Update: Going to the Bahamas in January

[Lady Circumnavi]

My husband and I will be spending some time at Higgins Landing around the corner from Volleyball beach in early December. Since my cruising days are behind me, I look longingly at the boats anchored off, and wondered if anyone from this forum will be out there.

[Intentional Drifter]

As FSMike addressed earlier, S. Andros is a difficult place. I've heard of people getting through in shallow draft cats, but you've got to stay 8 to 10 miles south and pick your way -- slowly -- through at high tide. There are no identified routes W to E. It is all shifting sand bores and one good storm may change everything, so I wouldn't just go with a set of waypoints someone gave you from a year (or even six months) ago. Visual Piloting Rules most definitely apply!

There are some nice anchorages on the E and SE of Andros (detailed, here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post327769 )

I'd be very hesitant to try the S. Andros route W to E. When you get to that area, you will likely be tired and it would be a long run from Cay Sal, fighting a northerly setting current for much of the way. Plus, you simply must do go through there in mid-day, yet you will have 50+ nm's with less than 10' of water the whole way, most of it with around 5' and some with less. No room for mistakes, yet you will have to make excellent time or anchor out overnight. Too tricky for my tastes!

If you do it, though, let us know how it goes.

ID

[Bill_E]

I can't claim to be super experienced but we made it to Fresh Creek, Andros in a couple of days and then spent a lot of time in the marina there waiting for weather. We cleared in at Fresh Creek and it was pretty easy. But essentially there are no anchorages, you have to pretty much stay in the Marina. Also, I'm not sure I'd do the Decca channel in the dark. But with reasonable weather you can make fro Fresh Creek it to the Exumas via the Decca Channel in one day. Or simply head straight across the Tongue of the Ocean. The seas were pretty disorganized and uncomfortable getting into the Tongue of the Ocean at the Northwest Channel Light.

[Sea Yawl Later]

Drifter I thought I remembered looking at charts that show Western and Southern Abacos as a bristly place. I don't feel the need to be Christopher Columbus.. so I'll go from the channel 5 bridge to riding rock and take the regular run. I totally agree about not arriving tired in a challenging area. I tend to think out of the box, but usually conform to conventional wisdom. I will certainly get the Explorer chart book. Thanks for the information.
Cameron, I'd love to see your 1160! We have been on the 1000 quite a bit, and chartered a 1200 twice but I have never seen the highly touted 1160 in person. I plan to find you in the Exumas. Georgetown is certainly on our agenda. Once I get across the banks, we haven't decided if we will go to our favorite old haunts or head directly to the Exumas where we have never been. In the past we were on "vacation" and had to leave everywhere we stopped sooner than we wanted to. My goal this time is to soak up each place until the sponge is full, then move on.
Cameron I have talked with Mike, even raced against him on my Stiletto but I haven't joined the group yet. I'll get Linda to sign us up. Mike stopped by my boat yesterday at Waterford while a friend of mine was there helping me install A/C. I bought a single self contained 16K unit and will duct it to both hulls. I am not sure how familiar you are with the 1000, but I'm putting the A/C in the battery box area behind the rear facing salon seat backs. The unit is sitting on the stbd side and I'll duct over to port in the top of the battery bay. I'll move all 4 batteries down under the seats all the way forward next to the water tank. That way I'll gain some storage area in the salon and use that area forward in the seat storage that never gets used because it's so remote for my batts. It places my battery weight lower and farther outside of center, that has to be a good thing for a cat huh? My friend Tom has the same unit and can run it with the EU2000 Honda like I have. I'll only run A/C at the docks 99% of the time but it would be nice after a long damp run to dry out the sheets as attitude candy. I'm going to put vents in the salon through the shelftop in the front corners by the front windows that I can valve in or out. I envision staying topside, especially on the hook. It would be nice to put the divider up and pour 16K down on the setee. I'm going thru the stbd side of the batt bay into the electrical cabinet and up to the wooden header over the sinks for the starboard vents. When Linda's cooking I want to be able to keep her cool. Like I said, AC will mostly be used on shore power when you can't find a breeze. I do think having vents in the dead air space at the front corners of the setee will mean a lot, even if I'm just running the blowers during the day on shore power to freshen the salon.
Steve, if the wind is adverse when we come that way we will look you up. I like the route entering at the Achafalaya if the outside is not favorable and going through the locks in NO, dropping back out about Pearl River. If It's nice out we will probably just go to Venice on the way thru. I may do some powersailing to get along to the warmer climates in Jan/Feb. The good thing is "if I want to" means a lot on this trip...