Hey, kids! Most of you probably know by now that tripping to the Bahamas on Sojourn likely isn’t in our immediate future, but we are definitely going as soon as ship and crew are able. Toward that end, we’re sharing info that is passed on to us in case any of you might be interesting in crossing the stream to our back yard paradise before us. Your choices are basically two-fold: 1) the near Bahamas, also called the Abacos (more developed and populated), or 2) the southern Bahamas, also known as the Exumas (less developed and sparcely populated). Yes, there are a few more esoteric choices beyond the scope of this ‘first-time-over’ introduction to the Bahamas and surrounding islands.

For those of us who live on the west coast of Florida, our first opportunity for adventure is sailing down the west coast to the middle Keys (Marathon). For shallower draft boats without that tall thingy sticking way up in the air there no more than forty-ninish feet (a little taller ok if you don’t mind paying to get “tipped” at Fort Myaka), you can cut across the Florida Peninsula via the Okeechobee Waterway.

The next hurdle is crossing the Gulf Stream, often called the River in the Ocean. Helluva current that requires some planning to cross, particularly for slower displacement hulls like sailboats and trawlers. Picture a river flowing from south to north at a pretty rippin’ rate (2 to 3 knots). Now picture wind blowing against that current out of the north. What do you do? Stay put! We’re told that if there is wind with ANY northerly component, the stream will whip up into one nasty and dangerous brew. Once across the stream, you need to clear into customs and pay your $300 cruising fee (I may not have the language quite right, but I’ll update as I smarten up). Then there are issues of water depth, sudden weather changes, communications, tides, etc. Message: by all means go, but go well-informed.

But let’s start here and build our base of knowledge, starting with a great list of resources created by our friends at the Isles Yacht Club in Punta Gorda, Florida. I’ve included it below for those of you who are interested. As I try these out, and find my own favorites, I’ll post those preferences. To start, the ONLY charts that are reported to be accurate for the Bahamas, as of this writing, are the Explorer series of chartbooks (and the e-charts based on them). So let’s go:

 GENERAL:

US Customs – www.cbp.gov – Click on Travel, then on Pleasure Boats for explanation of Coastal Border Protection’s Local Boater Program. Under this program, Florida-registered recreational boats can pre-register to check back into the US by phone (instead of making port, hailing a cab, etc.). This site also has instructions and forms for paying the annual user fee and obtaining a decal.

 To renew your customs decal:  DTOPS (https://dtops.cbp.dhs.gov/ ). If you need immediate assistance, the helpdesk may be contacted at (317) 298-1245, or decals@dhs.gov. They are able to process paper transactions, although delays may be likely due to extremely high volume. Please contact the helpdesk for the appropriate paper forms. Correspondence may be sent via fax to (317) 290-3219, or by mail to the address below.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Attn: DTOPS Program Administrator
6650 Telecom Drive, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46278

 Pets: Forms available on: www.cbp.gov. If problems, call Ms. Curtis, Bahamas Department of Agriculture (242-325-7502)

 Evacuation Insurance: From Divers Alert Network’s TravelAssist, www.diversalertnetwork.org/default.aspx provides up to $100,000 of coverage for $70 per family per year and up. Effective for both diving and non-diving injuries, coverage begins when you are at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation.

 

TOWING:

  

We subscribe to unlimited towing insurance with TowBoat U.S. Fortunately (knock wood), we’ve not had to use their services yet, but good insurance at only slightly more than a hundred bucks annually.

 

Your choices are basically TowBoat U.S. or SeaTow. Check with your favorite towing company for coverage in the Bahamas.

 

An interesting and informative anecdote. Friends on an older sailboat had mechanical difficulties, and their daughter was developing a health issue. They needed to return to the States quickly, and couldn’t afford the time to wait for parts. After calling TowBoat U.S. and inquiring about having their boat towed back across the gulf stream to the east coast of Florida, they learned that TowBoat U.S. will do just about anything to avoid such an arduous and costly task, including covering the cost of a mechanic to visit their boat on site to effect repairs! Turns out our friend Don knew a local mechanic near Green Turtle Cay, and TowBoat U.S. picked up the entire tab! They were then able to sail back in their own hull. Pretty nice coverage.

 

 

 NAVIGATIONAL AIDS & CRUISING GUIDES:

 Charts and Cruising Guides:

www.bluewaterweb.com for books, charts, cruising guides.

