It's true you mention 'wait for weather', but you should have emphasized
how important that is. The winds in the stream usually clock around in a
clockwise direction. The safest time to leave would be when the winds are
at least out of the SE. I would not risk crossing with an East wind, unless I
had a very fast boat. I have crossed several times in a 22 foot
sailboat, but believe me, I really waited for the weather. I once sat in
Angelfish Creek for over a week, until the winds swung around. Since it
usually took me 10-12 hours for the crossing, I had to really optimize
things. Any northerly component of wind is going to build up steep waves,
because of the current going counter to the wind. Wave height can be a
problem, but the steepness makes things much worse. In the summer you can
get days of almost dead calm for a motor crossing, but other seasons are
likely to have higher average winds.

anchorlt wrote:

I have long wondered why some people appear to fear the Gulf Stream
and build such large myths and worse about crosssing it.

I have crossed the Stream, from north of Ft. Lauderdale, to the Banks
south of St. Isaacs Light on the way to Abacos and south, to Exumas,
Long Islaand and even further south, and north, to extreme NE Bahamas,
more than 30 times, all without incident or concern.

If you have a reasonably well founded boat with good navigation gear
and good charts, wait for weather window and then "Go," keeping a
sharp lookout for other boats and ships. (Ships travel near western
wall when headed south and near the eastern wall when headed north.)
Devils and other boat-eating monsters do not dwell in the Gulf Stream.

Gulf Stream is like any other waters with a moderately fluctuating
intensity of current. Be assured that if you are on a boat that is, in
all resoects, up to date, you will even enjoy the passage. And when
you first spot a Bahamian land mass on the distant horizon, you will
be pleased with yourself and your boat.