Help! The Bahamas are hard!

[Don Distante]

I'm sure you thought of this already but just in case. Can't you just take the memory card out of the plotter and use an adapter to plug into a laptop. Take the laptop ashore to a spot with better connectivity, download the charts onto the memory card and then pop the card back into plotter. That's the way I would do it with my older Raymarine E80 anyway. Also, fyi I downloaded the explorer charts for use with OpenCPN on a laptop too. But understand that it's better for you on your plotter.

Also, I appreciate your candid account of being stressed out. Keep us posted on your progress - I would very much like to hear how things work out. After reading many accounts of sailing the Bahamas I understand that it can take a week or two to get into the rhythm of things and to start enjoying. Best of luck.

[sck5]

FYI - Even if the explorer charts show the sand banks in eg the Sea of Abaco, dont imagine that they will all still be where they were when charted. Sand moves around.

[MicHughV]

I remember my first trip to the B'mas. Being able to see the bottom so clearly was a tad unnerving at first. It looks like you might run aground, but you will be in 15' of water.

And crossing the banks, had to go thru' some fish muds....vast tracts of muddied water where you can't see a thing. Looks like you are about to run aground at anytime, but as above, 15' of water.

Took a few days to get chilled out, but once you are in the groove, no place like it. I've travelled the B'mas from end to end, but the Abaco's still rates as my favorite. Spent an entire year there one time. Simply no place like it. A piece of paradise right on our doorstep.

[belizesailor]

Get proper charts and get your COVID test outta the the way, then proceed...anywhere is hard if unprepared.

[MicHughV]

well, there is no pleasing some people....iffen a mountain can be made out of a molehill...they'll find a way to do it...no electronic charts.....sigh...end of trip for some...

[Group9]

My first sailing trip to the Bahamas, the only charts we had were copied onto 8x11 paper and looked like a place mat from some restaurant.

Once you learn how to read the water, you're generally okay. But, once they came out with the Explorer Chartbooks, I just can't imagine going over there without them.

I enjoy just flipping through mine between trips there, planning out new routes and replaying old trips in my head.

My advice: Just pay the price for the Explorer Charts (that will be double what you could have bought them for in the US probably).

[MicHughV]

I still have a 1985 version of the "Yachtsman cruising guide to the B'mas"....kinda fallin' apart now...but each page has my own notes, lobster hole locations, fishing spots, depths, channels I've located, etc...it's a treasure trove of data....
I was good friends with Steve Pavlidis who wrote several guides to the B'mas...I have them all, plus some others....
Charts ???...who needs charts for the B'mas??....seriously....any Cruising Guide is really all you need....but that is me.

My very first trip to the B'mas was all by dead reckoning, I didn't have a single navigational tool....but I had no problem finding where I wanted to go....then Loran came about, but it had limited use in the B'mas...but these days....electronic charting is all the rage....sheesh...I even have the B'mas charts on my phone ....

[Group9]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I still have a 1985 version of the "Yachtsman cruising guide to the B'mas"....kinda fallin' apart now...but each page has my own notes, lobster hole locations, fishing spots, depths, channels I've located, etc...it's a treasure trove of data....
I was good friends with Steve Pavlidis who wrote several guides to the B'mas...I have them all, plus some others....
Charts ???...who needs charts for the B'mas??....seriously....any Cruising Guide is really all you need....but that is me.

My very first trip to the B'mas was all by dead reckoning, I didn't have a single navigational tool....but I had no problem finding where I wanted to go....then Loran came about, but it had limited use in the B'mas...but these days....electronic charting is all the rage....sheesh...I even have the B'mas charts on my phone ....

You could just use google maps to get around the Bahamas, and probably be pretty okay with a little common sense mixed in.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Group9

You could just use google maps to get around the Bahamas, and probably be pretty okay with a little common sense mixed in.

...and good eyeball navigation (reading water) ability. Im guessing that escaped the preparation list too.

[sailorboy1]

I keep forgetting that a Goggle Map satellite image is useful to use with a chart

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Andreas W

That's why I always have paper charts on board wherever I go.

I was thinking the same thing. Just go ashore to the Chandlery and buy a paper chart for $28 bucks. A LOT less grief...

[smj]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

I was thinking the same thing. Just go ashore to the Chandlery and buy a paper chart for $28 bucks. A LOT less grief...

At this point I’m sure there are quite a few sailors out there that have no idea how to “operate” a paper chart.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by smj

At this point I’m sure there are quite a few sailors out there that have no idea how to “operate” a paper chart.

No Zoom facility sucks..

[MicHughV]

The first time I left for the Abaco's, I had no navigational instruments, I was informed to leave at night and to keep the lights on the smoke stacks at West Palm Beach lined up...this keeps you on track with the Gulf Stream trying to push you north....then half way across....I should pick up the red light from the phone tower at West End.. I saw a red light and followed that, but it turned out to be a ship..never even saw West End......but just after dawn, picked up Memory Rock...had never seen Memory Rock before, so was somewhat taken aback by the small size.. but there was nothing else out there, so I thought this must be it...I don't deny that the good Lord looks after drunks, fools and sailors...first few hours were a bit apprehensive as I had never seen such clear water, but pretty soon Mangrove Cay hove into sight and it was all downhill from there..cleared in at Green Turtle...the Abaco's...no place like it !

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by smj

At this point I’m sure there are quite a few sailors out there that have no idea how to “operate” a paper chart.

E-zactly my point.

Remember, electrics and a salt water marine environment are inherently at odds.

There is a deep disconnect with all of these new sailors who do NOT know how to navigate without Navionics and their video screens.

Some unexpected time - exactly as Jeb describes - (he's lucky he's in a safe anchorage) - the electrics are not to be relied on or they fail for one reason or another and as you see, he's effectively stranded.

At least he's prudent enough not to go sailing off without any idea of the navigable waters...