Bahamas anyone?

[Our Idea]

Having enjoyed our cruise with the group up to Desolation Sound in our 29 Our Idea, I am starting to check out an extended trip to the Behamas after my retirement in May of 2012. While I am starting to research all I can regarding sailing from West Palm beach to the Bahamas and then cruising the islands but I wonder if there are any other tug owners who have been thinking (and dreaming) such a trip. Dates are pretty flexible for us and certainly best weather options are our choice. Would love to plan the trip with another tug or two (or more!) Respond if you have info or interest!

 

[Dale777]

I am very interested. However, I would like to travel with at least one experienced sailor in this type of excursion, since I would be a novice at this. Our dates are also flexible for a trip like this.

 

[walldog]

Not experienced, but since I do have a little Hurricane experience, summer may not be the best time. Late Fall of 2012 could work.

 

[knotflying]

yes, I am interested, but not until winter of 2013, We already have plans for this winter. There is an article all about traveling to the Bahamas in the October/November BoatU.S. magazine. The critical thing when going across the 50 miles is avoid crossing when winds are from the north.

 

[abcandjrc]

We were always delayed in our trips to The Bahamas since our document and state registration both came due in March and we always wanted the current ones with us if needed. We used to leave in late March and return just as the hurricane season would start to heat up, generally leaving the country between July 4 and 10 to head back to Florida.

Those were good months for us for several reasons beyond timing on the papers. Most of the crowds were heading north and clearing out the crowded anchorages. (There is always a dinghy adrift in Georgetown in the winter 😉 , and quite often in almost any anchorage there is a boat dragging if the wind is over 10 kt. 😱 )

The waters are warming by then and the temperatures moderate. When not on a fixed schedule, those are really good months, but anytime in The Bahamas is great.

To tell the truth I keep pondering moving to The Bahamas. Wonderful country, wonderful water, and wonderful people. And never, ever, give up the chance to go ashore and mingle, no matter if the island has 30 people or 3000. You miss 75% of the experience otherwise.

One problem is that many get as far as Lake Worth and never cross. The waves are always bigger out in The Gulf Stream as the number of boats speculating on them on VHF collects in the anchorage there. Our philosophy was to cross, take our beating for a few hours if the waves really were out there and be eating Conch Burgers the next day instead of Big Macs. We made one crossing from Key West to Chubb Cay, and one smooth and one fairly wild crossing from Lake Worth to West end. We were in sail, so the beating might have been a bit milder, but any well-found boat can take the majority of the crossings if the crew is capable and willing.

Go for it!

And it is pronounced "Key" no matter how many greenhorns pronounce it "Kay".

 

[JamesTXSD]

Late spring and late fall are the best times in the Bahamas: out of hurricane season and the weather is more moderate. Expect northers to be a consideration during the winter... many folks expect tropical weather, but the Abacos are at Latitude 27º, further north than Ft. Lauderdale, the Keys, the Tropical Tip of Texas. Winter months can be great, or cold and windy, similar weather as southern Florida. You may be in the Keys or south Florida for quite a while (not a bad place to be), waiting for a weather window to make the crossing. As already stated, you don't want to attempt it in boats our size in any wind with "north" in it - you wind up with wind against the current in the Gulf Stream, and that ain't pretty. The term is "marching elephants", because that is what the Gulf Stream looks like with any north wind.