FL to Bahamas, What's the Real Deal ?

[captjcook]

Ok Vasco I'll come clean here...lol the 15 was my first crossing with a very seasoned captain friend of mine. We were dead reckoning (had a RDF, couldn't pick it up) and saw Bimini, at least it was from the south and had to fight the Stream to make Cat/Gunn. The Stream can be just awful. Navigational aids have improved as well!
Jim

[pete33458]

It can be done. Late May of this year, we crossed in a 51' Dufour. The wind had been steady out of the NE for 36 hours at 20+ kts. When we left Government Cut at 1am, current reports were 25-33 kts NE. Seas were rollers from the N at 8-10 feet and chop from the NE at 6-8 feet. We made Bimini in about 9 hours. Brutal, but the boat was never even tested. I guess 30+ tons has a stabilizing effect. Now in my boat (36' Hunter), I wouldn't even think of it...

All depends on the equipment (and crew), I think!

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

....I used to live in Melbourne near sebastian inlet and seeing that inlet on a full outgoing tide with 10 foot seas and 30 knots of wind opposing the tide looks about the same, except at Sebastian the rage is only a few hundred yards long. I've seen many boats destroyed trying to run sebastian under even more benign conditions. I can't imagine trying to cross 35 miles in anything close to that.

Bill,

The surfers think the inlet is God's gift!! I once ran it with a clogged fuel filter. I swear it was the cause of my graying hair. I've lived in your old stomping grounds for close to 20 years and love it here. It's a great place to own a Cat.

As for Northerlies against the stream? Hell, I wouldn't even think about it in anything less than 50', and even then would probably stay at the dock with a bottle of rum and a pretty redhead. Life is too short and I'm too old for foolishness.. then again, the redhead is almost as dangerous.

[otgadventures]

My first crossing in 1986 was so bad, I still tremble in terror and anxiety getting ready to cross again. With better weather reporting and much better planning I've never had a bad crossing like that one again. there were microbursts, seas as high as the spreaders, and huge breaking waves that looked like an eggbeater had turned it into froth. Pre GPS, we were 14 miles off course by the time we got oriented. By far the scariest event of my life. So...listen to the old timers, stay on the dock with the rum rather than risk a bad weather crossing. But then again, my last one, just a week ago or so was a quarter moon and lots of meteor showers on a smooth sea. Quite lovely out there.
I'd rather motor more and have it flatter than sail and get pounded on the Gulf Stream.
jennifer

[SilentOption]

Jennifer,
If we all stayed tied to the dock when it looks bad all the good stories would soon dry up and we'd all be just a bunch of drunks talking about how dull our last trip was.
If we needed an adrenaline rush we'd have to seek you out just to hear your tales again. While drinking...of course.
I believe a bad day on the water is better than any good day tied to some floating sanctuary disguised as a marina.
We need to stretch our boundaries and step out of the box occasionally.
Although serious drinking while talking about what we might do could qualify as stretching ones boundaries for some.
A lot of people need near death experiences just to know they are alive!
In my last profession we had a tendency to put a label on everything and usually everyone as well. Cause thats just the way we were.
The need to play it safe was and still is known as the "I want to Live Syndrome".
Not a good label to have.
So....by the way. When can we all come by and drink rum and listen to your cruising stories?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by SilentOption

... the average boat owner ... make the trip from Florida to the Bahamas with little preparation...
... Bad planning however can always be avoided.

A Bad plan may be more dangerous than No Plan!

A firm departure (more often arrival) schedule, to which you stick, could be more dangerous than an unplanned (unprepared) day trip.
One is unlikely to persist in continuing the unplanned casual day trip, when conditions get (too) rough.
Unfortunately, many cruisers have difficulty in abandoning their (formerly “good”?) habit of sticking to schedules, and meeting commitments.

[s/v Moondancer]

I have crossed 20+ times in every month of the year, mostly in my F31 tri at 10-14 knots however, I also planned to do it on my honeymoon in a 42 ft Hunter... Day 1 the seas were 8-10 ft so I waited, by day 4 they were 16 ft...I spent my honeymoon in the Keys.

Its all about knowing the capabilities of boat and crew and using good judgement without spending your life 'fearing fear.'

Phil
Who lives on the 18th floor overlooking Biscayne Bay and No Name Harbor when he is not at sea. Which we plan to be for the next 5 yrs...see y'all in the Carribean until May 2010

[waterworldly]

Respect. The bottom is littered with those that ¨Just went¨

[starfish62]

There's a guy at our marina (Riviera Beach) that runs a 65' Viking that he brings over from Treasure Cay several times a year. He swears the worse seas he gets are about two thirds of the way over here (15 miles or so offshore) when the shelf runs up. It's over 5,000 feet deep between Palm Beach (Lake Worth) inlet and West End, but then the shelf comes up quickly and that volume of water has to go somewhere. Deeper is better!

[S/V Antares]

I just crossed Lake Worth to West End last week after waiting for about 5 days for the window I wanted We had SSW 10 kn t < 2Ft. Ended up S 20 4 ft with a reef and a delightful sail. The gulf stream will often have very confused wave patterns that make it very uncomfortable. Fuel gets sloshed around and filters clog, Stuff jumps out if not properly secured. It can be nasty on any wind direction. With a 2.5 kn current you do not want to get pushed north if something goes wrong. If you are in a hurry take a plane.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

I just crossed Lake Worth to West End last week after waiting for about 5 days for the window I wanted We had SSW 10 kn t < 2Ft. Ended up S 20 4 ft with a reef and a delightful sail. The gulf stream will often have very confused wave patterns that make it very uncomfortable. Fuel gets sloshed around and filters clog, Stuff jumps out if not properly secured. It can be nasty on any wind direction. With a 2.5 kn current you do not want to get pushed north if something goes wrong. If you are in a hurry take a plane.

You do the best you can based on the forecasts but the NWS can not forecast weather if there is any coastal or water involved. In all of our years of cruising we have found we can not reliably depend on their forecasts. We have had to learn a lot regarding weather on our own and pull up the latest charts and information we can get our hands on and determine our own forecasts. With years of practice we can generally be more accurate than they are.

[nautical62]

Most of my crossing were very straight forward - except one. I left solo from Angelfish Creek after waiting out a cold front. I was antsy and left a day earlier than I should have Winds were SW at 25, but I figured they would die some at night. They increased to 35. The entire night was close hauled. Waves would obscure the stars. Despite sea sick meds, I spent most of the night dry heaving. When I reached about 8 miles NW of Bimini, I couldn't make any progress at all against the combination of stream and wind, not even under power. (well, made 1/2 knot) I turned around and on a broad reach, life was easy.

Several lessons learned, one of which was to wait for reliable weather.