Bahamas trip in July

[tonytrakovich]

Bella Sophia has lived in the Bahamas for a while and we have done a family trip to the exumas every year for the last 12 years. Normally the captain brings the boat there and we fly into Nassau to start the vacation. This year we are leaving from Hillsboro inlet and the family is doing the trip. We cruise 10-13 kts. We were thinking of doing FL to Bimini. Clearing customs and spending the night. Then some midway point to Nassau for another night. Then Nassau and stay at Palm Cay for a night. Then exumas. I am familiar with the exumas part of the trip, but have never done the crossing from Florida. Any suggestions? Palm Cay is set in stone but have no idea on the midway stops. Internet. In the past, I would buy a Bahamian SIM card at the airport for 5g of data and a Bahamian cell phone number. Since I will not be in the airport, do you know if this can be bought stateside? Other options? I need internet for college course for daughter.

 

[Pascal]

Yes you can order a sim already loaded up from mrsimcard.com. BTC now has unlimited prepared for $40 or $50 a month

We do the trip to the exumas 6 or 7 times a year an de Personally I prefer clearing in cat cay. In and out in 30' at the most. Bimini isn't what it's used to be.. not even worth the stop. If we don't cross the bank towards the berrys right away we anchor behind gun Cay. Nice beach with friendly stingrays patrolling long the shore. Also a side trip to the wreck of the sapona, just south or BIM is a must. It's sits high in 15' of water, you can anchor very close on either side doending on which way the current is going.

Heading west, skip Chubb. I heard they reopened recently but it's overpriced overrated unless you r into fishing... instead when we don't go straight to Nas or the Exumas we anchor just east of chub, on the west side of Bird. Good protection, except when it s blowing from the south. It worth spending a half day the next morning exploring the Francis Francis mansion on bird (north side). It's a time capsule from th 50s. Still pretty intact with furniture and stuff cool place

Watch the weather in the NW channel between the berry and NAS. It can be nasty and is less predictable than the stream

Heading out tomorrow morning for a couple of weeks, we ll clear in cat and run straight to Normans cay

 

[Bugsy]

Palm Cay has a loaner vehicle. Not more than a few miles away, there is a BTC office. I went there to get a sim card and to load it and make sure it was working on my phone. No muss; no fuss.
ILast trip, I anchored out on the banks....kind of a neat experience...about a mile off the " beaten path" and the next day, went to Palm Cay where I cleared Customs. Then on to Highbourne etc.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[Pascal]

I ve anchored on the bank a few times but 10/12kts and it gets choppy. Indeed at least a mile and plenty of lights!! I ve seen so many sailboats anchored right on the route with nothing but an often dim anchor light.

 

[Fanfare]

I have always had great service clearing Bahamas Customs at Cat Cay. No dockage fee to clear if you spend the night which I usually do. By the time we get down the river, out to sea, cross the Gulf Stream, clear customs, and refuel I am usually beat. That's really enough for the first day, what with worrying about what might break and my many trips up and down to check the engine rooms, etc. I really look forward to a rum punch on shore. Best of all, in February we had a really excellent dinner at the visitor's shoreside restaurant at the Cat Cay Club. I recommend this!

Contrast this to our clearing at Bimini airport about three years ago when the customs man and the immigration man made me wait for over five hours, mostly with no other business, to stamp my papers. When I radioed Cat Cay they told me they were out of fuel so I diverted to Bimini Sands Marina, which was actually very nice. I should have cleared at Cat, then gone to Bimini or Nassau for fuel. My treatment at Bimini customs was pure harassment, and i am not going there again.

 

[Dan Mapes]

We concur with all of the experiences at Bimini. It's a mad house devoted to over nighters that booze it up, fish, make noise and then leave.

Chub is more laid back but unless they have restored the place and revitalized it as Pascal says it is not worth it. While we stayed there the weather was good enough that most anchored outside. The restaurant was ok but they ostracized transients while the "owners" section of the place was empty.

Rumor has it the Berry Island Club has degenerated beyond hope.

 

[Pascal]

Berrybiskand clib was heavily damaged by the storm but there re supposed to be reopening any time although we checked it out with the tender early April and the docks were far from being finished

 

[Spellbound]

Chub is open, stayed there early May on way down to TCI's.

 

[motoryacht lover]

In Eleuthera now. I like clearing at cat. I agree with skipping Chubb. If you can get to lyford the clearing was very easy. If the palm cay marina you are referring to is the one on the southeast side of new providence get very specific instructions for the Chanel. Active captain has one guy saying he lost an ips unit when he hit a coral head. I spoke to a guy who said he won't return due to the entrance with all the coral heads. Other than that it appears very nice and gets good reviews.