Routes to the Abacos?

[Sonnie]

Thinking of an overnight crossing in a 5 knot boat. Want to leave far enough south to get advantage of gulf stream. My two ideas now are a) Port everglades or b) Hillsboro. I'm leaning towards Hillsboro because I think it will be less crowded and also there seems like a good place to anchor right next to the inlet and be able to leave during darkness. I'd appreciate opinions.

[Frank]

Port Everglades is usually a zoo...particularily fri to sunday.When are ya going?

[Sonnie]

Going to be at Hillsboro by wed. Then wait for the right weather. Patience will be my mantra!

[Frank]

If you are going to West end, then thru the Abacos...I'll be coming from Green Turtle Cay sailing west about january 10-15th.Look for the lil flicka with the Canadian flag  ;D

[Lynx]

Patience will be my mantra!  - I think that this may be your best thing as the weather does not look good for a few days. The winds are clocking aroung to the SE. Plan to leave around midnight and hope that the forcast is right and the seas are calm. If you waite to long you may want to go to Key Largo and waite it out and cross over to Bimini. About 10 miles less.

Port of Everglades looks likes the best but you could also do Anglefish creek in Key Largo.

[s/v Faith]

FWIW,

  Just for any who read this later.  We sailed from Lake Worth, and had no trouble.  It is a great inlet well marked and lighted to be easy to enter or exit in the dark.

[Bert Ward]

Hi,
We are new to this website, and wanted to introduce ourselves.
We are Bert and Kathy Ward, from Gainesville, GA, on Lake Lanier.  Lake Lanier is a Corps of Engineers lake about 35 miles north east of Atlanta.  The lake is down about 18 feet, but up about 1 foot from its low.  Its 28 degrees here this morning, and I am thinking about sub tropical cruising. :)

We sail a Hunter 260.  Prior to that we sailed a MacGregor 26D, which my son now enjoys.  We have sailed with the Conch Cruisers to Bimini three times, Dry Tortugas, and the Outer Banks. 

Has anyone sailed to the Abacos via Bimini to Bullocks Harbor or Great Stirrup, then on to Sandy Point? If you have also done the West End and around route, how do the two routes compare?

Did you anchor out on the banks between Bimini and Bullocks?

Last year, we left Homestead Bayfront, motored up to Stiltsville and out near Cape Florida. We were traveling along in a group with three other boats. After several hours and about 40 nm, we turned around and headed back to Port Everglades. The wind had a northerly component and was supposed to shift around to the E/SE but never did. It was a rough night. Two of the boats did continue to West End. We know that any "northerly component" is a red flag and cause to cancel plans.

We still want to go to the Abacos, and may try again this year.

Thanks, Bert

[CharlieJ]

Welcome aboard Bert and Kathy. We have a friend named Brian who sails a P23 on Lake Lanier. Maybe you've even crossed wakes with him.

[Lynx]

I did the Key Largo, Bimini, Berry Island, Sandy Point route this year. Winds with any north is a bit misleading. Please get one of the sailing games and plug in one of the gulf stream weather buoys data. The seas depend on how long, how strong, and from what direction. We had a bad forcast and the winds was from the NW but light to start. Not bad. It then turned from the east and then really blew. I have a 50 hp and my buddy boat had a 25. My auto pilot made it easy for me but killed my gas millage. He did not have an autopilot and, per his web site, was the hardest thing that he had ever done. We should have slowed down and left earlier. As long as the winds are not over 10 mph and the seas are less than 3 feet, I think that you should be OK, Your call.

The Bimini to Berry islands was a 16 hr run. Again, Wind on the nose and I was by myself. I did not want to anchor in the middle so I anchored in the lee of The Berries.  No problem. I should have spend more time in the Berries but needed to get over to Abacos so I went to  Sandy point the next day. Nice and then went around the WEST side of Abaco "Bight of Abaco" I read 3.5 feet in the shallows and followed the recommended Explore chart route.

Caution on entering the Atlantic cuts, the ocean floor starts up slowly and it acts like the waves of Hawaii with East winds. It is called "The Rage"