Where to spend a week sailing in the Bahamas

[merrydolphin]

. I am a professional charter captain and dive instructor. I have extensively cruised, lived and worked in both areas

It depends on budget: It is much cheaper and easier to go to USVI. Flights jet service from well known airlines and very affordable direct non-stop to ST Thomas, despite that the Bahamas are closer. Flights to the Bahamas have also been notoriously expensive. Also your selection of boats is MUCH bigger in the VI. Or BVI. If you charter in BVI, fly into ST Thomas and take the ferry accross to BVI. Again much cheaper and easier to fly to USVI. Also not necessary to connect in San Juan Puerto Rico and then take a hop to BVI. That is more hassle, more expensive and longer time.

If money is not a factor and you really want the Bahamas. DO NOT go to the Abacos in the winter! The cold fronts punch through hard and frequent. You can be pinned down for days. The further SE that you can get the better. Exhumes better but still get cold fronts. You will get pinned down there too but not as hard nor as frequent as the Abacos. Even Turks / Caiacos get occasional fronts. Virgin Islands absolutely much better weather than Bahamas in winter. No comparison.

Another issue in the Bahamas is that sadly, the once incredible coral reefs that were world class, are pretty much gone. Very sad. VI”s too but less so. A much bigger change in the Bahamas.

As I do have to consider cost, and I know that the cost, weather and variety are far better in the VI’s, that would be my pick. PS for snorkeling, the “Indians” are great.

[tennis4789]

Noob question. How much would a dirt cheap charter be in some of these places?

[NakedCity]

Very simple, your only option for a one week Bahama charter is the Abacos.
You will like March or April much better than January or February.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by gonesail

consider staying or chartering out of SW Florida. nice clear water down there .. and less international hassle

It takes me literally 15 more minutes to prep documents and do my at home COVID test and 5 more minutes to go through customs for trips to and from the Bahamas vs to somewhere in the U.S. Hardly a "hassle”, I will probably spend an equivalent amount of time and effort getting set and waiting in line for the boat show this weekend...and I live in Annapolis!

[MicHughV]

If you are new to this game....

Some things to consider....as others have pointed out as well.

You have to cross the Gulf Stream, a very strong north flowing current, to get to the B'mas, and this can be a tricky hurdle for most.

Nor'east winds blowing against a north flowing current can set up some challenging waves. It can be done, and the pro's do it all the time, but for a newbie, it's not recommend as it can be an extremely rough and wet ride, and you are likely to break something.

The further south you leave, the better....ie, leaving from West Palm beach is better than leaving from Fort Pierce, because of the north setting Gulf stream.

But, the crux if the matter is this....you may have to " wait for weather" to make your crossing. February is notable in having a lot of " fronts" blow thru...these are the nor'easters as described above. They may blow for one day or several days....and then it takes a day or two for the seas to settle down.

If you have only one week-10 days set aside, the odds are going to be stacked against you to find that 12 hour window to scoot across.

You will have to crab across to allow for the northerly drift of the Gulf Stream and there is a 99.9% probability you'll be doing it under power.

If you do make it across, you'll still have to make your way back, In this regards, the Gulf Stream can be your friend....but if a nor-easter is blowing, it will be a rough ride.

7-10 days is simply not sufficient time to plan this trip.

My recommendation is probably head for the Florida Keys....it's not the B'mas, but your wife will likely prefer it. There are restaurants a-plenty, etc

I have done this trip at least 50 times, maybe more...sometimes I've got lucky and was able to zip right across. Other times, not so lucky, and waiting for decent weather took a long time.

As above, going later...March, April, May is a better choice...warmer water, more settled weather, etc.

[capn_billl]

Anyone check in by boat to Bahamas recently?

[Free2Sail]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

If you are new to this game...

As above, going later...March, April, May is a better choice...warmer water, more settled weather, etc.

Would December be a better time to charter in the Bahamas than Jan/Feb? Say, out of Nassau? What would be a decent cruising route out of Nassau in 10 days?
Also, what is the availability of dock water while out cruising (e.g. in the Abacos), if the boat doesn't have a watermaker?

Thanks!

[JC Reefer]

Getting in and out of Nassau for a charter is a pain. Your better off heading to marsh harbor and sailing the Abaco’s. It’s fully protected sailing with very different islands one after the others.

Fishing will be amazing in both areas. Jan/Feb are great but other times are also good. Can’t go wrong unless you time it with a hurricane.

[MicHughV]

Yes, I think December will likely be a better month than Jan/Feb. It kinda slots you in between hurricane season and winter northers.

I've cruised in the B'mas year round. Unless you plan on doing a lot of diving, water temperature should not be an issue. Bring a wetsuit if this concerns you. Cooler weather will actually be more enjoyable than stifling summer heat.

Most all of the marina's have dock water and bottled water can be found most anywhere. If you charter, you'll get a boat with full water tanks. You should be able to last a week with onboard water tankage without much trouble. But if you tend to take 30 minute long showers, fugetaboutit.

Hands down, I'd opt for the Abaco's, if all you have is one week, as one anchorage or harbor is very close to the next. Marsh Harbor would be your likely hub.
Marsh Harbor is pretty much in the center of things. A dozen or so anchorages, other towns, islands, etc, are all within eyesight from there, two, maybe three hour sails at best. A week doesn't give you much time to wander around, but ample time to see the places around Marsh Harbor. Your charter company will likely recommend a bunch of places for you to go eliminating much of the guess work. 99.99% of navigation will be done by eyeball as you will be able to pretty much "see" the next place you'll want to go to.

Hurricane Dorian damage has left some places with a lot of work yet to do, but that should not cause you any problems.

The weather is a roll of the dice no matter when you go, but you can still sail and go places in the rain. The area around Marsh Harbor is enclosed by various islands, and the sea conditions are usually quite tenable regardless of wind direction. You shouldn't have to deal with any tidal current issues.

If you do find yourself holed up somewhere, you can still have a good time. There will be other yachties there, and you will have ample time to swap sea stories over a mug of rum.

[Nekton73]

Antigua.