Planning on West End/Abaco Trip In August

[Latitude9.5]

Gonna be a short trip, we're planning on spending 9 days. I was planning on leaving out of St Lucie inlet and heading accross to the west end, spend however long we want there and then run around to abaco. Any spots we shouldn't miss, any we should?

[Vasco]

Coming from West End you'll be starting at the top of the chain. You'll have a choice of quiet secluded spots (Double Breasted Cay, Allans Pensacola) or busier but scenic places such as Green Turtle and Man-o-War or Hopetown. Nine days is not a lot of time to get to the last stop inside the sheltered waters, Little Harbour and back to FL. Where to go depends on what your lifestyle is, if you like bars and partying make a beeline to south of Whale Cay cut and do Marsh Hbr. and Guana. If you want to see quaint spots, Man-O-War and Green Turtle, if you like fishing, snorkeling and quiet, stay a bit longer north of Whale Cay Cut. If you're pressed for time skip West End and continue on to Green Turtle to check in. It's been four years since I've done the Abacos, maybe someone else can update you better as this area is getting busier every year. For a first trip I think you have to see Man-O-War. I think you can still get a flavour of the Loyalist settlers there.

[Sunspot Baby]

Looks like Island Girl is a sail boat so time is a real factor. You will probably spend two nights each coming and going from West End to the better know Abacos. One night at Great Sale, another at Allens/Pensacola, Crab Cay, or Powell Cay, then on to Green Turtle.

With a day each way to West end that adds up to 6 days sailing. With that, you should probably just plan on Green Turtle because to get further south, you must pass through the Whale Cut and the weather needs to be right for that.

Now if you made an overnight passage or two you can increase your time in the Abacos.

If you only get to Green Turtle no problem, it is a great stop. Moorings in Black Sound are cheap. White sound is further from town and more “resorty.” Rent a golf cart to explore the island and stop for lunch at a place out of walking distance.

We just came through the Abacos in late April, early May coming north. We have some trip reports and photos at http://www.stateham.com/sunspotbaby/Cruise3/. We were there going south the year before, see reports and pics at http://www.stateham.com/sunspotbaby/Cruise2

Hope information there gives you a feel.

Sunspot Baby

[Latitude9.5]

excellent! thanks for the info, i had figured all we would have time for is northern abacos, like I say I figure we'll just play it by ear and end up where we end up. green turtle looks like a pretty nice place.

We're more into getting away from the masses then the bar scene, sounds like we might best off to skip west end and head strait for abacos though.

thanks again for the info!

[Latitude9.5]

Oh i did want to ask one more thing and i noticed in your pics you took your pup Toby.

Did you do all of the customs stuff for bringing a pet? I've heard from a few people that they dont really seem to care, but it doesn't seem worth the risk.

[Sunspot Baby]

Yes we do all the pet paper work. It could get sticky if you had the customs/immigration agent come to your boat to check you in, see the dog, and have no papers.

I don't think we met anyone crusing with a pet that didn't do the paper work.

Sunspot Baby

[Charlie]

Hello Sunspot:

I enjoyed your website. Sounds like a very pleasant trip. I was wondering how big (lbs) a dog Toby is. I'm thinking of traing our 75 lb Chesapeake to sail and was wondering it that is just too big?

[jstevens]

Scott,
I think Rick's recommendation to skip West End is worth considering. With the short time you have and you're wanting to get to the Abacos, West End is out of the way. From the St. Lucie Inlet head almost straight across and enter the banks at White Sand. You can anchor for a night at Great Sale then check in at Fox Town or Spanish Cay. I know several people from your area (actually Ft. Pierce) who run all the way to Green Turtle to check in. That's stretching the idea that you should use the closest port of entry, but the officials don't seem to mind as long as you don't go ashore until you check in. White Sand is much easier to navigate than the Indian Cay Cut out of West End. If you want to spend some time at a resort marina, IMO Green Turtle Cay is a lot more pleasant than West End. If you stop at West End and have any weather-related delays you may have difficulty getting to Green Turtle Cay and back in 9 days.

John

[Latitude9.5]

Yea i think we will do that, just head strait accross and check in at spanish cay. that green turtle cay marina looks pretty nice, pretty cool that they let you credit your meals toward dockage! We will prolly stay on the hook most of the trip, but we'll see.

Gotta get the paperwork to them for the pups too!

[Sunspot Baby]

Charlie:

I just sent you a private message with information on our dog and other thoughts.

Sunspot Baby

[little boat]

i didn't enjoy the abacos too much, spent a couple of months there sailing one summer years ago. one place i did enjoy was just south of allen's cay, little grand cay, which at the time was very quiet and fun. the conch a joes, (as locals call them) descended from white loyalists to king george that fled to the bahamas when the revolutionary war was lost, were probably the most racist people i have ever encountered. when a teenage girl (white) in marsh harbour was confiding to me that she had no choice but to date a cousin because there weren't enough boys her age to chose from, i asked her if she knew a nice boy her age i had met and she did. i asked why she didn't date him? she was shocked, telling me in no uncertain terms the reason was his color. i guess a cousin is a better choice.
man of war cay used to have a law that all black people leave the island at sunset, returning in daylight to work for the whites.
i found marsh harbour a real tourist trap and not attractive, although by walking to a nearby hamlet called peas and rice, i had some fun with local youth. another quiet spot that was pretty was manjack. i wasn't impressed with green turtle at all.
just my recollections from the year of andrew, (sailed for cape canaveral 2 days before!) maybe you, (as others have posted), will find it a more enjoyable place than i did.

[jstevens]

While I am aware there is a significant amount of racism throughout the Bahamas, my guess is the race relations in the Abacos are far better than any place I could name in Florida. I do agree that Marsh Harbor should only be visited for the supplies and services available. It is not worth an extended stay.

John

[Vasco]

little boat,

The Abacos, especially the part south of Whale Cay Cut can be a bit "touristy" and I kid that if you like Miami you'll love Marsh Harbour but if it's your first cruise to the Bahamas it's still a great trip. For many leaving from around the West Palm area, the Abacos are your best bet for a short cruise. Like I said earlier, if you want something secluded and quieter stay up around Double Breasted Cay. The first time I chartered was in 1984 out of Hopetown and I still remember that trip fondly, sailing along and looking at the starfish on the bottom. The waters are still unbelievable and if you're on a sailboat you don't really need much more.

[little boat]

vasco, you are so right..the clarity and colours of the bahamian waters are spectacular!

[wallm]

We chartered a monohull from Ft. Lauderdale out to the Abacos 2 years ago. Just a couple of observations. One is that we had a bit of a tough time going from Ft. Lauderdale. You do not really want to cross the Gulf Stream if the wind is from the north and the wind is rarely from the west. When we went the wind was out of the due east which meant a lot of motorsailing to get out there. The more important observation was that the storms of recent years seem to have made some changes to the depth near some of the smaller and nicer islands at the east side of the bank. We had good charts from about 1999 or 2000 but found they were off by enough that we hit ground a number of times and went hard aground once. Don't shave it too close!