Be aware that a busy shipping channel exist between the Bahamas and Florida keep a sharp eye on the horizon and use vessel radar if equipped. Weather is another big component, but everyone’s tolerance for conditions is different! However, if you are coming from the south like the FL Keys to Bimini you can use the stream to your advantage. Your route is great. R2a 75′ off 6.2′ Learn everything you need to know with Get Ready to Cruise the Bahamas. PICK YOUR DAYS! If you've not been there before, you're in for a splendorous treat. When we arrived there were five cruise ships and boats everywhere. G3a to G3 center channel 5.7′ . 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. We offer 16 unique destinations filled with exciting experiences below and above water. The last thing cruise ships want is to run into sailboats. I would love to hear more about “not fighting Mother Nature”. Mindy and David have a passion for small sailboats called micro-cruisers, and they have been cruising in their tiny boats for 30 years. Bahamas Crossing : From South Florida to Bimini. Maintain speed until you reach the wave. tips, reviews and how-to's for your liveaboard cruising, Published on March 8, 2020; last updated on June 12, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock. If you start from further south, you’ll have a much faster and hence safer crossing. 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. 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). Browse available Sabre boats … To figure this with a real-life example of leaving from Angelfish Creek: I always plan for alternate “destinations” on the crossing so that if we get swept more or less than expected we have options already plotted and examined. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice! Unless you are familiar with Hillsboro, go down to Ft. Lauderdale. Even if the Gulf Stream is averaging 2 knots, that’s 18 miles of northing. The sea state is the condition of the free surface of the water and the result of wind and swell . Since January 2019, 155 people who crossed the English Channel in small boats have been returned to Europe. This fast-flowing current is part of the North Atlantic Gyre and flows northward from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Read our privacy policy. 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. Every crossing I made was begun in the evening so that we would be arriving in the Bahamas in full daylight. You can learn how to get the exact location and speed of the Gulf Stream here. I loved this article, very helpful for first-timers! I remember that well from planning our crossing in 2016 — I was so confused by what all I read. Using a 3 it gulfstream I need to travel south approximately 27 NM for my crossing if i want minimal time in the stream. Multiply the hours by the estimated speed of the Gulf Stream to get the amount you can expect to be set north — I use 2.5 for this, which generally works well as an average — but look at the. As a passionate retired science teacher, the Gulf Stream is one of the natural wonders of the world. And if you have to “pause,” (at one point, we had ships heading both north and south right in front of us) my strategy is to head south — if I just cut speed, I get swept to the north. R10 visual center 14′ Either option is going to add hours to your trip. Crossing the Gulf Stream by boat from Florida to the Bahamas takes more planning than most routes. Basically it is like a giant river of warm water in the sea, averaging about 60 miles wide and 2500-4000 feet deep. . Once you get to The Bahamas, marinas are the safest spots to spend your nights (click here to read about a few of our favorites), and many marinas have restaurants and grocery stores on site so you don't need to provision as extensively for the crossing. 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. it may not be as simple as marking a date on a calendar. (Note that Angelfish Creek is suitable for shallow draft vessels only — we draw just 3 feet.). Featured Articles . Get my self-paced online course, Get Ready to Cruise the Bahamas, for step-by-step details on 30 critical tasks. You’re better off with what might be called the third option. Starting at Card Sound: But we were able to add a bit of a twist on this by using a day with northeast winds (not good for making the crossing) to head south along the Bimini chain to Riding Rock — taking advantage of a counter current as well. Despite dire warnings from family and friends that our boat was too small and we were too green, we were confident we could do it. FAQ's. There are two important concepts to know in planning this route. . Angelfish Creek Soundings: I think we have crossed the stream about 10 times, and it is always different. Support Lady K - http://www.patreon.com/ladyksailingOr http://www.ladyksailing.com/team-k Very confused seas as the current fights the wind. Second, your course (or course over ground) is the direction that the boat as a whole is actually moving and what is reflected on your chart plotter course. Really enjoy reading your articles …. 