Bahamas, Things You Don't Need...

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Some just want to go to the Bahamas and have a good time and unfortunately don't have an armchair budget to do so.

For those people, you don't need all that stuff.

All you need is a seaworthy boat and a sense of adventure, the rest will work self out. Have fun while you are there. Don't miss Shroud Cay. It's my fav! The south tidal creeks are closed to motors per Exumas Land Sea Park rules, SUP or kayak or row your dink from the anchorage on the west side to the beach on the Exuma Sound side. Amazing! If you're lucky you will have it to yourself. Hopefully you won't have to wait until you are 55 to get there.

Xoxo,
del

There is a segment out there of micro cruisers, so if they can do it pretty much anyone can. I'm sure someone has already kayak sailed or just plain rowed over there.

[Delancey]

Had Eric and Arliss Sponberg (lovely people) as guests over for dinner one night at Warderick Wells. They were just getting started on a RTW. They didn't have hardly anything on my list of don't needs. No radar, no AIS, no windlass. No solar, no watermaker. Didn't even have an outboard for their dink. If you see them invite them over for dinner too. Nicest people ever!

[fSymo]

This thread was brutal, but enlightening.

[rognvald]

"The Exumas are changing now more than ever, not in a good way. Shroud Cay will never be the same" Delancey


We first visited the Exumas in the late 90's and our last trip, among many, was in 2004. There were a few spots back then that had avoided the commercial development but the signs were clear, even then, about the destiny of the islands. Shroud was one of our favorite anchorages although it had a nasty roll on the turn of the tide. Allan's, Norman, Staniel, and Warderick Wells had a circus atmosphere even then, however, the assemblage at Georgetown was nothing short of a geriatric RV park on the water. However, the jewels are still to be found if you're willing to throw away your cruising guides and explore areas YOU find on the charts. We are in the process of leaving once again and sadly, for us, the Exumas will be just another waypoint en route to our chosen preferred destinations. However, for those of you who prefer the omnipresent camaraderie of other cruisers, the Exumas might just be your cup of tea. Good luck and safe sailing.

[sailorboy1]

Hell I was in the Exumas just a couple months ago. Except for George Town and Big Majors the place was mostly empty. I even wouldn't consider the 20 or boats at Warderick Wells as some type of huge crowd.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by windhorze

ok you've got this minimalist's attention...even I like a cold beer and schlepping overpriced ice is for the birds...



which brand did you buy???

Cheapest one on Amazon, $99. I believe most are all pretty much the same, a small BD type Chinese compressor, a reversing valve and water pump.
Pretty neat thing if you take it apart to see how it all works.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by windhorze

ok you've got this minimalist's attention...even I like a cold beer and schlepping overpriced ice is for the birds...

which brand did you buy???

Hi, windhorze:

We cruised one year without refrigeration. You can make a small cloth bag out of a hand towel, to hold a bottle of wine or a couple of cans of bear, and wet it (we used sea water), and hang it in the shade for an evaporative cooler. It will not be as cold as refrigeration, of course, but you can make whichever it that you crave, cooler. When it's over 95 deg. F., and the sea is 85, it makes a big difference.

Refrigeration is better.

Ann

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Thanks for the reality check on that. Amazing how some narcissistic people can think everything is about them when it's not.

No pot calling the kettle black here....

One cruise to the Bahamas and we have an expert!

Originally Posted by Delancey

Why do I even care? The world is changing. It always has been. Why does this matter?

There is a HUGE marina development opening soon at the south end of Normans Cay, just three and a half miles from Shroud Cay. When I was there the marina was completely dredged and they were working on the cut. The runway that used to service drug planes has already been lengthened to accommodate JET airplanes. I have friend who used to ride dirt bikes on the runway. Now there is a tall barbed wire fence.

If you wait until you are 55 or whatever, you will not find an amazing beach all to yourself at the end of the tidal creeks at Shroud Cay. You will find a bunch of noisy jet skis breaking park rules and an anchorage even more overrun with mega yachts than it already is.

