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DK

wrote:
I've been wanting to sail to teh Bahamas from NW FL (near Carabelle)
but I realize that maybe a power boat would be better. I could
trailer my 20' Tolman Standard to Miami and then take her across to
Bimini. The Tolman would give better access to the cool places with
shallow water than the sailboat. I have outfitted the Tolman with a
full enclosure (removable) for camping. I have a 90 hp Yamaha and 9.9
hp backup.
However, the Tolman has only a 12.5 degree deadrise so she does pound
in any chop. The advice I see on the web is to go in Summer due to
low seas but being a FL native I know Summer is miserably hot and
would prefer Spring.
Bimini is only 48 nm from Miami and from there most runs are short.
It is the 48 nm run across the Gulf Stream that concerns me in the
Tolman. What do y'all think?

I made that run *once* from Pt. Everglades to Bimini and back in my
19.5' center console. Against normal practices, we did it solo but I
had both a VHF and EPIRB on board. The boat was less than a year old at
the time and the 115HP 4-stroke was broken in. It was a clear day and
the seas were nearly flat and we were already about 12 miles offshore
due east of Ft. Lauderdale so the run was maybe 50 statute miles. We
topped off the tank in Bimini and only took 13 gallons of gas. Then it
started to rain. We headed back and the rain cleared in maybe 15
minutes and it was a smooth ride back to the inlet.

The moral of the story is that you can't plan a run like that in a small
boat. The seas have to be calm and the weather has to be good. It's
best to travel in a group - or at least with one other boat.

The entry fees in the Bahamas are now $150 per boat so make sure you
really want to make the trip!