Back on the water again, finally.......off to the Bahamas

[Chinook]

Hey Mon,

Congratulations on crossing the Gulf Stream. Nothing ahead of you now but great cruising. Try and pick up a loaf of that world famous Bahamian sweet bread while you're in Alice Town. Sorry I forgot to suggest that you practice your lassoing skills. Those tiny fixed dock and piling moorings that pass for marina slips out there can be nasty to get in and out of, especially for a single hander. I expect you'll get the hang of it soon enough. I expect that you'll be resting up a bit in Bimini before venturing out across the Banks. I hope you'll have gentle seas and a steady fair wind out of the south, right when you need them. Enjoy.

[cptron]

Man, we were there last year and it was fantastic. I know you are enjoying yourself. Keep the updates coming and wishing nothing but the best for your travels.

[BOAT]

So you made the big island by 4 PM ?

[Sumner]

....How are you getting Internet? Wifi or cellular? ....

I found quite a few unsecured WiFi connections here and on the way here. I'm using a different marina's connection now as this one doesn't have one. I think the only place I had to use my Straighttalk HotSpot was off Placida, Ft. Myers Beach. Every place else except down in the 10,000 Islands/Everglades I have been getting good connections with my Long Distance WiFi setup ( I made mine but buy one from Island Time PC and you will be up in minutes)...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

... Lots of secured connections but also lots more total connections overall. Sometimes I'll see over 40 from one spot with at least 2-3 open.

Also I signed up for Skype and I'm paying The $3.00 a month that lets me call U.S. land lines from anywhere. I made a number of calls last night and everyone said it sounded like a normal phone and the same on my end. Further along I'm sure things will change some but I'm real happy with not having to buy a phone here.

Hey Mon,.........Those tiny fixed dock and piling moorings that pass for marina slips out there can be nasty to get in and out of, especially for a single hander. I expect you'll get the hang of it soon enough. I expect that you'll be resting up a bit in Bimini before venturing out across the Banks. .......... Enjoy.

Having the teller and outboard tiller connected while slipping really helps with control and I need all the help I can get. I was right there the first time but then missed the guy on the dock with the line and then almost drifted back into another boat before I could get back on the tiller and outboard controls again but then made it. I met a guy here with a 30+ Irvin last night and told him I've only docked about a dozen times and just anchor out. He said he was the opposite and tried to anchor here a week or so ago and drug out into the middle of the channel during the night (where the planes land and take off) so has been on a slip here since then. They wanted to go to the Berry's but their water pump broke so they sat here waiting for parts and then having it fixed had to return to the States today.

I'm here at least tonight and will decide if tomorrow I move off to an anchorage like you did before crossing the Banks or wait another day or so. I haven't checked weather yet.

Were you able to get Chris on the radio here? I tried, but it was late this morning, and didn't get him but I might of been too late. Slept in till 8 after yesterday's long 21 hour day. I did sleep crossing twice for about 20 minutes. Had the cellphone in my pocket on ring and vibrate set to go off in 20 minutes and that worked well.

So you made the big island by 4 PM ?

I'm at Bimini, the first Islands off of Miami. If you are talking Nassau I'm planning on by-passing there,

Sumner

============================
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[Ixneigh]

Hey Sumner glad you got across safely. Enjoy your time over there
Ix

[Chinook]

Hi Sum,

I don't recall trying to get Chris Parker from Bimini. I was still able to pick up NOAA weather in Bimini. A bit broken but readable. I lost NOAA by the time I got out to the Berrys, and I didn't have any luck tuning Chris in while there. But by the time I got to the Exumas, I was able to hear him on a regular basis. I checked an on line Bimini Marine weather forecast for the next couple of days, and it looks pretty nice. Tuesday is supposed to be light wind (5-6mph) W in am and SW in pm, partly cloudy, waves 1 foot. Wednesday is forecast to be breezy (14 mph) SE, mostly sunny, waves 2 feet. Thursday is forecast to be breezy (11mph) S, waves 2 feet, mostly sunny. Friday is supposed to be breezy (12mph) WSW, waves 1 foot and mostly sunny. It sounds like tomorrow would be a very comfortable day to motor across the Banks. Wednesday sounds doable, although the wind would be somewhat closer to the nose. Not sure I'd want to sail close hauled and sharply heeled for 12 to 14 hours if I didn't have to. If the forecast holds up, Thursday might be the best sailing day, still breezy but supposed to be out of the south. Friday is predicted to be as good or better. Hope this helps. If you have trouble finding Chris on the SSB, but do have wifi or Skype access, feel free to hail me and I'll do my best to scan some weather information and pass it along. Even if you have enough connection to email, you may not be able to handle sites that require more band width. Good luck, and enjoy the Banks.

