Need Bahamas Advice

[Bill Root]

The Admiral has decided we should do a "family reunion" of sorts next year in the Bahamas. This would be our first trip to the Bahamas, so I'm attempting to get out ahead of it by looking for advice from those who HOFers who may have experience cruising there. I know there are lots of Bahamas cruising guides, and I already have some, but first hand experience is always better, in my opinion. Here's a little background .

We would have our three adult children and their spouses, all in their mid thirties, plus our two-year-old granddaughter. Our kids are all employed, so the most time they are likely to be able get off is a week. I understand we may need to hang out in Lake Worth waiting for a good weather window, so Kathleen and I would get BUFFALO GAL over to the Bahamas some time in May, and the kids would all meet us there on a specified week in early June. We would plan to spend about eight weeks cruising the Bahamas, with one week for the famly to all meet in one location. We can comfortably accomodate six adults on BUFFALO GAL, so we need a marina with land accomodations for one of the couples on site or close by. Although we might go out for a cruise a couple of days, I also want to be sure that where ever we dock, there are enough activities close by to keep them all amused. When the kids are not with us, we would explore the isands, anchoring out as much as possible.

So, what suggestions would you have for the best place to use as a "base" when our children are with us? They would be flying in from Minneapolis, Chicago and Atlanta, so airport proximity is important. What would be a good cruising itinerary for the Admiral and me when they aren't with us? We don't necessarily need fancy, although that's nice once in a while. We do need decent and safe.

Thanks much for any advice you can provide.

 

[Fanfare]

Marsh Harbour, Abaco, should be your center of operations. Good harbor, good airport, good provisioning. Several islands within 15 nmi, each with their own unique flavor. No rocks to hit. Sheltered waters once you cross the Stream. The best place to start. You'll like it!

60 years in the Bahamas.

 

[Pascal]

Cross further south (Miami) windows are offer better. Enjoy a week in Bimini and the Berrys before heading to Nassau to re provision and pick up the family. Then take them to the exumas for the week.

There are tons of flights to Nassau incl jet blue. The exumas are only 40 miles from nassau...great anchorages, dozens of them, mostly deep water, easy nav., good protection from north easterlies on the bank. Weather is a little warmer in winter and fronts are not as strong as they are in the Abacos.

 

[34Hatt]

Marsh Harbour, Abaco, should be your center of operations. Good harbor, good airport, good provisioning. Several islands within 15 nmi, each with their own unique flavor. No rocks to hit. Sheltered waters once you cross the Stream. The best place to start. You'll like it!

60 years in the Bahamas.

Good choice for area then you can rent a extra house or condo on Man o war and stay at the marina right there and do day excursions on the boat. Have done the same down in the exumas but it is a little more difficult getting flights when you want them and if you miss it there goes a day! That one I know about personally
The condo's on Man o war are very nice and killer view!

 

[wsdemmer]

We are currently in the Bahamas (arrived about 3 weeks ago) and have gotten here with the help of this forum (from ideas to delivery of a generator transformer part). Navigation has been pretty straight forward and has not been a problem. Marsh is a good base as mentioned earlier and it has good suppliers (groceries, hardware etc) but be prepared to spend about 30 + percent more for things. Eating out is what surprised us most as it is hard to walk away from a restaurant without dropping over 120.00 (for 4 adults) including tip w/o alcohol for a meal that in the states would be 50.00.
We stocked up on lots of basics including paper goods, sodas, meats and poultry, spices etc which have made it easier for cooking on board and only one trip to Maxwells so far. Maxwells in Marsh has a wonderful selection but again it is 30-50% more than the states.
We spent the day snorkeling at Johnny's Cay yesterday and had a wonderful time.
Green Turtle Cay (got to see Taylor Hicks perform at the GTC marina) tour New Plymouth Town
Nippers and Grabbers at Guana Cay ( Orchid Bay Marina) Nippers on Sunday has a pig roast starting around noon I believe but it can get kind of rowdy.
Hope Town (Hope Town Marina has a great pool and will ferry you to town across the harbor)
Good snorkeling off the beach of Harbor Lodge in Hope Town
Everyone says the snorkeling/diving is best at Fowl Cay at Man O War which is where we are heading next where there is a protected reserve for diving and snorkeling.
Hope Town has been our favorite town so far for it's quaintness and restrauants
Dockage runs about 1.00-2.25 pf per day , elec .65 pkwh, water .25-.35 per gallon metered.
Monthly rates run about .65-.85 per day with the same metered water and elec.
We started out at marinas to get our bearings and have now transitioned to anchoring and using the systems that I have installed. We like anchoring out more than marinas but understand your situation is different than ours.
We would love to go to the Exumas as everyone we have talked says it is the place to go but our insurance won't cover us there until after hurricane season.
Our daughters are with us for another 6 weeks and after that we will see what happens and where we go. Sorry for the ramble but I am on Island time!