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. Directly out to Hawk Channel 6.5′ increasing, Your email address will not be published. Weather is a different component. The Gulf Stream has considerably warmer water than the ocean around it, and that means that thunderstorms are more likely as you cross it. CBP has designated specific reporting locations that are staffed during boating season for pleasure boats to report their arrival and be inspected by CBP. 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. Lake Worth is too far north to have a good crossing to West End. It typically averages between 2 and 2.5 knots. On sone trips when the stream isn’t running as hard, we have actually had to tack northward toward Bimini. However- the formula remains the same. Your course over ground will always be north of your heading. See the soundings, below. We always left at around 8pm or so…. But while the stream exerts influence on almost the entire trip to/from the Bahamas, it does not cover the entire Florida Straits between the Keys and Cuba and thus you can get some westing on either side of the stream. Such a simple, straightforward and USEFUL description of the planning process! As your bow passes past the crest of the wave, you may want to increase throttle just slightly to avoid the bow dropping into the trough and t… R12-R10 visual center 9′ Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure everything out. That might not work . The Gulf Stream is literally a river of water in the Atlantic Ocean that runs north between Florida and the Bahamas (or east between Florida and Cuba). The sea state is characterized by statistics, including the wave height, period, EXAMPLE 'Seas 3 to 5 ft' Period 6 seconds YOU PROBABLY WANT LESS THAN 2 TO 4 [More] Boatcards and Memories. Because the trip is longer and you’re in the stream longer, the estimated steering heading is less likely to be “perfect” and may need a little tweaking as you see how conditions are actually developing. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and is a very busy port. When first researching, it may seem like a crazy dream to take a trailer boat to The R12 50′ off 9′ We had a great motor sail down to Nassau arriving early afternoon. Try to avoid a north wind. Check out all the special deals from our podcast sponsors! Required fields are marked *. All this is really only gleaned from experience. I know a lot of people make that crossing but I think that it’s an easier and faster trip if you start a little further south. Crossing the Gulf Stream. 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. It is also very busy with lots of large cargo ships heading up and down the east coast and many small to medium-sized boats going between Florida and the Bahamas. It’s also not a bad idea to go as a group. A late start in the morning and you’re ariving at night. Years ago I know a group of guys in gheenoes crossed from I think Miami to Bimini, with a chase boat or 2. . Robert Munro and Ian Campbell, the two elderly Scots who set out from Greenock in a small boat on 25th August 1970, put into Hope Town in the Bahamas on Monday, 22nd February 1971. The stream usually doesn’t run right up to the islands. yes, there are several other anchorages up to as much as 28 miles north. DTOPS for Private Vessel (30+ ft.) or Report Arrival By Phone, For more information please see my Rates/Fees And The 45 gallons of fuel is a bit light but will get you to the Bahamas without needing to tank up. Go to Hillsboro or Fort Lauderdale. 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. 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. The Gulf Stream, located along the east coast of the United States, it is a fast current If you want to know more about this do a google search on "Set and Drift". Cruise ships leaving Port Canaveral that evening, talked with most of them via VHF, they had us on radar and turned to avoid us. I really wanted to keep this discussion to simply routing and how you have to plan for the offset to the north. Click here. You dont want to try to enter the harbor in Bimini in the dark! [More] 10 Small Catamarans for Cruisers, Don’t waste energy keeping your boat fridge cool. But I don’t think we added much time to the trip and we got out of the stream, its traffic, and its weather, far more quickly. I agree with Fred on the merits, importantly that provisioning opportunities near Ft Lauderdale are better than Hillsboro. 9 hour crossing for a total time of 13.5 hours. If you're going between FT Lauderdale / Miami area to Bimini Island, it only about 60 miles. *grin*. This means that you’re going to have to do one of two things: (1) fight current all day, which will cut your speed considerably or (2) allow the Gulf Stream to sweep you north by heading due east, then turning and heading south once you get on the far side of stream (with luck, you’ll find a counter-current to help you). My 28' S2 does not even have a connection for shore power. Our active and passionate readers enjoy powerboating, sailing, cruising, fishing, and water sports on boats both big and small. An overview and comparison of 10 of the most popular small catamarans. Depending on where you check in you may be hit with"Customs Immigration Officer Travel fee" this is a fee they charge you to come your boat and it varies on how far they had to travel from thier office to the marina your checking in at, average about $20-30 bucks. 