Awful lot of doom an gloom for a 55 nautical mile trip each way. I do that one way on a short day out on the Gulf. I understand the additional political logistics could be a PIA but overall a trip like that looks pretty easy minding weather and conditions. Maybe I'm a little jaded as I make several multi day trips a year out much farther than that but this doesn't seem like much a challenge for some of us here. For a second I thought I was on the Classic Carolina Skiff site. :D

Not to sound sarcastic Ken, but how many crossing have you done to the
Bahama's ?

On the east coast out of Daytona we have to run 45 plus miles to reach the
stream ! :eek: So I hear you on a 50 mile run...
Crossing to the Bahama's is a whole different ball game from the Gulf
or even out of North East Florida...

The Bermuda triangle needs to be respected..

Doom and gloom justified??

yes and no. The Bahamas is an easy run, most of the time, but the stream still deserves a little extra respect. i've done at least one trip a year for the last 25 and mostly its easy. The trick comes when its not. there ain't a lot of help available. Having very nearly got myself in bad trouble more than once, a little doom and gloom is warranted, just don't let it stop you. Chucks advice on spares and having somebody(preferably you) aboard who knows how to fix your engine is right on.

Make sure your sled is in perfect shape, spend the bucks for a huge set of spares and tools and safety equipment and repair manuals. Test everything well before the trip, watch the weather and GO! No place on earth like it.

Connor

Jeeze Biff, I had waves break over the bow of a 65' Marine Management (Isla Mia) going across there out of Ft. Pierce - but don't call us CHICKEN!!!
Signed Marty McFly

Was not intended Doom & Gloom :mad:

I've done it many times and a prudent mariner with a long laundry list.
Many folks here have 20' footers. The Bahama Bank is one thing but crossing the stream with a cross wind will test your skills and integrity. The fuel, gear, ice, etc. necessary could prove to be a burden.

Thanks for your input, Just mentioning from experience

Lighten up guys I put a :D on the post for a reason. Yes been across to the west end once but multi times to Bimini. I'm not trivializing the hazards of a blue water crossing just keeping it in perspective. I wouldn't push or recommend somebody uncomfortable with traversing the gap to take it on blindly but there are enough here salty enough to make the trip with no more risk than pulling their boat behind their truck down 95 for the same distance. For those that have been there, done that... I understand but my wife has not been and we're going. I would love for others who want to go to join us. Just trying to mix things up a little. We love the regular gatherings and will be attending as many of those as well.

Not to sound like a re-TARD, but I have been interested since Kens first post. Something I'd like to accomplish. Never interested before, but I would feel safe crossing with the people I've met. Firefighting for 30 years, no one would or should accept the blame of my own mistakes. However, I would like to be as prepared as possible, and have not purchased the boat which I plan to make the crossing, as of yet. More to follow...

Vezzosi, Part II

Maybe I'm just getting old. I used to do things in my younger years that I would think twice about doing now. I remember being halfway to Bimini off Miami in my 17 ft' Mako with four of us pulling dolphin in with a raging thunderstorm between us and home. Later, I was out in six foot seas in my 18' Seacraft off Sebastian fishing near the Kingfish fleet and heard over the radio "just look at that little boat over there, what's he going to do if it gets rougher". Now, I try to pick good days when I go out in my 23'. Any hint of offshore moving storms, I tend to stay close. Funny how that is.

My days of charging out in marginal weather are over as well. I used to want a bigger boat so I could go out in the winter and fight the gulf with my young friends for a cooler full of fish I would give away. Now I enjoy exploring and finding new spots, making a half a dozen dives and enjoying the ride on nice days. This trip wouldn't be any different. I have become pretty decent at projecting comfortable days on the water but am well versed in dealing with the unexpected that can happen. I have all the equipment on board that should thwart any life threatening situations on a summertime crossing other than an instantly developing hurricane popping up in my path that was invisible to all modern forecasting. I won't need to fuel, I easily carry enough ice for a week and other than my wife's wardrobe collection needed for a few days I should be good and pretty self sufficient. For whatever else..... there's MasterCard.

Currently I'm looking at a window between June 25th thru July 10th. Next week I'm going to look at picking a place to stay with the options of reserving a have a room for 3 days up to a week if necessary to abide for any weather. I will have room for 2 additional people on my boat if someone wants to roll the dice on my old sled. Just make sure your will is all in order and your next of kin is notified before we shove off. We'll be crossing the "Devil's Triangle" twice and I'm expecting whirlpools, sea monsters, ship swallowing gas bubbles, and UFO abductions. Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, over.

Ken-That's my time frame if I can get the natives going! :DGood stuff! I can neither acknowledge or deny that the X files will be filming along side our crossing. I asked them to be a buddy boat all the way to Hope Town, lol!:eek:

LMAO! I'd love to reserve a guest spot on your sled but I'm still trying to acquire a suitable Classic not only for this event, but one that can be stored in Hernando Beach. The MA should stay here as a garage queen.

