We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I would like
to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and then head down to the
northern Exumas. What is the best route from Marsh or Little Harbor to the
Exumas? The cruising guide suggests that the southern tip of Abaco is a poor
anchorage and also that Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate, making
me think that I will have to go to Nassau. However, that seems like a long
run.

Any ideas? We are on a two engine trawler and make about 9-10 knots.

Thanks.

George

Cheshire wrote:
We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I
would like to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and
then head down to the northern Exumas. What is the best route from
Marsh or Little Harbor to the Exumas? The cruising guide suggests
that the southern tip of Abaco is a poor anchorage and also that
Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate, making me think that I
will have to go to Nassau. However, that seems like a long run.

Many folks prefer to go south first. It gets a little chilly in Abaco in
mid-winter, so the typical route is to cross and head for Exuma or beyond
directly, and then work back through Abaco as spring approaches. You will
have plenty company this way.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.tripod.com

Many folks go to the Exumas first then work their way back north
to the Abacos. Abacos can be pretty windy and cool during January.
We were there at the end of last January and the temps were in the 40s
at night, 60s during the day, with 30 kts breezes when the fronts came
through
"Cheshire" wrote in message
...
We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I would like
to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and then head down to
the
northern Exumas. What is the best route from Marsh or Little Harbor to the
Exumas? The cruising guide suggests that the southern tip of Abaco is a
poor
anchorage and also that Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate, making
me think that I will have to go to Nassau. However, that seems like a long
run.

Any ideas? We are on a two engine trawler and make about 9-10 knots.

Thanks.

George

x-no-archive:yes "Cheshire" wrote:

We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I would like
to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and then head down to the
northern Exumas. What is the best route from Marsh or Little Harbor to the
Exumas? The cruising guide suggests that the southern tip of Abaco is a poor
anchorage and also that Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate, making
me think that I will have to go to Nassau. However, that seems like a long
run.

Any ideas? We are on a two engine trawler and make about 9-10 knots.

I don't know what your air draft is - can you get under the bridges in
the Lucayan waterway? If so you could go back across the Little
Bahama Banks, through the waterway. From the south side of Grand
Bahama it is an easy trip to the Berry Islands, and then from Chub or
Frazier's Hog Cay it is another easy day trip to Nassau.

I have done Chub to Lucaya, Bimini to Lucaya, Bimini to Chub/Frazier's
Hog Cay, and Frazier's Hog/Bird to Nassau and Coral Harbor (Nassau)
to Chub. Chub to Lucaya took us 15 hours (going west of the Berry
Islands), and Bimini to Frazier's Hog took us 2 days+, but we are a
one engine sailboat that makes about 5 knots unless we are sailing in
a good brisk wind.

grandma Rosalie

I don't know what your air draft is - can you get under the bridges in
the Lucayan waterway? If so you could go back across the Little
Bahama Banks, through the waterway. From the south side of Grand
Bahama it is an easy trip to the Berry Islands, and then from Chub or
Frazier's Hog Cay it is another easy day trip to Nassau.

Rosalie,

Our trawler is about 24' high, so we should be able to get under the bridge,
but the guide book indicates that the entrance to the Lucayan waterway is
around 3'. So what do you do, wait for high tide?

George

x-no-archive:yes
"Cheshire" wrote:

I don't know what your air draft is - can you get under the bridges in
the Lucayan waterway? If so you could go back across the Little
Bahama Banks, through the waterway. From the south side of Grand
Bahama it is an easy trip to the Berry Islands, and then from Chub or
Frazier's Hog Cay it is another easy day trip to Nassau.

Rosalie,

Our trawler is about 24' high, so we should be able to get under the bridge,
but the guide book indicates that the entrance to the Lucayan waterway is
around 3'. So what do you do, wait for high tide?

