Winter in the Bahamas

[Ormonddude]

I did some engine testing in the Atlantic on 1/13/13 it was very rough that nasty front to the north needs to move out even the intercoastal water was very choppy so I wish you guys a safe trip take all the time in the world for your next crossing the weather is lovely. I really want to learn from this post so I am watching it with admiration.

[DaveB]

Sorry Sumner, I missed this post and looking for another one I saw it.
The Cold front that hit us was suppose to come from the West than to NW early morning Sun. but the winds came in around 1am much sooner and shifted to the North by 2am. we were anchored on the east side of Pumpkin Key so had the full force. I stayed up until 4 am and with 2 anchors out we slept thru it with 4 ft. seas.
Nice when you are sleeping aft.(we were running late that day and my white running lights arn't working so to head to little Card Sound would be to late).
I have anchored a few times on the NW side of Barnes Sound, just at the small cut that has Alabama Jacks Restaurant (good food and intertainment, dockage). It's a good place to stay in a NW to NE wind and have gone thru the cut a few times with my Potter 19 and the Mac. Rudders and centerboard up but keep centerboard down about 1 ft.
Also went thru the small cut at short Key into Manitee Bay, water is shallow once you enter Manitee Bay but the cut is deep. Have rudders and centerboard up once thru the cut for about 500 yards.
There is also a good camping on east side of Main Key were you can light a fire.
Dave

We just came back after a 5 day cruise in Biscane Bay.
We went tru a Northern Front that kicked our buts in 30 knot winds , not the 23 knot winds perdictd. We anchored on the Lee side of Pumpkin Key and got hit with the Northern Wind much to soon.
Pumpkin Keys seas 4-5ft Gusts 34. Chafed 1/4 main ancor, had a second F11 as second anchor.
Never undermate the wind perdictions, always be ready to pull anchor and go to Lee side of island.
Dave.

No fun getting caught in something like that. Thanks for the info on Pumpkin Key. I'm always looking for places for us to use in the future.

In hindsight would if of been better to of moved up just below Long Arsenicker or even the west side of Card Sound or the NW side of Little Card Sound? Have you ever anchored in any of those places?

Thanks,

Sum

[C Striker]

I am also watching this string closely, because someday I'll be there too. Dave B ,could you elaborate a little bit more on your solar panels on your bimini set up? Maybe a picture to when you get the chance? It sounds like a great simple idea.
Thanks, and thanks to everyone else for sharing the ideas and experiences.
Erik

[Sumner]

....I have anchored a few times on the NW side of Barnes Sound, just at the small cut that has Alabama Jacks Restaurant (good food and intertainment, dockage). It's a good place to stay in a NW to NE wind and have gone thru the cut a few times with my Potter 19 and the Mac. Rudders and centerboard up but keep centerboard down about 1 ft.
Also went thru the small cut at short Key into Manitee Bay, water is shallow once you enter Manitee Bay but the cut is deep. Have rudders and centerboard up once thru the cut for about 500 yards.
There is also a good camping on east side of Main Key were you can light a fire.
Dave....

Thanks, good info and I wrote it down,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[DaveB]

Erik,
I bought two of these 40 watt panels and a 6.5 amp charge controler thru this.
http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Panels-& ... _info.html

At $55 each plus $32 for controler plus 30ft Marine 10 gauge wire and a small hookup buss cost was around $190.
Any lines,boom,sails will greatly reduce the solar panels, people don't relize that a simple halyard line ubstructing any part of a solar panel will cut off a lot of the solar power amps.
Thats why Bimini or a Dingy bracket works the best. Any solar panel under the main boom is a waste.
I only use this for a longer than 3 day trip as my twin group 29 house batteries can run refig and all other elects for 3 days without engine startup and no solar power.
Those who don't have a refig. ,the twin group 29 house batteries will easy do a week long cruise useing your laptop puters to navigate, watch movies and run fans.
A diode seperating your engine starter battery to the House batteries is a must.
Having just one 40 watt panel aboard could save one from trying to hand crank a 50 hp motor. (been there,no fun but is possiable if you weigh 200 lbs and set your mind to give it all you got at turning that motor over 1.75 turns to get the spark, took me 15 tries on my honda50)
Dave

I am also watching this string closely, because someday I'll be there too. Dave B ,could you elaborate a little bit more on your solar panels on your bimini set up? Maybe a picture to when you get the chance? It sounds like a great simple idea.
Thanks, and thanks to everyone else for sharing the ideas and experiences.
Erik

