3 week Bahamas itinarary

[willpower1]

I would add Steve Dodge's Guide to the Abacos very thorough guide book for the Abacos with waypoints

[BMasters]

In May we took 3 weeks to go from Ft. Lauderdale, North around the Abacos, then to the Berry's then Bimini and Back to Ft. Lauderdale.



This was far to much of a trip for the time we had, even though we had a fast boat. I would stay in the Abacos, there is so much to see and do and so many anchorages. Green Turtle was a highlight stop on our trip as were many anchorages North of Whale. Go if your charter company allows. Little Harbor was also worth the sail.



Our boat is fairly exposed and I would not call it comfortable (although a lot of fun) I found longer legs on our trip wore us out to the point where we were so tired we missed out on a lot of the fun relaxing things to do.



My advise would be to take shorter hops and relax.


Not that I would recommend it but if all you had were the Explorer charts you could easily dead reckon your way around the Abacos. I found them to be very valuable.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by karenmccraw

(clip)


North to Manjack Cay. Friendly local couple maintains the marked trails. Spend several hours hiking. Take your dinghy to the mangroves.


Around the tip of Manjack Cay - around Nunjack Rocks - anchor and swim ashore. Take some meat with you and you can feed the rays with your hands.


(clip)

Have fun!

I have no disagreements with the entirety of the rest of what was written and clipped, but comments on these:

Meat means fish products, like conch bits that you didn't want after you cleaned them, or fish bits, ditto. They will reject anything else.

However, they'll still cruise you, though not so prolifically, if you don't have food for them. The rays are just like cats in that they'll cruise your legs with their wings, just like a cat's tail, and look for strokes, especially skritches between the eyes, and love being massaged on the front of their wings.

They will not sting you if you are gentle and don't grab them, but a sting ray strike is not to be trifled with - our crew for our offshore caught one accidentally and got hit in the boat he was fishing from about 2 weeks ago. He's just finishing a couple of days in the hospital following his not immediately getting attention (it's akin to a rattlesnake bite in what happens to the flesh), then having 3 days of IVs before coming to us almost a week ago. He appears to be likely to make our offshore from Ft. Pierce to Portland, but that wound is scary to say the least.

I mention that for two reasons: They are NOT aggressive, and are an absolute must-do for me and any guests I may have. But enjoy, not try to control, them, as you do NOT want to be on the business end of a strike.

The other part is Bill and Leslie own and maintain the most visible part of the island, and are happy to have you enjoy their anchorage (likely you'll not be alone), beach, picnic tables, and, if you happen to meet them, likely will offer you the use of the various water toys (sailboats, windsurfers, etc.). It looks like a resort - but it's their home they've built over many years - and like you, most likely, would rather you not troop up to the house or poke around the barns unless invited.

Riding in a dink around the south end and up the mangroves will show you lots of wildlife, including turtles.

A real treat.

In 3 weeks you could also enjoy Grand (well, technically Little Grand, the occupied part), where the locals will be very glad to see you. Anchor near the wreck just north of the entrance, hug the shoreline with the dink as you go around, and tie up at Rosie's - but be sure not to do it under the fish cleaning station!

L8R, y'all - gotta go talk to Chris Parker about our offshore and the tropical storm potentials currently in place...

[GordMay]

Greetings and belated welcome aboard the CF, BMasters.

[xavierq]

Originally Posted by karenmccraw

I agree that with 3 weeks, I'd stay in the Abacos. The Exumas are wonderful, but you're going to spend a lot of time getting there and getting back to Marsh Harbour.



Definitely get the Explorer Chartbook Near Bahamas. Get on Active Captain online - great anchorage info. Get Navionics for an Ipad for planning. When you're there, listen on VHF channel 68 at 8:15AM for the cruiser net. Will tell you what's happening around the Abacos.



Here's what I'd do - this list is for about 2 weeks worth of activities. This is loosely a circle, starting and finishing in Marsh Harbor. Fill in with other interesting things you see along the way. That way, if weather causes delays you can still return in time to Marsh Harbor.



Provision at Maxwells for groceries and Bristols for beer/booze, relax and have a meal close by that day


Head east to Fowl Cay. Lovely huge coral formations for snorkel.


Anchor near Man O War. Explore Man O War.



Sail to Hopetown/Elbow Cay. Go to the top of the lighthouse. Explore the lovely town.


Sail south. Stop at Tahiti Beach...it dries at low tide. Usually a "food truck/boat" there for swim up burgers/drinks.


Still southbound. Stop at Sandy Cay at dive moorings - snorkel coral gardens - lovely!


South to Little Harbor. Visit Pete's Pub. Tour the metal works. Walk to the old lighthouse ruins.



Maybe sail out the cut at Little Harbor to head north and do a little offshore fishing? Come back in a few hours later at N. Bar Channel.



Head west - anchor at Snake Cay on the east shore of Great Abaco. Dinghy inside the mangrove area. Do a "drift snorkel"....turtles, etc.


