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Old 25-03-2019, 15:52   #46
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

I was recently in Reno passing through on the way to Tahoe to go skiing. In the casino, i watched a guy who lost $$ freak out. He pulled a knife cut up a chair and stormed out before security got there.

Are you ready to lose it all and shoulder the responsibility? What about the lives of your crew? Don't expect much compassion if you gamble an lose it all......you knew the risk.

It's your call, but it is more risk than I would take.

Fair winds.
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Old 25-03-2019, 16:11   #47
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

I know that Pam Wall is a big fan of cruising the Bahamas during the hurricane season [and she has her "hidey holes"] but with the increase in the number of boats the likelihood of you finding safe space somewhere is pretty low. My insurance only requires me to be in my designated insurable area for 51% of the hurricane season and once I hit that number of days I am free to go anywhere I want and I am still covered if I get squashed by a 'cane but I STILL wouldn't go to the Bahamas too early in the late hurricane season.

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Originally Posted by Dave22q View Post
IMHO the key to hurricane preparedness is a safe place. Prebooked locations and haulouts do not apply unless you want to pay on an annual basis for a guaranteed space.
Also, even "guaranteed space" isn't guaranteed. If the yard workers are moving a bit slow or there are complications they may never get to your boat.

That happened here in Saint Augustine. Sometimes if it looks like it is going to be a direct hit... well... workers also have homes and families that they need to take care of. Do you think they care more about your $500K yacht that has insurance vs. their homes and families? Two days out workers simply stop showing up to haul out, on the day before the limited workforce simply isn't able to keep up with the list - especially in mandatory evacuation areas like happened here during the last big strike.
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Old 25-03-2019, 18:21   #48
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Anything keeping you from heading further south for hurricane season? Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao look good to me. Columbia is a lot safer than it used to be. On the E Coast US there are rivers you can motor up into that will at least put you out of the actual storm surge. Me, I am stuck in New Orleans for the next couple of years at least, but in the inner harbor where I am, there is pretty good protection and the surge is the main thing to worry about. I believe the inner harbor lost fewer than 10% of boats in Katrina. The outer harbor, I think more like 80% due to wind and wave off the lake, combined with the high tide. Bahamian marinas will not have a lot of protection. Running is okay if you do it soon enough though it is still a roll of the dice. PROBABLY if you run off to the south or southwest of forecast track you will be okay but you never know for sure it won't just chase you down. 200 miles makes a big difference, yeah. 400 miles, even more. But can you count on making that speed? On a small sailboat even in the Caribbean and with a good engine, it might be better to assume 100 miles in a days run. So you want to get out of dodge three days before predicted landfall as a minimum. And know that you have a good lee to lay in as the outer bands kick things up for you.


Then again, what if the forecast track is south of you? Do you run south? North? Or just head into the Gulf?



It really isn't a simple thing. If nothing is holding you then my choice would be to head south from the Bahamas as the first African storms form, or spend the summer in the Med, UK, Northern Europe, etc. Canada is nice in the summer, New England too, for that matter. Ride the Gulf stream up in the early summer, run off before the first Northers in the fall, or motor down the ICW.
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Old 26-03-2019, 04:45   #49
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Greetings and belated welcome aboard the CF, Estica.
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Old 26-03-2019, 06:05   #50
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

I went to the Abacos sea too early in 2012 and ended up riding out hurricane Sandy on anchor in Marsh Harbor. It was my second Cat 2 hurricane on anchor so I had a little idea of what I was doing. All was fine. Only one boat dragged there. A few charter boats i the marina got beat up but that was it.

I spent the season of 2014 there in Marsh Harbor. No hurricanes but the lighting storms were so many and so intense and so close that I was wishing I went someplace else at times. I did have a good time though without any problems that year.

For me, there are a few places to go: Marathon, Marsh Harbour, Luperon, Grenada, Trinidad, Panama, Colombia and the NE coast like near Annapolis. I will not go anyplace else. I add Marsh Harbour because it is good holding and protection from ocean swells with a little wind protection and I know how to anchor for storms and usually not many there to worry about dragging into you.
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Old 26-03-2019, 13:43   #51
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Hurricanes are like a new girlfriend, initially they blow like crazy then, on their way out, take everything with em...

Don't ever underestimate the force of mother nature, she can kill ya.
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Old 28-03-2019, 10:19   #52
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

About trying to out run a hurricane - How much experience do have sailing in bad weather? Even when the boat can handle the wind / seas, it ain't fun. I often worry more about crew injuries or sickness than the ability of the boat to handle the conditions.

