Sailing to Abacos in May - advice needed

[roberttigar]

It may be only 50nm from Lk worth to W End, but you are fighting the Gulf stream all the way. Your hull speed will be 3 knts at best for a good portion of the trip. We have made a couple of dozen trips leaving Hillsboro Inlet at 4 am and arriving at 1-2 pm with a boat that at best does 6 knts.

However, better than half the trip has a "push" that gets the speed up to 7+ from the stream.

Mileage is approx 64nm and you have to account for the stream by following a compass course of approx 64'. If you have done it right, your chart plotter will show a perfect arc for the course.

The only freighters we have ever seen are with in approx 10 miles of the Fl coast.

The guy who said this is just a day-sail must be high on something. This is the ocean and you see nothing for most of the trip.

With the return to Fl-W End to Lk Worth makes a lot of sense. The stream will push you at an amazing speed on the last third.

Bob

[skipgundlach]

I'm on the phone and in a noisy environment so I apologize in advance. Paragraph the best way to get across the stream unless you are trying to go north is to point your boat do East and let it take you where it will. Do yourself thing anywhere but in the Stream.


Southing...

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by roberttigar

The guy who said this is just a day-sail must be high on something. This is the ocean and you see nothing for most of the trip.

I didn't say it, but it's just a day sail!!!!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I didn't say it, but it's just a day sail!!!!

He must be in Alaska.. gotten used to very short days.. and I'd not call that an ocean just because theres low lying land either side of a Strait.

[puffcard]

Why if you're doing something for the first time, why you want to do it in the dark? During the day it's easy to see the boat traffic, easier to fish and you get a good night's sleep. Sailing offshore at night off Fla is a trip. Last season sailing along at night in a gentle breeze at 6.5 kts. We passed by a 45-50 ft fast boat, just sitting, no lights, no AIS, by the time I saw them they were just off the beam, I yelled, "Is everything thing alright?". There was no response, did hear voices, not in English. About half hour later a boat with lights head's towards them, I'm thinking his bud is coming to give a tow and then his lights go out. My bet was they were up to something and I only missed him by a 100 yards. Advantages to both day and night crossings. I really enjoyed the time in the GS during the day. Blue water, better fishing and you can see things you need to miss. It's a short hop, enjoy the trip

[NakedCity]

I have made at least 35 sailboat crossings from Florida to the Bahamas over the past 40 years. My advice to you is to leave from West Palm predawn and plan to enter the bank a few miles south of Mantanilla Shoals (NW corner of the bank). Read "Crossing the Gulf Stream" article in you manditory Explorer Chartbook and plan your compass course to steer .

With your discomfort for both thunderstorms and night sailing crossing the stream during the day and running the bank at night makes the most sense.

You will enter the bank sometime in the afternoon and arrive at Great Sale in the wee hours of the morning and never see less than 15 feet of water.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I have AIS, and I use it at night crossing the Stream, but could have done without. Radar is unlikely to be needed - I did turn mine on once when it was raining hard at night, but I turned it back off not long after. Any ships to see (two in 60 miles) I could see with AIS or with eyeballs when the rain let up.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

I'm on the phone and in a noisy environment so I apologize in advance. Paragraph the best way to get across the stream unless you are trying to go north is to point your boat do East and let it take you where it will. Do yourself thing anywhere but in the Stream.


Southing...

Edit - do your southing anywhere but in the stream

If you leave from Lake Worth or environs, and once in the stream point due East, your track, depending on your forward speed, will look about like this:

The one entering about White Sands Shoals was the last time we went, and the exit was the one at Memory Rock.

Aside from the admiral demanding to get out of the GS, where it was a washing machine (but dry ride), the return would have continued the lift given by the GS.

If you are planning to return to Lake Worth (or anywhere south of Ft. Pierce), you'll have to do some southing at some point. There's fairly good room to do that as you exit Memory rock, before you'd stumble over the eastern edge of the GS (perhaps as much as 15 miles to the west). For our trip it was about 79-30 and 80-0 west longitude for the edges.

As to those nasty N winds, we've learned that if the N isn't the first letter, it's not a big deal (i.e. wnw, ene), particularly if it's on the heels of non N-first-letter winds. Of course, your stomach for high winds or long-period swells (what did in the Admiral on that trip) will determine what you'll want to be experiencing, in any case.

For your first trip, just wait for the perfect window. You can trust Explorer Charts explicitly and implicitly. They may underestimate depths, but will never put you on the ground if their sounding is bigger than your depth, unlike many instances of Navionics charts (in the Bahamas - they're supposed to be the very best in the US). Head due east to minimize the time in the stream. Come in over the top if you have to (we have, on an occasion where we couldn't make our southing before hitting the stream - the one at the top; the detour due north was due to our having a rigging issue which took lying ahull to resolve), and enjoy the ride over to Grand...

[Telemark43]

Originally Posted by JakeBottom

I suggest you leave around dusk, enough light to get out of whatever pass you're leaving from, and make your crossing at night. Pick "good" weather and go for it. You should arrive after sunrise on the Little Bahama Bank (check your chart for good water to cross on to the Bank), head for Great Sale, anchor and spend a pleasant night, then proceed down the Sea of Abaco to Spanish Cay or Green Turtle to clear customs and get your fishing license.
I've made the crossing 26 times, and found this the very best way to enjoy the wonderful Abacos. Make sure you say hi to Babs at the Other Shore Club, Green Turtle for me.
As an aside, there are plenty of "good" anchorages between Great Sale and either Spanish Cay or Green Turtle . . . Allan's Pensacola being the best, as it is about half way to either cay for customs check-in.

I agree, a beautiful passage and best advice !!

[skipgundlach]

PS I know several folks who have been stranded by weather after checking in at West End. If you're ok with extended dock time there, it's not a big deal, but we don't do docks

Enjoy the trip; spring and summer are glorious in the Abacos!