Exumas

[chad.lawie]

All beaches in the Bahamas are public property up to the high water mark.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by chad.lawie

All beaches in the Bahamas are public property up to the high water mark.

Yes, I remember when a member of the Bahamas Parliament went to Norman's Cay in the 70's to make that very point with Carlos Ledher and they machine gunned him.

So, there are some exceptions.

[Enrique100]

Originally Posted by Group9

One hundred per cent agreement with what this guy just said.

I'm assuming you are picking the boat up in Nassau. I sure wouldn't go very far south of Staniel Cay. But, you will have a fantastic week if you just go to the above listed spots. Easy sailing and navigation, too with the yellow banks being about the only thing you need to be mindful of (which just means transitting them with the sun overhead with a lookout on the bow,and I have never heard of anyone actually hitting a coral head there, although it gets warned about a lot).

The one thing you don't want to do is to try and go to Georgetown or any place where you have to go out one of the cuts. Because those cuts are very weather dependent and not something that is always doable in an 8 day period (the worst thing would be to make it through, and then get trapped by the weather when it was time to return). Winds are usually tradewinds out of the southeast. Fronts shouldn't be too bad in April. You will know when one is coming when the wind starts to clock around to the south west and then the west. The next thing will be higher winds out of the north/north east, and then they swing around to the east and back to the south east. That can take from two to ten days, depending on the size and speed of the front. But, all you get is wind mostly. It doesn't seem to rain much in the Bahamas. Just know that you might get some gusts when this happens.

My favorite place in the Bahamas in Staniel Cay. The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is as close to the perfect kind of Island bar/restaurant as it is possible to be (and, you can get internet there, which I know is important these days, especially if you have teenagers with you). There is tons of stuff to do and see around there alone (they have a good web site you should check out). There is also Compass Cay Marina and Sampson Cay Marina (but, I'm pretty sure one of those might be under renovation, but I can't remember which one).

Buy an Explorer "Exumas" Chartbook. (you can order them online) It will help you get a lot more out of your trip (and be really good to have if you have an electronics failure). They are also really fun for trip planning purposes and something you can keep referencing as you prepare for your trip. I constantly get mine out for future trip planning and just to reminiscence about past trips. In my humble opinion, they are the Bible of Bahamas Cruising (there are actually three of them, but you only need the Exumas one).

You're going to have a blast!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have a different take on that. Nassau is FAR from the Exumas. You are going to spend at least 6 hours sailing to the nearest of the Exumas and another 6 hours back. If you have the pleasure of doing that sail on a day with NE winds at anything over 25kt it's going to be really unpleasant.

Georgetown is a great place to start. You should be able to do an itinerary that starts there and goes north - allowing you to hit Little Farmer's, Black Point, and you'll probably be able to get as far as Staniel and Big Majors and then head back. Black Point is my absolute favorite settlement we had the pleasure of visiting on our cruise there last November. Whichever end you start from, you have to go as far as Staniel. Lots to do there - see the pigs, stop at the yacht club, snorkel Thunderball Grotto.

The northern half of the Exumas is very remote - nothing there but natural beauty. No real towns or anything. Warderick Wells has some nice hiking if that's your thing (fishing is prohibited within the park - and they do check). Great beaches everywhere, no shortage of those.

The southern half of the Exumas has a few more settlements, restaurants, and such to choose from, along with plenty of beaches and fishing. In 8 days you will only be limited to one half or the other. We covered the entire chain from Georgetown to Nassau in 10 days - about 160 miles. It was rushed, and would have been more enjoyable if we covered less ground. Engine problems one day and a front with high winds on two other days really shortened our sailing time and turned it more into a race rather than a leisurely sail. Definitely would go back again though!!!

Don't worry about the cuts too much, just make sure you know which ones are safe and where you are going, and check the tides and the weather. Georgetown is about 2 hours from the first cut to the Bank. Time it so you go in on slack tide (never on the ebb) and you'll be fine. Although we did one cut a couple hours into the ebb and it really got the heart racing!! Run your engines and keep your sails up for maximum power.

Have fun!

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Enrique100

I would have a different take on that. Nassau is FAR from the Exumas. You are going to spend at least 6 hours sailing to the nearest of the Exumas and another 6 hours back. If you have the pleasure of doing that sail on a day with NE winds at anything over 25kt it's going to be really unpleasant.

Georgetown is a great place to start. You should be able to do an itinerary that starts there and goes north - allowing you to hit Little Farmer's, Black Point, and you'll probably be able to get as far as Staniel and Big Majors and then head back. Black Point is my absolute favorite settlement we had the pleasure of visiting on our cruise there last November. Whichever end you start from, you have to go as far as Staniel. Lots to do there - see the pigs, stop at the yacht club, snorkel Thunderball Grotto.

The northern half of the Exumas is very remote - nothing there but natural beauty. No real towns or anything. Warderick Wells has some nice hiking if that's your thing (fishing is prohibited within the park - and they do check). Great beaches everywhere, no shortage of those.

The southern half of the Exumas has a few more settlements, restaurants, and such to choose from, along with plenty of beaches and fishing. In 8 days you will only be limited to one half or the other. We covered the entire chain from Georgetown to Nassau in 10 days - about 160 miles. It was rushed, and would have been more enjoyable if we covered less ground. Engine problems one day and a front with high winds on two other days really shortened our sailing time and turned it more into a race rather than a leisurely sail. Definitely would go back again though!!!

Don't worry about the cuts too much, just make sure you know which ones are safe and where you are going, and check the tides and the weather. Georgetown is about 2 hours from the first cut to the Bank. Time it so you go in on slack tide (never on the ebb) and you'll be fine. Although we did one cut a couple hours into the ebb and it really got the heart racing!! Run your engines and keep your sails up for maximum power.

Have fun!

I guess opinions vary, but, I really wouldn't do it that way with just two weeks. I've sailed from Georgetown to Nassau in one day before, too, but I wouldn't want to get in a position where I had to do that with northerly winds from a front. That time, I sat in Georgetown for a week and a half waiting for the weather I wanted.

You can get weather bad enough to trap you in Georgetown. It would have to be pretty bad to not be able to sail (or motor) from say, Staniel Cay, back to Nassau (and, again, I'm assuming that that is where they are picking up the charter boat). If they are renting in Georgetown, then yeah, they aren't going to have the cruise I would recommend.

You really think the sail north from Georgetown to the nearest cut (and, there is a lot of difference of opinion on which cut is the best one to take) , is an easier sail than from Nassau to the Allen's Cay? If I was going to fight bad weather, I would much rather do it heading back to Nassau from the Exumas, than trying to go from the middle Exumas back to Georgetown.

But, I will admit, for me, except for a place to re-provision, Georgetown is my least favorite place in the Bahamas (after Nassau). I never enjoy the whole floating travel trailer park thing that is going on there when the mob hits it. It's okay before it fills up, or after they are gone, but in the height of it, no way. But, obviously, a lot of people would rather hang out in Georgetown than explore the rest of the Exumas. I don't understand it, but I acknowledge it.

[umm]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I appreciate.
Best regards
Uli