...first Bahamas passage

[talks2horses]

...Greeting sailors!

...I am planning my first sail to the Bahamas on or around the 14th of May 2013, aboard a 30' U.S Yachts/ bayliner (please keep insults to a minimum) out of Deerfield Beach... I sailed my 24 footer for a few years around the Anclote area for a few years till it was looted and stripped of all gear....the boat I bought has not been gone thru yet, but plan taking a few days at anchor to to prep her...\

...is there anything about this that I'm missing like "it's a really bad time to cross"...am no stranger to the things that can happen out on the ocean, was just wondering if there somebody that knows something that I don't... I've made ample mistakes before and no how painful they can be...

..any advice will be greatly appreciated

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard! It's generally a good time of year to cross (despite all the high seas lately), but pick your passage carefully...wait for a day with little wind at all or light to moderate from the south half of the dial. Even a light-mod wind with a "N" in it can cause steep, dangerous seas in the gulf stream (it seems to always be more wind than they forecast). And give yourself an ample window for returning, too. Have fun and stay safe!

[onestepcsy37]

like waterwayguide says, this is a good season to cross. but a season isn't a day, so watch you're crossing weather.

i used to sail out of hillsboro inlet. it would be a good place to start for the abacos because you'll get a nice free ride from the gulf stream. i'd take it to west end grand bahamas where you can check in, take a break, and congratulate yourself.

the crossing is really the only difficult part. after that you're on the banks, water depth averages 15 feet so you can literally anchor anywhere. head over to the hub of abaco and join the annual regatta - race week in abaco - or just hang out and watch the races.

the rough distance from hillsboro to green turtle cay is 170 miles. you can fuel up at west end. always fuel up / water up at every opportunity.

here's a few things you'll need;

1) steve dodges cruising guide to abaco. buy it now so you can read it, study it, and enter the waypoints on your gps.
2) vhf radio and masthead antenna.
3) gps - i use handhelds.
4) best, biggest, anchor and chain you can get. since anchoring depths are shallow, you don't need more than 120 feet or so. make it all chain if you can, but at least 30 feet of chain plus line.

there's more, but i'm sure others will come in on this.

[talks2horses]

...thanks for the quick reply, I've made some bad decisions whilst hitting the seas and this is my atempt to rectify that...thou, if calm seas don't make great sailors, then I should be up for the task...I plan on checking in at Old Bahama Bay, and then go from there....I'm trying to anticipate what might go wrong, as to make things a bit more comfortable for me, but given the sheer number of possibilities, I can only throw caution into the wind and let the cards fall where they may...and I think that is pretty much how sailing goes...I mean, the things we worry about never happen anyways...right?? haha

[Teknav]

Surprisingly, I do not see much discussions to sailing to the Bahamas' outer islands (like San Salvador), and to the Turks and Caicos. I wonder why! Mauritz

[Maren]

I agree with waterway guide. South or southwest winds that will hold for a couple of days makes for a nice trip. Rushing to make a particular time hack is generally not wise unless you are very prepared.

[talks2horses]

....THANKS ONESTEP, will prolly follow that to the LETTER!! wasn't sure where to head as to account for the Gulf Stream, but got it now ...I"ll be carring a couple laptops rigged for gps and a handheld for 3 total...will overstock in water and food incase my rudder goes out in the middle of the gulfstream and something happen preventing me from invoking counter measures...might stay there a week, might stay a year depending on the feeling...I've got the Hilsboro inlet stakes out for departure, with a couple of day or so at Lighthouse Yacht marina to provision the boat::O)

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Surprisingly, I do not see much discussions to sailing to the Bahamas' outer islands (like San Salvador), and to the Turks and Caicos. I wonder why! Mauritz

Sssh! Places are crowded enough already.

[Teknav]

Excellent point, Mike! Scuba diving San Salvador...not quite like Rangiroa - French Polynesia, nevertheless plenty of sharks to encounter and swim with...shhhh!!! (Rangiroa's diving experience...encounters with lemon, tiger, black tip, white tip, bull sharks and orcas.) Mauritz

[onestepcsy37]

it's also nice to know that, if you really screw up royally, you can just turn west and eventually you'll arrive somewhere in florida....

[John Galt]

My first boat was a U. S. Yachts 27. It was gutted to the bare fiberglass inside but it was mine, paid for, and I lived on it for 2 years. Had a little 2 cyl. Volvo diesel you could hand crank. Only boat I ever heard of having termites ! They consumed the wood engine beds leaving just the fiberglass shells. I replaced them, redid the interior, sold her and moved up to my Cheoy. That USY could really point well as I remember, which would come in handy for you. Have a big time in the islands!

[talks2horses]

...the boat was won on the Ebay auction...was bequeathed to this person, and he stated that "the engine does not run"...and I bought the boat from pictures posted on the auction....now he "states" the engine does not run, but that does NOT mean I can't get the engine to run, nor does that guarantee that I will be able to get it running either..

...I do consider my self to be extremely resourceful, and all the years I've been boating and sailing, I have not had to be towed back to port or yanked off a shoal yet...however, in my mind, driving four hours to the boat, and sailing an "un-proven" boat to the Bahamas, both excites me and gives me flashes of apprehension...I have a 4stroke 25 that I could bolt to this thing, should I fail at reviving the Yanmar thats on it and that would take care of any concerns, but I do not like the idea of bolting on a kicker or aux. for aesthetic reasons . It appears to be a 3ym20 or a 3ym30, but only have a vague picture of it to go by....either way, I am studying the repair manuals for these engines in hope in increasing my odds of an early departure out of Hilsboro inlet