Cruising - Bahamas, the North or South - Summer of 2021

[markguthrie]

I am new Cruisers Forum, and I am not sure where to post this.

For next summer, I am considering June and part of July in the Bahamas and then heading out for hurricane season, either north or south.

For south, not sure if it is realistic to go far enough south to avoid hurricanes. And I would only want to do that with some other vessels.

For north, I've thought about the Chesapeake, Maine, even Nova Scotia.

I am in St. Pete FL and it would be nice to be somewhere where I wouldn't need to worry about hurricanes and also do some exploring.

Any thoughts or experiences? Want to go???

[Sparx]

Welcome to the forum.

Going south to escape the hurricanes is definitely a possibility. But since you are just getting into this I suggest north.

Going north....Very easy short hops up the coast with lots to see. By July everything south of and including the Chesapeake will be hot with little wind. If you feel comfortable with it, what I would do is leave the Bahamas straight for Rhode Island or Maine, making a maybe 6 or 7 day ocean passage. I would leave the Bahamas in June. By July the chances of a tropical storm are increasing already.

Basic plan...a few days to explore Rhode Island and surrounding states, then on up to Maine. Take some time just to relax in Maine, get into the groove. Consider a ride up to Nova Scotia. Then mid August start moving south(into the prevailing wind). Take your time to explore and enjoy. We have many favorites along this route, and each time we go we find new stuff to see. Aim to be in the Chesapeake for October. Spending a couple weeks exploring the Chesapeake will give you a good taste of it leaving lots to see on a future trip. Plan to go south from the Chesapeake in late October or early November at the latest. Beaufort North Carolina, Charleston, Saint Augustine are all worthy stops in my book.

Be back in the Bahamas about March the following year.

Repeat. Or go south....

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, Mark.

The northern Bahamas are well worth a visit, and are easy to reach from Stuart or Ft. Pierce. West End is your destination. Great Harbor is an excallent hurricane hole.

You don't describe your experience or your boat, but I can't recommend trying to go so far south as to avoid hurricanes. Think instead about staying within putting range of safe harbors. In the meantime, there are some exploring trips available from St. Pete. Consider getting behind Cape San Blas on the Florida panhandle, for example. If you want short runs, come north to Carrabelle, one overnight if you have power, and then bounce along the coast with the option of going inside to the ICW if you don't like the weather.

[MV Wanderlust]

Hey Mark,

Palmetto, FL here.

June and part of July in the Bahamas will be toasty and always holds the potential for an early-season hurricane. April through June might be nicer, if you can swing it.

Weather windows can sometimes align perfectly but can also be fickle. Let's say you leave St Pete on June 1. If you're targeting the northern Bahamas, you'll probably stage somewhere around Biscayne Bay, if you're in a sailboat, and maybe as far north as Ft Lauderdale or Stuart or maybe even West Palm, if you're in a power boat. Figure, it could take you as much as a week, depending upon your travel speed, to get to your staging location. If the weather window is perfect and you can leave the next day, you can bounce across to the Bahamas for check-in and then head out to wherever you like. Northern Bahamas... Bimini, Abacos, the Berries, etc... would be good destinations. (Some destinations took some hard hits in recent storms so you might want to call ahead to make sure facilities are available where you want to go) By the time you reach your targeted destination, you could easily be ten days into June.

Getting back across the Gulf Stream is also weather-dependent. That time of year, we would probably choose to go North but that's just our preference. Stage in Bimini and wait for acceptable conditions, bounce across to West Palm, clear Customs and turn right. If you're crossing back west in mid-July, you may not have the time to make it to Nova Scotia before the weather starts turning cold unless you hustle. You could easily make Chesapeake, maybe even Long Island Sound, at a most relaxed pace. All depends upon what you want.

And welcome to the forum.

John

[markguthrie]

I forgot to include. I have moved to the dark side with stink pot, but it is really comfortable. A 53' Navigator.

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by markguthrie

I forgot to include. I have moved to the dark side with stink pot, but it is really comfortable. A 53' Navigator.

Good choice. Comfortable boat.

[Scrimshaw4]

My recommendation would be to go North in the late spring to the Chesapeake and then on to New England in mid to late June. Return to Chesapeake by late Sept., early Oct. and then South to Fl / Bahamas late October. Staying north of the hurricane line June to Niv. will probably also save on insurance. JMHO