Update: Going to the Bahamas in January

[Linda Sitton]

Well, our Seawind 1000 arrived in Kemah about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I stayed on her for the first week and now I am home in Beaumont. Rusty continues to stay on her since he is working in Baytown. We have bought the A/C (still has to be installed) and are ordering a new bimini and sail cover on Monday. We will have her hauled out, bottom painted and buffed probably at the end of December. Our youngest daughter, who is in college, is coming down this weekend and will see her for the first time. We are excited. She is our sailor. We are still planning to leave for the Bahama's in January. I think we have decided to go to Nassau then to the Exuma's. We probably will not get any further than that this season. It is exciting to see so many people getting ready to sail to the Bahama's around the same time.

[imagine2frolic]

Enjoy your time in the Bahamas. The farther away from Nassau the prettier it gets. We have spent 4 seasons in the Bahamas, and love it there.......i2f

[RTB]

Hey Linda, it sounds like you are pretty excited. Enjoy the Bahamas....we'll see you there someday!

[countrybimm]

sounds like your doing the same trip as I am, good luck and maybe well see each other there.

[nautical62]

I'm heading over that way about that time as well. The Exumas are a wonderful cruising ground. I hope you have a great cruise.

[Sunspot Baby]

What's you boat name? We will listen for you one the radio and may get to meet.

We are sailing catamaran Sunspot Baby.

George and Lynn (Entlie on this forum)

[Lostmt]

Linda,
What are you guys plans on doing the ditch or offshore?

[Linda Sitton]

We are changing the name of our boat. When we bought the boat she was called the Isle Cat... cute but not us. I understand that some people believe that it is bad luck to change the name but we are not superstitious. We will have her blessed and to us there is a difference...

We plan to go offshore weather permitting. Since we are leaving in January and it will be cold we want to get to the warmer climate as soon as safely possible. Our only plan is NOT to have a schedule. We want to just enjoy the sail and if we enjoy a location we will stay there until we are ready to leave. What we don't see this season we will see the next. The only major decision we haven't made yet is whether we will leave Allons Y' on the hard or bring her home. We are leaning towards bringing her home. Then the question will be whether we sail her back ourselves or have Capt. Bill ferry her back. The last decision will depend on when Rusty accepts his next job, when they need him and where we are in our trip. Before our sailing days are over I think I would like to sail all of the Caribbean and South America. We are very fluid and open to new adventures. One of the things I am most excited about is meeting cruisers, hearing their stories and exploits while enjoying a Rum Runner or some other newly discovered libation.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Linda Sitton

One of the things I am most excited about is meeting cruisers, hearing their stories and exploits while enjoying a Rum Runner or some other newly discovered libation.

Get the rum in Nassau.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Get the rum in Nassau.

Is Luden's Liquors, museum, & butterfly collection, on Dowdeswell Street, still the purveyor of choice?

I was occasionally mistaken for Dennis Knowles, when in Nassau - tho' I only see a very slight resemblance myself.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Is Luden's Liquors, museum, & butterfly collection, on Dowdeswell Street, still the purveyor of choice?

I was occasionally mistaken for Dennis Knowles, when in Nassau - tho' I only see a very slight resemblance myself.

Sadly Ludens is gone an so is his weird shop. Think it was 2001 when he closed. Best deals for booze.

[Linda Sitton]

Vasco I like your rolling stock there. And we will....

Rusty here (Linda's Captain)

I'm looking at routes across the Bahama Banks from here (Texas) I have always gone from Miami to Bimini, then Chubs, but coming from here I could pop out at Marathon and head across the lower Banks taking Andros to port (well North of Cuba). What is the preferred route to points South of Nassau?

I haven't looked at charts yet, but if the Southern Bahama Banks are as nice as the route from Gun Cay to Chubs, I wouldn't mind taking a Southern route. Positioning myself South of Andros would put me squarely into the Exuma chain across the Southern Tounge of the Ocean quartering the trades after Andros, from there it's 90 miles on to the middle of the grounds. I need to see if there are ports on the Southern tip of Andros because I'd want to go in after the crossing.

Unless the Southern Banks were unfriendly, or the tradewinds untennable it's the most direct route without fighting your way down the "Thorney Path"

It is the most "remote" route in terms of services and Marinas. It's 230 miles from Marathon to the Southern tip of Andros, that's 2 hours short of 2 full days at 5 knots. I'm not sure Linda is ready for all that....

Who's done it?
Rusty

[SVKokopelli]

Originally Posted by Linda Sitton

Vasco I like your rolling stock there. And we will....

Rusty here (Linda's Captain)

I'm looking at routes across the Bahama Banks from here (Texas) I have always gone from Miami to Bimini, then Chubs, but coming from here I could pop out at Marathon and head across the lower Banks taking Andros to port (well North of Cuba). What is the preferred route to points South of Nassau?

I haven't looked at charts yet, but if the Southern Bahama Banks are as nice as the route from Gun Cay to Chubs, I wouldn't mind taking a Southern route. Positioning myself South of Andros would put me squarely into the Exuma chain across the Southern Tounge of the Ocean quartering the trades after Andros, from there it's 90 miles on to the middle of the grounds. I need to see if there are ports on the Southern tip of Andros because I'd want to go in after the crossing.

Unless the Southern Banks were unfriendly, or the tradewinds untennable it's the most direct route without fighting your way down the "Thorney Path"

It is the most "remote" route in terms of services and Marinas. It's 230 miles from Marathon to the Southern tip of Andros, that's 2 hours short of 2 full days at 5 knots. I'm not sure Linda is ready for all that....

Who's done it?
Rusty

Rusty,

Our favorite route is to leave Channel 5 Bridge at about noon, go south of South Riding Rock and plan to hit the Tongue of the Ocean after sun-up so you can see your way thru the NW Channel and go down to Morgan's Bluff to check in. If you leave Marathon, just leave first thing in the morning.
After having checked in several other places, Morgan's Bluff is by far the best. You don't have take a marina and they don't argue about giving you 6 months. The only problem is that a northerly wind is really bad thing there. With your cat, you could probably tuck in behind Pig Island (I think that's the name but memory fails me now) if it isn't too strong from the north. From Morgan's Bluff, you have the choice of going north or south of New Providence Island to the Exumas. If you go north, Rose Island is a nice stopover. If you go south, it's a long sail all the way over to the Exumas and you end up going over some pretty shallow water with the sun in the wrong place. You can stop at the West End of New Providence but it's a little ways out of the way once you add the distance to get into the anchorage and then head south around the shallows.

[Vasco]

Hey Rusty,

Thanks. Each year I say I should take more but it seems I take fewer pictures. This year it'll be different. See you in the Bahamas. If you see us, give us a shout. Might even share some of that rum with you.

[Linda Sitton]

Nobody uses a route South of Andros huh? It makes sense to me to not have to beat your way down from Nassau. Maybe the "Thorny Path" is not as bad as people make it out.

I love the bank between south riding rock and the Berry's, I wonder if the Southern bank is as nice.

Rusty