Newbies looking for buddy boats to Bahamas Dec/2020

[MerSea]

Hi, My husband and I are new sailors and have been fixing things on our "new to us" 45 lagoon and hope to sail south from NC to the bahamas around early-mid December. Have no definite plans yet but I think we need some friends to come along to help show us the ropes. Would love some buddy boats all or part of the way! Haven't even decided where to go in the bahamas but considering Abaco.

We have the standard chartplotters, AIS, etc, but no weather info other than basic apps. We plan to go slowly, stopping each night along the way, unless we go with others that are experienced enough for us to do more extended time from the coast. We have a 63.9" mast so we can do the ICW if needed.

Any and all help/assistance/info/friends welcome!!!!

Thanks!!
Kat & Jac

[chris mac]

Our Timelines won't match up, we are hoping to cross in the next couple weeks, but we are only on our second year.
Last year we were exactly in your shoes. Timing, destination, in our lagoon 42 tpi. Same mast height too. In fact we bent our vhf antenna over on 3 bridges today alone[emoji3062]
I am happy to answer any questions you want though. Send me a PM if you want. Or give a shout if you see us in bahamas

[Capt. Greg]

Obviously check for covid restrictions for entering/departing the Bahamas. Have a back-up plan, such as exploring the Keys (a buddy of mine calls the Keys "the Bahamas with a Publix"). Passageweather.com and windy.com are good weather tools. abacoforum.com has very good information related to the abacos. Don't know your time constraints, but heading south, you may want to take the ocean to Jacksonville, where the ICW straightens out. Have fun and enjoy your journey, you'll learn a lot along the way.

[MerSea]

Originally Posted by chris mac

Our Timelines won't match up, we are hoping to cross in the next couple weeks, but we are only on our second year.
Last year we were exactly in your shoes. Timing, destination, in our lagoon 42 tpi. Same mast height too. In fact we bent our vhf antenna over on 3 bridges today alone[emoji3062]
I am happy to answer any questions you want though. Send me a PM if you want. Or give a shout if you see us in bahamas

Thanks Chris Mac! Where are you going in the Bahamas and where are you leaving from? What's your boat name? We will definitely look for you, my husband is from Canada also, Quebec. Feel free to pass on any knowledge you learned in your first passage. The more I read on here the more I think we are crazy to think we can do it - we've taken 3 ASA courses and will have a captain come for a week to help us learn our boat, then my husband wants to take off! I'm doing all the reading about weather, chartplotters, etc and trying to learn our systems cause he doesn't like to read and isn't very techie. But he's built a nice little man-cave in the front hatch behind the anchor for all his tools!

Thanks all!!!

[Ranger2727]

I think the Abacos is a great place to explore, Can't get into too much trouble, clear at Grand Cay, just below Walkers Cay,(Walkers may be open for docks, but they are just rebuilding them) Nice day sails from there to Marsh Harbor. Not many docks left after the Hurricane last year, but dockage is available in Grand Cay, Spanish Cay, Green Turtle (White Sound), Treasure Cay No real dockage in Marsh Harbor, but anchor, has a great place to resupply foods at Maxwells (just like Walmart, but not the prices about three blocks from the anchorage. There are taxis from Maxwell to the waterfront. Unfortunately, Man of War and Hope town were badly damaged, but you can dingy ashore for a visit. Jump to Little Harbor and visit Pete's Pub, ($17 hamburgers), good jump-off for Spanish Wells, full-service marinas, ship stores, lifts for multi-hulls, fuel, and lots of food, visit Budda's bar on the hill. How much do you draw? What kind of anchors? Watermaker? I will be going in early December for Abacos and Grand Cay in my RangerTug 27. I have been doing the islands for over 40 years, sailboats, then presently power boat. I will answer more questions if you have a phone number.

[Montanan]

FYI.

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Statement on updated COVID-19 Public Health Measures
NOVEMBER 10, 2020

https://www.bahamas.com/pressroom/ba...ealth-measures

[steamgoat]

Seeing as you are going the research,you will probably enjoy Aqua Map as a nav program. It uses explorer charts for the Bahamas( the gold standard) and can be integrated with Active Captain and Waterway Guide. With this you will get masses of information on anywhere you visit,also tides and currents. It works fine on a I pad or I phone as well.

[Palarran]

MerSea,
It's a really easy crossing so IMO don't spend a lot of time freaking out about the gulf stream. Buddy boats add little to the equation unless you think your boat is going to sink, catch fire, capsize, or your going to have a heart attack. Your boat has two sails and two motors so somehow you should be able to move.


We will be in the Lake Worth inlet at Cannonsport Marina until December 17th if you happen to go by.

