished my final proofing.

I'll be more than happy to share route files, too, once they're laid out.
Let me know if that would be helpful, particularly to those planning on an earlier crossing. These routes, and the waypoints, can be downloaded to your Garmin chartplotters, and used on your computers.

By the way, West Marine's warehouses are out of the Explorer Chartbook, Bahamas, 3rd edition, their model #2047140, priced at $49.95, which means that it can't be ordered over the internet. But, if you want one, just go to any West Marine store, and if they don't have it in stock, which they probably won't, ask them to search their system for it at other stores in their district, and, if necessary, stores in other districts. There are some copies lying around, and they can be transfered from store to store, without shipping charge to you.
 
The Explorer chart books can be found at:
http://www.explorercharts.com/ I would rather give my money to the folks who built the charts with their surveys than West Marine. Also Bluewater Books in Ft. Lauderdale is another excellent resource of charts and books. (West marine seems to be out of more things these days--and as noted sometimes I can find them at the other west marine 3 blocks down the street (ex boat US))

The C map Max, and Garmin Blue Chart 6 as well as the most recent Nobeltec charts use the Lewis Explorer charts also.

Thank you for the waypoints. I am not sure if I will be going exactly the same way that you are, but I would appreciate the file and I would put them on my computer and compare with what I have. I have Standard Horizon and Lowrance chart plotters, plus a lap top with Noaa and Nobeltec charts.

Regards,
 
have not been following this thread really close but could I get some one to swing by Grand cayman and take me fishing. In may susan and i will be on grand cayman and little cayman for two weeks of scuba diving and I hope fishing. Would love to take my own boat but thats not in the cards. you just have to watch out for the cuban navy on the way down.
 
starcrafttom":3i4t3inx said:
have not been following this thread really close but could I get some one to swing by Grand cayman and take me fishing. In may susan and i will be on grand cayman and little cayman for two weeks of scuba diving and I hope fishing. Would love to take my own boat but thats not in the cards. you just have to watch out for the cuban navy on the way down.
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Well, Tom, I do owe you one. :wink

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
yes you do and if you swing south "just" a little on your way east you could pull it off. I have been found, in a court of law, druck and disorderly in several ccountries but I do not want to make cuba on of them. So make sure you have the right charts ok.
 
Thataway:

Bob, I've finished the final proof of the 115 waypoints from chart AB001, and will send them along later today, when I've got an e-mail connection. I'll include the two routes which appear on the chart, as well as my master planning route, which goes from the Lake Ft. Worth, FL area, to West End, up to Walker's Cay, and then down to Cherokee, along the Walker's Cay - Cherokee route laid out on AB001.

For rough planning, this overall route is 251 miles long, one way, without cutouts to individual harbors, anchorages, etc. The Gulf crossing is 63 miles (to West End), and it's another 55 miles to Walker's. From there on, the runs are fairly short. Going on a more easterly route, either immediately north or south of Great Sale Cay, would cut about 20 miles off the overall length, and perhaps allow for mid-way anchorage and a little better protection from weather, depending on circumstances encountered.

Let me know if these file formats are accessible with your setup.

david
 
Sounds like a great trip, but not in my plans.
Any body crossing from the west coast via the Okeechobee Waterway please stop by and visit me at The Southpoint Anchorage in Stuart,FL. I'm on bouy 13 right next to the E channel marker. I'm the only C-Dory in the place and the smallest boat.
If you need to overnight they charge $10.60 a day and that gets you wifi, showers, and laundry room.
With easy access to the intercoastal or the Atlantic. Plus you can set and chat with others who have made the crossing before.

22 Angler liveaboard
 
I was thinking of the March-April-May time frame.... but I could make other dates... as I will be coming up the backside of Florida and across da swamp...
I will need extra fuel if we are planning a Cuba layover.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
I almost went to Cuba once, but that's another story.

I finally got the Explorer Chartbook, Near Bahamas recommended by Skipper Bob. Boy, is this ever the motherlode! Now I'm really able to do some detailed planning, and it gets better and better each time I turn a page. This has the potential to be a trip to die for.

At any rate, I'm in the process of expanding the waypoint data bank (presently have all on AB001 and the local airports), and laying out some fantastic routes. For anyone who can't accomodate the Garmin format, it might make sense to just post a few printouts on this site.

At some point, we're going to need to set up some sign-up's for persons with potential interest in either of what appear to be the two crossing times.

david
 
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