I think I need to continue researching the mindset and requirements of this trip as I would seriously like to attend. With my experience on BW 15 Sports, I am not naive enough to be expect a crossing videoed by a member of Continuous Wave. He and his girl put up the Bimini and shoved off! It was like a mirror the entire way. Not a Bump! Of course, he was forced to leave it there, fly home, and fly back to get it. No video of the return trip!?!

Vezo, Part II

Lodging Reservations
 

How are cancellations/postponements typically handled in case of delayed arrivals?

"other than an instantly developing hurricane popping up in my path that was invisible to all modern forecasting."

Damned if Ophelia didn't do that exact thing to us in 2005 and another storm in a 20 ft seafari in about 1983. Very glad I didn't try to continue on across the stream that day.

Ophelia did give us a days miserable weather warning and didn't blow all the way up till she was north of us. Note to others; Chub Cay marina is a miserable rocky place to spend several days when the wind is out of the north. The other storm, completely unforecast and no warning came out of the gulf and blew up into a tropical storm as it went over us in Bimini.

I'd happily go with Kmoose's weather experience any day, but still with caution.

Thanks Connor, that means a lot coming from you. The one thing you kindly left out was that the peril a passenger is subject to when I get us to where we are going..... That's when the less than safe stuff starts. :D

Mel and I want to start experimenting with what we want to do in early retirement. Island hopping through the Caribbean is on our short list. Short trips like this will give us a taste of the current logistics and crossing expectations. The end game is to island hop to Puerto Rico and fly back and return the following summer to work our way back. At first we talked about live aboards but feel it would be more comfortable and overall less expensive to make the hops when weather permits in a smaller vessel and utilize accommodations along the way. There is plenty of time for us to figure it out between now and my retirement party at work but we have to start somewhere and the sooner the better for us.

It is likely a gas powered 23 SeaCraft will likely not be the best option for our ultimate plan but it will give us a good reference point from the smaller end of the selection scale.

Then why stop at West End?! It's really not very representative of the Bahama Out Islands anyway, so why not continue on to the Abacos with Connor to Green Turtle, Man O'War, and Hope Town, where time doesn't mean much to folks! The sign on the side of the bank in downtown New Plymouth, on GT Cay says it all:
BANKING HOURS: TUESDAY, 10-2

Every Tuesday, whether you need it or not!:D

But figure on taking a couple weeks to do it right, and being self sufficient and able to anchor out and sleep aboard gives you much more flexibility! Also no need to carry tanks, as the nicest reefs are in 35' or less, plus spearguns are illegal anyway, although pole spears and slings are ok.

If it was up to me it would be a longer trip working as far as we could but remember, Mel is a newbie and requires a slow, controlled immersion into a transition from cruise ships to island skiffs. I have a 2020 business plan that will ready both of us for more adventurous endeavors and bank the financing required to make sure I'm not selling ceviche on a street corner in Dunmore town to buy enough fry grease diesel to putt back home.

I'll just put this out there, I don't have a horse in this race, as wife has her sights on the UP in June, but what about a big house to rent (depending on amount of people involved).

My wife was also a newbie on our first Bahama trip to Green Turtle, but I gave her the "full immersion" into the culture right away, even though she couldn't swim! Did manage to get her doing some snorkeling before we left, however. Although she and our daughter flew over while I ran the boat over with a buddy of mine, they LOVED the place and the friendliness of the natives! They became quite friendly with the folks in Lowes grocery, but said they were very conservative (this was back in the 70's); the locals were clearly offended and just barely polite to some gals that came in off a sailboat wearing string bikinis! :eek: Green Turtle is about 60% white and a bit less conservative than Man O'War, which is ~100% white, has numerous churches, and no bars or liquor stores, but go easy on the rum raisin ice cream at the Dock 'n Dine restaurant . . . that stuff will give you a hangover!

Island hop to PR in a small boat?? A 25 Seafari with two good sources of power and a copy of Van Sants book, "A Gentlemans Guide to Passages South" would be just about perfect.

Where in West End is the place you guys are thinking of? Bay side or ocean side? Is the dockage well protected from wind and chop?

Bootle bay

Haven't been on in a while !!... but this one has me interested !!! The time frame is rite also !!! will keep watching close.... missed hanging with ya'll the last 2 years also !!!! Tab will be coming home march 25th and the youngest daughter will be popping a new deckhand out in the next couple weeks !!

