Rosalie,

Why are you depriving yourself of one of the finer points
of life just for a few extra dollars and a few extra procedures
to comply with? Your protest affects no one but yourself.
Life is too short.

Doug

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
x-no-archive:yes



"Jerry" wrote:

Hopefully it will keep some of the rift-raft out.

I'm sorry you feel that way about us. We aren't going this year --

but in our case it's more because of the new 'homeland security'
regulations in regard to immigration than to the Bahamas entry fees
although that is a part of it too. I think the new regulations are
stupid and because they do not increase security at all but just
penalize the honest people I'm not willing to go to jail or be fined
to demonstrate that it IS stupid. I just don't know how to get
through the institutionalized stupidity.


"RWKxxx" wrote in message
...

We plan to go around the 10th of January

I am sorry to see anyone going to the Bahamas as long as they have that
ridicules $300 entry free in place. It will be corrected only when
enough
people stay away.


grandma Rosalie

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
x-no-archive:yes



"Jerry" wrote:

Hopefully it will keep some of the rift-raft out.

I'm sorry you feel that way about us. We aren't going this year --

but in our case it's more because of the new 'homeland security'
regulations in regard to immigration than to the Bahamas entry fees
although that is a part of it too. I think the new regulations are
stupid and because they do not increase security at all but just
penalize the honest people I'm not willing to go to jail or be fined
to demonstrate that it IS stupid. I just don't know how to get
through the institutionalized stupidity.




What exactly have our leaders changed regarding homeland security going
offshore and back? Given the dog and pony show they are selling in the name
of our safety, I can only imagine the lunacy that they have implemented
against law abiding U. S. citizens that are boaters. As an airline pilot and
avid aviator, I get to witness the idiocy you mention first hand! TSA is
nothing more than smoke and mirrors for the duped public who falsely believe
otherwise.

s

x-no-archive:yes



"Jerry" wrote:

Hopefully it will keep some of the rift-raft out.

I'm sorry you feel that way about us. We aren't going this year --

but in our case it's more because of the new 'homeland security'
regulations in regard to immigration than to the Bahamas entry fees
although that is a part of it too. I think the new regulations are
stupid and because they do not increase security at all but just
penalize the honest people I'm not willing to go to jail or be fined
to demonstrate that it IS stupid. I just don't know how to get
through the institutionalized stupidity.


"RWKxxx" wrote in message
...

We plan to go around the 10th of January

I am sorry to see anyone going to the Bahamas as long as they have that
ridicules $300 entry free in place. It will be corrected only when enough
people stay away.


grandma Rosalie

RWK - Is it your job to monitor this newsgroup for mentionings of the
Bahamas and to comment in every one on the "ridicules" entry fee?


RWKxxx wrote in message
...

We plan to go around the 10th of January

I am sorry to see anyone going to the Bahamas as long as they have that
ridicules $300 entry free in place. It will be corrected only when enough
people stay away.

Hopefully it will keep some of the rift-raft out.

"RWKxxx" wrote in message
...

We plan to go around the 10th of January

I am sorry to see anyone going to the Bahamas as long as they have that
ridicules $300 entry free in place. It will be corrected only when enough
people stay away.

GOOD point. $ or the lack of it talks.

.......so they don't get ours.
Hi--- Fediel Listen up.

GOOD point. $ or the lack of it talks.

.......so they don't get ours.
Hi--- Fediel Listen up.

We went last winter and had a good time. We took a
mooring at Man-O-War Cay as our home base and
went on short trips to other places in the Abacos.

More comments below.
Doug
s/v Callista

"George C." wrote in message
news:UcqEb.7681$PK3.5907@okepread01...
We plan to go around the 10th of January, but I have a couple of
questions.

1. Cash: Everyone says bring a lot, but how much assuming we'll be there
about a month and use marinas and restaurants about every other day?

Most of the marinas we stayed at had winter specials of
around $0.65 to $1.00 per foot per day. Electricity is
around $5 to $8 per day (Treasure Cay was $17/day).
Water was metered at $0.15/gal or flat rate at $5 to $8.
The Green Turtle Club had a deal going where anything
you spent at the resaurant or bar was deducted off of
the slip fee. Treasure Cay was the most expensive.

2. Abaco: I've read that Abaco in Jan-Feb is chilly. Others, however, have
enjoyed visits there in Winter. How good or bad is it in Jan-Feb?

