Abacos, May 26 - June 8, 2013

Jposey66

Member
Apr 11, 2011
46
Homeport: Madison, AL
Boat Info
2002 Sundancer 280, twin 4.3
Engines
Twin 4.3's w/Alpha's
Due to circumstances beyond our control, last year's trip had to be canceled, so we have re-scheduled for this summer....

If anyone is interested in buddying up, the wife and I are planning a trip to the Abacos, May 26 - June 8, 2013. Weather permitting, we will depart WPB no earlier than Sunday, May 26th, and return no later than Saturday, June 8th.

Better throw it out there that this is my first crossing. I have been researching and dreaming about this trip for years.



Posey
 
are you going in the 2000 240 DA?

nevermind, i saw your other post. i will be looking forward to hearing about your trip as i also have a 240 and would like to try it.
 
Last edited:
are you going in the 2000 240 DA?

nevermind, i saw your other post. i will be looking forward to hearing about your trip as i also have a 240 and would like to try it.

Yes, we will be in the 240. Lots of prep, planning, and spares. Still a couple of months away. Wanna join us?

JP
 
Two Sarasota boats, both 48', are planning to leave WPB on May 19th returning May 29th. Stops in West End, Grand, Spanish, Marsh, Treasurer, and Green Turtle, back to Grand and West End.

I'll let youknow how it goes.

Silver Bullet
 
Thanks y'all!! Really looking forward to it. It's been a long time coming. I have been reading and dreaming about doing this trip for years. Finally about to happen. Lots of lurking and learning here on CSR.

Jeff Posey
Madison, AL
 
I posted this, but two 48' power boats are planning to leave WPB on May 19for West End and Abacos. Must be back by June 1.
 
48's? I'll probably catch up with them. :grin: At this point, my schedule isn't that flexible, to make that date adjustment. Already locked in the time off from work, baby sitter, lawn care, house sitter, etc.

I'll be in a 240 Sundancer named "Serenity". If you see us, give us a shout.

Hope to see ya there!

Jeff Posey
 
This trip is still a go. Leaving North Alabama, Friday afternoon, May 24. Hope to launch the afternoon of Saturday, May 25, in WPB and, if weather allows, cross Sunday morning. Looking for other boats to cross over to West End with. We will be continuing on to the Abacos.

Jeff Posey
Serenity
Madison, AL
 
Jeff - if you can't find anyone to join you from this Forum, you can post on Explorer Charts "Chatter" and may get replies from them.

Good luck
 
Thanks! I will check in there. I bought their chartbook but didn't notice that they had a forum. Also watching florida sportman. As a last resort, I figure, since I am crossing on a holiday weekend, it shouldn't be too hard to find someone else crossing when I get down to WPB. Should be in sight of other boats, in either direction, the whole time that weekend.

Thanks again!

JP
 
So how did things go?

Well, we ended up having to go with plan B. The weather just would not cooperate.We were supposed to drive down after work on Friday, the 24th, with hopes of crossing on Sunday, the 26th. Watching the weather, in the week ahead, I determined that the last window for a while would be early on Friday, so we moved our schedule up, leaving on Thursday and driving through the night. We arrived at Jim Barry Light Harbor park about 30 minutes before it opened. (My wife is a trooper, taking on part of the driving during the night). We launched the boat and I took off to the storage facility to park the truck and trailer. When I got back to the ramp, I talked to a couple of locals and they thought it would be a good morning to cross, as they didn't think the wind had shifted yet, so we head straight out the inlet. As we get a few miles offshore, while I moving at around 20 knots heading nearly due east, I see that my bow flag is pointing due south, straight to starboard. Everything that i have heard or studied says "no northerly wind component" for crossing. The seas are a bit rough but doable where we are, but I know it will be worse once we get into the gulfstream. I pull back and talk to the first mate for a bit. I want to error on the side of caution, so we decide to turn back. I do not want our first attempt at crossing to make us hate or fear crossing.

We piddled around West Palm Beach for a bit and we were quite bored with the Intracoastal Waterway area. We took a good look at the forecast and there didn't appear to be another good weather window for a number of days Possibly a week. Already bored with WPB area, we made the decision to go with Plan B (the Keys) and just keep an eye on the gulfstream weather, in case there was an opportunity to cross. We put the boat back on the trailer and headed towards Homestead, FL. We spent that night in a hotel, catching up on the sleep that we had lost on the drive down. On Saturday, we launched the boat in Homestead, and started heading South into the keys. We ended up sleeping that night at anchor behind pigeon key, just off of Islamorada. The next morning (Sunday), we picked up anchor and started heading further down the Keys. That day we crossed over into the Atlantic at Marathon and cruised out to Sombrero Reef, then crossed back over to the gulf side at 7 mile bridge continuing south, had a lunch stop behind some unknown key and then continued on to Key West. In Key West, I got lucky and ended up getting a slip at Gallion marina right at the end of front street. We ended up staying there for four nights. We rented bicycles and cruised around and did a lot of off-the-beaten path stuff, including searching for the best margarita. I mastered bicycle riding with a drink in my hand. By day three (Wednesday), we are getting anxious to move on to something different. I looked at the weather forecast and concluded that the next day would be a good day for moving and that it looked like there might be a weather window for crossing to the Bahamas around Saturday. Thursday morning we are up and at it early. I wanted to go north via Hawk Chanel, which is on the Atlantic side, between the Keys and the reef systems 5-8 miles offshore. I knew earlier would be better in open water like that, hence the early start. One of the guys at the marina had told me that Hawk Chanel would be too rough due to all the weather and wind we had been having. What i was seeing just didn't agree, so I cruised out there the evening before and checked it out. It wasn't glass smooth but definitely passable. Thursday morning on Hawk Chanel was no problem. We cruised up to Sombrero Reef at 25 knots, stopping there to snorkel for a bit. After Sombrero, we talked and decided to try and make it back to the truck and reposition the boat back up the east coast, to make Saturday's weather window, for crossing to the Bahamas, if the forecast held. We made it back to the truck and thank goodness for the chartplotter, as the last 10 miles were in a downpour. No wind, just hard steady rain. Got the boat loaded up and rinsed down, as well as flushing the engine, and headed to Pompano Beach. We spent a couple of night there in Pompano Beach, and the weather window just kept slipping further out. By Saturday, when the window was initially forecast, it had slid out to Tuesday. We talked and decided it wasn't worth it to keep waiting on a weather window. We had already had a great vacation down in the Keys and, if we got a weather window, once we got over there, we were gonna have to immediately start worrying with a weather window to get back across to the states.

Always have a Plan B!

Towing Miles: 1900
Towing MPG: 7.9
Boat miles: Approx 350
Boat MPG: 2.67
 
Sorry to hear about the weather. Good job on making a good decision. Glad plan B worked to save at least some of your vacation. Sounds like you did a good job of navigation and boat handling just running to the Keys.

It's my opinion that running down to Key West is more of a navigational challenge than a crossing to the Bahamas, albit the bigger danger factor of crossing the gulf stream. Good job on having the courage to do that. I'm impressed.


My Bahamas trip is fast approaching, and I have discussed the "what if's" with my family should the weather not cooperate. It's not looking real good considering there has already been a named storm this year. Hopefully the weather will calm down and things will get a little more normalized. We'll have to wait and see.
 
Mike, I hope you don't have the weather we had. Good luck and safe travels.
 

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