exact location and speed of the Gulf Stream here, Guide to Storing Food without Refrigeration, " data-id="twitter" class="ss-twitter-color" data-ss-ss-network-id="twitter" data-ss-ss-post-id="34081" data-ss-ss-location="popup" data-ss-ss-permalink="https://theboatgalley.com/route-planning-cross-gulf-stream/" data-ss-ss-type="share" data-has-api="true" rel="nofollow">, Measure the east-west distance between where you think you might leave from and your destination. It should be less than 90 This is your heading to steer and should — on average — keep you near the rhumb line course to your actual destination (you will probably be north of the rhumb line in the middle of the trip, where the stream is the strongest, then come back towards the rhumb line in the second half). I’M PREPARING TO CRUISE — HOW DO I GET READY FOR THIS?? If you want to know more about this do a google search on "Set and Drift". if you happen to stop at a marina that has these offices very nearby you may not have to pay this but you should be prepared to walk from one office to the next there not always next door but dont worry the people are friendly speak english and will give you directions. You also definitely want to pay attention to the weather forecast as a northernly component to the wind will turn the GS into a washing machine. . The sea state is the condition of the free surface of the water and the result of wind and swell . I loved this article, very helpful for first-timers! . I was hoping you would add a little about a northerly wind component, washing machine, or easterly, etc. The average is the important thing for route planning. I can see why minimizing my time in the stream is important if the stream is rough that day, but if thats the case I’m probably not going. tips, reviews and how-to's for your liveaboard cruising, Published on March 8, 2020; last updated on June 12, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock. Click to see all 30 topics covered! Take a day as you’re waiting for your weather window and head south to a different anchorage — which one you choose will be determined by your draft. I created a series of potential routes for the various places where we could cross the reef on the Florida side and enter Hawk Channel, including ones that I thought were unrealistically south and north “just in case.” We steered due west as we crossed. However- the formula remains the same. Mouth of creek, visual center 8′ It is worth noting that “conventional wisdom” is often unwise. For one, the Bahamas are one of the most "boating-friendly" of America's adjacent subtropical neighbors. Those ships are typically traveling 20 to 25 knots and pass me by pretty quickly. When we arrived there were five cruise ships and boats everywhere. not long after dark… sail all night and plan on arriving in Bimini as the sun rose in the east. Only the captain can get off and check in, (Of course having said that I have met with the local official at the marina tiki bar with the boat crew). Carolyn — thanks thanks thank! Choose which side you plan to pass on and turn toward that direction. Our active and passionate readers enjoy powerboating, sailing, cruising, fishing, and water sports on boats both big and small. Learn everything you need to know with Get Ready to Cruise the Bahamas. Our chart plotter will only show one route at a time, so I began the day with the southernmost route. Get my self-paced online course, Get Ready to Cruise the Bahamas, for step-by-step details on 30 critical tasks. Enjoy the comfort of the marinas, and then hop off the boat to explore the beauty of the islands! You need to verify ahead of time that there is fuel where you headed, Many Marinas sustained major damages in recent hurricanes and some just have not been rebuilt as of yet. A cruising permit is required for all foreign private, non-commercial, pleasure boats (and occupants) to sail in Bahamian waters. . So I investigate them all and mark the ones we like the most as possible stops, depending on how much northing we really do get (also, if we travel faster than our estimated 6 knots, it’ll be fewer hours and thus we won’t be swept as far north). Bahamas Crossing : From South Florida to Bimini. Your email address will not be published. If you are considering relocating a vessel either departing or returning between the Bahamas and Florida, Captain James Lowe has made multiple crossings of the Gulf stream between The Bahamas and Florida and can accompany you or relocate the vessel for you. It was very eye-opening to us to turn literally two degrees south of due east and see our speed over ground drop over half a knot — a few degrees more and it dropped nearly a knot! • Totally FREE – one email a week, I’M THINKING ABOUT LIVING ON A BOAT AND DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START. If heading south first isn’t practical, my personal preference is the second option, making any necessary southing on the Bahamas side of the Gulf Stream. Want more information about going to the Bahamas? FAQ's. In this example, we’re thinking of leaving from Angelfish Creek and going to Gun Cay —  53.2 miles. Divide the east-west distance by your average speed to figure out how long it will take you to make the east-west distance. That got us about 15 miles further south than just leaving from Gun Cay — but only about 4 miles south of Angelfish Creek, our target on the Florida side (we were heading back to Marathon, in the Keys). There are two important concepts to know in planning this route. Now, that north amount is an average. Crossing the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible will decrease the danger from both of these. The cruise ship traffic in Ft Lauderdale doesn’t worry me. One key to faster speed is making sure the bottom of your boat is clean. The Resource Center has four FREE mini-courses to guide you to just the info you need, whether you’re discovering what living on a boat would be like, preparing to cruise, overwhelmed with the first-year learning curve, or needing help with cooking aboard. G3a center channel 5.9′ The Gulf Stream, located along the east coast of the United States, it is a fast current . Angelfish Creek Soundings: I’VE STARTED CRUISING AND I’M FRUSTRATED AND OVERWHELMED, living on a boat • cooking & food • gear Here’s how to make it more efficient. The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism is offering boating "flings" to Bimini, Harbour Island, Eleuthera and the Abacos through Aug. 5. Since we live aboard the boat, it’s no trouble to use a day that isn’t good to cross (generally due to north winds) to move to a more southerly jump-off place! Landing Fees thank you ….. Would love information crossing from lake Worth to the West End ~. We had a great motor sail down to Nassau arriving early afternoon. ), gained a great boat dog, had a bunch of wonderful times and some adventures . Having done the crossing dozens of times in our Dufour 34, I can tell you the best and easiest way to get to Bimini is to leave from Cape Florida…. As I said, in goid weather you won’t get lost as you can see the glow of Bimini from about half way there. and waiting for a window that is more favorable than another. I accidentally put my comment on yours instead of the one I meant to. R14 100′ off 6.5′ In the form of boat cards. That might not work . Crossing the Gulf Stream - Bahamas Bound Episode 7 - YouTube On sone trips when the stream isn’t running as hard, we have actually had to tack northward toward Bimini. In the ‘winter’ you only have about 10 hours of daylight and as the author explained a 9 hour trip is normal. US Customs decal. If you decide to do the “fight the current” route, you can simply set your waypoints as usual and steer to follow the rhumb line across (your heading will change as the stream is stronger in some places than others). . With the Gulf Stream, your heading and course will never be the same. 9 hour crossing for a total time of 13.5 hours. and learned a ton about what does and doesn't work! The result? Weather Our average speed, without current, is about 6 knots, so we know it will take about 9 hours (6 x 9 = 54 which is close enough for estimating). I know that a lot of cruisers start at the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area and head for Bimini, but Bimini is actually south of Miami. Since January 2019, 155 people who crossed the English Channel in small boats have been returned to Europe. Even if my speed over ground drops to 5 knots my trip time for the 62NM covered is just over 12 hours. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice! Somewhere as you’re crossing the Gulf Stream, it’s likely that you’ll have to cross, duck or wait for a ship to pass. R12-R10 visual center 9′ Click here. The Bahamas tops the list of Things to Do in the Caribbean. I would love to hear people’s reasons for minimizing the time in stream. Using a 3 it gulfstream I need to travel south approximately 27 NM for my crossing if i want minimal time in the stream. yes, there are several other anchorages up to as much as 28 miles north. Upon entry into Bahamian waters it necessary to fly the yellow quarantine flag until the entire crew and passengers have cleared Customs /Immigration. Crossing the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible will decrease the danger from both of these. US citizens must present a passport Required Cruising /Fishing Permit Fees are $150 for boats up to 35 feet , and $300.00 for over 35 feet. Landing Fees are one of the little unexpected fees you get hit with everywhere this is a fee a marina charges for you to tie up with for a short while example stopping to clear customs or stopping at a restaurant or some other attraction but not staying overnight landing fees can vary price depending on area and requested length of stay So, 2-4 could produce an 8 foot wave Either option is going to add hours to your trip. The only down side was leaving on Sunday, lots of. Because weather in the Gulf Stream is potentially squally, we opted to get across the stream as quickly as possible. You dont want to try to enter the harbor in Bimini in the dark! (Note that Angelfish Creek is suitable for shallow draft vessels only — we draw just 3 feet.). Fighting the Gulf Stream is, to put it bluntly, a sucker bet. Fuel NOTE* 'Individual waves may be Upon arrival, boaters must visit Bahamas Customs and Immigration at their Port of Entry to obtain this permit. In my 6kt boat this is a 4.5 hour trip added on to my approx. Route My husband and I have been cruising over 13 years and 12,000 miles, first on a Tayana 37 monohull and now on a 34' Gemini catamaran. Starting at Card Sound: You can learn how to get the exact location and speed of the Gulf Stream here. Be very, very cautious of trying to cross in front of another vessel — speeds are deceiving in the stream. By Kimberly Smith April 19, 2017. Also, I agree in general with your GS crossing info. • Tips from Carolyn That means Lake Worth to West End is a bad idea. R2a 75′ off 6.2′ Should you have engine problems on the crossing and have to sail at slower speeds, be aware that you’re almost certainly going to end up further north than you had expected. Luckily, a friend who has made many, many crossings took pity on me and explained it in a way that I did understand. Their favorite destinations have been the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Florida Keys and the beautiful islands of the Bahamas. If you want to visit the Bahamas by boat and are leaving from Florida, Crossing the Gulf Stream is one of your most important things to consider. We met two other cruising boats there and got recharged for our crossing to Nassau the next day. At 6 knots or less, crabbing into the current makes for a long trip, especially if you are trying to cross as a day hop. Crossing the Gulf Stream. I haven’t done that crossing but 8d analyze it the same way. Given that the Gulf Stream has so much volume flowing, it dwarfs all the rivers that empty into the Atlantic combined. The 2020 Virtual Boat Show. The same principles apply for Florida to Cuba and return. 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