It took us until Jan 22 to get a decent weather window.
It was generally in the 70's to low 80's during the day and
in the 60's at night. Might have dipped into the 50's once
or twice.

3. Gulf stream crossing: How does one find boats to buddy up with for the
crossing? Where would we want to hang out waiting to depart from either
Lake
Worth or Miami/Ft Lauderdale?

Most folks going to the Abacos leave from Lake Worth. We
left at 4am, crossed onto the bank south of Memory Rock and
continued directly to Great Sale Cay. We just talked to folks
anchored in North Lake Worth and managed to get a group
of 6 boats.

4. Reservations: Guide books say to make reservations for popular marinas.
Since the cell phone won't work, how do we do that? Will VHF reach
adequately?

Some folks cellphones work and some don't. One of our
group have an AT&T phone that worked fine and to top
it off he never got charged for any calls. That was 2 winters in a row!
Nobody else we came across could use their phones
though. Marinas monitor CH 16 if I recall correctly.

Thanks. Appreciate the info.

We have not cruised The Abacos, but where there for a week the first of
November, comments below. We visited Marsh Harbour, Man-O-War, and
Hopetown. If you have any question you can send them to bcleveland AT
charter DOT net and I will tell what we know.

brian

"George C." wrote in message
news:UcqEb.7681$PK3.5907@okepread01...
We plan to go around the 10th of January, but I have a couple of
questions.

1. Cash: Everyone says bring a lot, but how much assuming we'll be there
about a month and use marinas and restaurants about every other day?

You can spend as much as you want. The restaurants and grocery stores
in Marsh Harbour all took credit cards. Getting cash while in the Abacos
can be tricky as most of the banks we saw where only open 1 or 2 days a
week. Restaurant prices were a little higher than here in central Alabama -
$7-10 for lunch, $10-16 for supper. Grocery prices were 10 to 25% higher.

2. Abaco: I've read that Abaco in Jan-Feb is chilly. Others, however, have
enjoyed visits there in Winter. How good or bad is it in Jan-Feb?

3. Gulf stream crossing: How does one find boats to buddy up with for the
crossing? Where would we want to hang out waiting to depart from either
Lake
Worth or Miami/Ft Lauderdale?

4. Reservations: Guide books say to make reservations for popular marinas.
Since the cell phone won't work, how do we do that? Will VHF reach
adequately?

Our cell phone worked (cingular) did not make any calls locally but the
couple of calls back to the kids were about $1.95/min.

Just about everybody (marinas, taxis, car/skooter rental, police) seemed to
be on 16.

Thanks. Appreciate the info.

George C. wrote:
We plan to go around the 10th of January, but I have a couple of questions.

1. Cash: Everyone says bring a lot, but how much assuming we'll be there
about a month and use marinas and restaurants about every other day?
Almost all marinas take plastic.... bring a couple in case there are
issues or you lose one. $300 customs fee-CASH (over 35 ft) Many
restaurants and groceries do NOT take credit. (50-100+per day)

Split it up and hide it inside the vessel...(don't forget where you hid
it!!)



2. Abaco: I've read that Abaco in Jan-Feb is chilly. Others, however, have
enjoyed visits there in Winter. How good or bad is it in Jan-Feb?

SImilar to SFL.... could be 75, could be 40... the further south the
better but the cold fronts do go deep in JAN.


3. Gulf stream crossing: How does one find boats to buddy up with for the
crossing? Where would we want to hang out waiting to depart from either Lake
Worth or Miami/Ft Lauderdale?
Assuming a powerboat....
Going to Freeport... leave from FLL or WPB....
Going to Bimini Leave from FLL or Miami.
If it is a sailboat... plan on leaving 20-30NM SOUTH of where you want
to cross to...

Depending on the size of the vessel... you may have to wait up to a week
for decent seas... remember.. any wind with a NORTH component... add a
couple feet to the stream.

Call around on Channel 16 for other crossers... I always go alone but
usually get in contact with others on 16 and we check up on each other
once in a while...


4. Reservations: Guide books say to make reservations for popular marinas.
Since the cell phone won't work, how do we do that? Will VHF reach
adequately?
Cell phone MAY work.... Bellsouth...YES (may require pre-registering...
DO IT NOW)
Call NOW for reservations... changes are usually OK if weather based..
Be prepared to anchor out in a pinch...(you might just never go back to
a marina... we rarely do anymore)
most marinas have really bad VHF sets... many times handhelds. Try 16,
68 and 9 for hailing.






Thanks. Appreciate the info.