That's it. Go now. Go while you can. You don't need an AIS or a watermaker or whatever to get there. The marina is opening as fast as they can to make as much money as they can as soon as possible. The Exumas are changing now more than ever, not in a good way. Shroud Cay will never be the same

What multiple years cruising the Bahamas will teach you is that not every development built by someone with lots of money actual makes it. In fact, I would wager that way more than half fail.

Is Chub Cay Marina even open? That was a huge deal 5-8 years ago. They have an airport (on Frazier's Hog Cay). Great fishing! I doubt they have even 20% of the business they need to stay open.

How many years has it taken Resorts World Bimini to get a foot hold? IMO, the main reason they are still in business is due to the 2 hour ferry boat from the US.

Ever driven around Great Exuma and looked at the failed projects?

I can't predict what will happen on Norman's, but I doubt it'll have the impact you're expecting.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, windhorze:



We cruised one year without refrigeration. You can make a small cloth bag out of a hand towel, to hold a bottle of wine or a couple of cans of bear, and wet it (we used sea water), and hang it in the shade for an evaporative cooler. It will not be as cold as refrigeration, of course, but you can make whichever it that you crave, cooler. When it's over 95 deg. F., and the sea is 85, it makes a big difference.



Refrigeration is better.



Ann

When I first joined the Army we used what's called a Lister bag, it's a canvas bag that you hung up, it weeped water and stayed wet, the evaporation kept the water surprisingly cool
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-Lys...-/151726480441

[hellosailor]

"Please re-read the title of the thread! It's telling me things I don't need to cruise to the Bahamas!"

I musta overdosed on the dumb pills this morning, because I don't see squat that's relevant to the Bahamas here. I see a whole lot of people saying "You don't need" stuff that you didn't need to circumnavigate and visit a hundred countries along the way, just forty years ago.

What'd I miss? No one mentioned a conch opener...must be something else. Heck, the locals will even lend you one of them.

[David M]

I would like to add a dairy cow and a wheelbarrow.

[Group9]

On past trips, I never, ever, found myself needing a lawn mower.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Group9

On past trips, I never, ever, found myself needing a lawn mower.

Yeah but what about the snowblower???

[JBPohle]

Take less, go sooner. We stocked up on canned goods, just in case and because we could. Brought'm all back. Fresh produce almost everywhere.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by DotDun

What multiple years cruising the Bahamas will teach you is that not every development built by someone with lots of money actual makes it. In fact, I would wager that way more than half fail.

Is Chub Cay Marina even open? That was a huge deal 5-8 years ago. They have an airport (on Frazier's Hog Cay). Great fishing! I doubt they have even 20% of the business they need to stay open.

How many years has it taken Resorts World Bimini to get a foot hold? IMO, the main reason they are still in business is due to the 2 hour ferry boat from the US.

Ever driven around Great Exuma and looked at the failed projects?

I can't predict what will happen on Norman's, but I doubt it'll have the impact you're expecting.

Multiple years cruising in the Bahamas aren't needed for any intelligent person to understand the problem with development is that it can't be undone so you can just go ahead unpat yourself on the back smart guy.

Stuff doesn't just grow back or fill itself in once roads are scraped into the ground and marinas are dredged. Especially not in a delicate environment like the Exumas.

The only bigger eyesores than the failed developments are the billionaire build-outs on the private islands and they keep on being built one after another. Some of these build outs are terribly out of scale and unfortunately visible for miles. Overyonder Cay comes to mind as one example.

Not that the Aga Kahn cares, he dredged a marina for his megayacht on Bell Island without permits or approvals from the Bahamian government. He'd would rather just pays the fines. That's what you do when you are a billionaire, whatever you want.

Meanwhile up at Norman's did I mention the runway has been extended to 5,000' and can accommodate jet airplanes with ranges of more than 7,000 miles? Look at the photo of the marina being dredged. It's easily five time the size of the marina at Highbourne Cay.

French film director Luc Besson is building a private village on nearby Little Norman's/Boot Cay. McDuffs has been rehabbed. Houses are being built out on the Whales Tail. Lobster Cay to the north has been sold to some other billionaire. Saddleback Cay is for sale. Wax Cay is for sale.

All this just an hours sail from Shroud Cay.

Wish I had your optimism that these developments will fail and will just become another visual blight gouged into the landscape and then forgotten but I am not that optimistic.