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Old 01-28-2014, 06:26 PM   #21
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Here's a pic of my dad enjoying a microwaveable lean cuisine at anchor in Manjack cay.
Cool shot!

So you and your dad work together? My dad and I worked together for quite a few years and it was a good experience for me. Don't get into fights over work with your dad though-- it's not worth the heartache.
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Old 01-28-2014, 06:30 PM   #22
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Since you are more experienced try to talk them into letting you go up toward Green Turtle Cay. The Green Turtle club is good, and reat a golf cart to get all over the island. They also have mooring balls in White Sound. The best anchoring is North of Green Turtle. Manjack. Alans Pensacola, Double Breasted and several other Cays are really good. With just a 3' 6" draft you could by playing the tides right make it through Don't Rock Channel and skip Whale Cay Passage altogether. Just be careful, and not do it with the sun in your eyes.
Funny you said that. I just sent them an email with that request. Would you go outside if the weather is good or just do the Don't Rock passage?
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Old 01-28-2014, 06:35 PM   #23
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Funny you said that. I just sent them an email with that request. Would you go outside if the weather is good or just do the Don't Rock passage?
If the weather is good it's a total no brainer we went through it on a nice day with no problem. Just check with the locals, Spanish Cay monitors 16 so just hail them and ask chuck what the conditions are in the passage.
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Old 01-28-2014, 06:36 PM   #24
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Cool shot! So you and your dad work together? My dad and I worked together for quite a few years and it was a good experience for me. Don't get into fights over work with your dad though-- it's not worth the heartache.
Yep.
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Old 01-28-2014, 06:37 PM   #25
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Funny you said that. I just sent them an email with that request. Would you go outside if the weather is good or just do the Don't Rock passage?
I would do Whale Cay Passage if weather is good. If you don't hit one of those metal poles in the old ship channel it's a piece of cake. In a "rage" it can take you out. We usually run it at 25 to 26 knots. Sometimes we are towing our dinghy. If you want to get away from the charter boats, go north.
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Old 01-28-2014, 08:10 PM   #26
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Shhhhhhh......

All talk of the Abaco's in a positive light must cease immediately, else they'll soon be as crowded as the BVI have become! Remember the mantra to outsiders: the water is cold and cloudy, it rains almost every day, the currents are deadly and takes too long to get there....

Truth be told, as soon as I'm finished with the resto work on Sandpiper, we plan on taking her back to the Abaco's, which is where she was when I bought her! Hoping to be done within the year.

Honestly, the Abacos HAVE changed over the years. Not as quiet and out of the way as they once were. Used to be able to anchor at Baker's a bay for the day and be the only boat there. Now the $$$ Hinckley picnic boats going in and out of "The Club" run you over. Last summer, when my son and I did a bareboat sail there, while moored in Hopetown on a Friday night, the loud, competing music from Capt Jack's and the Beach Club kept us awake until 2 AM.

All that being said, it IS a wonderful place that I do love... and I can't wait to get back!
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Old 01-28-2014, 08:54 PM   #27
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We have spent quite a bit of time in both places, I prefer the Abacos, the BVI is just too crowded with charter boats (no offense intended).

The thing the Abacos have going for them is the ability to either go to a more populated town area like Hope Town, Man O' War or Guana, or to anchor out in seclusion, mostly north of GTC. You don't get that in the BVI.

Better bars in the BVI, but with the kids nowadays that doesn't hold the appeal for us that it used to.
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Old 01-28-2014, 09:18 PM   #28
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Greetings,
Mr. car. Yup, 14 days IS much too long and 6 months isn't enough. With the crap blowing in from the southwest (freezing rain, snow and lord knows what else) I think I'll move there. Where? Anywhere but here. Oh, I vote Abacos...
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Old 01-29-2014, 04:46 AM   #29
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We have some friends that live in Treasure Cay right across from the marina . We visited them a couple years ago (not by boat ) .They had a boat and carried us around to some of the islands but we mostly stayed in Treasure Cay. I liked Man O War Cay and Hope town. I would love to go back someday with my boat or even charter so we could check out everything . I have done the 10 day charter out of Tortola on a sailboat.I like the Abacos . How did chartering the GH37 go I was looking at doing that in a couple of years . I don't have any twin engine experience only sailboat and single engine trawler .
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Old 01-29-2014, 06:02 AM   #30
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We have some friends that live in Treasure Cay right across from the marina . We visited them a couple years ago (not by boat ) .They had a boat and carried us around to some of the islands but we mostly stayed in Treasure Cay. I liked Man O War Cay and Hope town. I would love to go back someday with my boat or even charter so we could check out everything . I have done the 10 day charter out of Tortola on a sailboat.I like the Abacos . How did chartering the GH37 go I was looking at doing that in a couple of years . I don't have any twin engine experience only sailboat and single engine trawler .
The N37 charter was great-- I just wanted to try something different with this catamaran, plus I wanted more room. The N37 has a great master and a small guest room plus the dinette makes into a bed. We might have my parents aboard this time so we needed 3 separate bedrooms.