 

[Fanfare]

Pascal is right. The winter weather in the Exumas is better. But the only towns are Staniel Cay, Black Point and Georgetown. To get to or from Georgetown you have to go 25 miles or so out onto Exuma Sound, out of the sheltered banks. When the wind turns you are trapped at one end or the other. Besides, Georgetown is overrun by sailboaters in the winter. Nassau has become a "do not visit if possible" site for me due to crime problems, although we had a pleasant visit last year at the new Albany Club on the south side of New Providence.

We did take our extended brood of children, inlaws and grandchildren to the Exumas last year and had a wonderful time. But all of our family are experienced cruisers and can enjoy the beauty of the water and the solitude of anchoring out. If yours are not, however, I recommend the Abacos and particularly for the first time. Within about 25 miles are the towns of Green Turtle Cay, the resort of Treasure Cay (free fresh water), Guana Cay, charming Man-O-War Cay, and the "metropolis" of Marsh Harbour, your hub and airport. Then there is my favorite, Elbow Cay (Hopetown) with its 150 year old hand cranked, kerosene-lamped light house and lovely landlocked harbor. Also White Sound, a few miles south. The Pelican Cay Land and Sea Park, wonderful snorkling, and lastly isolated Little Harbour, with Pete's Pub and its bronze statuary foundry. I could--and have--spent weeks at each of these locations and still come back. Friends with us for only a week enjoy the variety, and being in fun place to explore removes some of the host's obligations of entertainment.

Getting onto the banks seems scary because the water is so clear you are sure you are running aground. But the channel at the west end of Grand Bahama I. carries 5-6 ft. at low tide. All the markers are gone, but the GPS fixes of the Explorer Charts (highly recommended) were spot on this year. Clear Bahamas Customs first at Old Bahama Bay. Take as much stuff with you as you can. The Bahamas has no income tax and relies on customs duties of about one-third additional value of your purchase for its funding. And value includes the transportation charges, so everything seems expensive to U.S. residents. I was very surprised at the large variety of goods available this year. Everything we needed was available, albeit expensive. Except diet soda other than Coke.

 

[Pascal]

NAssau is indeed nothing more than a pick up/drop off point and a place to provision.

after that, there is really nothing in the Exumas, but that's the point, isn't it? Gerogetown has grocery stores but indeed it's a 30nm run in the sound. there are flights out of georgetown but not as many as Nassau.

if needed, with up to a 5' draft you can run on the bank (behind Rudder, Rat, Children, Lee Stocking, Musha) and land a tender at the very tip of Great Exuma (at barraterre). From there guests can take a cab to the airport.

 

[Bill Root]

Thanks for the advice. It's great to have the benefit of experienced Bahamas cruisers.

Sounds like Abacos is the our best bet for a place to spend a week when our children come with their families. We don't have enough sleeping accommodations on the boat for everyone, so one of the families will need to have accommodations on shore. We would then take some day trips for snorkeling and/or exploring. Is there enough to do on Abacos to keep them entertained? Which marina would be best for this kind of arrangement?

What's your folks opinion on weather concerns in June? My sense is that it's early in the hurricane season, so probably pretty safe.

What is your consensus on the best Bahams cruising guide/s?