Yup! Took a 13' Whaler from Lake Worth to West End and Memory Rock several times in 1984. 35hp Johnson, 2 persons, 4 SCUBA tanks and gear, 18 gallons of fuel, and a cooler of food and beverage that doubled as a fish box. :) Made the trip over in just under two hours each time on summer morning glassy seas. The trip back always took 3-4 hours, and not nearly as pleasant.

Has anything been decided on this?

Jim

Bahama Trip Prep
 

The Fl. legislature passed a new law today giving folks a whopping $4 discount on their boat registration fee if you spend several hundred $ to buy an EPIRB or about $250 for a PLB. It was inspired by the 2 kids that went missing out of Jupiter inlet in their 18' SeaCraft last summer. In response to this news, my crusty old friend Bob who owned the Moesly 21 "UNOHU" that I made numerous Bahama trips with, sent a letter to the editor of the Palm Beach Post today pointing out that an EPIRB provides a false sense of security, because it takes a lot more than just a single electronic gadget to insure safety on an offshore trip! Thought y'all might enjoy his thoughts on the subject in the following email he sent me this morning:

Dear Editor:

Having crossed the Gulf Stream about 60 times during 30 years, my small boat navigation experience qualifies me to note a false sense of security likely to be brought by depending solely upon a radio beacon (EPURB or other). The beacon benefits only after encountering trouble. Whereas, boaters need to be trained and to obey cautions that prevent hazards and/or provide immediate rescue in life-threatening situations at sea. Gulf Stream boaters always face numerous potential situations that may require URGENT rescue:

1. FIRE – electrical and/or fuel – (fuel + spark = FIRE !).
2. EXPLOSION – gasoline fuel floods the bilge – STOP the engine !
3. RUPTURED FUEL TANK – caused by wear & tear + rough sea.
4. HULL and/or PROPELLER DAMAGE - from rough sea or striking a submerged or unseen object.
5. LIGHTNING – EVERY boat on the ocean is a Lightning Rod !
6. FUEL DEPLETION – insufficient fuel, leak or navigation error (Even with a GPS).
7. ENGINE FAILURE - with inability to repair and/or unavailable spare part(s).
8. RADIO and/or BEACON FAILURE – (YES, the beacon is also “electrical.” - ‘Nuff said !).

Of course, the obvious measure for avoiding threats is to be with at least ONE other boat, equipped with a proper tow-line! Twice, I crossed alone with a single engine and one radio, fortunately with no mishap. Later, I became educated to the fact that ANY ONE of these 8 listed hazards could render me and my family helpless in the infamous “Bermuda Triangle.” And, these cautions apply to ANY and ALL boats that are too small to carry a life boat or dingy. AND, your inflatable raft, must not leak after an explosion, lightning, etc. –

So, BE SAFE - Find a dependable partner.

The reply to Bob's note from another member of our flotilla follows, with Bob's comments in red:

Words of wisdom that I have benefited from! Remember you towing me and my Nova from just off the bank towards WPB when my lower unit broke? I believe that qualifies you as "a dependable partner"! Thanks, again! :+) The Big Rose pulled me across the gulfstream another time when one of my two engines failed and I was still at Grand Cay. Did not want to risk a solo crossing with one motor! As it were, the Fubar, was broken down just off Grand and he hooked on behind me so we both spent about 10 hours on a tow line!

Remember?! I was there!

I have been a “victim” of and/or have seen others in EVERY one of these situations. I didn’t have space to tell about your parents and my boat having had another boat actually soar INTO our boats ! – And,you know, those guys actually said I caused the collision because I had reduced speed. (I wanted to tell ’em their boat was coming apart. - Couldn’t raise ‘em on the radio.)

Craig’s pal, George X X X X, ridiculed me for having so many spare parts during the briefing at our home and again as we were pulling out of West End. When we reached Mangrove Cay, they motioned me over to ask if I could spare a can of oil. - Had to give ‘em 2 more cans at Cooper’s Town.

Alma Beck knocked her outdrive CLEAN-OFF coming across at night. A boat picked ‘em up in the morning. You had a similar fate right out here off Singer Island. We will NEVER know what you hit. Most likely a turtle. The keel of my “UNOHU” had a “green” scar from a turtle I had struck out in the Gulf.

Our plans are to shoot over on the best morning between June 13th - 18th. Going to check on reservations this week for accommodations but will be capable of staying aboard if we have to for a few days.

Where will you be staying until launch morning? I can make those dates work and have friends in Palm (City?), near Stuart, who would put me up a few days.

Vezo

Moose, did you ever lock in on reservations for 6/13-18? I think Connor is planning an Abaco trip for 6/28-7/11, and a friend I've made several crossings with wants to make a short trip to Grand Cay on 7/16-20. Connor, what is your itinerary and what inlet are you planning to leave from?

