On Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:01:44 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

Despite assurances from one of our cruising buddies (in a trawler) that one
could easily just follow the Explorer chart waypoints, looking hard at the
charts and being very nervous about the depths, never mind the coral heads,
with our 7' draft, we didn't much like that option.

For something like $70, about the price of the ferry, you could have
hired an experienced ship pilot from Spanish Wells. The pilots
routinely take mega yachts and 200 ft fuel tankers through there in
all kinds of weather. We did that on our first trip to Harbour Island
and got a loaf of fresh baked bread from the pilot's wife as a bonus.
When I realized that our track line was right on top of the Explorer
Chart track, I asked him about it. He just smiled and said, "Yes,
the Explorer way points are very good." We went back on our own,
staying within 50 ft of our outbound track, and never saw water less
than 9 feet deep. No radical course changes were required.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

For something like $70, about the price of the ferry, you could have
hired an experienced ship pilot from Spanish Wells. The pilots
routinely take mega yachts and 200 ft fuel tankers through there in
all kinds of weather. We did that on our first trip to Harbour Island
and got a loaf of fresh baked bread from the pilot's wife as a bonus.
When I realized that our track line was right on top of the Explorer
Chart track, I asked him about it. He just smiled and said, "Yes,
the Explorer way points are very good." We went back on our own,
staying within 50 ft of our outbound track, and never saw water less
than 9 feet deep. No radical course changes were required.


Aha! I THINK you didn't mention that originally. I agree, a pilot would
have been good. How'd you get away with one-way?

L8R

Skip


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"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.

In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.

Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:33:38 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

Aha! I THINK you didn't mention that originally. I agree, a pilot would
have been good. How'd you get away with one-way?

The pilot came out from Spanish Wells in his own small runabout and we
towed it behind us. When we got to HI the pilot jumped in his boat
and returned.

We stayed in HI for several days and on the way back just followed the
track line that we made going over. It agreed precisely with the
Explorer track/way points.

There is a really excellent restaurant right on the main street, not
far from the ferry dock, called The Rock House. Not surprisingly it
is built on a large rock out cropping.

http://www.rockhousebahamas.com/rock...restaurant.htm

It's on the expensive side but very, very good. Quite probably one of
the best in the Bahamas.