Anyone know of a good reference for sailing to the Bahamas. I seen many post, of other owners having done it. I was thinking about doing it in the spring.
Sailing from Florida to the Bahamas
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Check out the Conch Cruisers forum.
They aren't really active anymore but once in a while someone will check in.
They were a group of mostly 25-26 ft Macs and a few others.
They made several Bahama trips, and Bimini and South Tortugas.
I thought about making that run while I was shopping for my S.
Now not so much. It feels smaller on the water than it sounded before I bought it!
Crossing the gulf stream out there seems pretty dicey.
I moved my sights to doing something similar to Sumner's last trip but since I'm still a young 53 and working, it'll have to be a lot shorter!
Man I hope my health is still good when I'm his age.
Good luck in your search.
Jim
Check out Mike and Sandy's trip this past year....
http://www.macgregor26x.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17796&sid=b11883d213b5baeb09853300f4cd2418
They stopped at our house on the way home and shared some great pictures with us.
We had considered the trip in our S, but put it off and still don't know if we would do it, but after making the crossing of Florida Bay also out of sight of land I think we would have no problem as long as we were really careful about the conditions. It is a trip that does require more caution than Florida Bay though. We would only do it under ideal conditions and would never do it if we had a schedule that dictated we had to be back on a certain date, unless we planned to return well before that date so we could sit tight if required.
Nothing against the Conch Cruisers, but I'm not crazy about the time line they were on during their trips across to the Bahamas and to the Dry Tortugas. I also think some of the boats and crews weren't really up to those crossings and relied to heavily on the fact that they were doing it as a group. I don't think a crossing like these should be taken unless you feel very confident that if you are separated from the group that you and your boat can handle the situation on your own.
One last comment, I wouldn't rely on the speed of an X or M as a way out of a bad situation. If the seas went up you can't use that speed safely and might be down to hull speed like the rest of us Mac/Venture owners.
If you do decide on the trip be sure and post about it for the rest of us. We hope to make the trip at some point in our Endeavour,
Sum
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
http://www.macgregor26x.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17796&sid=b11883d213b5baeb09853300f4cd2418
They stopped at our house on the way home and shared some great pictures with us.
We had considered the trip in our S, but put it off and still don't know if we would do it, but after making the crossing of Florida Bay also out of sight of land I think we would have no problem as long as we were really careful about the conditions. It is a trip that does require more caution than Florida Bay though. We would only do it under ideal conditions and would never do it if we had a schedule that dictated we had to be back on a certain date, unless we planned to return well before that date so we could sit tight if required.
Nothing against the Conch Cruisers, but I'm not crazy about the time line they were on during their trips across to the Bahamas and to the Dry Tortugas. I also think some of the boats and crews weren't really up to those crossings and relied to heavily on the fact that they were doing it as a group. I don't think a crossing like these should be taken unless you feel very confident that if you are separated from the group that you and your boat can handle the situation on your own.
One last comment, I wouldn't rely on the speed of an X or M as a way out of a bad situation. If the seas went up you can't use that speed safely and might be down to hull speed like the rest of us Mac/Venture owners.
If you do decide on the trip be sure and post about it for the rest of us. We hope to make the trip at some point in our Endeavour,
Sum
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
Where in the Bahamas? just to Bimini/Cat cay? or Nassau/exumas or WestEnd/Abacos?
the Dodge guide is the 'bible' for the abacos, and you want the latest copy.
the current Explorer charts are also needed, and don't trust the gps charts too much...
for Exumas I think Pavlidis guides are pretty good.
What are your plans? How long and time of year?
the Dodge guide is the 'bible' for the abacos, and you want the latest copy.
the current Explorer charts are also needed, and don't trust the gps charts too much...
for Exumas I think Pavlidis guides are pretty good.
What are your plans? How long and time of year?
I'm with Sumner, the conch stick to a schedule. And that is often a disaster when crusing.
I would not consider motoring 45miles across open ocean as a good plan.... even in the summer. (*on kicker motors)
(I see you have an M. How many hours can you run at 7knts? & 12knts?)
and rent the life raft and EPIRB at WM.
I would not consider motoring 45miles across open ocean as a good plan.... even in the summer. (*on kicker motors)
(I see you have an M. How many hours can you run at 7knts? & 12knts?)
and rent the life raft and EPIRB at WM.
Bill could you clarify that? Most people end up motoring as they want to do it with the best weather, which can be no or little wind.
I think that someone should be prepared to sail if the outboard would quit for some reason. If that should happen they should also be able equipment and crew wise to handle different wind conditions. It is that part of the equation that Ruth and I are not adequate at presently. We will be before we take even the larger Endeavour across.
The other area of course is navigation skills and the proper charts, electronic and paper. There is shallow water over there and knowing how to use your chartplotter and charts would be a must if you are going over there for the first time alone.
Is this what you had in mind Bill?
c ya,
Sum
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
IMHO, the kickers on most small boats are just for getting out of the channel.
When you go thru a cut (worst case is E winds, outgoing tide) the waves stackup and the OB comes out of the water, then you loose forward momentum. So out of a 10 second cycle, you get about 4-5 seconds with the prop in the water. (it sucks air and cavitation the rest of the time). impellers don't like that for long... -I'm not sure you've seen that yet...
It can also happen in as little as 4' in the open ocean... I would not rely on an outboard to go any distance. (in the summer, its often flat calm, so it can be done, but not for me, as a primary plan.)
As soon as I can get the main up, I'm sailing. (ask around sailnet, and SA and the main board here, about outboards on sailboats - ask ocean sailors, but great lake sailors see this problem too.)
now once you have a inboard, diesel or gas, its totally different. that prop has a good bite and you can motor for hours or days... no problem. (as long at the engine runs)
===========
Then there's the charts in the islands...