I did learn something interesting at the WPB boat show a couple weeks ago. The folks at the Grand Lucayan marina on the south side of Grand Bahama recognize that folks often get stuck in the Bahamas waiting for decent weather for a return crossing. They have a deal where if you pay 'em $100 up front ahead of time, you can dock your boat in their marina for up to a month. The idea is that if you get stuck by bad weather, you can leave the boat and take the ferry back to WPB or Lauderdale, and then return on the ferry when the weather clears up. I've generally had good crossings early in the morning, but I've also experienced fronts coming thru creating north winds even in July!

You can still go on to Abaco from Lucaya by taking the cut thru Grand Bahama that comes out near Mangrove Cay north of Grand Bahama. The water is shallow around Mangrove, but guys with outboards shouldn't have any trouble.

Denny stand by for a PM.

Pls send email instead. PM inbox almost full!

A little odd, but I'm having trouble filling up the crew list on my trip. Right now, dates are July 11-22. Shorter trip means it will be hard to get anywhere near Grand Bahama.

Connor

OK, My time off has been approved from June 14th - 20th. Weather permitting we will leave Boyton Beach early the 14th and head back the 17th. I have not secured any accommodations yet but am working over the logistics. I was looking at the Bootle bay fish camp but it is a hike from where we have to clear customs but it is a closer jump on the return. Any suggestions?

Moose you're killing me!!! I'm going to be in the Keys for the first two weeks of June then heading to TX on the 19th for some family stuff for a couple of weeks. Man I would love to go.

I hate that Don. Should love to see you guys.
Mike, will you be taking the new sled over? I'm speaking at a conference on the 13th and will be at the hotel in Dekrey. Going to launch the morning of the 14th from Boyton.

To be honest Ken, I am interested just had not heard from you. Denny had proposed a longer trip but I am not sure I can afford that. A week would be perfect. Looks like I would be traveling solo and if s#it breaks bad out there I'm not sure I've got the experience needed. I've been on the water since about age six and operating boats, but I haven't a clue how to navigate by charts! Like I said, I've seen a video of a 15 Whaler do it like a two plus hour run on a lake...

[QUOTE=Vezo, Part II;242806]. . . but I haven't a clue how to navigate by charts! . . ./QUOTE]

Dead reckoning navigation isn't that hard . . . all you need is a compensated compass or a deviation card and a stopwatch. Always good to have that as back-up in case the electronics crap out. (We didn't have GPS back in the 70's and not many guys had Loran!) The Chapman's book has some good examples & Power Squadron teaches courses on it.

Getting this trip together seems to be about like it was back in the 70's when I worked at Pratt . . . the younger guys who could afford it didn't have enough vacation time (had to be there 15 years to get 3 weeks vacation), and the older guys with 3-4 weeks vacation had kids in college and couldn't afford it! Some things never change!

Mike we are only looking at spending 3 days over there and we will likely have room aboard if you would like to just take your chances in our sled. :D Mel and I have two plans as we have to be down for my conference on the 13th anyway..... If the weather permits, we cross on the 14th and spend 3 days and return. If the weather is not perfect we will just stay in the area or hobo down the intercoastal for a few days and enjoy the time off. I have a few days wiggle room built in to stall for a weather window on the way over or if I need to wait a day to return safely. Ultimately safe conditions will rule all decisions and if we make it over and have to stay a few extra days to wait the weather out I don't think they will fire either of us. The only news paper articles I want to be in are for some record fish catch and not finding the Melissa J on her back with the prop in the air drifting up the stream.

Then there is always calm Sebastian (Sportsman Lodge)

Well that sounds much more assuring (and then Bump Draft goes and posts that pic!!!), Sportsman Lodge is where I first met you guys, right? I'd really like to take my new ride over. Still working on electronic package and anchor system.

I have much more time than money to avoid weather, but my bar bill may determine whether or not I have to sleep aboard the Seafari😇😁😂. Would my Golden require a passport? May leave her with friends in Palm City.

Standing by.

Oh don't even mention bringing dogs as Mel is asking why not bring ours. I love them but the logistics for bringing my idiots would cause me to walk the plank.

If the weather is good I don't see why you couldn't take it across but I would want all the available safety gear, radios and navagation to make the trip. Have you had your sled offshore yet to get a feel for it in seas?

No Ken, not yet. Been dying to get down there. Almost left today but the Raptor is in for warranty work and the rental F-150 doesn't have a friggin hitch! I'm off at least a week!!!

My passport is current. $90 for a Customs Pass? Have a working VHF, 8 ft antennae, new 40 gallon tank, stainless prop (and no hub key right now) and no spare prop. I committed to a large project here and would have a lot to do in prep but it's doable.

At worst would love to head to the East coast, drop off my dog near Stuart, and meet up with you stateside. Gofastsandman and Dennie are throwing around ideas for the crossing as well.?.

Michael.