Summer (hurricane season!) cruise in the bahamas...?

[biorapper]

I have the summer off and am contemplating what adventures to pursue. At first I was thinking about trailer sailing throughout North America...but am also seriously thinking about heading cross the gulf stream.

With weather tech and 2 and a half months off I am thinking that it could be done in relative safety...but was wondering what wisdom folks here had to write about. It rains more too I have read. Don't know much about the weather details...how high is the bug/temp./humidity miserable factor. I probably won't have this much time off again for several years at least and want to do something big...

 

[sailingdog]

What kind of boat were you planning on using??

 

[biorapper]

94 26s macgregor. Probably be going solo.

 

[richk]

look at pilot charts

,snip> Don't know much about the weather details...how high is the bug/temp./humidity miserable factor. I probably won't have this much time off again for several years at least and want to do something big...

biorapper....
Take a look at pilot charts for the region. An image of one for July is attached. You can access all summer months in the north atlantic by going to
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/mari...t=GENERIC&beanID=461216974&viewID=detail_view

 

[MoonSailer]

Check out BoatBabe and her husband , h2ocruizers . They have a 25' boat and have done several Bahamas cruises. A great thing about the Mac is that it is unsinkable(in theory). I never took my Mac out in the open ocean. Hurricanes are rare and with a cheap boat in the worse case you could just go ashore and lose the boat. I met a guy who took his Beneteau 235 across to the Bahamas and spent over a month there with his son. They had a great time. A B235 is not exactly a blue water boat. http://www.beneteau235.com/specs.htm

 

[sailingdog]

Should be fine... just watch the weather closely...

94 26s macgregor. Probably be going solo.

 

[biorapper]

Thanks for the posts. been researching it some and there is a bit more rain and bugs on average, but more ideal average wind strength (apart from some low pressures that can crop up!).

In part of my brain, the impulsive, adventurous, and yes, probably the "look at me" part...; I have this urge to take my hobie 16, with a good weather window, get over there in half the time, sail right up to the beach n make a rum drink with the bikini's!!!!

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I assume you will be in abaco's and exumas?

What months will you be there?
A LOT of the bahamas closes in September. Really, they close the doors and head to the US, or somewhere else.


but June is a great month, July is hot, but you can do the regatta time in abacos, (RTIA.com) which is very fun.
and in August the lobster season opens so its very busy...

but you don't want to be there in September.

also note: the water is about 8 degrees cooler than the US... so you can cool off in the water.

never really had a bug problem... if you stay out of the mangroves.

Your biggest problem will be storage, and water storage.. (I own a 26d).

 

[biorapper]

If I do it (still contemplating bahamas or north america lakes/coast) it would be exumas/abacos, as I have read it's pretty easy cruising. mid may/mid june or july. Regatta time sounds good!