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. For quickly crossing the Gulf Stream, then, you must leave from a point south of your intended destination. The Boat Galley can be overwhelming with over 1,200 articles. more than twice the significant wave height'. 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. The cruise ship traffic in Ft Lauderdale doesn’t worry me. First, your heading is where you are pointing the boat. . 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). I would love to hear people’s reasons for minimizing the time in stream. Hmm, I discovered that Angelfish Creek is more like 15 miles south of Gun Cay. R14-R12 8′ THE Gulf stream is northern current (meaning its pushing to the north) between Florida and Bahamas that flows at a rate of 2.5kt to 5.0 knots. It is also very busy with lots of large cargo ships heading up and down the east coast and many small to medium-sized boats going between Florida and the Bahamas. One advantage of a smaller boat is that when you are the smallest boat in the harbor, you attract either admiration or "you'r effin nuts" so you meet a lot of people. Our club frequently held overnight races to Bimini or to West End. Want more information about going to the Bahamas? I sounded a route with my dinghy, then confirmed it the next day with the big boat at low tide. Bahamas Customs and Immigration officials will come to your boat. Now, that north amount is an average. Then figure the steering course for this route. Fixing stuff in the bahamas is often difficult but MArsh HArbor does have one of the best hardware stores I have ever seen. The tidal flow between North Bimini and South Bimini is quite strong. It may be necessary to carry extra fuel in jerry cans, keep in mind transferring the fuel from the cans to the vessels tanks in seas presents a new challenge. Heading North from the Keys, use the Gulf Stream, if there is a Northerly component in the wind, STAY OUT OF THE GULF STREAM!!! It has been tested a number of times since by friends. Weather Thanks Carolyn! January 23, 2021 By Carolyn Shearlock/Rick Marcarelli, Looking for a simple, affordable, and comfortable cruising boat? Leaving from that far north, you will be fighting the Gulf Stream the whole way, as I discussed. Everyone must have proof of citizenship and fill out an immigration card. Berry Islands Bahamas Crossing to West End Bahamas 90 miles on a 19 feet Boat - Duration: 25:02. The result? Be very, very cautious of trying to cross in front of another vessel — speeds are deceiving in the stream. The average is the important thing for route planning. Figuring where you should leave from, how long the trip will take, what course to steer and other details can seem overwhelming. But if you can travel at 8 knots or more, then there may be better tactics, especially if you are not trying to stop in Bimini or West End and are wiling to go overnight to Chub, Great Harbour Cay or New Providence. Enjoy the comfort of the marinas, and then hop off the boat to explore the beauty of the islands! Entering Policies . The exact location and speed does vary slightly from day to day. Just $39. You can look at my November 19 blog post, “Gulf Stream Crossing” at mvprivateer.com. • Popular articles you may have missed Fighting the Gulf Stream is, to put it bluntly, a sucker bet. A further 166 are due to be returned, the home secretary said last month. If you can, avoid the weekend. Now its TIME for another hidden fee. Click here. I’M PREPARING TO CRUISE — HOW DO I GET READY FOR THIS?? If you leave Florida and head due east (90 degrees), every hour that you travel you’ll go eastward whatever your speed is AND north 2 to 2.5 miles. If i choose to just sail a more southerly heading it lengthens the mileage sailed and lowers my speed over ground. Planning to cruise the Bahamas? 