We are far from experts, but we have learned a few things on our trips that may be of help for others considering Bahamas trips on small trailerable outboard powered boats. In preparing for our trips, we found a lot of what was written in articles and cruising guides was intended for sailboats and trawlers, and needs some tweaking to apply to us little guys. The tips below are intended as a helpful starting point for those wishing to travel safely and live comfortably aboard a small powerboat for a week or two at a time in the Bahamas.
We have seen quite a variety of small outboard boats cruising in the Bahamas, from beat up 20 foot center consoles with canvas bow enclosures to shiny pocket yachts that cost more than our house. In general, I think a walkaround or express type in the 24-28 foot range, with twin engines, is about ideal. We have made plenty of trips in a single engine outboard, but feel it is best to do this in company with at least one other boat. Be sure to check with your insurance company about if, or under what circumstances, they will offer coverage for your boat over in the Bahamas. Some hints for customizing your boat for comfortable cruising:
Ø Hatches and portholes – the more the better, and all with screens. Have a screen made for the companionway hatch as well.
Ø A fabric “Breeze Booster” like the sailboats use, to funnel fresh air down the hatches
Ø A couple of 12 volt fans hard wired in, and a couple of little battery operated “crew fans”
Ø Some kind of cockpit bimini or other shade – an absolute must. A full cockpit enclosure with screen sides is even nicer.
Ø A high quality cooler, so you won’t need to buy ice every two days
Ø If your bunks are too hard, get one of those memory foam mattress toppers and cut it to fit – a real back saver
Some small boats these days come with installed generators and air conditioning, or you can add portable units. To us, it never seemed worth the expense and, especially, the weight. You can be quite comfortable with natural ventilation, even in the middle of the summer.
Planning Your Cruise
The typical cruising guides will give you most of what you need to know about customs, anchorages, services and harbors. While most big boats cruise the Bahamas in the winter, we think the summertime is better for the "Mosquito Fleet". The weather is usually more settled in the summer, with the important exception of tropical storms and hurricanes. Our favorite months are June and July, but anytime between mid-May and September is usually pretty good. When planning your routes, pay particular attention to fuel stops as they relate to the range of your boat, and remember that your planned fuel stop may be out of fuel or the electricity to pump it, so don't try to push your range. I like to fill up whenever I get the chance. Since small boats are also generally pretty fast, you can plan on daily runs of 150 miles if you need to get somewhere. If you don't have a long way to go, sleep in and loaf around, and try to concentrate your travel in the middle of the day, when the sun is high and reading the water is easier. Leave yourself plenty of time to get settled in at your new destination before sunset. Never ever consider traveling at night.
As a small boat, you have a couple of definite advantages over the big boys. A great one is mobility. It is no real hassle to unanchor and noodle around, so you can take your boat out exploring, fishing, diving, and visiting every day - the things the big boats use thier dingys for. Your much shallower draft means you never have much problem finding an anchorage - the popular spots all have areas too shallow for eveyone else, and you can explore and find your own perfect spots, which you will probably have all to yourself. And your final big advantage is speed, if it comes time to beat feet back to the states in the event of an approaching hurricane. Even in the remotest Exumas, you are no more than 12 hours from Miami.
You can’t skimp on this, you need to carry pretty much what the big boys bring, with maybe a few exceptions.
Ø VHF radio, either two or one with a handheld backup. Invest in a top shelf antenna (I like the Digital).
Ø EPIRB – they are less than a thousand bucks, and can be a lifesaver. Buy one, or rent one, and be sure to properly register it
Ø Life raft – They are nice to have, and can be rented also. There are space and weight issues for small boats, and we have gone without one so far.
Ø Charts – the Chart Book style (e.g. Maptech) are perfectly fine and are easier to deal with on small boats. Make sure they are current. Your chart plotter is NOT a substitute.
Ø Cruising guides – there is tons of useful information you will need. We like the classic “Yachtsmans Guide to the Bahamas” and for the Abacos, “Dodges Guide to the Abacos” is outstanding. Again, get a current copy.
Ø GPS – A chart plotter is a great and convenient tool, but be aware that there is a LOT of stuff out there that is not charted, and the base charts may be off by several hundred yards or more. A handheld backup GPS is a great thing.
Ø Binoculars – probably the most under rated navigational aid. I particularly like the ones with the hand bearing compass built in
Good ground tackle will make the difference between carefree and sleepless nights. You are going to need a minimum of 2 anchors.