[mrron_tx]

I hadn't thought about customs.

How are you getting Internet? Wifi or cellular?

There are many of us living vicariously through your journey. Feels like we are there actually living life.

Fair winds and keep up the posts.

Ditto for Me Sumner..... Great to hear of the smooth crossing

[Russ]

....How are you getting Internet? Wifi or cellular? ....

I found quite a few unsecured WiFi connections here and on the way here. I'm using a different marina's connection now as this one doesn't have one. I think the only place I had to use my Straighttalk HotSpot was off Placida, Ft. Myers Beach. Every place else except down in the 10,000 Islands/Everglades I have been getting good connections with my Long Distance WiFi setup

That's what I figured. I was curious how many open spots you found in Bimini. Glad to see you staying in communication.
I wouldn't worry about dragging anchor, YOU know how to do it properly unlike many boaters who are clueless.

If you are talking Nassau I'm planning on by-passing there

I was in Nassau last week on a slightly larger boat (cruise ship). Not a safe place at night I hear.
Skype is very cool. I installed it on our smart phones and we could actually make phone calls on the ship over their WiFi network. Quality is excellent. Even better than standard cell phone call.

[March]

Sumner: if you want to go from Berry Islands to the Exumas, Nassau would be the logical stop. You need to cross the tongue of the Ocean from the Berries--a 7 hour trip. As you get into the canal between Providence Island and Nassau proper, go under the bridge, and try the last marina on the right (name escapes me). It's past the TEXACO sign. The marina is just across a shopping mall, for supplies--the last chance to get supplies at a decent price.
You could cross over to the Exumas in one day. No biggie. Allen's key is the best stopover. It has a protected inlet, a gulf with shallow waters where you'll be safe for the night.It's close to Highborne marina (about one hour), where you could also get supplies, but the prices are much steeper. They also have pretty good weather information there.
Good luck and fair winds!

[Sumner]

Thanks guys. After reviewing weather...

http://forecast.weather.gov/shmrn.php?m ... syn=amz001

.... and talking to my trip advisers (thanks Mike and Scott) I'm leaving in the morning and will try to make it from here to Whale in the Berry's about 6 miles past Chub. About 105 miles by the time I clear here, head north a ways and then east. Considering the distance and the tide here I'll be out of here probably around 7:30 and it will be all day and the night getting in Wed.. If I'm making too good of time I'll slow down so that I'm going into Whale when there is good light.

I don't plan on Nassau since I'm well provisioned so will probably go from Whale to Rose just NE of Nassau and from there to the upper Exumas. Once in Whale thought I'll be slowing way down. I just want to get out of here before this next system than could keep me here another 4-5 days. It is nice but not that nice and if you have food out about 100 house flys will find you in under 2 minutes .

After here I think it will be some time before I'll have Internet again so be patient,

Sumner

P.S. Ixneigh thanks again for all the help at Key Largo and the good visit!!

[Russ]

Fair winds Sumner,

We will be thinking of you. Looking at your track, I agree, you probably won't be near internet for a while.

[Chinook]

SUMNER UPDATE: I got a phone call this afternoon from Sumner. He wanted to talk about his next move. Tomorrow is a very good travel day, but it's supposed to get blustery for the next several days after that. Sum doesn't want to get stuck in Bimini for 4 or 5 days, and so he's decided to take off across the Great Bahama Banks tomorrow morning, leaving around 8am. He's got some serious cruising ahead of him, but understands what he needs to do. He needs daylight to get out of Alice Town Harbour and out around the west and north shores of North Bimini Island. There are reefs and coral heads to dodge for the first 7 or 8 miles. After that, it's clear sailing for the next 70 miles or so, heading east across the Banks. The water there is uniformly shallow, 12 to 18 feet, but with nothing sticking up far enough to bother the boat. At the east end of the Banks he has to pass through a narrow channel and into deep water. He's then got another 20 or 30 miles to his target anchorage, at Whale Cay. At his cruising speed of 5 knots, this passage will take all day and all night. He's hoping to arrive at Whale Cay around 8 or 9 am, when it's light enough to read the bottom. Some folks, when crossing the Banks, will simply pull over, off the main cruising route, and drop anchor out in the middle of nowhere. Most accounts I've read by people who did this report a very rough, bouncy night. Sum is opting to travel overnight which will be tough, since he's single handing, and has no one to take a relief watch. He'll be relying on his auto pilot and his alarm clock, to wake him from an occasional catnap. He's got AIS, and there should be only pleasure boats out there (and very few of them) at least until he reaches the entrance to deep water. It's hard to say when he'll be able to check in again. Maybe a week or so, depending on weather and wifi/cell tower access. You have to admire his gumption and spirit of adventure. I'll be eager to see his next update.