Anchor near Tiloo Cay - walk out on the huge sandbar in knee deep water with your favorite beverage and relax.


Heading north, lots of choices - pass Marsh Harbor unless you need to reprovision.



Treasure Cay - explore the town. Explore the mangroves via dinghy. Green turtles!


Great Guana Cay - visit Nippers and others. Rent a golf cart if you like to explore the island.


Sail around the north tip of Guana - absolutely the best snorkeling in the Atlantic side - offshore across from the "house with the water slide". Take your dinghy over to the reef and just drift with it - holding onto the painter.



Go thru the "Whale" assuming conditions are good - likely in the summer.


Go to No Name Cay for to see the pigs....


North to Green Turtle Cay. Visit New Plymoth - lovely town and historic. Get conch salad made for you on the dock.


Visit White and Black sounds on Green Turtle. Pineapples beach bar is fun too.


North to Manjack Cay. Friendly local couple maintains the marked trails. Spend several hours hiking. Take your dinghy to the mangroves.


Around the tip of Manjack Cay - around Nunjack Rocks - anchor and swim ashore. Take some meat with you and you can feed the rays with your hands.


Further North to Powell Cay - lovely - trails.


Maybe head east to Cooperstown - not a tourist town - but we had a nice cheap local meal at Richie's.


You could head further north to Pensacola Cay for a lovely desolate visit....but it's probably time to head back south to Marsh Harbor by now.



Have fun!

What ^^^^^ said...... I would add, get Steve Dodge’s Guide to Abaco. It is a wealth of information and knowledge with over 30 years of experience. Fair winds!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, xavierq.

[Palarran]

There's some good advice here. We only did a land based visit to the Abaco's so I can't comment on them. But the Exumas were very nice. And you don't have to go that far, as Eleuthera is close also.

I'm just super surprised that a charter company would let you venture more than 50 miles away from their base during the month of September. If it was me, I'd stick pretty close so that if a tropical storm developed it would be easy to get the boat back to them. Did they give you any guidance on what their procedures would be if a hurricane starts to develop?

[Scout 30]

Well, a tropical storm has developed. Although it's predicted to dissipate before hitting any islands due to upper level winds I'd keep my eye on it.

[wannacat]

That tropical storm doesn't look to be the problem like Scout30 says. It's the next one thats just developing now way out in the Atlantic-check it out on "earth.nullschool.net". If the winds maintain direction it most likely will go into Gulf of Mexico, but it's too early to tell?

[Seaadventurers]

Originally Posted by Palarran

There's some good advice here. We only did a land based visit to the Abaco's so I can't comment on them. But the Exumas were very nice. And you don't have to go that far, as Eleuthera is close also.

I'm just super surprised that a charter company would let you venture more than 50 miles away from their base during the month of September. If it was me, I'd stick pretty close so that if a tropical storm developed it would be easy to get the boat back to them. Did they give you any guidance on what their procedures would be if a hurricane starts to develop?

No real guidance from them yet, but they have no problem with us sailing the Exumas. We’ll be pretty conservative and watch the weather closely.

[GordMay]

Some typical (7 day) Abacos Charter Itineraries, as offered by the Charter Companies:

➥ https://www.sunsail.com/yacht-charte.../sailing-route

➥ https://www.worldwideboat.com/destin...acos/itinerary

➥ https://www.boatbookings.com/yachtin...rsh_harbor.php

➥ https://www.cruiseabaco.com/sample-itinerary

[stnick]

Dont Forget Great Guana Key Real close to Marsh harbor . The charter company knows.
dock walk around go to the beach like 10 miles of pure whir sand with no people on it reef 20 feet from shore lots of small schools of fish. very friendly place.

[Rachael]

The charter company at Palm Cay is Navtours. https://www.navtours.com. Palm Cay is a great base because you can provision at the nearby Solomon's market and the marina provides a free car for 2 hours.

If you stay in the Abacos, don't miss Man O War Cay. Moorings are available or slips at the marina. It's an interesting, quiet, traditional Bahamian community. Also, the best drinking water in the Abacos. Relax in the marina restaurant while doing laundry. The marina office will order fresh baked goods for you.

[livbysea]

Hi,

Highly recommend Explorer charts - We found that the navionics charts on our boat had LOTS of incorrect depth info.

Staniel Cay was fun, the Marine Park was great (book ahead), and Chubb Cay was nice. We enjoyed Nassau -

Susan and Joe

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by livbysea

Hi,

Highly recommend Explorer charts - We found that the navionics charts on our boat had LOTS of incorrect depth info.

Staniel Cay was fun, the Marine Park was great (book ahead), and Chubb Cay was nice. We enjoyed Nassau -

Susan and Joe

Long thread so this info may have been missed earlier, but it's critical.

I know of N>1 lost boats directly, and indirectly several more, courtesy of Navionics.

Nobody who uses Explorer charts religiously touches unless they want to (we clean our bottom by intentionally going up on a sand bar on a falling tide)...