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! There is often even a counter-current on the east side. I live at the Lake Worth Inlet, making it attractive to “crab” into the Gulf Stream and take a more southerly heading. There is a lot of planning involved when you are going to the Bahamas by boat, and even more, planning is needed if you are going on a Fuel Crossing the Gulf Stream - Bahamas Bound Episode 7 - YouTube 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). (You are still technically required to have a permit for pets – such as cats – that won’t leave the boat and one will definitely be required if you should have to fly out for any reason, such as an emergency at home or medical issue that can’t be treated in the Bahamas.) It is worth noting that “conventional wisdom” is often unwise. it's been my experience that the seas are slightly higher in the stream. (One time a member of our flotilla decided to leave mid day as they were on vacation. Be aware, however, that your speed over ground is likely to be at least a knot less than you typically average and plan accordingly. Mouth of creek, visual center 8′ Where do these migrants come from? Our options were to either fight the current or get across and then make our southing inside Hawk Channel. Either way, you’ll be looking at a fast, easily-managed boat that will cruise in style. We, of course would compensate for the Gulf Stream…stearing somewhere around 120 degrees magnetic if memory serves me…it’s been a long time since the last trip ….you can’t get lost if the weather is decent…you can see the glow of the lights in Bimini most of the way! Excellent info on making the crossing by sailboat! I’m not advocating for one method over the other. Crossing the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible will decrease the danger from both of these. . and learned a ton about what does and doesn't work! It was supposed to be in reply to the one about trying to cross from Lake Worth to West End. 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…. Wind over current causes an uncomfortable chopCheck Offshore Weather, Sea State We had a fast trip and made better than expected time, so we came in right at Gun Cay (a bit of counter-current on the Bahamas side helped, too). I’ve made the crossing several times by sailboat and want to emphasize the danger of a night arrival and especially to Bimini as a previous poster noted. Here’s how to make it more efficient. Upon entry into Bahamian waters it necessary to fly the yellow quarantine flag until the entire crew and passengers have cleared Customs /Immigration. . So I'm starting to work on my bucket list for the future. Route Click to see all 30 topics covered! The Gulf Stream greeted us with some formidable waves that at times appeared as tall as our 14-foot mast. Divide the east-west distance by your average speed to figure out how long it will take you to make the east-west distance. Another is to motor or motor-sail at your max cruising speed. Those ships are typically traveling 20 to 25 knots and pass me by pretty quickly. Lake Worth is too far North to cross to West End. For us, the preparation for the Bahamas trip begins 6 months to a year before the crossing. Hi, Enjoyed the article. As I said, in goid weather you won’t get lost as you can see the glow of Bimini from about half way there. The faster you get across the Gulf Stream, the less you’ll get swept north. Sorry for the confusion there. • Tips from Carolyn So, our starting point needs to be about 22 miles south of Gun Cay. Crossing the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible will decrease the danger from both of these. I think this is really important, especially if the weather turns snotty or the trip takes longer than expected and sunset is close . Either on a paper or electronic chart, mark a point this number of miles due south of your intended destination. Gulf Stream I’VE STARTED CRUISING AND I’M FRUSTRATED AND OVERWHELMED, living on a boat • cooking & food • gear By Kimberly Smith April 19, 2017. Between G1 and R2 center channel 6.0′ No obstruction found and waiting for a window that is more favorable than another. We actually would always leave from Cape Florida….at the southern tip of Key Biscayne. A cruising permit is required for all foreign private, non-commercial, pleasure boats (and occupants) to sail in Bahamian waters. For U.S. boaters making their first crossing to the Bahamas, Bimini is the destination of choice for many reasons. The Bahamas tops the list of Things to Do in the Caribbean. That means Lake Worth to West End is a bad idea. Filed Under: Cruising & Chartering Tagged With: Bahamas, Cruising the Bahamas, International Cruising, Underway. and result of the wind patterns acting on North Atlantic Ocean. Carolyn — thanks thanks thank! Many of us dream of “pure sailing” across the Gulf Stream but it’s rare to get conditions that allow for a fast crossing under sail alone. Choose which side you plan to pass on and turn toward that direction. With a 3 kt stream it makes my 56 NM direct distance approx 62 NM sailed. And so on, until we got to the reef and made our way into Hawk Channel, where we had a glorious sail south — out of the Gulf Stream — down to Angelfish Creek. I was hoping you would add a little about a northerly wind component, washing machine, or easterly, etc. The only down side was leaving on Sunday, lots of. But what’s the minimum amount south? Landing Fees ... How to take a jet ski or small boat to the Bahamas : Part 1 - … Visiting boaters must clear Customs and Immigration at the nearest designated Port of Entry. Ships If you are planning to start further south, say at Rodriguez Key (Key Largo) and head for Bimini or Gun Cay, you’d start the planning in the same way. It’s the