[Pegu Club]

Remember Mother Nature rules the roost, choose a good weather window, do your homework, know the Covid rules that The Bahamas require, choose your check in location, and follow their rules, and you will be fine, and, oh, let a weather Window be your guide, did I mention that,

Fair winds,

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by MerSea

Thanks Chris Mac! Where are you going in the Bahamas and where are you leaving from? What's your boat name? We will definitely look for you, my husband is from Canada also, Quebec. Feel free to pass on any knowledge you learned in your first passage. The more I read on here the more I think we are crazy to think we can do it - we've taken 3 ASA courses and will have a captain come for a week to help us learn our boat, then my husband wants to take off! I'm doing all the reading about weather, chartplotters, etc and trying to learn our systems cause he doesn't like to read and isn't very techie. But he's built a nice little man-cave in the front hatch behind the anchor for all his tools!

Thanks all!!!

We will be crossing from lake worth to the abacos. After that it all depends on weather, lockdowns, and whatever whims entice us. Although we do want to continue exploring the exumas, that got interrupted last year.
Our boat is sv. Purrfect. Lagoon 42 tpi
The biggest tips I could offer are,
As steamboat mentioned, aqua maps on a tablet or phone with Bahamas explorer charts. Hands down the best navigation chart for all of bahamas.
On the banks moving around is quite easy and anchorages are fairly abundant(still have to plan though)
Each island group is a day sail to the next, just pic your weather windows within your experience level.
For crossing the gulf stream, we waited and waited for a great window. It rarely happens. We ended up going barely offshore to continue south when we realized we were already in the stream, fighting 2 knots. So we said screw it and turned left. It was a little rough, but easy.
On Facebook there is a group called Bahamas land and sea. Addison chan posts crossing weather reports from Chris parker(with permission) Its probably your best resource for finding your window.
The biggest tip would be slow down and enjoy yourself. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the issues life throws at us.
When covid hit there was a mad dash for everyone to get back to north America. We were anchored in staniel cay and stayed there for close to 2 months. Swam with a nurse shark daily, snorkeled thunderball grotto, and watched the pigs on the beach go for swims. We enjoyed the lockdown and quarantine actually.
For experience level, we met other cruisers who have been doing it longer than I've been alive. We also met couples and families that literally bought a boat in Florida and crossed a week or two later with no prior boat experience. I had one guy ask if his boat would have bilge pumps and where might they be? But he was actually a great guy and trying to learn. So get out there and try, when it feels right TO YOU.
Above all else, have fun and enjoy yourself.

[DockDoc]

AS long as the boat is in good condition, and you don't pick a "bad" window you'll be fine. Buddy boating is ok, but as others stated it's kind of a false sense of security.

I have made the trip there and back from Deltaville 3 times and once from Beaufort NC. I had very bad weather one time, puked my guts out for 18 hours even with a scopolamine patch on but the boat did fine. The other times we went when the conditions were 'fair' but far from perfect, it was a decent passage no one got sick. It's much easier in a Catamaran.
I love the Abacos, one of my favorite pics is me atop the lighthouse there with my boat anchored in the background. I was banned from going back by my insurance carrier after the hurricane, are you sure you're covered there?

Currently you need a RT-PCR covid negative test uploaded to the Bahamian website, get approved, and then there is a five-day window to get processed in the Bahamas. You'll have to negotiate this, and daily things seem to change. Because of this we threw in the towel on sailing this winter.

Navionics is all we ever used and served us flawlessly on our many trips. I do admit the explorer books are better for details.

Once in the Bahamas you'll be hard-pressed to find a bad spot, when God was done with Eden he must have rinsed his hands where the Bahamas are and all the remaining paradise that clung to them went into the ocean there.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by DockDoc

Once in the Bahamas you'll be hard-pressed to find a bad spot, when God was done with Eden he must have rinsed his hands where the Bahamas are and all the remaining paradise that clung to them went into the ocean there.

Wow, if you just made this up, get a copywright ASAP because that's a great description (for many paradises).

[DockDoc]

Yes just made it up. Well-fed Doctor aspiring to be a starving writer.

[GLS]

We have set a departure date of late Nov/ early Dec to leave Ft Lauderdale for our first season in the Bahamas. Very interested in any info/ friendship of like minded sailors. Just wife and I (and small dog) retired.

[Moontide]

Good morning,


Enjoy your new boat and first adventure. I'm sure you will do fine. As far as weather, not sure what you mean by "basic apps" but you will be fine if you go to Windy.com, PredictWind.com and Passageweather.com. The first two have apps for smart devices as well as web sites. Not sure about Passageweather. These will give you more than enough information to pick your windows.



It is pretty easy to day hop down the coast. Have never done the ICW due to mast height, but that is OK because you actually have to pay constant attention there whereas outside it is a nice relaxing sail (obviously I'm prejudiced). Lots of in town and out of the way places to stop. I have a spreadsheet that lays out a lot of the places I've stopped and and distances between them. PM me your email if you would like a copy.


I am waiting to see how things shake out in the Bahamas. Basic plan is to do the Keys Jan and part of Feb then go straight to the Exumas if they are open. Did the Abacos and Eleuthra one season and found it too cold. Have heard the Exumas are a great cruising area although some provisioning challenges exist.



Have a great time whatever you decide to do.


Bill