Bahamas cruise in January

[Symphony]

Lots of good information in this thread.

The charter captains I know are quite lax about the customs and check- in when here, it seemed very lax to me too. Do bring cash for fees, though.

A Cruiser could spend a month in the Sea of Abaco and be neither bored nor troubled. We were there 10 days and could’ve gladly stayed triple that amount of time

[Northbound44]

Don’t forget the fact that cold front are more frequent in January and stronger than in the southern Bahamas. I personally recommend to go to the Exhumas . From Miami, it will take you approximately 24 hrs to Nassau and another beautiful sailing day to reach Allan Cay were paradise begins. Have a beautiful trip.

[Bean Counter]

Clearing in to Bahamas - just quoting noonsite (which may be incorrect according to a previous poster regarding last paragraph on transiting)

"Entry into the Bahamas must be made at one of the official Ports of Entry, and the yellow Q flag should be flown within three miles of the port. Notify Customs of your arrival and no one should go ashore until pratique has been granted. Clearance must be done on arrival (within 24 hours) and Customs and Immigration will come to your vessel. Everyone on board must have a passport and fill out an immigration card. This is the link to the Clearance Forms.
Regular hours for Bahamas Customs and Immigration Officers are 09:00-16:00 weekdays. Officers are on call during holidays and weekends. There is no overtime charge.
The Bahamas can be transited without clearing in until arrival at a Port of Entry at a convenient time, but during transit do not enter a port or go ashore.


Bahamas —

[Caliber40]

Morning Paul,

To answer the anchorage recommendations of your question here are a few.

Treasure Cay: Beach is not secluded and you cant anchor out front but it's worth a stop...the marina is real nice, cheap water, nice mooring balls and a lively bar. Beach I am told is rated top 10 in the world! Good provisioning.

Red Bay : Going SE from Treasure you'll find a decent anchorage with a fairly deserted beach at Red Bay...Ok West protection.

Marsh Harbour: Great provisioning! Lots of restaurants and lively bars....very limited beaches (actually none)

Matt Lowe Cay: Very nice anchorage.....very picturesque....fairly secluded.....but cant go ashore....private. Still a nice stop.

Great Guana Cay:Nice anchorage just North of main harbour.....decent beach.....bar attached....also home of famous bar "Nippers".....great oceanside beach.....Orchid Bay Marina has a very nice restaurant with a breathtaking view.

Great Guana South: There are a couple anchorages to Port as you head towards Man O War Cay.....have not been to any of them but may be worth exploring if you are adventurous.

Man O War.....neat town.....few nice shops but town itself is beautiful. Anchorage all mooring balls and can be crowded. Some anchoring just North of main harbour anchorage.

Hopetown: Everybody goes to Hopetown! Nice town...good restaurants, bars, marinas. Nice public beach......ocean side (kind of) Anchoring difficult in main harbour...all m balls....always full (it seems)...good anchoring just outside entrance but no beach to speak of.

South towards Tahiti Beach

Many anchorages.....beaches not so much.....Abaco Inn a nice stop....great oceanside bar.

Tahiti Beach: Great anchorage......very nice beach but can get crowded.....channel between Tahiti and Lubbers Quarters can appear skinny and it is.....just pay attention. Couple nice bars on Lubbers Quarter.....anchor at Tahiti and dingy over.

Tiloo Cay: Nice anchorage.....nice beach on South end (Tiloo Pond)....usually empty....worth a stop!

South towards Pete's Pub.....some decent "out of the way" anchorages.....most folks headed to Pete's so they dont stop...great snorkeling at Sandy Cay but can be very rolly.....all these anchorages depend on good weather and can be rolly.

Lynyard Cay: Nice anchorage......good protection and a nice beach to the South that is usually pretty empty.....one of our favorite stops. In nice weather you can dingy to Pete's Pub (we have not) but it's a haul and of the wind picks up can be a challenge.