Well I have a sailboat, so I can't do the Lucayan waterway at all.
What charts/guidebook do you have? Some of them are better than
others.


grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html

I've been looking at the 'Bahamas Cruising Guide' by Matthew Wilson. By the
way, I don't think that grandma Rosalie is appropriate. I've seen your
pictures, and you don't look like a grandma. Besides, I am older than you.
(Just kidding. I know you must be a proud grandma. I'm hoping to be a
grandpa sometime.)

x-no-archive:yes
"Cheshire" wrote:

I've been looking at the 'Bahamas Cruising Guide' by Matthew Wilson. By the

Yes I like that one, although it isn't the one that the in-group
recommends all the time. YMMV.

In any case, I think that it his waypoints are appropriate, although,
as always I only use them as a guide.

way, I don't think that grandma Rosalie is appropriate. I've seen your
pictures, and you don't look like a grandma. Besides, I am older than you.
(Just kidding. I know you must be a proud grandma. I'm hoping to be a
grandpa sometime.)

Thank you - My dad was carded (at a bar) on his 40th birthday, and I
take after him. Of course he died before his 69th birthday, and I
hope I don't take after him in that - I will be 66 next month. My mom
OTOH is 94.

I started using grandma when I first got onto the internet because I
didn't want to masquerade as a man, but I didn't want to be fending
off advances by adolescent boys. At this point I have 4 children ages
32 to 42 and 10 grandchildren - the oldest is 23 and the youngest is
2.5.

grandma Rosalie

Subject: Bahamas in January
From: "Cheshire"

We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I would like
to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and then head down to the
northern Exumas. What is the best route from Marsh or Little Harbor to the
Exumas?

The answer to that question is weather dependent of course.

The cruising guide suggests that the southern tip of Abaco is a poor
anchorage

The very southern tip perhaps but you can anchor in and around the Litte
Harbour, Laynyard Cay area and wait out must any weather before shooting over
to Eleuthera. (50nm to Egg Island)
Then stop in Spanish Wells for fuel and provisions before heading to the
Exumas.
40-45 nm from Spanish Wells to Beacon Cay the top of the Exumas.

and also that Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate,

The only spot that's in any way difficult would be the route to Harbour Island
and if you don't want to navigate it yourself just hire a guide at Spanish
Wells. Besides, if your heading to the Exumas there is no reason to go to
Harbour Island any way.

We are on a two engine trawler and make about 9-10 knots.

The above is the way we did it this summer in the same type vessel.

And I would allocate at least as much time in the Exumas as in the Abacos.


Capt. Bill

leave Little harbor at 7am and go to Spanish Wells a 48 mile run
....You will have good light to navigate through the reefs when you get
there..Pick up a mooring there and enjoy dinner at your choice of good
diners less than 500 feet from your mooring...I do it all the time...







(LaBomba182) wrote in message ...
Subject: Bahamas in January
From: "Cheshire"

We are planning a trip of 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in January. I would like
to go through the Abacos first at a leisurely pace and then head down to the
northern Exumas. What is the best route from Marsh or Little Harbor to the
Exumas?

The answer to that question is weather dependent of course.

The cruising guide suggests that the southern tip of Abaco is a poor
anchorage

The very southern tip perhaps but you can anchor in and around the Litte
Harbour, Laynyard Cay area and wait out must any weather before shooting over
to Eleuthera. (50nm to Egg Island)
Then stop in Spanish Wells for fuel and provisions before heading to the
Exumas.
40-45 nm from Spanish Wells to Beacon Cay the top of the Exumas.

and also that Eleuthera is a difficult place to navigate,

The only spot that's in any way difficult would be the route to Harbour Island
and if you don't want to navigate it yourself just hire a guide at Spanish
Wells. Besides, if your heading to the Exumas there is no reason to go to
Harbour Island any way.

We are on a two engine trawler and make about 9-10 knots.

The above is the way we did it this summer in the same type vessel.

And I would allocate at least as much time in the Exumas as in the Abacos.


Capt. Bill