headed to Chubb from Ft Lauderdale

[motoryacht lover]

Ultimately heading to the Exumas but am leaving Ft Lauderdale Sunday (weather permitting) and hoping to make Chubb. Boat cruises around 22 knots. Is there anything I need to know about getting on to the bank at Moselle or Hens & Chickens. Need a little local knowledge to figure out if one way is safer or less tricky than the other. Thanks for your time.

 

[capttonyf]

From Ft. Lauderdale I always run between Hen and Chickens and Great Issacs. I would split the difference between the two leaning toward the north a little closer to Issacs. Then make one turn and head toward North West Channel at the pocket. It's a nice clean shot with plenty of water all the way across.

I haven't crossed the bank From Cat/Gun Key in many years because unless your coming from Miami the Northern route is easier and your not running against the stream. From what I remember though about crossing at Cat/Gun Key, the northern route from Hen & Chix seems to have a lot more water.

Tony

 

[Pascal]

It s all deep whether you come on the bank just north of Moselle or by the hens and chicken. From there just stay north of Mackie shoal and then head toward NW channel.

NW Channel has been missing for a couple of years, early on there was still a piling stump sticking out but I haven't seen it in a while, still giving it a wide berth.

Out of Miami, I usually clear at Cat day (no detour, quick and easy). Th bank is a little skinny about 3 or 4 miles east of Cat with 7' MLW so I take it slow with our 6' draft at low tide. It then gets deeper pretty quickly and the rest of th bank is all good.

Haven't been to chub in a while. Usually after clearing at Cat we go straight to nassau or pass south of nassau to the exumas.

Just got back from two months in the exumas a few days ago and we re heading back out again either Sunday or Monday (out of Miami). Best cruising in the world!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Best cruising in the world!

It's funny that you say that. A couple of years ago we met a couple who had sailed around the world and although they loved the Mediterranean and the Bahamas, they said that they continued to compare everything to the North Channel of Lake Huron. Their opinion was that the North Channel was the "gold standard" and that nothing else compared.

 

[Pascal]

Never been up there but it s way too cold to be on my list of places I want to explore by boat I m sure the scenery is beautiful but for me, and most people, it s not just about the scenery or enjoying the outdoor. Being on the boat is also about enjoying the water, swimming, relaxing, snorkeling etc...

I ve spent 15 years in the caribean and while beautiful with great beaches, you spend a lot more time underway with fewer anchorages and open water stretches between the islands

On th other hand, once you get to the exumas, you have about 120 miles of islands in protected waters with hundreds of places to anchor and probably 1000 beaches and sandbars to enjoy, most with no development, big resorts. 5 boats in an anchorage is considered a crowd, and most of the time when we dinghy to a beach, if someone is already there we move on to the next one rarely more than a minute away.

All just 200nm from soFl

 

[GCSI]

Pascal: I'm looking into going from a 5' draft into boats that draw between 6'-7'. In your opinion, how limiting would that be for cruising "down south"? Very familiar with northern Bahamas, not so much for southern Bahamas. Brett

 

[Pascal]

In the bahamas it is not a big issue. Sure 5' is better as you can anchor a little closer to shore but overall 6 to 7' is still pretty good. Th boat I run draws just under 6.5' fully loaded the only spot I cna think of that we can't go so the inside passage between Rudder Cut cay and Lee Stocking thru the pimlicos. Even with a full high, it s too tight although a 5' draft would make it easily.

There are a few spots where I time passage with tides (behind Musha/rudder, behind Lee Stocking and the pass by Pigeon and thru pudding cut). No big deal. Compass cay too requires some tide coming in with 6' to be comfortable.

What you loose with anything over 5' is the bay side of the Florida Keys

 

[Dan Mapes]

We stopped in at Chub in the Spring of '14 and it was "ok" as far as run down neglected large developments go. The restaurant was open, but the best seating is reserved for owners of condos etc..
The pools were full but certainly not as clean as they should have been.

Hopefully things are improving, we saw evidence of restoration.