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I just ran across the notes I made on the seminar Tom Neale gave on
cruising in the Bahamas at the Boat Show two or three years ago. His
most relevant points [with additions by me in brackets] we
* Don't underestimate the effect of a north wind on the Gulf Stream.
An 120 foot freighter was rolled by the steep waves in the Gulf Stream
in a north wind and all hands aboard were lost. [We call these big
steep waves 'elephants'. You can see them from shore in some places.]
* He said something about how the wind clocks around after a cold
front goes through. I can't read my notes very well on this but it
looks like you have 24 hours of SW wind before a cold front brings NW
wind, riling up the Gulf Stream, and then it goes to NE, East, and
then SE and after a couple of days [if you are lucky] the wind drops
and then you can motor into a flat calm. [We've had the dead calm once
and the other times East or SE.]
* There are no buoys and don't trust the buoys that you see.
Lighthouses may or may not be working. Don't use a GPS for close in
work.
* To see what the current is, look down and see which way the grass is
going. [If I see 'tails' on the anchor chain I don't usually swim
because I don't want to be carried away from the boat and lost.]
* Don't come into a harbor with the light in your eyes, or in the
rain. Read the water. [I stand up on the bow - polarizing sun
glasses help. The higher up you can be and the higher the sun is in
the sky - noon is good- the easier it will be to read the water. The
water is so clear that it's scary at first]
* Bring filters (including one for gasoline) with you.
* Bring fine mesh netting to put over any screens - have all openings
on the boat screened. [That's for no-see-ums. The Bahamas has both
dawn-dusk feeding no-see-ums AND daytime feeding no-see-ums, and they
can get through any normal screening.]
* If you are grocery shopping, avoid the square chickens. [Means they
have been unfrozen and refrozen many times.] Cereal will come with
extra protein in it - should probably be frozen.
[He had something about phones - your phones will probably not work,
and the only phone cards that you can use are BATELCO cards - you
can't buy them in the US and use them there.]
Rosalie B. wrote:
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(LaBomba182) wrote:
Subject: Cruising the Bahamas
From: Messing In Boats
Now that I'm back from Alaska, I'm planning the next one, a trip to the
Bahamas in March of 2004. We plan to trailer our 26' cruiser to West
Palm Beach or Miami and cross from there.
We like to cross from farther south in the Keys. If you cross from
Palm Beach you will be bucking the current more than if you go farther
south and don't have to worry so much about being carried north. BUt
in a motor boat (I assume it isn't a sailboat ??) you don't have to
worry as much about that as we do.
What are the best cruising guides?
Where in the Bahamas do you intend to go?
The Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas is a good start. The Cruising Guide to
Abaco by Steve Dodge is great. And the Explorer Chartbook series of chart kits
are also very good.
Check out: http://www.bluewaterweb.com/ for more books and charts.
The Explorer Chartbooks are the best and can be bought in sections -
so you only need get the ones that you need. I think they are the
Near Bahamas, Far Bahamas and the Exumas. You'll probably want the
Near Bahamas first as it includes covering Gulf Stream crossings,
Bimini, the Berry Islands, Grand Bahama, Andros, New Providence
(Nassau), and all the Abacos ($44.95) They are FAR better IMHO, more
complete and more accurate than the Maptech Charts of the same area,
although we carry both.
I like the cruising guide called BAHAMAS Cruising Guide
by Mathew Wilson the best. I don't like Yachtsman's as well. I also
like the Exumas guide by Pavlidis. We haven't been to the Abacos so I
haven't had a chance to check out the Dodge book.
What kind of mistakes do people from far away usually make on such a
cruise?
Running out of fuel, not keeping an eye on the weather, trying to keep to an
unrealistic schedule, not bringing the right tools or spares, running at night,
under estimating costs, etc., etc.
The worst mistake is not waiting for a suitable weather window and
being too set on a schedule to turn back if the weather turns nasty.
At best a crossing with the wind against the Gulf Stream will be
uncomfortable - it can be fatal.
Fill up with fuel and water before you leave. Both are more expensive
in the Bahamas. I would advise either having a real good filter
system or getting fuel in jerry cans and then letting the crap settle
out before you put it into your engine.
What do newbies like me forget to bring?
Common sense.
Laid back attitude.
Enough beer.
It's $36-$50 a case depending on where you are in the Bahamas.
Any other advice?
Don't try to do it all in one trip. Take your time and enjoy the place. And
leave your "that's not how we do it at home" attitude at home. If you have one
that is. :-)
Capt. Bill
grandma Rosalie
grandma Rosalie