Fort Lauderdale to Staniel Cay, Exuma, Bahamas

In 2016, 2 boats (my 2016 Cobalt R5, which had 12 hours on it when we left & a 2015 Yamaha AR240) plus 2 skis made a trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Staniel Cay, Exuma, Bahamas.

Day 1
We left Florida and went to Bimini to clear customs and refuel, about 60 miles. Then from Bimini we went to Chub Cay to refuel, about a 90 mile run. The plan was to make it to Nassau, about 40 miles, but when we got to Chub Cay they had just received fuel and would not pump until the morning, they wait 12 hours for the sediment to settle before pumping. With the extra fuel everyone had carried we could have made it to Nassau but unfortunately one of skis lost 1 of 2 cans of fuel while crossing and didn't have enough fuel to make it to Nassau. This meant we had to stay in Chub Cay for the night, luckily we were able to rent a house for the group to stay in. Long trips like this you have to be flexible and adapt to changing situations.

Day 2
Refueled at Chub Cay and made the 40 mile trip to Nassau. In Nassau we meet up with friends and family that flew in and would make the remainder of the boating trip to Exuma with us.

Day 3
Topped of fuel at Palm Cay in Nassau and headed to Staniel Cay, Exuma. We stopped at some extreme northern parts of Exuma to explore.

Day 4-7
Spent the time going north and south from Staniel Cay plus around Staniel Cay exploring the waters and beaches.

Day 8
Traveled from Staniel Cay back to Bimini with stops in Palm Cay and Chub Cay for fuel, this was a 220 mile trip. Met up with a group of boaters that were in Bimini to visit and hang out.

Day 9-10
Hung out in the waters around Bimini

Day 11
Unfortunately the trip had to come to an end, we left Bimini and headed back to the states.

I would have to say throughout the years and all my boating trips, going to Exuma, Bahamas is by far my favorite.

Here are some videos of the trip.

From the captain of the Yamaha AR240, , yes his video says we left from Miami but we actually left from Fort Lauderdale. He put Miami thinking he would bet more hits but I think it was his wife in the cover shot that caused folks to what his video.

My Videos (not much compared to the above video) and

My InReach tracking map


Prior to going on this adventure the wife and I had been to Bimini, Bahamas 4 times.

 

The crossing all depends what you and your crew are personally comfortable with. For my crew, 2'-4' with the occasional 6' waves is no big deal as long as the frequency of the waves is big enough to make navigating them feasible. If the waves get to tight and/or to sloppy (like being in a washing machine) the ride can be very uncomfortable. To me the key is missing the thunderstorms, they will seriously amplify the waves to an almost unmanageable condition.

We typically leave first thing in the morning, just as the sun is coming up because that is when things are normally the calmest but we do closely watch the weather/wave forecast and move the time or day of the travel to pick a decent forecast. Also, everyone is so excited to get to the destination that leaving at sunrise is no big deal even for the folks that like to sleep in.

I will start a separate thread with a lot of detail on going to the Bahamas but here a some quick answers to your questions. Prep before going is fresh oil changes, go over all the boat systems to make sure things are working properly, have all the necessary paperwork, trailer is in tip top shape, etc.

As for electronics, we have found that a good handheld VHF radio works very well if you are with a group of boats. But if you are making the trip alone I would recommend a fixed VHF with an 6' or 8' antenna. There is a lot of traffic along the come travel lanes around the Bahamas that you rarely go very long without seeing another boat. We all like and use InReach satellite tracking and emergency transpoder, Garmin recently bought Delorme who created the product. The map I attached above is my InReach track which is great from family and friends being able to stalk you while you are away.

Like I said I will start a new thread with a lot of details about going to the Bahamas.

 

Now that you are in New Orleans it definitely closer to tow to but the big group of boats that we typically travel with to Bimini, we have had people pull from Washington State and Calgary, Alberta, Canada to make the trip. So it all depends on how crazy you are to go somewhere on how far you will tow.

For instance on my bucket list and hope to get done in the next 5 years, we are wanting to go to Lake Powell which from South Carolina is a 2,000 mile tow one way.