[mrron_tx]

SUMNER UPDATE: I got a phone call this afternoon from Sumner. He wanted to talk about his next move. Tomorrow is a very good travel day, but it's supposed to get blustery for the next several days after that. Sum doesn't want to get stuck in Bimini for 4 or 5 days, and so he's decided to take off across the Great Bahama Banks tomorrow morning, leaving around 8am. He's got some serious cruising ahead of him, but understands what he needs to do. He needs daylight to get out of Alice Town Harbour and out around the west and north shores of North Bimini Island. There are reefs and coral heads to dodge for the first 7 or 8 miles. After that, it's clear sailing for the next 70 miles or so, heading east across the Banks. The water there is uniformly shallow, 12 to 18 feet, but with nothing sticking up far enough to bother the boat. At the east end of the Banks he has to pass through a narrow channel and into deep water. He's then got another 20 or 30 miles to his target anchorage, at Whale Cay. At his cruising speed of 5 knots, this passage will take all day and all night. He's hoping to arrive at Whale Cay around 8 or 9 am, when it's light enough to read the bottom. Some folks, when crossing the Banks, will simply pull over, off the main cruising route, and drop anchor out in the middle of nowhere. Most accounts I've read by people who did this report a very rough, bouncy night. Sum is opting to travel overnight which will be tough, since he's single handing, and has no one to take a relief watch. He'll be relying on his auto pilot and his alarm clock, to wake him from an occasional catnap. He's got AIS, and there should be only pleasure boats out there (and very few of them) at least until he reaches the entrance to deep water. It's hard to say when he'll be able to check in again. Maybe a week or so, depending on weather and wifi/cell tower access. You have to admire his gumption and spirit of adventure. I'll be eager to see his next update.

Yep.... gumption and a large set of Ba... Ballast? My Prayers are with Him. Ron.

[cptron]

Yep.... gumption and a large set of Ba... Ballast? My Prayers are with Him. Ron.

I don't know how big a ball..ast you need for these adventures but I'd be right there with him if it weren't for this, AAARRRRGGG , job. My prayers will also be with him and hopefully in the not too distant future I'll be able to tread the same waters.

[slugbug]

Greetings to all and the best to Captain Sum as I sit here looking out at a frozen lake in Wisconsin I cant say how grateful I am to read this exciting adventure. I hope Mr. Sumner is safe and enjoying himself. Ruth and Sum are legends on this web site and I know the spirit of Ruth is with him on his journey. Like many I wish I was there but alas the work ball and chain have me for a few more years I hope in that time to become a better sailor so I could even consider a trip like this. My first sailboat was a Mac 26S I think it is a seaworthy boat and I would feel safe on it crossing the gulf maybe safer than an M or X. The high free-board of the M/X makes me a little uncomfortable but I love the space below. The S sails better to the wind than an M and is faster but in a pinch using the bigger motor of the M to get to where I need to go is extraordinary. Last year I easily out ran a small thunder storm on Green Bay to make it to my slip and tie up shut the hatch and stay dry below while the rain passed over. I like the configuration of the X a little better: bigger cockpit and the enclosed head is more functional. Of those on this site how many have done the trip to the Bahamas? I have heard that Macs are not blue water boats I consider crossing the Gulf to be blue water. Mr. Sumner's adventure reminds me of the book by Joshua Slokum Sailing Alone Around the World the story of his circumnavigation of the world alone in 1893. He was 53 years old (70 is the new 50 today) and the first person ever in history to do it. He was world famous after that. His navigation tools were a wind up clock and a compass imagine that I won't cross Green Bay without GPS! I highly recommend reading this book. I look forward to reading more all the best to you Captain Sumner. Bob