Followup question, as this group has been great in providing
alternative
ideas:

Our boat draws 6-6 in flat water, bouncy water is more, of course, and
an
air draft of 64'. So, in the inverse of the song, "so high, you can't
get
under it, so low, you can't get over it" is of great concern. Not
dealing
with innumerable crab pots if we have to motor, particularly, despite
our
newly-to-be-installed propsaver, is interesting to us, too - thus the
thought of staying outside as much as possible on the way.

Our need is to get to someplace outside FL (not to come back for 183
days
minimum) within 20 days' travel from St. Pete; we're planning on a
backup of
going into a qualified marina to stop the clock if we don't time it
right
and the wait gets nervous-making.

Various other routes have been suggested other than Marathon and
across.

With the above as parameters, and with a reiteration of the first one's

comment that we won't cross with a north wind component - anything with
an "N"
in the direction, are there better suggestions on how to get to a fuel
stop
in the Bahamas (don't care where) from St. Pete in the shortest amount
of
time?

Thanks again for all the help.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

"Skip Gundlach" wrote:

Followup question, as this group has been great in providing
alternative
ideas:

Our boat draws 6-6 in flat water, bouncy water is more, of course, and
an air draft of 64'. So, in the inverse of the song, "so high, you can't
get under it, so low, you can't get over it" is of great concern. Not
dealing with innumerable crab pots if we have to motor, particularly,
despite our newly-to-be-installed propsaver, is interesting to us, too
- thus the thought of staying outside as much as possible on the way.

Our need is to get to someplace outside FL (not to come back for 183
days minimum) within 20 days' travel from St. Pete; we're planning on a
backup of going into a qualified marina to stop the clock if we don't time it
right and the wait gets nervous-making.

Various other routes have been suggested other than Marathon and
across.

With the above as parameters, and with a reiteration of the first one's
comment that we won't cross with a north wind component - anything with
an "N" in the direction, are there better suggestions on how to get to a fuel
stop in the Bahamas (don't care where) from St. Pete in the shortest amount
of time?

http://www.bahamas-travel.info/marinas.htm

Fuel stops in the Bahamas that are close to Florida include

Bimini - you can clear in here, and they have fuel but there may be a
problem of draft for you although I understand the range has been
lighted.

West End - usually done from farther up Florida (like Ft. Pierce or
Lake Worth, but I would personally go from Ft. Lauderdale), but I
don't think there are any draft problems, and you can clear in here.

Cat Cay - this is a private island, but you can clear in here and get
fuel I think. I understand that they will charge dockage for checking
in - have not been here myself. Don't know about entrance channel
drafts. South of Bimini and probably a better place to go from
Marathon.

A little farther away are

Lucaya - perfectly good entrance channel for daylight entrance and
leading up to it is a deep water channel. They have fuel and you can
check in here. Has been cheaper than West End and closer to almost
anything. (i.e. West End is very isolated) Go to the marina on the
right of the entrance channel - the one on the left is for power boats
and is much noisier. If I were up in this area, I'd prefer to go into
Lucaya rather than West End.

Chubb Cay in the Berry Islands - you have to cross the Grand Bahama
Bank to get here, and it is also a membership island, but they do have
a non-member area, and they have fuel and you can check in here.

You can also check in on Andros, but there isn't a marina there AFAIK
and you have to anchor out. I have not done that.

Thanks again for all the help.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

grandma Rosalie

Rosalie B. wrote:

I've just read in Lat and Att's April issue that
1) Bimini harbor is quite shoaled from the hurricanes and also from
construction
2) Cat Cay has been sold and they are redoing the harbor. It was
supposed to be open this month, but don't count on it.
3) The marina at West End (Old Bahama Bay) was also pretty much done
in by Wilma.

They recommend Lucaya and so do I under the circumstances.

"Skip Gundlach" wrote:

Followup question, as this group has been great in providing
alternative
ideas:

Our boat draws 6-6 in flat water, bouncy water is more, of course, and
an air draft of 64'. So, in the inverse of the song, "so high, you can't
get under it, so low, you can't get over it" is of great concern. Not
dealing with innumerable crab pots if we have to motor, particularly,
despite our newly-to-be-installed propsaver, is interesting to us, too
- thus the thought of staying outside as much as possible on the way.

Our need is to get to someplace outside FL (not to come back for 183
days minimum) within 20 days' travel from St. Pete; we're planning on a
backup of going into a qualified marina to stop the clock if we don't time it
right and the wait gets nervous-making.

Various other routes have been suggested other than Marathon and
across.

With the above as parameters, and with a reiteration of the first one's
comment that we won't cross with a north wind component - anything with
an "N" in the direction, are there better suggestions on how to get to a fuel
stop in the Bahamas (don't care where) from St. Pete in the shortest amount
of time?

http://www.bahamas-travel.info/marinas.htm

Fuel stops in the Bahamas that are close to Florida include

Bimini - you can clear in here, and they have fuel but there may be a
problem of draft for you although I understand the range has been
lighted.

West End - usually done from farther up Florida (like Ft. Pierce or
Lake Worth, but I would personally go from Ft. Lauderdale), but I
don't think there are any draft problems, and you can clear in here.

Cat Cay - this is a private island, but you can clear in here and get
fuel I think. I understand that they will charge dockage for checking
in - have not been here myself. Don't know about entrance channel
drafts. South of Bimini and probably a better place to go from
Marathon.

A little farther away are

Lucaya - perfectly good entrance channel for daylight entrance and
leading up to it is a deep water channel. They have fuel and you can
check in here. Has been cheaper than West End and closer to almost
anything. (i.e. West End is very isolated) Go to the marina on the
right of the entrance channel - the one on the left is for power boats
and is much noisier. If I were up in this area, I'd prefer to go into
Lucaya rather than West End.

Chubb Cay in the Berry Islands - you have to cross the Grand Bahama
Bank to get here, and it is also a membership island, but they do have
a non-member area, and they have fuel and you can check in here.

You can also check in on Andros, but there isn't a marina there AFAIK
and you have to anchor out. I have not done that.

Thanks again for all the help.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

grandma Rosalie

grandma Rosalie