Bahamas-Best route from West FL

timjet

timjet

Member
Jan 14, 2010
236
Tampa, FL
Boat Info
'98 355 ACMY
Engines
Cummins 6BT 330 M3's
Hi Folks,
I'm starting my initial planning for next May's Abacos cruise and would like to get suggestions for the best route from Tampa to the Abacos. Of course we'll take the Okeechobee Waterway to the East coast. It appears the St Lucie Inlet shoal's a bit much so perhaps the Ft Pierce Inlet is a good stepping off place. Since the Abacos is our destination it seems a somewhat direct course to Walkers Cay or Grand Cays to clear customs is the shortest route. That appears to be about 105 NM. Overnight at an anchorage there and continue on to Treasure or Green Turtle Cay the next day.
Does this sound reasonable, or are there better alternatives?
 
Hello Tim, It is a good crossing running that route, BUT!! Check your charts carefully. I'm doing this by memory, because I'm at work, and no access to my charts, so bare with me.
If you look carefully, where you jump onto the Little Bahamas Bank, from the course you will be running, you will see a "shoal" I can't remember the name of it, but it's there. 15 or so miles before you get to Walkers Cay. It is shown as a bore hole or something like that. It UNCOVERS at low tide. I crossed it with 3ft depth, and bottomed on it. I have a small 240da though, I/O also. You can run north or south of it, but I can't recall how wide it is. I do remember there being multiple rows of shoal, meaning there is more than one shoal to cross. It was nerve wracking for me in my small boat, so I can imagine your boat with inboards. If there are seas of any size it will be that much worse.

I remember when we crossed onto the LBB, I could clearly see the bottom. 15 to 20 ft depth, but boy it looked shallower. And I almost stressed myself out watching for coral heads. So, if you have good nerves, and trust your charts, watch your depth, you can do it, just watch the tide.

You can still clear customs at Walkers, but there are no public docks, and you tie up as best you can, to dingy to the float plane ramp, to clear customs. There was no fuel on walkers when I was last there. Maybe by now someone has bought the island and started to open it up, I don't know. First fuel is Grand Cay at Rosies.

I can give you better information when I look at my charts, if you need it.
 
I've made the trip from the west coast of Fla. 3 times and looking to do it again within the next few years. Its no problem departing St Lucie Inlet- there are many large sportfishers going out every day-just follow one and ask for local knowlege. I was in walkers when it was a resort but I don't think there is anything there now. I would head for West End Grand Bahama(about 75 miles) and check in and stay a night and fuel up then head for the Abacos by way of the Little Bahama Bank or stay a night in Lucaya and go thru the Grand Lucayan waterway to the bank. The waterway is a bit shallow at the north end so do it at high tide. We did Green Turtle Cay and Treasure Cay both great but should have allowed more time to head farther south. The tricky part is entering the bank at west end but with good navigation skills should not be a problem.
 
Thanks islandhopper00. My charts show the shoal area west of Walkers Cay as Lily Bank and just to the north of that Matanilla Reef. Perhaps some others will comment, but it appears the safest route is to the north of these two shoal areas which would not add but a couple of miles, if that. However upon further examination it does look like you can pick your way through these two shoal areas if the charts are accurate. There is a marked channel into Walkers Cay from the south which would lead me to believe that folks do use that approach. Fuel should not be a problem. I really have no reason to stop at Walkers Cay or Grand Cays except to clear customs. Many folks talk about anchoring at Great Sale Cay and wonder if that's OK and clearing customs the next day at Spanish Cay or Green Turtle Cay.

We plan on a 3 week trip +- a couple of days. May have to leave the boat in the Ft. Myers area on the return if we run out of time or weather delays the gulf crossing.
 
st. lucie is easy in good weather , over to west end ( clear customs etc there )then cross the bank and your there :) easy run have done it a least 15 times over the years ,last trip over was july of THIS year. i could go on and on about the area. dont go by old charts or people that have done this trip years ago, lots have change over there
 
Big Daddy II, thanks for the info on St. Lucie inlet. My navionics charts do not recommend that inlet, but that would save about 30 or so miles, so as we get closer to departure I'll ask around.
I would prefer to avoid West End if possible for no other reason that it would save a day going to Great Sale or Walkers Cay and I don't see any real reason to go to West End. My charts don't show enough detail of the west end of the little bahama bank, the approach I would prefer, so I need to get better charts.
My range is about 240 miles with 25% reserves, so I should not need fuel until Marsh Harbour where I understand it's a little cheaper.
 
