The thing you should watch out for is wind direction. Any wind coming out of
the
north is going to be opposed to the Gulf Stream current flowing north, creating
very
steep, uncomfortable, and possibly unsafe wave action. The winds usually clock
around clockwise. I never crossed the Stream with any wind coming from the
North, Northeast, or Northwest. These winds tend to clock around quickly, so
you
may only have a one day window to jump across. To be safe, I would start off
with
a SE wind for a slower sailboat. A power boat could push it a bit more and
leave
with say a South wind. I have sat in Florida and the Bahamas sometimes for over
a
week waiting for the wind to clock around. Sometimes in the summer the stream
can be flat as a pancake, but you never know. Allow for about 2 1/2 knots
average
north offset when setting your course, wait for the right weather and you should
be
OK. Don't overload your boat, but bring plenty of fuel, water, and supplies as
these
are a premium in the Bahamas.

Sherwin D.

wrote:

Hello,
I have a 24 foot I/O and I am wondering if this would be capable
of travelling from Miami to the Bahamas. The boat holds 68 gallons of
gas which should be enough, but I am thinking it might just be too
small to handle the voyage.

Anybody with experience or opinions about making the voyage on a 24
footer?

thanks,
daniel