Pete's Pub: Big attraction...great beach bar....anchorage mooring ball only (actually a little bit of room to anchor) Entrance a little shallow.....my guess you'll have no problem except in real low tide......great ocean beach that gets nicer and more private the further S you walk.

Advise given on Stream crossing are good....Whale crossing is much easier than reported.....just follow common sense....if it's windy and from the North dont go but I think the Whale does not live up to the bad reputation it has.

If you want more specific info our blog on Sail Blogs dot com I think are pretty good......google Sailing Ti Amo oir if you use sail Blogs vessel search engine just search Ti Amo

Hope this helps

Greg
sv Ti Amo

[Sailorman Ed]

Paul M, I would agree with Northbound 44 about the Exumas, the Abacos are too cold for me in January but I would skip Nassau. Also consider the Berry Islands, you easily spend 2 weeks there and slightly warmer. While a little tricky, you can proceed along the inside of the eastern Berry Is with your draft, trust the water color even though you will traverse right along shore at one point. Bimini check-in was very casual and everyone was off the boat before checking in. In the Berrys, they were a little more fussy but you can take a slip for no cost to check in a Great Harbor and customs/immagration comes right to the marina. I have yet to find a place that they will come to your boat.

If you want to stay in the Abacos, and only 2 weeks, then I would skip Marsh, stay in the northern islands. Manjack and Powell are 2 favorites. While we have yet to meet the couple who have the little cruiser's beach on Manjack, they must be wonderful, follow their trail "To Da Beach". Powell is the island your imagination has already created. Land mid beach on the west side and take the short hike to the east side. Be sure to explore the NW corner and take the trail to the top. Allens-Pensacola has the most protected anchorage, also uninhabited, add your boat sign to the "sign tree"on the north beach. We enjoyed Grand but did manage to plow a furrow completely across the anchorage during one night.

Carry a couple extra jugs of fuel and water and skip the settlements (except Grand) if you are looking for deserted beaches. At least get a receiver to get Chris Parker's morning broadcasts, usually quite accurate for about 3 days out. Windfinder is also pretty good. If you average wind speeds between the 2, you should be right on. Take wet suits if you want to go in the water. Explorer Chartbook alone would provide all the guide you need if only staying in the northern Abacos. Take all alcohol with you, much cheaper in the US!

You do have a dink and small OB, correct?

[Paul M]

I do, but it's seen better days. I'm looking for a replacement in SE FL before setting sail. I assume a functioning one would be a necessity for the bahamas, especially the deserted beaches.

[boatpoker]

I have a couple of mild disagreements with some posts here.

While I agree that moderate and higher northerlies can create serious conditions on crossings, our last three crossings have befantail trawler is a little tender.

The Whale can be a very nasty spot as Disney and their cruise ships discovered some years ago. It can also be quite a nice run but we don't take it anymore. Last winter we ran the Don't Rock channel eight times with a couple of those at low tide, lowest water we saw was 5'6" (we draw 3'6"). We will be through there again in a couple of weeks. Given the shallow draught of the OP I thought noting this was appropriate.

[Hhew]

Annie and Phillip on Plaintiffs Rest are about two weeks ahead of you. You can find their contact info at https://havewindwilltravel.com/. They can probably give you all the latest scoop.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by PuttingDoctor

As said by those above the weather window is key for crossing.

SNIP

Keep in mind that after a front passes and the wind shifts it may take 24-48 hours for the Gulf Stream to calm down. Conventional wisdom is stand on the beach and look out at the horizon. If it looks like elephants are marching where the water meets the sky delay your departure till the elephants are gone.

[MamaKube]

I love the Abacos but agree with prior posts that it can be quite chilly in the winter and also to never cross when there is any hint of a North wind. Know that you will enter the shallow water hours before you see land. We love Green Turtle Cay for restaurants and provisioning. Marsh Harbor has the best provisioning but is not hospitable for beaches or swimming.
You just can’t rush the Abacos.