Planning Bahammas trip, any advice.

[garyd]

Planning Bahamas trip, any advice.

We are in the beginning stages of planning our trip. We have a lot of boating experience but not in the Bahamas. We would like to jump off at Stuart and go directly to Walkers Cay. Then proceed down the Abocos to Marsh Harbor and anchor out around Guana Cay for most of the trip.

Any insight/advice would be appreciated!

Have Fun Boating garyd

 

[ThirdHatt]

Gary, it sounds like you at least know where to hang out in the Bahamas! Guana Cay is THE spot in the Abaco's. We've spent the last 3 years enjoying it several times a season. Stay at Orchid Bay (www.orchidbay.net) or anchor in Baker's Bay. Nipper's bar (www.nippersbar.com) is AMAZING amounts of fun! No worries about DWI's on the island because there are no cars and no police! Just golf carts to get around. No big hotels (just beach houses for rent), no casino's, no shopping, no touristy crap. Just clear blue water, sun, fun, beaches, fishing, diving, drinking, eating and relaxing! PERFECT place to hang out. We should be visiting throughout the spring/summer as usual. I'll keep an eye out for you!

 

[garyd]

The plan is to leave around may 17th and return around june 17th. Have you ever run between Stuart and Walkers Cay? This would be our first leg and want it to go smoothly.

Have fun boating garyd.

 

[Angela]

In addition to all of the great responses you will receive here, you may also want to look at this previous thread where we asked some of the same questions and got excellent advice.

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4373

 

[thoward]

My understanding is Walkers is still closed. We will be heading over this spring and it looks as if we will be heading in to West End from Ft Pierce. I do not know how well you know Stuart but is not recomended to use it without local knowledge. The channel is not marked well and gets shallow quick. I bent a prop there a few months ago . In the comming months there will be people putting groups together for the crossing and in the name of safety we will most likely join a group.

Where are you docked?

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

NIPPERS ! Have made probably 40 trips to the Bahamas, either on our boat or doing boat deliveries. You MUST stop at Nippers on a Sunday for the pig roast. (Oh, I need a new t shirt from there)
Last I knew, Walkers Cay was still closed. But West End has easy in/out or if you got the range, just run to Spanish Cay before checking in.

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

When the kids get out of school you can count me in , first week of June I can cut across Lake O' and see you over there I'm sure by Spring we'll be in hot in discusions on the sand bar about cruiesers getting together for the summer

 

[captbuddy]

Don't have any advise to add. Just wanted to say You are making me sick because we want to go so bad but just aren't ready yet. Lately I'm seeing at our marina and on these sites, everyone is getting ready to untie and leave for the beautiful colored water. It seems, all I can do right now is work on our boat and wish. Sept. 1, 2009 seems so far away. This is our retirement date and then we are out of here on "Beach Nut". It's getting harder each time I hear of someone preparing to leave. Good Luck to all and hope to see you in a couple of years.
captbuddy

 

[garyd]

We will be leaving out of Snead Is. Florida. Sarasota for you'all, then going through the Lake O route.

We are going to try to stay on the hook as much as possible and only stay about 7 nights in marinas.

I believe we can take just about all the stuff we need to make it through with a stop now and again at a grocery store. We have 150 gallons of water and I'm hoping we can stretch that for up to a week if necessary. 50 gallons grey water but I assume once out into the atlantic we can just dump that overboard.

If we get fuel in West End if walkers is still shut down we will only need about 150 gallons to get back to West End to refuel for the crossing home.

Have fun boating garyd

 

[thoward]

I guess we can start posting dates and maybe put together a calender. We want to do a trip over for Christmas-New Years but with the weather like it is we may just go south. We are also looking to do some short Yellowfin trips starting in March and 2 weeks in July.

We are a go for 4/7/06-4/15/06 in the Marsh Harbor area.

 

[thoward]

On your crossing of Lake O, LaBelle has a city dock that is like $10/night. In Stuart they have Southpoint Anchorage which is $10/ night as well. If you end up running out of Ft Pierce let me know as there are a few good areas to anchor up. There is also a commercial basin in Ft Pierce where you can get cheaper fuel before crossing. 50 gal of black water is a lot of poo so I would think you are ok unless you drink heavly or you have a ton of people.

 

[Paul45c]

Go easy on that water, then. No washdowns and no "Hollywood" showers.

 

[Angela]

Do you have a watermaker? My neighbor returned from the Bahamas where he had to fill up the water tank while he was there. It was a bargain price at 75 cents/gallon. For me, that would add another several hundred dollars to my trip ($225 every time I filled the tank and I'd go through it at least weekly, maybe quicker with a boat full). Something to consider, and budget, since water is an item that is free for most of us in the US mainland - don't overlook it when planning for your trip.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I found that if you "happen to have" extra frozen steaks, chicken, etc, you can "barter" your water bill a lot lower at a majority of places over there...

Just a matter of knowing who and when to talk to them...

$20 worth of steaks or chicken got me a fresh water fill up in 3 out of 5 places I tried......

 

[Liquid Asset]

Gary,

I just did this trip in June. We did nto go through the lake, we went down around yacht channel and back up. it was a lot less trouble than dealing with the locks. Water was not an issue for us, but we were in Grand Bahama. What is an issue, is finding Coke, and Beer. You better bring as much of it as you can carry. We took almost enough, but should have taken more.

 

[34Hatt]

I guess we can start posting dates and maybe put together a calender.

The Forum here has a calendar maybe you all can use that one

 

[Angela]

The Forum here has a calendar maybe you all can use that one

The calendar isn't set up to go beyond 12/31/06. Maybe Doug can fix that! Doug, can you?????

 

[thoward]

A calender that has the major dates would be great. If we could add our local stuff that would be even better but may be too much. Ideas are needed for this one.

 

[Angela]

I'm thinking COLUMBUS DAY REGATTA at Elliott Key should be on it.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

And any of the boat shows where Sams plans to be.....and......