Bahamas / Abacos

After 3 years of living aboard and travelling from Maine to Grenada, I have to say that my favorite spot is in the Abacos in the northern Bahamas. The major "obstacle" to getting there is the Gulf Stream which was pretty intimidating the first time we did it, but after 6 crossings we've learned to respect it and NOT to fear it. After the Stream, it is pretty easy day sailing and the Abacos are easily accessible to boats with a 6 foot draft or less. (Many with deeper drafts go there as well but you are a bit more limited in anchoring and sailing options). So why do I like the Abacos best of all???...

1. They're pretty easy to get to and sailing and navigating there is also easy and you have lots of places to duck into if there is a blow.

2. The water...is simply beautiful...I can set my hook in 20 feet of water and read the word "Delta" on the side!

3. The fish, the reefs, the lobsters....SO much to see and explore.

4. The cruising community...a radio net for weather and events every day (Channel 68- 8:15)
and hundreds of like minded boaters spread out in the anchorages.

5. Provisioning...you can get GREAT fresh food and meats there...albeit at somewhat to significantly higher prices than in the States...

6. The people...Bahamians...as distinct form their government, are genuinely nice people who may have little but always have a smile ready and are not spoiled by "tourism" like you find in Nassau.

Interested??? Read on....

GETTING THERE:

First you have to cross the Gulf Stream. The best places to do this from are Palm Beach Inlet or Ft. Lauderdale. You're immediate destination is West End on Grand Bahama Island which is a bit over 50 miles from Palm Beach and 70 from Ft. Lauderdale. In "time" the two departure poins work out about the same since the Gulf Stream provides it's 2+ knot help for those headed from Ft. Lauderdale. I recommend leaving from Palm Beach because Ft. Lauderdale does not permit anchoring more than 24 hours and if you have a long wait for the right weather, it can get expensive.

Palm Beach on the other hand has a GREAT anchorage nearby in North Lakeworth where it is not unusual to find 50 or more boats waiting to cross the Stream when the weather is right...and it is great to have some company on your first crossing. The anchorage also has a Publix food store, West Marine and the local bus line all within an easy walk from the dinghy landing. (LOCK IT WITH CHAIN AND A BIG LOCK HERE!)

Next, wait wait wait for just the right weather to cross...it can take a couple of weeks sometimes but don't be impatient. Let the north wind shift south and the seas calm down before making a run for it! To get the right weather forcasts there are a number of sources including the VHF weather forcasts but Chris Parker is my favorite if you have an SSB ( http://www.caribwx.com/ssb.html ).

Once you arrive at West End in the daylight (you DID leave FL by 6AM right??)... You can pull up to the dock at OldBahamaBay (http://www.oldbahamabay.com/marina/overview.htm) refuel and check into customs and fork over your $300 bucks cash for your cruising permit. Outrageous I know, but still worth it if you catch enough lobsters! (grin) Hopefully the restaurants, pool and other amenities will soon re-open (hurricane damage) and you can enjoy a dip a drink and a well earned repast after a long day.

Next you need to jump over to Great Sale Cay which is a 50 mile day trip in generally settled waters with NO coral to worry about until you get to the Cay. BTW...the charts of choice for this trip are Explorer Chart Kits (http://www.explorercharts.com/) as they are much more detailed and up to date than anything else around...and you DO need good charts and TESTED waypoints for this trip! The data and waypoints they provide are also used by Nobeltec and Bluechart for those of you with those systems.

Great Sale Cay has nothing on it at all so it is simply an overnight anchorage but a good one that is protected from all but westerlies which are uncommon. Holding is good and there are generally a few other boats in there either coming or going to other places. Get a good night's sleep 'cause tomorrow you'll be in the Abacos!

Your next 50 miles will bring you into the Abacos, between Great Abaco Island and the dozens of Small Cays that (with their barrier reefs), protect the boater and make the "Sea of Abaco" easier to navigate than the Chesapeake Bay or ICW.
WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO

I highly recommend a stop in White Sound in GreenTurtle Cay. Set your anchor well in the soft bottom or take a slip ant the Green Turtle Club Marina (http://www.greenturtleclub.com/ ). Last time I was there (1/04) they had a deal that let you apply your restaurant tab against your dock fees! The restaurant is pricey but well worth it if you want to spluge on a great meal. You can spend weeks on Green Turtle...go on a dive or a snorkle picnic with Brendall http://www.greenturtleclub.com/Dive.htm) or take a bike into town or ro the deserted beaches of the eastern side. Swap paper back books at the local library where they also have internet access.

Once you get tired of Green Turtle it is time for the next big challenge...out and around Whale Cay or "THE WHALE" as it is referred to by local cruisers who wish to conjure visions of Moby Dick smashing your puny vessel! Actually, it is necessary to go out into the Atlantic for a couple of miles and around Whale Cay to get to the southern Abacos since it is too shallow for most cruisers to go on the inside route. This can be quite a challenge on some days when the ocean is quite "swelly" or breaking but just listen to the WHALE report on the morning VHF net and make your plans to go in good weather and moderate seas...Otherwise...have some more rum mon!

Once past the Whale you are in prime Abaco cruising grounds where you can roam for months among the dozens of Cays and always be less than 10 miles away from a safe harbor and good provisioning. Entire books have been written about this place and I highly recommend Steve Dodge's annual sailing/advertising guide to Abaco (http://www.wspress.com/detail-cga.htm). So... I will not go into a lot more detail here but here's a list of favorite things to do:
Take a mooring from Troy on Guana Cay and dinghy down to the south side of the island on calm day. Anchor the dinghy off the multitude of beautiful reefs you'll find there and thank God you've been able to see this!

Visit Baker's Bay on the north end of Guana and explore all the goodies Disney Cruise lines left behind from their private island.
Visit the Treasure Cay snack bar and get a cheeseburger looking out over one of the best beaches anywhere.

Climb the Hope Town lighthouse and see one of the last kerosene fueled lighthouses still operating.

Visit Man 0'War Cay and watch the Albury's build their famous boats.
Slip into Little Harbor on a rising tide and watch the squid making colorful love under a full moon. You have to stop at Pete's Pub while there.

Head back to Marsh Harbor for great provisioning, laundromats, restaurants and a bit of civilizations comforts. Trade your books at Buck-a-book and help the wild horses of Abaco too!
Finally...a word about the weather. We've generally crossed over in December or January and stayed till around April 1st. The Abacos are at the same lattitude as Ft. Lauderdale, so you cannot expect 80+ degree weather there all the time. We've had hot, cold and in-between winters but they are generally milder than Florida because of the Gulf Stream and also because many cold fronts just dissipate before they get there. If you want warmer weather, go in late winter but we were never bored there when it got chilly and dropped into the 60's! Of couse, you want to be gone from there by hurricane season as nowhere is safe in those!
OK...I hoped this convinces a few of you to try the Abacos...you can sail a long way and not find any better place!

Look for us there on Camaraderie or drop a note for more info via our website at www.casasoccer.org/sail
...Fair winds ...George & Janet B.

George & Janet Barrs/v
Camaraderiesailcamaraderie@yahoo.com

Between the dream and the deed lie the doldrums - sail on!