Pascal: We would be starting out from Sanford, so need to come all the way up the St. Johns River and back down the ICW to our cross-over point. If we did come all the way down to Miami, is there a good spot to anchor out and wait for a good weather window to cross?

 

[Pascal]

June is fine... The season usually starts mid July with storms starting to form near the Carib then into August / sept within Cape verde systems

For the abacos, lake worth is a good jump off point or even Ft Pierce No need to come all the way down. If you do, no name harbor on Key Biscayne or off KBYC are two good anchorages

 

[Karl]

Two years ago I sayed at the Conch Inn Marina in Marsh Harbor for almost three weeks and loved it. Dockage rates are very reasonable and the longer you stay, the cheaper it is. It's not a high end five star luxury resort, but if you want to relax and not spend a lot of money and have good service, it's very Bahamas, Mon. Here is their website: http://www.conchinn.com/.

 

[Angela]

Something to be aware of that I just noticed when looking at Conch Inn's website, it appears that not all marinas offer 240v service. So if air conditioning, cooking, laundry and hot water are essential, be sure to confirm the available power at the marinas. Conch Inn says they only have 110v. If I have to run my genny in the slip to power my boat, then I'd rather just drop the hook and save the money for a slip. This will depend on how heavily your boat is loaded with 240v equipment. I'm loaded fairly heavy with those items.

 

[thoward]

What's your folks opinion on weather concerns in June? My sense is that it's early in the hurricane season, so probably pretty safe.

What is your consensus on the best Bahams cruising guide/s?

Pascal: We would be starting out from Sanford, so need to come all the way up the St. Johns River and back down the ICW to our cross-over point. If we did come all the way down to Miami, is there a good spot to anchor out and wait for a good weather window to cross?

Pick a day as long as there is no tropical weather in the forecast area.

I like Steven Dodge's cruising guide.

You should have no problem finding a place to anchor in Ft. Pierce. I would suggest in front of the Coast Guard Station or across the way near the cove. There are some more protected areas along the ICW if the weather is rough.

If you want to run the bank, use SLI. There is not much along the way so there is not much point unless you have weather or mechanical concerns.

Ft. Pierce is a great jump off spot if you want to go across the top. We are out of Ft. Pierce and cross ocean side to Walkers for check-in(110 miles door to door). We stay at Rosie's on Grand Cay but there is anchorage at Double Breasted that is nice. There is great snorkeling, conching, spearing, fishing and drinking; but not much else.

On the way to your base destination, there are anchorages at both Strangers Cay and Moraine Cay.

 

[pmurphy]

As far as cruising guides, in addition to Steve Dodge and the Explorer charts, I'd get Active Captain loaded on a device that doesn't need an internet connection (iPad is best, with gps and the right nav package). If you don't have an iPad, check out Active Captain on a computer. This will give you all sorts of ideas while you plan, and will be a nice source on the fly to check something out. I find all three sources invaluable.
As for where to go, I agree with the Abaco suggestion as it sounds like your family will want some action. Great snorkeling, marina, restaurants, supplies (in Marsh Harbor), and airplane access. In Marsh, I prefer the Jib Room for casual (so long as you have a dink to go across the harbor to other venues) or Boat Harbor [Abaco Beach Resort] for fancy (priced accordingly). Jib Room does not have accommodations though I don't think.
Be sure to stay in Orchid Bay for Nippers, Hopetown and Little Harbor. I'd pass on Grand Cay and Double Breasted if it's your first trip as those are a bit more remote. Maybe hit them on your return when you are warmed up.

 

[Dan Mapes]

We Winter over in the Bahamas and have done so for the last 4 Winters. The majority of our time has been spent on Elbow Cay at Sea Spray and the Hope Town Inn and Marina. Both offer rooms for extra people and both have restaurants. Sea Spray offers all three squares, and HTM has lunch and dinner although the menu is a bit limited. Sea Spray has a more diverse menu at this time but I am sure that will change at HTM. Besides across the harbour you have many options.
In Hope Town, you have a few charters for fishing available, and both places have pools, bars etc. for the adults. Either would provide a great time, and I would recommend Local Boy, or Lucky Strike for fishing charters.
Elbow Cay has several places to dine, and great beaches on the Atlantic side. For excursions, rent a boat and go to Lubbers and Cracker P's. Elbow also has Firefly. On Da Beach is a great lunch time stop as are the places mentioned above. Rent a couple of carts and have a blast.
The only catch would be to make sure you have a reservation at HTM that includes power for the boat, and you will need to borrow one of their dinks or have them drive you over to Hope Town in the pontoon boat. It's all good.

