Bahamas trip

[Franklin]

Sorry, but I really don’t like these types of questions.

No matter how big the boat is, if YOU don’t know it’s it up for it, YOU’RE not.

Normally I would agree with that statement but the run from Fl to Bahamas is so easy that it is a great way for somebody to get experience. I knew a guy who took a wooden boat all eaten up by worms and being held together by an outter layer of epoxy that made the trip, although one of his wenches ripped out

As many said, just two things to worry about in the Bahamas...not running aground and not crossing the stream with a northern wind. Peace of cake.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Going to the Bahamas is not brain surgery, you wait for a window and cross.

just two things to worry about in the Bahamas...not running aground and not crossing the stream with a northern wind. Peace of cake.

I hate to be the one to disagree here but, NO!
The Gulf Stream moves deceptively fast, there are opposing or stratified currents that can surprise sailors with their effect. You are making a 60 mile passage in traffic lanes. This may mean you can always be in contact but remember who those people are. They are anyone. Not seasoned mariners, but anyone, tankers who won't see you and speed boats who don't care. You HAVE to watch out for yourself. Then, there is no guarantee you will have company. 30 miles from rescue is a big deal. You stop seeing land somewhere around 6-7 miles out. That's 45 miles of sailing out of sight of land. Weather can be unpredictable, even today, and so can the equipment on your boat.
To treat this trip like a picnic run to a spoil island beach is the biggest mistake you can make.
The trip is run nearly every day. It isn't hard but there are considerations that NEED to be made. A broken navigator, smart phone lost over the side, it is more than possible to miss and end up sailing into the north Atlantic. 6 hours over due, are you worried you missed it or are you thinking, "I must not be making the time I thought I was making."
It IS an easy run but it isn't that easy.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Franklin]

Well, I've only crossed it 4 times, the last being from west Caribbean to West end and found it to be a peace of cake single handled, but I guess if you do it enough times and/or make some stupid mistakes then yeah, it can be troublesome.

 

[Joe]

Jeb didn't mention whether he was going to sail his boat down to Mobile and around Florida to Miami, or have it shipped overland from Tennessee down to south florida. If he chooses to sail ..... he and his boat will be old salts by the time they get to the gulf stream, making that final leg a piece of cake.

 

[Jedmondson848]

I was positive someone would say something like @Jackdaw said. It never fails. It’s true I’m not ready to leave out today and that I have a lot to learn. Hence the reason I posted the question that I did. I have learned a lot of lessons in life (most of them the hard way). That’s why I decide to ask the advice from people that have done these things before. I know people have done way more than I am wanting to do with much less Boat and Equipment. I am in no hurry. I’m only 39 and hopefully have many years left to begin to do the things that I want to do. I plan on taking my time and learning all I can. My question was more of vessel build quality and what things might I need that I wouldn’t know of so I can start saving and budgeting.

 

[Jedmondson848]

Jeb didn't mention whether he was going to sail his boat down to Mobile and around Florida to Miami, or have it shipped overland from Tennessee down to south florida. If he chooses to sail ..... he and his boat will be old salts by the time they get to the gulf stream, making that final leg a piece of cake.

yes I am planning on making the entire trip and probably over several seasons but once it’s all said and done I may have her shipped back home.

 

[Jackdaw]

I was positive someone would say something like @Jackdaw said. It never fails.

@Jedmondson848 , It’s a public forum, that comment is intended for everyone. You can ignore it if you want.

People that have known me for a long time here know that I believe that any successful journey of any length requires a combination on three things. Skill, preparation, and luck. The more you have of the first two, the less you need of last.

That trip you describe can easily made in a 20 footer, a 30 footer, or a 50 footer by the right crew. It can also with less skill and prep and less luck easily be a disaster. Same for you, no matter what people say about whatever boat you are talking about doing it in.

But I’ll tell you a simple truth. Once you are able to make that call about your boat on your own, you are about 50 times less likely to run into problems.

 

[RussC]

 

[Will Gilmore]

Don't worry, you'll be fine.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jedmondson848]

@Will Gilmore i seen that video on you tube about a month ago. That’s insane. Definitely don’t want to end up like that. Those people are luck to be alive and there vessel was beat up bad. I truly appreciate everyone’s input and have made a list for my marina to check out while she’s out of the water.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Well, I've only crossed it 4 times, the last being from west Caribbean to West end and found it to be a piece of cake single handled, but I guess if you do it enough times and/or make some stupid mistakes then yeah, it can be troublesome.