[Ixneigh]

re northers in card sound pumkin key area
tie up in the creeks in anglefish or nearby creeks. also way across the bay on the other side up against the shore are small indentations to hide in. avoid pumkin key it offers little shelter. deep water all around. remember, shelter by virtue of shallow water. park on or behind shallow bars, no wind break but smooth water.
Ix

[DaveB]

Been there, currents to strong, fishing boats all over. Anchored Just S. Of Adams key ,3-4 knot current heavy power boat traffic, charts are way off on the green marker.
Need to enter the SE channel before the green bouy S.end of Adams Key, Chart shows channel about 750 ft east of it. Wrong.Ground is solid coral for anchoring.
For one boat inside one of the two channels ,yes a good ancorage, not so for 3-or more boats.
Cked NE off adams dock, shallow N.winds blow out the water.
There is no protection from West to NE in those channels when a 30 Knot wind and high current passes. We were there and opted for Pumkin Key and Pumkin Key is good except the front was way forward as all my data info suggested.
That includes , Windfinder,Noaa,weatherbug,Charts,Dragqueen, and others.
There was 3 of us entering at Adams Key, I cked out the first bayu channel than went SW to ck out the other.
Came back and Potter 19 decided to stay , a Sea Pearl and I went S. To Pumpkin Key.
Got a phone call next day the Poter had called 911 and had CG take hime to Homestead to Hospital.
He spent two days there and released in good condition.
Things happen, cruise togeather .

.waves said no thanks.(why I always have twin bridel towing a dink)
My dingy is a Inflatable 7.6 Kodiac and have a 2.5 hp Suzuki on transum for easy loading. No way could I get in that boat, mount my outboard of the stearn in 4 ft. seas.
Even if I could I would never made it back as his dink was 1/4 mile on the jetty.
Dave

re northers in card sound pumkin key area
tie up in the creeks in anglefish or nearby creeks. also way across the bay on the other side up against the shore are small indentations to hide in. avoid pumkin key it offers little shelter. deep water all around. remember, shelter by virtue of shallow water. park on or behind shallow bars, no wind break but smooth water.
Ix

[KayakDan]

But now it's our turn to head for St. Pomme d' Terre.

There's seriously a place called "Saint Potato?"

It's a "Captain Ron" sailing destination!!

[KayakDan]

Greetings Fellow Mac Sailors!
Well,here we are in Chub Key Marina (great marina,great,but pricey restaurant,crappy showers and laundry,and 2.75/ft=ouch).
We left Bimini at 4AM,and motored into the wind for 81 miles,gettin the crap kicked out of us. Not a fun day,arriving at Chub at 7PM. We anchored out,and opted to stay the day. We motored over to Frazers Hog Cay,only to find the Berry Island Club Marina out of business,and sailed back to Chubb. After the crossing,a nice marina,hot shower and a good meal helped ease the pain.
After looking at the forecast,I'm staying put until Saturday,then on to Nassau. We will most likely motor back to Frazers Hog,and go up inside and anchor or borrow the docks at the closed marina,and play in the water for a couple of days,with our friends on "Seas the Moment" a Catalina 26. We met them in Bimini,and like all our other Bimini sailing friends,we're all off to George Town.
Chasing a ballast tank leak,that has eluded us so far,and a leak in the pumpout flange on the deck. Not surprised after the pounding we got yesterday. Well,I have a few days to chase down the leaks and fix them,so no problem.Freezer and batteries all back to normal.
Plenty of Kalik on board between our two boats-life is still good!

[March]

Congratulations, Kayakdan! We did the same thing two summers ago, and cursed heartily the Frazers Hog Kay Marina (closed or abandoned) and the Chubby Key area which was mosquito infested
Here's a link to the full report on the expedition. You might find some helpful information there, but you'll have to sift through the whole pile .

http://haihuitobahamas.wordpress.com/

Fair winds!

[C Striker]

Hi March,
That was a very good read!!! Your honesty was captivating and I will make sure my wife reads it as well.
Your log emphasizes how important it is to really want to make the trip. I will make sure she shares
my dream, instead of following along on my dream. We spend hours at a time talking to my neighbors
who used to charter their 80 foot sailboat for a few years. Just like your lady friend on destiny said,
it takes a lot of guts to do it in a pocket cruiser.