And then there is equipment failure. A minor issue at the wrong time can become a BIG problem. .....!#?!!!*!
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Old 28-03-2019, 10:53   #53
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

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Originally Posted by Cpt Mark View Post
Interesting. Carolyn Shearlock of The Boat Galley just posted today their strategies for cruising the Caribbean during hurricane season which they do all the time. It really depends on how well you plan and what your risk tolerance is. If you have insurance then there is going to be that consideration as well and lastly luck. Friends of mine tied their boat up in a mangrove swamp and said good by. Hurricane was coming and they knew their boat wasn't going to survive no matter what they did. This hurricane stopped 1 island over and parked for 3 days. Stripped everything off the island, sand, vegetation etc. Only thing left was one guy';s house which had been built specifically to withstand a hurricane. The weakened storm passed over them then built up again making landfall in Central America where it then jumped to the Pacific as a hurricane. May be the only time in recorded history of that happening. Their boat rode out the weakened storm without incident.
Capt Mark... where specifically was the boat tied up? Anywhere near Rio Dolce? I was hoping to hole up there one season. Speaking of Hurricane Otto... It went directly over a fiends house in the Indio MAiz Bio Reserve (Nicaragua). The out come was horrendous! We were unable to enter the forest. It was totally destroyed. I returned to the area with meds and food...
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Old 03-04-2019, 02:34   #54
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave22q View Post
IMHO the key to hurricane preparedness is a safe place. Prebooked locations and haulouts do not apply unless you want to pay on an annual basis for a guaranteed space. Otherwise you will wind up on a waiting list as the reports circulate. Book a reasonably protected marina and invest in the extra lines/anchors needed to secure your boat from both wind and tidal surges. Worked for me in the IRMA bull's eye a while back. Free safe spaces like mangroves are fine but tend to fill up fast and you are vulnerable to a poorly secured vessel.
Running can be a lousy option. Years ago I left a trailer in Clearwater for a solid hotel in Bartow. The storm track shifted, my trailer was untouched, Bartow was slammed. So much for storm trackers.
You are referring to Charley I presume??
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Old 09-04-2019, 14:16   #55
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

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Hi everybody,
I am considering different strategies for hurricane Season in the Caribbean and one was to stay in the Bahamas, checking the weather and be ready to leave into a safe direction when a hurricane gets visible on the Atlantic. I can got at least 200 nm in 24 h.

What do you think, is that a smart idea?

NO!
Check the weather and make sure your insurance covers you. Taking to sea you would have to sail south to Grenada.
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Old 09-05-2019, 05:53   #56
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Probably one of the worst places to wait through the HS.
First there is absolutely no shelter.
Second escaping a hurricane is what brings boats down.
Be safe. Go to a nice place outside the hurricane belt then come back to the Bahamas in winter.
You may think Rio Dulce in Guatemala if you are not afraid of mosquito bites or, much better, Aruba.
Dry storage is available in Aruba at a very reasonable price or you may stay in the lagoon up to 6 months.
From Aruba you have daily cheap flights to the USA and the island is the SAFEST in the Caribbean, unlike it's neighbor Curacao
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Old 09-05-2019, 11:24   #57
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

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Originally Posted by Juggerknot View Post
Hurricanes are like a new girlfriend, initially they blow like crazy then, on their way out, take everything with em...

Don't ever underestimate the force of mother nature, she can kill ya.
I LOL'd
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Old 09-05-2019, 14:37   #58
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

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Originally Posted by Caribbeanreiki View Post
Probably one of the worst places to wait through the HS.
First there is absolutely no shelter.
Second escaping a hurricane is what brings boats down.
Be safe. Go to a nice place outside the hurricane belt then come back to the Bahamas in winter.
You may think Rio Dulce in Guatemala if you are not afraid of mosquito bites or, much better, Aruba.
Dry storage is available in Aruba at a very reasonable price or you may stay in the lagoon up to 6 months.
From Aruba you have daily cheap flights to the USA and the island is the SAFEST in the Caribbean, unlike it's neighbor Curacao
I've been to Aruba twice and Curacao a bunch. I didn't see either of them as having much crime for cruisers.

Can you share more info?

If you choose Aruba, keep in mind that Renaissance Marina can be a rough ride. Plus you have tourists walking very close the boats at all hours unless you are on the pier directly behind the 'scorpion shot' restaurant, across from the hotel. Then it's locked during the evening and nights. But the pier seems to be even less comfortable.

Now the lagoon may be better, but I didn't stay there.
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Old 10-05-2019, 00:00   #59
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Hi everybody, thanks for your comments, it’s much appreciated.

However one interesting awareness: most of you assume that it’s all from a US point of view. But it’s not as the sailing world is much more colourful. I am from Luxembourg in Europe and will be full time liveaboard soon arriving from Cape Town. My experience while sailing the world was that the biggest group are fellow Brits, followed by lovely french and both even more away from the beaten tracks. Well Luxembourg is clearly not countable :-)
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Old 10-05-2019, 03:53   #60
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Re: Hurricane season in the Bahamas - a good idea?

Hi Chris,
As you already know, one of the biggest advantages of Aruba is its safety, unlike Curacao.
In Aruba you may have your boat at Renaissance Marina and walk the nearby city streets at night without any fear. Where else in the Caribbean?
Now the tourists walking by the piers is a pleasure (exchange, discussion) and a pain (watching your every move). It's a personal choice.

The pontoon you mention, in the middle of the marina, close to the bar now named Lucy's is the worst place available. Spent a week there and had to beg the marina's management to be moved away... the swell is terrible. Even cats go up and down like crazy.
Now, there is an alternate to Renaissance Marina: Varadero Marina.
That's were we ended up settling.
It's quiet and safe. You may leave your boat unlocked day and night.
No tourists there. Free Wifi and water, electricity at the local price (expensive). In Renaissance you pay for the water and electricity at double the local price (extremely expensive).
Another advantage of Varadero Marina: they have a dry stockage off Customs, which means that if you want to leave your boat during the summer and go back to Europe like Nelson or the US like most others: easy!
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