Does anybody remember this--the sinking of Charley's Crab enroute from the Bahamas to FL (Jupiter) in 1993? The wind from this storm blew so hard it nearly flattened the "stockade style" fence of my backyard. Notice the usual praiseful comments about the experience level of the skipper.

http://www.sptimes.com/StormWatch/SW.3.1.html

 

[gettinthere]

Oh yeah, ate at his restaurant. It was big news locally when it happened. And the Storm of the Century also buried my clients' daughter in a big snow in NC

 

[Will Gilmore]

@Jedmondson848 , It’s a public forum, that comment is intended for everyone.

It may seem like we are being hard on you, Jedmondson, but Jackdaw is right. Most of these comments are meant for whomever is listening. Some of us feel pretty strongly that it is a mistake to take a sailing trip in open ocean or other large bodies of water too lightly. Your original question was a good one, you needed it to be answered. It also opened up the forum to the questions and responses that we see above. Just making sure.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[pateco]

My question was more of vessel build quality and what things might I need that I wouldn’t know of so I can start saving and budgeting.

As mentioned before. People do this in all kinds of boats. A neighbor of mine crossed to Bimini from Ft Lauderdale 4 times one summer in a 16" Hobie-cat with a handheld, a magnetic compass, and a black plastic trash bag tied to the mast with dry clothes. I also once got delayed 24 hours waiting on a customer in Abaco who was making the crossing with his son from West Palm Beach in a 13' Boston Whaler. They got beat up so much on the first leg that they laid over an extra day before continuing on to Abaco. (these guys were nuts, I don't think what you are planning is, at all)

That being said, a few suggestions of what to bring:

1. If you are a beer or wine drinker, bring your own. a 12 pack of bud light will run over $40 I can buy Kalicks in the states for 1/2 of what it costs there in the Bahamas.
2. Rum is cheap. Drink lots of Rum
3. If you intend on cooking a lot, pack spices. Basic foods are readily available, but on the smaller islands you will have a hard time finding stuff like saffron, cardomom, balsamic vinegar, truffle oil etc.
4. Dry Goods: Pasta Rice beans, potato flakes, flour, lentils, (along with the spices above) allow you to turn something you catch or buy locally (fish, lobster, conch, goat) into a fine meal. Store in airtight containers.
5. Coffee: I need my coffee in the am. You can get coffee on the islands, but if you have a specific brand/roast you like, bring it. Also, they use canned condensed milk as creamer in the Bahamas (it is not half bad). If you need real cream/half&half for your coffee buy a box of Mini-Moos (shelf stable half&half) at Costco.
6. Snorkel gear: Even if you are not a diver. pick up some cheap sets of masks and fins. The water there is spectacular, and you don't want to miss out.
7. Batteries/Chargers: Make sure you have extra charging cables and adapters for all phones and tablets. If bringing portable devices that require AA/AAA/C/D batteries (Gameboy, Flashlights, etc) bring lots of spares or get rechargeables.
8. Fuel/fresh water: If you are at a location that has plenty, fill her up. I have been on smaller islands where they were sold out of diesel with the next shipment over a week out, and people were borrowing fuel from each other. It is always nice to be able to spend extra time in a remote spot and do some extra exploring without worrying about fuel to get back.
9. Basic MacGyver stuff: Duck tape, Zip ties, plastic tarp, super glue, sail repair tape, extra line. Also basic repair tools and supplies (spare impeller, belts, hose clamps, fuel filters, fuses) and the tools needed to change them.
10. A sense of adventure: Stay in the moment. Your trip is not going to go the way you plan it. just accept it and enjoy whatever comes your way. ( DO NOT OVERPLAN )

 

[DayDreamer41]

I love suggestion #10 @pateco other than the practicals this one is the best

 

[pateco]

I love suggestion #10 @pateco other than the practicals this one is the best

Nothing can ruin a trip and/or lead to un-needed danger more than "I Need to be at (insert name here) Island by Monday"

If you absolutely have to be somewhere by a certain date (Flights, Work, etc) then give yourself a lot of wiggle room in your plans. both Murphy, and Island Time can catch up to you if you let them. I have missed flights due to island time. Its not the end of the world, but it puts a stressful finish on a good vacation.

Island Time example:
Q:When is the 9:00 ferry to Marsh harbor coming (asked at 9:30 after waiting 45 minutes)?
A: Soon Come Man.

 

[DayDreamer41]

While depth of my sailing adventures pool is shallow I fully understand the sentiment. Schedules are for trains and planes

 

[Sailm8]

I would suggest a wetsuit, maybe just a shorty suit. I hate cold water. Last time we were in the Abacos it was May and the water was kinda cold.