recreational weekend warriors I worry about. https://www.facebook.com/fullperformancemarine/videos/132195365413578 We left the Keys around 4:00 pm and were in West End around 2:00 pm. I haven’t done that crossing but 8d analyze it the same way. I accidentally put my comment on yours instead of the one I meant to. The latest official data on the nationality of people crossing the Channel in small boats is also found in the Home Secretary’s letter of 2 September 2020. Ft. Lauderdale can be a madhouse on weekends…..not to mention the cruise ship traffic. You will not follow the rhumb line and your chart plotter will keep showing you being further off course until you make that turn on the far side of the stream. The next step was to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, so we towed Little Cruiser down to Miami. As we got swept north of that rhumb line, I pulled up the next route to the north. This is supported by the fact that a rise in small boat crossings has coincided with a fall in the overall number of people seeking asylum. Destination was Bimini, but they ran aground in the dark between the islands). The master of the boat must report to CBP telephonically and be directed to the nearest Port of Entry to satisfy the face-to-face requirement, or report to the nearest designated reporting location along with the boat's passengers for inspection. or past. Three Things to Know for Route Planning There used to be a well known light there, called BUG LIGHT. I’m going to discuss crossing the Gulf Stream from Florida to the Bahamas (and return) in this article. This article was originally written on January 18, 2018. Then again, we drew 6’6″… and would frequently bump on the way in. Given that the Gulf Stream has so much volume flowing, it dwarfs all the rivers that empty into the Atlantic combined. For one, the Bahamas are one of the most "boating-friendly" of America's adjacent subtropical neighbors. I know groups on waverunners do it fairly often. thank you ….. Would love information crossing from lake Worth to the West End ~. 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). If your crossing the Gulf Stream in a six knot boat you should pick a destination 25 nm North of where you start, in both directions. US Customs decal. The gulf stream is about 60 miles wide in some places and is only a few miles offshore in southern FL. Our chart plotter will only show one route at a time, so I began the day with the southernmost route. 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. The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism is offering boating "flings" to Bimini, Harbour Island, Eleuthera and the Abacos through Aug. 5. 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. 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. Yacht Delivery Boat Delivery crossing Gulf Stream between Florida and the Bahamas (727) 236-1385 : Skip to main content ... Bahamas Crossings . FAILURE TO REPORT A VESSELS RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES IS A FEDERAL CRIME WITH CIVAL AND CRIMINAL PENEATIES WITH FINES AND IMPRISONMET AS WELL AND SEIZURE AND FORFETURE OF VESSEL We knew we couldn’t really start as far south as would be ideal — the Bimini chain doesn’t extend that far south. Slow down until your speed just slightly exceeds the speed of the wave, then cross. We will never sell your email or send spam. The same principles apply for Florida to Cuba and return. 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). Because weather in the Gulf Stream is potentially squally, we opted to get across the stream as quickly as possible. Trips when the Stream, your heading is where you should leave from how... Down to Nassau arriving early afternoon wind component, but everyone ’ s the weekend. 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To Florida, the Bahamas in full daylight ” at mvprivateer.com measure the actual distance between the islands a wind! Are deceiving in the east nearby alternate “ starting points ” on the Florida Keys and the beautiful of! Permit is required for all foreign private, non-commercial, pleasure boats ( and occupants ) to sail Bahamian. With the Gulf Stream, your heading is where you should leave from Cape Florida….at southern! Light there, called BUG light Galley can be overwhelming with over 1,200 articles ( which is traveling the.... Of trying to cross in front of you, leaving a substantial.! They have been returned to Europe m going to discuss crossing the Gulf Stream is, to put bluntly. So i look on the merits, importantly that provisioning opportunities near small boat bahamas crossing Lauderdale doesn ’ t alternate! Without needing to tank up 2 knots, that ’ s the recreational weekend warriors worry! 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From both of these arrival by Phone, for step-by-step details on 30 critical.. Will never sell your email or send spam concepts to know more this! But MArsh HArbor does have one of the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible will cruise in....