I just did this trip in May and early June, it is awesome! The lake is still very low, hopefully by the time of your trip you will have better water. I chose to do the trip in multiple "stages":
Mid May:
St. Pete to Clewiston (Roland Martin's on the Lake)
Clewiston to West Palm. I then left the boat in West Palm and returned to get some work done...

Late May/ June:
West Palm to West End to clear, and then onto Treasure Cay via the bank- I entered the bank just north of West End at Indian Cay.
Treasure to Nipper's on Guana (had to make the Sunday pig roast!)
Green Turtle
Hope Town, Elbow Cay
Marsh Harbor
Marsh Harbor to West End where we were blown out for a day
West End back to West Palm

Left the boat back at West Palm, and returned in mid June and brought it back to St. Pete via the Keys.

The best guide is Steve Dodge's "Cruising Guide to the Abacos". Very detailed and updated annually. The guide has all of the waypoints, areas of concern, etc.
 
timjet said:
Thanks islandhopper00. My charts show the shoal area west of Walkers Cay as Lily Bank and just to the north of that Matanilla Reef. Perhaps some others will comment, but it appears the safest route is to the north of these two shoal areas which would not add but a couple of miles, if that. However upon further examination it does look like you can pick your way through these two shoal areas if the charts are accurate. There is a marked channel into Walkers Cay from the south which would lead me to believe that folks do use that approach. Fuel should not be a problem. I really have no reason to stop at Walkers Cay or Grand Cays except to clear customs. Many folks talk about anchoring at Great Sale Cay and wonder if that's OK and clearing customs the next day at Spanish Cay or Green Turtle Cay.

We plan on a 3 week trip +- a couple of days. May have to leave the boat in the Ft. Myers area on the return if we run out of time or weather delays the gulf crossing.
Click to expand...

Lily Bank, that's it. I picked my way through, but that is how I found 3ft of water.

Oh, the marked channel into Walkers is good. Stay well south of Walkers to find the enterance run to it. Last I was there it was marked good. Don't get out of the markers though.

As far as fuel, I was getting concerned because my boat holds 75 gals, and I was getting tight. If the seas were up I think I would have been in trouble.

Great Sale Cay is......not so much to me. The beach is not what you might be imagining, and the bottom is not so interesting (snorkling). It makes a nice stop over point if you have to but, if you can keep going, I'd say you won't miss much. It depends on what you need/want. Plus I think it is out of the way for where you are going, unless you are following the hard GPS tracks. If you run close to the islands from Walkers, it is much more attractive. Tom Brown Cay, just past Walkers, has a neat washout on the ocean side of the island and is fun to swim in and nice to see, it's a day stop over. Double Breasted is a must stop anchorage to me. White sand island beach, protected anchorage, fun dingy rides through the mangroves. The ocean reef outside is beautiful, and there are nice grouper there. Carters Cay is the next stopover anchorage, there is a wreck on the reef outside, and more mangroves to see in the dingy.

Oh well, I'm making me want to do a trip. I've got more if you want it. I guess I'm trying to open your eyes to the real Abaco's, not just the tourist traps of Marsh. Enjoy!
 
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In April of this year I purchased my boat (2002 SR 340DA) in SC and drove up the ICW to the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay....a great experience. I'm looking for my next boating adventure next Spring and Abacos seems like a good challenge. The trip down from the Chesapeake is not a problem, but I'm concerned my boat may not be large enough. Thoughts?
 
I have to be careful on my recommendations on where to go, because I have a small boat and I can get through skinny water, within reason. Check your charts carefully. You big boat folks have the amenities, but the draft would give me heartburn! haha.
 
OK guys thanks for all the info. I've already ordered Steve Dodge's "Cruising Guide to the Abacos. I'll take a close look at all those Keys Islandhopper mentioned. I draw 3.5 ft and I'm sure the cruising guide will be a good source to help me decide.

