Bahamas Sailing

[Arshia]

A friend and I are two college students looking for a summer voyage in around two years. We have a few questions so help us fine tune our plan

SAILING EXPERIENCE
Our sailing experience includes racing our own lasers and flying scots, crewing on my friend's Pearson 26 for club races, and a single instance of cruising on a rented Catalina 22 from Holley, FL to Perdido Key, FL through East Bay and Pensacola Bay (a 20 nm trip that lasted 2 days).
Q: is this experience sufficient, or are we biting off more than we can chew with a Bahaman island hopping venture

PLAN
We have roughly $10k total expendable. With this, we want to buy a used Catalina 22 to sail to go island hopping in the Bahamas, while living aboard (or maybe finding hostels). We plan on hitting Eleuthera, Nassau, Freeport. We plan on spending $5k for a boat and $5k living expenses
Q: Can $5k cover the catalina and outboard?
Q: Is the catalina enough for this trip? I know it's not really a blue-water boat and somewhat small, but this trip is mostly just island hopping - a maximum of 70 miles will ever have to be sailed in a day
Q: If not, is there a trip-worthy boat that can be covered with $5k?
Q: Is 5k enough to cover a month of living (onbard and on the islands)?

PREPARATION
We've already done an overnight sail so we know the flow of things, but we'll try to get more sailing practice over this year and the next - I'm thinking 1 more overnight trip should be sufficient practice. This should be sufficient, right?
Q: Are there any book recommendations you have for me, to more fully bolster my understanding of cruising?

So is this plan feasible? Should I adjust it anyway? Am I way in over my head? Let me know!

[zboss]

Don't bother with Nassau or Freeport unless you want to blow your wad.

I think you could definitely get a 22 for that price - probably a lot less. Yes, I feel that if you are very cautious and pick your window well you could do that. I know that there is a micro sailboat movement where people do just what you are doing all the time here in the Bahamas.

Microcruising

Pack as much food and booze as you can safely bring in that tiny thing or have someone bring it for you. If you go from food special to happy hour special you won't have a problem keeping a very cheap budget. My wife and I brought $1700 in cash when we got here two months ago and we still have half of that left.

There are no hostels... you don't need them. We are going into a marina tomorrow where they are charging us $100 a week and that includes new showers and restrooms... their mooring balls are half that price.

[skipmac]

I'll second what zboss said. Pick your weather carefully, check the boat carefully before you leave (pay close attention to everything that keeps the dry inside and the wet outside), navigate carefully around the reefs and you'll probably be fine. Get a good VHF radio and carry a handheld VHF for backup.

Never heard of any hostels in the Bahamas. Live on the boat, that's what it's for. And yes, take all the food you can. Food is very expensive and fresh food sometimes hard to find.

If beer is on the diet bring beer, it's also expensive in the Bahamas. Rum is cheap, buy it when you get there.

[zboss]

I would add that all the fun stuff is outside of Nassau and Freeport anyhow. Nassau is OK for a short stop. If you want hop a ferry and go there for a day.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Arshia.

[Gerrycooper56]

$300 for the cruising permit to start with.


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[CarstenWL]

$300 for the cruising permit to start with.

... not on a Catalina 22 (at least not today ;-)) - $ 150,- up to 30' ...

Carsten

[Gerrycooper56]

Apologies, you are correct.


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[laika]

Sounds beautiful. I bet you'll find the flow fast once you set off.

I got into the lifestyle cruising with some college buddies a few years ago. Got totally hooked to the point I'm not sure what else I would possibly be doing

See ya out there!