An old man takes a small boat to the Bahamas...

[Sumner]

This isn't a major trip I realize but there might be some that spend time on here that have dreams of cruising with a larger boat but only have a smaller one at the moment. I have both but don't have Ruth with me any longer so taking the larger boat out for the moment has been put on hold. I still wanted to get back on the water as the last trip with either boat was in 2011 and we had only been working on the Endeavour since then and at 71 I'm not getting any younger so had better do the things I still feel are important.

With that in mind I decided I could take a trip on the Macgregor since it would be eaiser for me to singlehand and I know her. I orginally had thought about the west coast of Florida again and then the Keys again also but longer this time. So I had pulled the Macgregor back down to the yard in Florida where the Endeavour is with a short stay in the hospital in Dallas for a pace maker after passing out while driving. At the yard I lived in the Endeavour while spending time finishing mods I had started at home on the Mac and had a followup Dr. visit. Also at the yard (Charlotte Harbor Boat Storage) I started thinking about the Bahamas since a lot of people who keep boats there make that trip almost yearly.

I got the Mac done and in the water and took off down Florida's west coast and over to the Keys with the idea of going if I got my nerve up. I had my passport so nothing was stopping me except myself. I got up to north Key Largo and a weather window that was almost perfect opened up so I went. Since then I've had some rather exciting weather days when I should of waited another day or so.

I made it down to Georgetown and I'm working my way back at the moment planning on being in Florida around the first of June. I'm at Little Farmer Cay now and have internet so thought I'd jump on here and post a link to my trip report that I'm updating when I have Internet.....

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015%2...Main-Menu.html

This for sure isn't a trip everyone with a small boat should take and I'm not trying to encourage one to do so (read about that on the link above), but hope that it might help someone if they do. When I get some updates to the trip I'll try and post that on here when I have Internet,

Sumner

[CarstenWL]

... GREAT 'story' - enjoy every minute of your trip, many people are dreaming about what you did but never get out their chair to do it ...

Keep us updated!

Regards from New Providence

Carsten

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy Sumner.

I will read your blog journal of your voyage with interest. Have a safe but fun voyage.

By the way, I have a few thousand ocean miles on an Endeavour 37, and enjoyed it, as it is a comfortable and roomy cruising boat. I saw that you have yours for sale (just noticed when I surfed a couple of pages on your blog), and noticed the link to your nice memorial for Ruth. I read that too, and sincerely say: "Sorry to hear of your loss." She sounds like a great companion/mate, smart (impressive several degrees), and I am sure will be missed.

[onestepcsy37]

Good on ya!

Hard to believe that, not too long ago, sailors used to go to the Bahamas in little sailboats.

Oday 22, Cal 24, Macgregor 25, Albin Vega 27, Bristol 27, and many like them. Seems like nowadays sailors are afraid to go Florida to Bahamas in less than a 40 footer....

[Vasco]

About ten years ago a couple of mac26's used to be regulars in GT. but with all the big cats and monos now everything under 40 looks small. Enjoy your sail back. Right now weather is not too promising. Waiting in Nassau for weather to get to lake worth.


Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.

[HopCar]

A truly great adventure. If you hit Miami on your return, stop in and say hello.
I'll buy the Cuban coffee.

[dpddj]

That's all I can say.

[amytom]

Very happy to hear you made it out there. Hope your adventure continues for a long time.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[2kr]

Great story...lots of old men and the sea...A life without adventure is not worth living. I am a bit younger and single handed my way to Panama from Florida, getting a bit of help here and there. Next, i will head thru the canal and go either west, south, or north.

[jessehunt]

I would love to read your blog, but the link didn't work for me. Best of luck on your return trip!

[Sumner]

Thanks guys for the comments.

Lots of rain and wind here today (still raining as I write this) but not terrible just boring. Tomorrow hope the weather is better as they are having a conch festival ashore and named off at least 20-25 different ways it will be served. I wanted to stay for that.

Hope to move up to Black Point Sunday or first of the week but sounds like another system is kind of falling in on the backside of this one. I bucked so much E and SE wind getting to Georgetown and really want more of it so I could sail a lot more going back but that isn't happening right now. I might just wait until I can as I'm tired of running on the outboard so much. I have gotten in a little over 100 miles just sailing without it and that was nice but at this point I'm about 800 miles since I left the boatyard in Port Charlotte the 9th of March so I want more sailing and less motoring or motorsailing.

Originally Posted by jessehunt

I would love to read your blog, but the link didn't work for me. Best of luck on your return trip!

Interesting? This should work (anyone else have problems?)....

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015%2...Main-Menu.html

... but should be the same link I posted before. If the link doesn't work click on the "Our Trips" link below my name. Then go to 'Trip Logs with the Mac' and on to the bottom of that menu page,

Sumner

[DeepFrz]

Sumner, I'm very sorry to hear of Ruth's death but it is great to see you posting on CF again.

[zboss]

Thats great! Glad you could achieve this dream!

[Pilotocopilot]

Jsut a comment after reading your blog and the issues of finding wifi through the Bahamas.
We've wintered down there now for five winters and our home port is in the Freeport area. If you have a phone that allows tethering as most Samsung phones do, and it's unlocked from any carriers, then the best route to take is to go buy a sim card from Batelco which is their national cell provider and buy data. Two gigs of data cost you 30 dollars which carries us for around a month.
The coverage of their network is impressive as even in the remotest island you'll probably have a bars worth of signal. For no other reason than the fact I hate getting up at 6:30 am to listen to Chris to get weather, to have the convenience of reviewing five days worth of weather on Passage Weather and looking at Wundermaps for frontal information and weather radar it's indispensable. Use it as a hotspot with a laptop or an iPad type of device and you'll never feel your out of reach.
We even had coverage while sitting at Great Sale Cay which is in the middle of nowhere heading back from the Abacos to West End this year.
I would say that we were within cell coverage at least 70% of the time anywhere from Georgetown to Grand Bahama and places in between while at anchorage.
Anyways great read on the blog and have a safe journey back.

[Sumner]

Originally Posted by Pilotocopilot

Jsut a comment after reading your blog and the issues of finding wifi through the Bahamas.
We've wintered down there now for five winters and our home port is in the Freeport area. If you have a phone that allows tethering as most Samsung phones do, and it's unlocked from any carriers, then the best route to take is to go buy a sim card from Batelco which is their national cell provider and buy data. Two gigs of data cost you 30 dollars which carries us for around a month.
The coverage of their network is impressive as even in the remotest island you'll probably have a bars worth of signal. For no other reason than the fact I hate getting up at 6:30 am to listen to Chris to get weather, to have the convenience of reviewing five days worth of weather on Passage Weather and looking at Wundermaps for frontal information and weather radar it's indispensable. Use it as a hotspot with a laptop or an iPad type of device and you'll never feel your out of reach.
We even had coverage while sitting at Great Sale Cay which is in the middle of nowhere heading back from the Abacos to West End this year.
I would say that we were within cell coverage at least 70% of the time anywhere from Georgetown to Grand Bahama and places in between while at anchorage.
Anyways great read on the blog and have a safe journey back.

That is great advice and in retrospect wish I would of taken that route. I thought I might find open wifi more places than I have. Others would be wise to do as you mentioned above, thanks,

Sumner