Ø Working anchor – whatever style you like best, but get it the next size up from what is recommended for your size boat. Add a length of chain equal to the length of your boat, and 200 feet of line
Ø Stern anchor/spare anchor – the normal recommended size, with 15-20 feet of chain and 200 feet of line. You will be using this when you need to stern anchor or do a “Bahama moor” and also as a backup. I like a Danforth HT or Fortress for this one.
Ø Storm anchor – optional. I have a grossly oversized Fortress that breaks down for easy storage and is deployed when things look like they are going to blow big time. You can also deploy both your working and stern anchors off the bow about 45 degrees apart in that sort of situation.
In the Bahamas, since the water is so nice and clear and warm, I think it is always good practice to snorkel down and inspect the anchor(s) and make sure they are well set.
Now we are moving beyond the needs of grim survival into the fun stuff. Some folks can live on sandwiches and beer indefinitely, but we like to eat well, and are willing to put up with some fuss and clutter in order to do so. Our boat did not come with any kind of permanently installed galley, and so we make do with portable stuff, and cook in the cockpit (where it is nice and cool and breezy anyway). Fresh fish, conch, and lobster are on the menu! Some cool galley things we like:
Ø The Magma stainless steel propane BBQ. It comes with attachments that clamp onto a railing or go in a rod holder so the whole mess hangs overboard.
Ø The Glowmaster butane stove. Compact and very convenient, just like a gas range at home. About 30 bucks.
Ø The Frigid Rigid cooler. Very expensive, but it keeps ice practically forever, so your groceries are not always swimming around in meltwater.
Ø 2 gallon and 2.5 gallon Ziplocs. Great for organizing your food into breakfast, lunch, and dinner sections, so you just have to pull out one bag instead of hunting for a bunch of separate items
Ø Rubbermaid plastic tubs, with locking tops. One for dry groceries, and one for pots, pans, and plates.
I will leave you here with one recipe, which is both dirt simple and delicious, for fresh fish on the grill...
Take a single serving potion of fresh filet, and place on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Add such spices as you like, and top with 2 or 3 big pats of butter. Pile some chopped onions and/or sliced squash and zucchini, and wrap it up in a flat package nice and tight. Put it on the grill and grill until you hear it sizzle, then flip it over and grill on the other side for 3-4 minutes. Serve over some Uncle Bens precooked rice (which you can warm in another foil pack if you like), and have at it!
This talk of food leads naturally to fishing, and fishing is excellent almost everywhere. Your cruising permit includes a fishing license, which comes with the simple Bahamian fishing regulations printed on the back. We try to go fairly light on the fishing tackle, not fooling around with live baits, outriggers, downriggers, and all that big game stuff.
Ø Two 30 lb class trolling rods, with a small assortment of feathers, plugs, and jigs for trolling. This will do nicely for dolphin and small wahoo and tuna, and can also do double duty for deep bottom fishing for hefty grouper.
Ø One medium duty (15 lb class) spinning rod, for slightly sportier fishing around the shallow reefs and on the flats
Ø We generally don’t bother with frozen rigged baits, except on the way across. Conch scraps make excellent bait for just about anything.
Ø A pole spear or Hawaiian sling for everyone on board, and mask, fins, and snorkel. Spearfishing in the Bahamas is a blast, and you can also catch conch and lobster (in season). Be sure to keep a close lookout for sharks, and get any speared fish out of the water right away.
When we are cruising, we are using both our fishboxes for storage, and cannot afford the space and weight of a separate cooler full of ice to store fish. Fortunately, in the Bahamas it is legal to clean fish at sea, so we immediately clean whatever we catch and then tuck the nice clean little Ziploc bags of filets or conch away in our food cooler.
In a small boat, you have to look long and hard at the weight and bulk of each and every item you want to bring along – it’s like a slightly less restrictive version of backpacking. So bring what you need, but be sure you need what you bring. Hers what our list for a week long trip looks like (besides the stuff we talked about above):
Ø Clothes – lightweight quick dry, for 3 or 4 days. Include one pair of long pants and long sleeve shirt for buggy mornings and evenings
Ø Snorkel gear – including a couple of long sleeve t-shirts or a light dive skin for fire coral protection
Ø Passports and boat papers – don’t forget these!
Ø Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and a floppy hat
Ø A good first aid kit
Ø Boat and engine spares – spare prop(s), fuel filters, engine oil, gear oil, shop manual
Ø A good book or two for rainy days
What are we forgetting? Probably lots and lots of stuff. There are cruising guides and magazine articles that I’m sure do a much more thorough job, but we thought we’d give it a shot, and hope this may be helpful. Have fun out there!