 

[Bill Root]

Thanks again for the great input.

Angela: I appreciate the tip on the 240V. I have lots of 240V on the boat (AC pumps, water pump, range and clothes dryer), so your "heads up" is invaluable.

thoward: I'll get the Dodge guide.

Pat: I use Active Captain extensively. It's loaded on my laptop. I use Verizon for wifi when I'm cruising. I'll have to check if they have service in the Bahamas. I'll also check out the Jib Room. We have a Whaler as a tender, so getting around shoul be no problem.

Dan: Appreciate your comments on Hopetown. I had planned to stop there. I believe Patch has a 54MY there.

 

[rsmith]

Something to be aware of that I just noticed when looking at Conch Inn's website, it appears that not all marinas offer 240v service. So if air conditioning, cooking, laundry and hot water are essential, be sure to confirm the available power at the marinas. Conch Inn says they only have 110v. If I have to run my genny in the slip to power my boat, then I'd rather just drop the hook and save the money for a slip. This will depend on how heavily your boat is loaded with 240v equipment. I'm loaded fairly heavy with those items.

Ive stayed at Conch many times they have 220. Every place we've been in the Islands have had 220 since the 70's. Used to be everything was crow foot plugs but in the last 10 years I havent seen anything but twist locks.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Yo Glenn (Patch) you out there? Actually Glenn stays at Boat Harbour with the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club and if you are not a member, and you intend to stay in the Abacos, join. That's all there is to it. One trip over there will probably pay for the membership and if you decide to Winter over some time, the camaraderie you gain will more than offset any expense.
We crossed over with them and another couple from West End this year. Had a great time.

WRT 240V. We have stayed at many facilities over there including the Conch Inn, Harbour View, Mangoes, Jib Room, Orchid Bay, Green Turtle Club, Lee Ward Yacht, Old Bahama Bay, Grand Bahama Yacht Club (closed?) Port Lucaya, Spanish Cay, Sea Spray, Hope Town Inn and Marina, and ALL OF THEM offer 240V/50A service via twisty. Just remember HTM is still getting going and make sure you have a spot with power and water.
Also, make sure your macerator works, as well as your water tank and pump!

 

[Boatsb]

Something to be aware of that I just noticed when looking at Conch Inn's website, it appears that not all marinas offer 240v service. So if air conditioning, cooking, laundry and hot water are essential, be sure to confirm the available power at the marinas. Conch Inn says they only have 110v. If I have to run my genny in the slip to power my boat, then I'd rather just drop the hook and save the money for a slip. This will depend on how heavily your boat is loaded with 240v equipment. I'm loaded fairly heavy with those items.

Which marina were you at that did not have the 220 power available?

 

[Dan Mapes]

What I will say about the Conch Inn, is that they sucker punched us with regard to power. Initially we pulled into the slip on the inside of the fuel dock. They said the power was metered. So we were frugal and did not use AC, water heater and we even ate at their restaurant (lower level).
In the morning, the meter had not spun, and they whacked us for 30 bucks a day using a 50A. When I spoke with the dock master about not being metered and went to pay anyway, he unplugged the boat even though we were on a fixed rate!!! No warning, it happened while I was paying the bill!
Eff 'em I say. While the restaurant was good, I will not put up with a lack of respect for our electrical service, and further, I will not accept a high rate for power after the fact.
Be aware.

 

[Angela]

Guys, I've never been there. I followed the link posted above to check the place out and a I was just stating my observation that their website says the marina's power is 110v. I can't say one way or another since I've never been there...just pointing out an observation, so it's probably a good idea to ask and make sure 240v is there. Perhaps they need a better webmaster to properly write their website.