The twin engine setup was easy to operate, plus it had a bow thruster.

Thanks for the info on Tortola vs Bahamas. We are not as interested in the bar/party scene since our HS kids will be aboard. They saw enough drunks at nippers last time. Lol.
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Old 01-29-2014, 07:30 AM   #31
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So far this has been a super winter here. The sea has been flat and we are still diving the outer reefs without a wet suit. Very few cruisers around compared to past years. Guess they all followed the herd to Georgetown. So y'all come on over.
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Old 01-29-2014, 07:43 AM   #32
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Got an answer on the GTC question from the charter company. If you want to do that they make sure you know that they have to chase boats over there, they charge an extra $250, and they require a $4500 deposit in a cashiers check.

Not sure it's worth all that...

They really don't want the boat over there obviously, and I guess I can understand that. Lots of goofballs chartering these boats I'm sure.
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Old 01-29-2014, 07:50 AM   #33
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Which charter company?. Moorings let me take their 50' up to Walkers. GTC is usually their northern limit, we see them up here all the time. Moorings is really well run.
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Old 01-29-2014, 08:11 AM   #34
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Which charter company?. Moorings let me take their 50' up to Walkers. GTC is usually their northern limit, we see them up here all the time. Moorings is really well run.
Small company called Cruise Abaco. Been around for awhile. They seem like nice folks. Mark and Patti Gonsalves.
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Old 01-29-2014, 09:16 AM   #35
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We've done both, on charters and our own boat, and for us it's the Virgin Islands hands down.

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Old 01-29-2014, 10:16 AM   #36
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My wife and I worked as a captain/chef team aboard both power and sail charter yachts in the USVI and BVI for several years before retiring in 2011. As you correctly point out, flights from the US to Tortola can be complicated and expensive. Far easier and cheaper is flying from the US to St. Thomas, USVI, then taking the short and inexpensive ferry trip over to the BVI. Any number of US departure points (including Houston) have non-stops to STT, making the flight simple and relatively inexpensive...just something to consider should you go with the BVI rather than Abacos. I've cruised both over the years and enjoyed both. BTW, going to the BVI in June you'll find much less crowding than during the high season (winter). Charter rates in summer are much lower as well. Why not enjoy both...do one this year, the other next year?
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Old 01-29-2014, 11:34 AM   #37
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I know them, Good folks, well maintained boats. They also have some rental homes. You might want to price the Moorings as well.
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Old 01-29-2014, 12:19 PM   #38
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I know them, Good folks, well maintained boats. They also have some rental homes. You might want to price the Moorings as well.
I priced the Moorings but they were quite a bit more expensive.
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Old 01-29-2014, 03:08 PM   #39
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Both have thier +'s & -'s - have done both ( and now living in the Abaco's in a dirt house ) - Mountains in the Virgins - lots more private, off a sandy beach anchorages in Abaco's - not so much in the Virgins - theres a charge for most mooring balls in the Virgins with lots of boats around you - there is an issue going back and forth bewteen the BVI's and USVI's ( customs ) - flying in to STT or MHH is easy - both use eye ball navigation - both are fabulous cruising grounds - Captian K makes a good point - one year Virgins, next year the Abaco's - then the next time someone has question like this, you can jump in with your comments - you'll enjoy both for sure
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Old 01-29-2014, 05:18 PM   #40
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I'm going to try to run "Louisa" to the Abacos in mid to late spring. What is the consensus on when the weather is best? I hear May, June is best. How 'bout late March, April? Easier for me to go early (for work reasons), but no point in going down there for snotty weather.

I've run down to s.fla in the mid winter twice in this boat (because I could get away from work), and the weather sucked. Better than NC, but not "Caribbean" nice. Never could get a crossing window to the Bahamas.
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