A proper dump im a real toilet is a quote I will have to make my own. Thanks again for
an unromanticized version of your trip.

A couple questions. Did you use a water separator for your fuel? Was your engine 5 years old at the time?

Thanks!

Erik

[March]

Thank you, Erik, this means a lot to me. To answer your questions:
No, we did not use a water separator for the fuel. This might have been the reason why the engine stalled several times throughout the trip. The other possibility was, the "pipe" that went to the top of one of the tanks had a leak. Didn't have time to look into that, but I will, come summer.I never even thought of water in the tank, they haven't been properly drained and dried up in years.
Yes, the engine was exactly 5 years old at that time. I did the maintenance thing upon our return, but all in all, it held well, I thought.

[DaveB]

Good to see you are haveing a great time.
I would sugest you get down to Georgetown as quickly as you can as the Northern cold fronts are going to hit you and once at Georgetown they don't happen.
The Eastern Trade Winds start about 150 miles S. of Georgetown, Why the cold Northern fronts stall or fade away before Georgetown.
Dave

Greetings Fellow Mac Sailors!
Well,here we are in Chub Key Marina (great marina,great,but pricey restaurant,crappy showers and laundry,and 2.75/ft=ouch).
We left Bimini at 4AM,and motored into the wind for 81 miles,gettin the crap kicked out of us. Not a fun day,arriving at Chub at 7PM. We anchored out,and opted to stay the day. We motored over to Frazers Hog Cay,only to find the Berry Island Club Marina out of business,and sailed back to Chubb. After the crossing,a nice marina,hot shower and a good meal helped ease the pain.
After looking at the forecast,I'm staying put until Saturday,then on to Nassau. We will most likely motor back to Frazers Hog,and go up inside and anchor or borrow the docks at the closed marina,and play in the water for a couple of days,with our friends on "Seas the Moment" a Catalina 26. We met them in Bimini,and like all our other Bimini sailing friends,we're all off to George Town.
Chasing a ballast tank leak,that has eluded us so far,and a leak in the pumpout flange on the deck. Not surprised after the pounding we got yesterday. Well,I have a few days to chase down the leaks and fix them,so no problem.Freezer and batteries all back to normal.
Plenty of Kalik on board between our two boats-life is still good!

[KayakDan]

Greetings Fellow Mac Owners!
So.....here we are in George Town. My daaughter flew in the day before my birthday,and we had a big blowout on the beach at Chat n' Chill for my 60th birthday. Mission Accomplished
We took the skinny water route through the Exumas,stopping at :Allan Cay,Hawksbill,Warderick Wells,Sampson,Little Farmers,Cave Cay,and lastly Black Key,passing outside at Glass Cay Cut to Stocking Island,and George Town.
We had a water leak that plagued us for weeks,finnally narrow down to the forward water bladder,and repaired it Friday.at the Last night as we returned to our boat from spending time at the bar with lermon Rolle,"the doctor of libation" we found a 26X anchored in front of us! We were minor celebrities here,everyone knew "Spice" those brave(crazy) people who came in a Macgregor 26M in winter.
Solar is working good,but the freezer is now a refrigerator,as it can't keep up with cabin temps.

Gotta run,its trivia time at the Saint Francis Resort.84o,light SW breeze,cold Kalik....all I can say is

[DaveB]

Hats off to ya and good safe passage.
Your probably the first Mac X/M that made it to Georgetown.
Hope you have a grand time their and a pleasent trip Home.
Dave

Greetings Fellow Mac Owners!
So.....here we are in George Town. My daaughter flew in the day before my birthday,and we had a big blowout on the beach at Chat n' Chill for my 60th birthday. Mission Accomplished
We took the skinny water route through the Exumas,stopping at :Allan Cay,Hawksbill,Warderick Wells,Sampson,Little Farmers,Cave Cay,and lastly Black Key,passing outside at Glass Cay Cut to Stocking Island,and George Town.
We had a water leak that plagued us for weeks,finnally narrow down to the forward water bladder,and repaired it Friday.at the Last night as we returned to our boat from spending time at the bar with lermon Rolle,"the doctor of libation" we found a 26X anchored in front of us! We were minor celebrities here,everyone knew "Spice" those brave(crazy) people who came in a Macgregor 26M in winter.
Solar is working good,but the freezer is now a refrigerator,as it can't keep up with cabin temps.

Gotta run,its trivia time at the Saint Francis Resort.84o,light SW breeze,cold Kalik....all I can say is