 Skipper Bob Bahamas Bound www.skipperbob.net Excellent practical narrative on cruising the Bahamas. Especially good for understanding issues related to crossing the Gulf Stream, also available from Bluewater Charts.Steve Dodge, Cruising Guides to the Abacos & also Exumas:

 Explorer Chartbooks (highly recommended for their unique accuracy and currency): Available directly from Explorer: www.explorercharts.com 4^th edition, second printing, Nov. 2007 or later. Update your charts from their website.

 

 Bluewater Charts:  Yachtsman’s Guide to the Bahamas: Useful sketchcharts -available from online chart viewer by NOAA  for nautical charts: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html

Embassy Guide to the Bahamas by Maptech: Available from Bluewater Charts.

 

e-Charts: 

My Garmin Blue Chart G2 Vision e-charts are also based on these excellent Explorer navigational aids (RayMarine was reportedly changing over to them too – check with RayMarine.com if you have their equipment).

 

The most detailed chip for the Bahamas is their VU400S ( “Walker’s Cay to Exuma Sound”). The ‘S’ in the designator is for ’small” – most detail for a smaller geographical area. Also covers Florida’s east coast from Ft Pierce to Long Key. If you’re planning to visit Eleuthera or Andros, or just want the most detail you can buy, suggest getting this chip at http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/g2vision/region.jsp?RegionPK=25528.

 

We chose the VUS009R chip (“Jacksonville to Key West”) for our initial Bahamas chart chip as it’s detail is reported to be more than ample detail (and, of course, accuracy) for most Abacos and Exumas cruising by friends who just returned from the Abacos. Plus it has coverage for our entire itinerary (Ft Myers, around the Keys and across the stream to Abacos and Exumas). Also includes the Okeechobee Waterway, by the way, which doesn’t help us with our fifty-four foot mast plus our desire to cruise through the Keys on our way ’round. See http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/g2vision/card.jsp?sku=VUS009R for more detail.

 

You can find chips cheaper at other internet stores, but beware. You might get a chip that’s been sitting on the shelf for awhile. You do get free updates for thirty days from Garmin, but it’s a hassle and takes time to exchange, ship, etc. I found one considerably cheaper than on the Garmin site, but it was an older version (the Inland Rivers version for our 2,100 mile trip moving the boat from Minnesota to Florida) that had NO coverage north of St. Louis, which was the first 776 miles of our trip! It took almost three weeks of screwing around to get the new version, and a redundant three hundred dollar charge on my credit card (temporarily) to get the new version. Just pay the money and get your chip in a few days from Garmin! (my humble opinion)

 

By the way, we really like Garmin’s interactive map finder for finding just the right chip for our instruments. Check it out at one of the links above.

Other useful resources:

  The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South by Bruce Van Sant (I’ve read this book, and it is EXCELLENT, especially if you’re planning on further “southing” and “easting”, e.g., on your way to Venezuela -Cap’n Gene),  Exuma Guide by Stephen Pavlidis, and  On and Off the Beaten Path by Stephen Pavlidis available from www.Amazon.com

 COMMUNICATIONS:

Ship Radio Station License and Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit:

 To file on line: www.wireless.fcc.gov

www.docksideradio.com SSB and Ham radio (terrific all-around product and installation support).

www.callipygia600.com/callnugget/allcruising/nets.htm for a list of nets available. Very helpful site for SSB users.

 Sailmail: www.sailmail.com – E-mail service using your single-sideband radio.

Winlink: www.winlink.org – E-mail service using your Ham radio. 

 Out Island Internet.com: www.abacoinet.com an Internet Service Provider with daily, weekly rates for wireless service around the more populated Abacos.

Bahamas Telecommunications Company: http://www.btcbahamas.com/main_flash.html Cellphone Service.

 

  PROVISIONING:

 www.boatrecipes.com -  Corinne Kantor’s excellent K.I.S.S. cookbook for boaters, at boat shows or www.sailcopress.com

 

 WEATHER:

http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/southeastMarineWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs has predictions for wind, wave height, etc. in a good graphical format.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ - NOAA’s National Weather Services.

www.passageweather.com is a very useful site for passages and Bahamas.

 www.wunderground.com is a good weather site.

www.crownweather.com has excellent weather and storm details.

www.mwxc.com – Chris Parker weather (guru).

www.sailflow.com is very useful and lets you configure the site to your own weather interests.

 

TOURISM:

 www.bahamas.com is the official tourism site for the Bahamas.

 www.myoutislands.com ; www.bahamas-travel.info/sitemap.html and www.oii.net are useful travel sites.

www.cruisersnet.net is Claiborne Young’s web-site for cruisers.

www.go-abacos.com and www.motuiti.com/abacos.html to explore the Abacos.

 Hope this helps y’all !

Later, ‘gators…