Cape Canaveral Florida to Abaco Bahamas and who knows??

[HOWERTON76]

Im currently at Camp Virgina in Kuwait as a EMT-B and will be returning stateside in October 2011. My master plan is to purchase a Corsair 31UC and set sail to the Bahamas ASAP. I have been sailing since I can walk and spent some time offshore racing when I was at The Maine Maritime Academy but as far as cruising this will be a whole new adventure for me I figured this would be a good place to start on advices and opinions of others!

I plan to leave at Cape Canaveral Florida and sail to the nearest Port of Call in the Abacos Bahamas and would like to take the fastest route possible because I have to stay out of The United States of America for 330 days of the year in order to keep my tax status. After that I am able to sail for as long and as slow as I want So does anybody know what port of call is the closest to the Cape and the best route to the nearest port? What are some good places to check out in the Abacos as well as the rest of the Bahamas.

Now here is where I have the most freedom in the world. After the Bahamas I can go wherever the wind blows! I am new to the cruising scene so I really don't know where to find weather patterns or wind patterns to plan out the rest of the trip. So please share where I can find some information on weather patterns and links would be nice! What about common used routes?? What are some good place to check out in the Caribbean?? And farther south?? Thanks and im supper excited about this next chapter of my life!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, HOWERTON76.

IMHO, Port Canaveral is much too far North for a convenient crossing to the Bahamas. I’d want to depart from no farther N than Palm Beach, much preferring somewhere South of Miami.

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard CF.

You will want Pilot Charts which shou monthly wind patterns for the world.
Go to PassageWeather - Sailing Weather - Marine Weather Forecasts for Sailors and Adventurers for current weather patterns,
Ask away for other info.

GOOD LUCK

[boatsmith]

Crossing to the Abacos from Palm Beach is straight forward. I would only go further south if you wanted to start off further south in the Bahamas. The day spent getting from Palm Beach to Miami could be spent getting from Palm Beach to the West End.

[HOWERTON76]

Thank you all for the fast response!!! Advice taken Luckly the Corsair 31UC has a trailer and I have a truck so I can start off at any point of the East Coast of Florida Looks like Palm Beach is the new starting point! But unfortantly I will have to find someone to drive the truck and trailer home to Oviedo, FL (Central Florida) I have already bookmarked the link so thank you again! I will not be returning stateside till April 1st 2012 which is when my 330 days will be up so I will be cruising and island hoping for several months so any advice to good spots let me know

[HOWERTON76]

Update on trip: from what I can tell Walkers Cay is the closest port of entry from Palm beach and is just under 100nm. . So has anyone done this trip??

[Lowcountry]

Actually, the closest point of entry with customs to West Palm Beach is West End, Grand Bahama, at just over 57nm.

[boatsmith]

We usually enter at Spanish Cay. We will leave in the evening. This puts us onto the bank in the morning and we end up at Spanish Cay in the afternoon.

[HOWERTON76]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

Actually, the closest point of entry with customs to West Palm Beach is West End, Grand Bahama, at just over 57nm.

Thank You for the correction I should of said the closest point of entry in the Abacos?? right?? is that still Walker Cay if im going from Palm Beach to Abaco?? and another thing is Walker Cay still operating I was reading some other forums and couldn't get a 100% answer!

[HOWERTON76]

Originally Posted by boatsmith

We usually enter at Spanish Cay. We will leave in the evening. This puts us onto the bank in the morning and we end up at Spanish Cay in the afternoon.

Where do you leave from??

[boatsmith]

We leave from the Lake Worth Inlet, Palm Beach

[Lowcountry]

You know that you can still easily get to the Abacos from West End, right? Last time I went, I cleared in at West End. From there, we beat to Great Sayle Cay in one day, and from there went straight over to Spanish Cay. Clearing in at West End puts you on the Little Bahamas Bank, which is often more comfortable (to me) that being on the open ocean. The negative is that you will almost certainly have to take a slip at Old Bahama Bay for a night if you clear in at West End.

[HOWERTON76]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

You know that you can still easily get to the Abacos from West End, right? Last time I went, I cleared in at West End. From there, we beat to Great Sayle Cay in one day, and from there went straight over to Spanish Cay. Clearing in at West End puts you on the Little Bahamas Bank, which is often more comfortable (to me) that being on the open ocean. The negative is that you will almost certainly have to take a slip at Old Bahama Bay for a night if you clear in at West End.

sounds like a plan! i like the idea of the short hop taking a slip will not be the end of the world for me so thank you

[HOWERTON76]

Here are some of the spots I want to hit during my trip. . If you have good or bad comments about some of these locations please share or if you would like to add anything feel free! I am counting down the days still I get out of this sandbox and can finally set sail


“The Out Islands”

Stops:

-The Abacos
Hope Town Lighthouse
Abaco Wild Horse Preserve
Man-O-War Cay
Great Guana Cay
Treasure Cay Beach

-Eluthrea
Glass Window Bridge
The Cow & The Bull
Preachers Cave
Hatchet Bay Cave
Ocean Hole
Lighthouse Beach

-Cat Island
Cotton plantation ruins
Slave huts
Mount Alvernia

-The Exumas
George Town
Mt. Thompson
Allan’s Cay
Major Cay

-Long Island
Cape Santa Maria Beach

-Acklins

-Andros
Lucayan Indian sites
Plana Cays
Castle Island Lighthouse

[Scott730]

Get yourself some good cruising guides, this will help you plan properly. The guides will also help get you into the anchorages. Check some of the other threads on this forum, There is a lot of good info on cruising the Bahamas that already exists here.
BTW, I know a few sailors who have left from Port Canaveral, headed east and took a right once out of the gulf stream and the winds turn favorable. I wouldn't do it, but it has been done.