Stuart to Bahamas crossing 3/4/19

I'll be headed across the gulfstream on 3/4 from Stuart if anybody is looking for a buddy boat.

I will be crossing on the 11th from Lake Worth inlet to Lucaya on my way to the Exumas and, weather dependent, destinations south.

I think you are heading to Abaco though, right?

Correct. Weather depending!

early March in the GS. Thank God for rain-x and stabilizers.

looking forward to some more great drone shots, btw.

Early March is tough weather wise, we spent the last three weeks of March in the Abacos about 8 years ago. It was pretty much blowing dogs off their chains the whole time we were there.


I'm still jelly of you though, LOL. Have a great trip!

Yeah, I wish I wasn't trying to cross the first week of March but onceI do get over there, it will be so much better (even if the weather is crap.)

I'm still debating a looong day from Stuart and arriving in GTC after 2200 or stopping at Great Sale or maybe Pensacola. The crossing will be the biggest hurdle.

I talked to my buddy who will be driving the little boat behind me as we cross. We figure if we can get moving by 0600 and run fast we can be on the banks by 0930. Otherwise 150nm at 8kts. will definately be a 2 day trip.

We like to go from Stuart to Grand and clear in there. Spend the night at Rosie's. It's basically a straight shot from St. Lucie Inlet, so you don't get any push from the stream but at least you aren't fighting it. GS is a little bit south of the inlet, and really doesn't have anything more to offer, anchorage wise, than the islands between Grand and GTC.



Just a thought.

Problem with Grand is that I wouldn't go in there at dusk or after. We went in near low tide during daylight last year and it was hairy enough.

Well how did it all go?

Grand. If u want an F ticket ride, have a local ferry u to grand from walkers at nite. OMG 25 kts big turns and rock walls a few feet away[emoji30]

Of course. Not much reason for a tourist to be at walkers at nite these days

menzies said:

Well how did it all go?

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I forgot I posted this thread.

Crossing was great.

I convinced my buddy to drive my 19' boat behind us as we headed out of Stuart. We got underway around 0530 and immediately found ourselves in really thick fog. It took a bit to poke out of the inlet but once in open water with a little sunrise, I jumped up on plane making about 17kts and the seas were a steady 4'. The whole time, my buddy was trailing behind me in a boat that had a 1993 Evinrude!

Once we got on the banks we thought the seas would settle down a bit but they didn't. It was crazy trying to link the little boat back up to the big one on the tow rope but we made it happen.

The rest of the trip past Great Sale was smooth and we made it into GTC around 2030.

k9medic said:

I forgot I posted this thread.

Crossing was great.

I convinced my buddy to drive my 19' boat behind us as we headed out of Stuart. We got underway around 0530 and immediately found ourselves in really thick fog. It took a bit to poke out of the inlet but once in open water with a little sunrise, I jumped up on plane making about 17kts and the seas were a steady 4'. The whole time, my buddy was trailing behind me in a boat that had a 1993 Evinrude!

Once we got on the banks we thought the seas would settle down a bit but they didn't. It was crazy trying to link the little boat back up to the big one on the tow rope but we made it happen.

The rest of the trip past Great Sale was smooth and we made it into GTC around 2030.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a blast! Our 22 Mako still has a 1994 Evinrude 200 on it! Never been rebuilt, and still had factor compression about five years ago the last time we had it professionally serviced. They really built them right back then, but oh, does it love gasoline!

I keep trying to talk my wife into letting me tow it to the Bahamas behind us the next trip but she doesn't want to have to be the one to drive it when it needs to be untowed!

But, you are going to be so glad you brought it!

I have a 15' AB DLX RIB with a 60HP four stroke Yamaha that is a beaut to run, cruises at ~ 34MPH with two on board. We would love to take it to the Bahamas. It is too heavy for my davit though so I would have to tow it. Not keen on that.

Thought about upgrading the davit set up, but on the fence about that.

Menzies...could you get it loaded onto your deck at a commercial pier at home, and then unloaded the same way in the Bahamas ??

menzies said:

I have a 15' AB DLX RIB with a 60HP four stroke Yamaha that is a beaut to run, cruises at ~ 34MPH with two on board. We would love to take it to the Bahamas. It is too heavy for my davit though so I would have to tow it. Not keen on that.

Thought about upgrading the davit set up, but on the fence about that.

Click to expand...

It "might" tow ok, depending on your speed and sea conditions. Note that due to very different lengths, with the big boat near hull speed, the dink will be sort of planing. Tow line tension can be very high.

Take it offshore of Jax and give it a try. See what it does.

I'm not a big fan of loading a heavy dink via davit. Davit winches seem rather unreliable and things can and do break. In any sort of sea, swell or wake the dink can get out of control during the lift and easy to get hurt or break things. For that type of service, it can be better to get a light and minimal dink even though the bigger full featured one is way more capable.