As for Marcus E concerns about his boat not being big enough, many folks make that trip in much smaller boats, at least so I've heard. Last May we crossed the FL straights from Key West to Marco Island with a guy in a SR 26' bow rider. 90 miles of open water. You must watch the weather especially across the gulf stream.
 
Marcus E said:
In April of this year I purchased my boat (2002 SR 340DA) in SC and drove up the ICW to the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay....a great experience. I'm looking for my next boating adventure next Spring and Abacos seems like a good challenge. The trip down from the Chesapeake is not a problem, but I'm concerned my boat may not be large enough. Thoughts?
Click to expand...


My boat is 25ft, 240da. It's really all about comfort and experience levels. Your 340 is plenty big, question is would you be comfortable handling that boat in heavy seas? It's about "your" experience level.
 
timjet said:
OK guys thanks for all the info. I've already ordered Steve Dodge's "Cruising Guide to the Abacos. I'll take a close look at all those Keys Islandhopper mentioned. I draw 3.5 ft and I'm sure the cruising guide will be a good source to help me decide.

As for Marcus E concerns about his boat not being big enough, many folks make that trip in much smaller boats, at least so I've heard. Last May we crossed the FL straights from Key West to Marco Island with a guy in a SR 26' bow rider. 90 miles of open water. You must watch the weather especially across the gulf stream.
Click to expand...

Not me in a bow rider.....unless there was some serious mods to the bow cover. IE, hard cover, and extra volume capacity bilge pumps.

I'd bet his insurance company didn't know he did it. I'm sure they would not have covered him for 90 miles open water. It's like pulling teeth to get Boat US to write me a rider to cover my trips.
 
islandhopper00 said:
Not me in a bow rider.....unless there was some serious mods to the bow cover. IE, hard cover, and extra volume capacity bilge pumps.

I'd bet his insurance company didn't know he did it. I'm sure they would not have covered him for 90 miles open water. It's like pulling teeth to get Boat US to write me a rider to cover my trips.
Click to expand...

Don't know about any equipments mods or insurance info. We adjusted our schedules so he could make the crossing with us in our 35 Carver.
We watched the weather carefully and had no issues.

But your right, that's a lot of open water in a open bow boat.
 
timjet said:
Don't know about any equipments mods or insurance info. We adjusted our schedules so he could make the crossing with us in our 35 Carver.
We watched the weather carefully and had no issues.

But your right, that's a lot of open water in a open bow boat.
Click to expand...

At least he (26') had you with him.

My plan always, when crossing the gulf stream is this. The boat is not important. I will not risk anyones life to save the boat. (Yes my insurance company knows this.) Abandon as a last ditch effort, but let it go. I ALWAYS cross with "family boats", people whom care as much for me as I for them, I think that's important. You never know what someone will do when the going gets ruff. Anyways, if trouble finds us the plan is to abandon and get on one of the "other" boats. We all plan for this and we practice this, as best as can be without being in bad conditions.
We drag a fender (50') from the stern, and it is much easier to get to a rope/line than the actual boat. Boat driver runs to the overboard person, turns down sea, (following) and hopefully the person in the water can swim to the line, and drag/get helped into the boat. Sounds like a simple plan but is harder in reality than it seems. I'm sure when you add in a large sea state it will be terrible, but that's the plan.
 
I meant to add that, I have crossed to Grand Bahamas in a 21' center console. As you did, we watched the weather window and never had any issues.
 
As citizens of the US, you need permission to enter another country, i.e. clear customs. For the Bahamas, the process is very simple- you declare the boat, the passengers and pay a fee $150 for boat under 35 feet, $300 for boats over $35 feet. When returning to the US, you need to let US customs know that your back. You can either do this be presenting yourself to a US Customs office, or if you have a local boater option (where you "pre-clear"), you simply call a phone number and decalre your presence of the boat and the passengers back in the US.
 
Mystic Dreamer said:
As citizens of the US, you need permission to enter another country, i.e. clear customs. For the Bahamas, the process is very simple- you declare the boat, the passengers and pay a fee $150 for boat under 35 feet, $300 for boats over $35 feet. When returning to the US, you need to let US customs know that your back. You can either do this be presenting yourself to a US Customs office, or if you have a local boater option (where you "pre-clear"), you simply call a phone number and decalre your presence of the boat and the passengers back in the US.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have a lot to learn in that area of boating. MM
 
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