We had a minor hurricane go thru last month, so many of the channels could have changed. sand bars move, and stuff happens... you're pretty much on your own over there..
The big cuts into cat and bimini are pretty good, but the light at NW channel was out in 2005 when we went thru there... (there were supposed be 2 markers but we saw only 1)
You do want to use your gps, and then plot it on the paper chart. That is usually pretty darn good. but the chart plotters can be off... sometimes a lot. my garmin hand held was at the cat/gun cay cut... like 100yds. which was huge for that cut.
most guides will give you a way point for the line up, then a true or magnetic course. and another way point in the middle or other side.
but mostly you steer with your eyes.
BROWN, BROWN RUN AGROUND
WHITE, WHITE YOU MIGHT
GREEN, GREEN NICE & CLEAN
BLUE, BLUE CRUISE ON THROUGH
which is why you don't really want to move around at night too much...
-plus the locals run lights out, all the time... no one cares.
http://www.flkeys-fishing.com/fishing/boatingfishingtips.html
What I always have problems with is judging depth of the coral heads... it usually takes a few days to get use to how clean the water is, and how well you see in 30' of water... 'gin clear' is the term I've heard...
I would like to discuss your fuel filter setup...(E37) but I'll take it off line... -pm sent)
-its a beautiful area, but unforgiving...
When you go thru a cut (worst case is E winds, outgoing tide) the waves stackup and the OB comes out of the water, then you loose forward momentum. So out of a 10 second cycle, you get about 4-5 seconds with the prop in the water. (it sucks air and cavitation the rest of the time). impellers don't like that for long... -I'm not sure you've seen that yet...
It can also happen in as little as 4' in the open ocean... I would not rely on an outboard to go any distance. (in the summer, its often flat calm, so it can be done, but not for me, as a primary plan.)
As soon as I can get the main up, I'm sailing. (ask around sailnet, and SA and the main board here, about outboards on sailboats - ask ocean sailors, but great lake sailors see this problem too.)
now once you have a inboard, diesel or gas, its totally different. that prop has a good bite and you can motor for hours or days... no problem. (as long at the engine runs)
===========
Then there's the charts in the islands...
We had a minor hurricane go thru last month, so many of the channels could have changed. sand bars move, and stuff happens... you're pretty much on your own over there..
The big cuts into cat and bimini are pretty good, but the light at NW channel was out in 2005 when we went thru there... (there were supposed be 2 markers but we saw only 1)
You do want to use your gps, and then plot it on the paper chart. That is usually pretty darn good. but the chart plotters can be off... sometimes a lot. my garmin hand held was at the cat/gun cay cut... like 100yds. which was huge for that cut.
most guides will give you a way point for the line up, then a true or magnetic course. and another way point in the middle or other side.
but mostly you steer with your eyes.
BROWN, BROWN RUN AGROUND
WHITE, WHITE YOU MIGHT
GREEN, GREEN NICE & CLEAN
BLUE, BLUE CRUISE ON THROUGH
which is why you don't really want to move around at night too much...
-plus the locals run lights out, all the time... no one cares.
http://www.flkeys-fishing.com/fishing/boatingfishingtips.html
What I always have problems with is judging depth of the coral heads... it usually takes a few days to get use to how clean the water is, and how well you see in 30' of water... 'gin clear' is the term I've heard...
I would like to discuss your fuel filter setup...(E37) but I'll take it off line... -pm sent)
-its a beautiful area, but unforgiving...
We only saw the prop come out for a second twice if I remember right. The seas were 2 foot those days, but as you know when they say 2 foot that is the average and you will get some less and some up to about 4.
If they were forecasting 2 foot I wouldn't go across. I'd want to see 1/2 to 1 if possible. We aren't ever really on a schedule that couldn't change. Also if we were going across in the Mac I would remove the extra-long shaft from the mount I made and drop it down on the transom.
If one is headed out in the ocean and is using the NOAA wave height forecasts it might be good to read this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_wave_height
....I did while in Florida and soon started to realize that it is likley you will see individual waves of twice or even more of the predicted wave heights that are being forecast. Also study up on the intervals between waves and what that can do. From what I've read if the wave height is under 4 feet the interval is not real critical, but over that and you can get waves that can capsize a boat if the interval is low.
I never totally trust the charts or even the channel markers totally. We hit bottom 3 times between the 2 boats and 2 of them was where their should of been water according to the charts and channel markers. The other was in an area we were 'exploring' for an anchorage where the chart didn't show depths. If we get in an area where the water is shallow on both sides of a narrow channel we slow down and really watch the depth finder. We got off all 3 times without too much trouble, but thought for a minute we might be calling for a tow with the Endeavour in the Miserable Mile section.
Ruth wrote the Brown...White...Green....Blue down
.I got the PM on the fuel filters and will get back to you on it later. Good info, thanks,
Sum
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
fwiw, on the '05 miami nassau race, the start was at 9am, and we didn't get to great issac light until around 8pm, averaging 5-6 knts? (running w/ the kite the whole way)
going back, we when though gun/cat key, and think it was around 10am, and got to bug light (key biscayne) around 7pm, iirc. (we were slower but not sure how much slower using crusing sails).
so, it takes a while to cross...
it was ~2-4' pretty much normal. (march)
-my .02 GL!
going back, we when though gun/cat key, and think it was around 10am, and got to bug light (key biscayne) around 7pm, iirc. (we were slower but not sure how much slower using crusing sails).
so, it takes a while to cross...
it was ~2-4' pretty much normal. (march)
-my .02 GL!
Thanks to all for the advise. I am hoping to make the trip this summer, but will schedule around a flotilla that I can get in.
J
J
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