Heading To The Southern Bahamas

[OceanEd]

Finally have the new boat rebuilt enough to head back to the Bahamas. It is not 100% the way I want it, but more than good enough for a 3 month trip. We will be leaving the dock tomorrow to head south.

We will be able to make 23 gal. of fresh water an hour with our watermaker and an 8 KW genset. The freezers and fridge are up and running as well as 2 air conditioning systems. The sails are new and all the running and standing rigging has been replaced as well as a new anchor windlass and large, oversized anchors. Both diesel engines are rebuilt and we have a new 20 hp, 4 stroke Yamaha outboard and new 12 foot AB rib inflatable to use for diving.

It is strange to think about starting a trip with a different boat than the one we lived on for 20 years. I don't know this one yet, and I am sure there are going to be some teething problems and a steep learning curve. The important thing, though, is that we are back cruising the out islands and diving uninhabited areas.

Hopefully when we return in March I will have some good pictures and better stories. I am still trying to work the bugs out of blue water hunting with a pole spear and I hope to really sort it all out this year.

I have been talking to fellow cruisers and it seems that Miami has actually started enforcing their new (in my opinion insane) anchoring law. A boat is only allowed to anchor for 72 hours before they kick them out of the Miami area. That may be fine for weekend people, but the cruising community uses Miami as a place to anchor and wait for decent weather to cross the Gulfstream to the Bahamas. The length of the wait is totally dependent on the weather, but Miami does not seem to care.

There were many, many cruising boats stacked up at anchor in Miami waiting for this bad weather to abate so they could cross. Miami has now kicked them all out of the Miami waters!!! What a crock. They all had to head either north, back to Ft. Lauderdale where there is very little anchoring in very expensive slips, or south to find a place to anchor and wait.

The law was passed because many of the waterfront owners were complaining that they did not want to look out their windows and see boats anchored in the water! Sometimes I think the world is turning upside down faster than anyone can imagine.

Dive safely.

[Man-O-War]

Good luck with the new rig, have fun and keep a diary (photo and otherwise)

[dagodiver]

Good luck with the new ride, it sure sounds great.!

I will be over to Long Island again soon to do some diving. Do you ever get that way.?


Dago.

[jfjf]

Good luck!!

[Johnoly]

Smooth travels my friend!!

[Dragginfish]

Have a safe and enjoyable trip Steven! I am sure there will still be a few fish left for you to hunt when you get back!!

See you at the Bottom

Dragginfish

[Mobile Diver]

Safe cruisin' dude!! And you're right, that is a stupid law.

[Nikki]

Have fun

[OceanEd]

Dago:

I dive Long Island quite often. There are some great coral heads and small reefs at the North West tip of the island. They start in about 30ft and go to about 60 feet of water. Lots of large Hogfish and grouper.

At the northern tip of the island is a shallow reef that juts out in a Northern direction and then drops straight down. I hope to try diving it this year so we can chum some pelagics into range.

At the North East end of the island are a serier of ridges that pretty much run North East to South West. The tops of the ridges are in about 30 feet. We have had some great spearing there as well.

Nikki, Keith, John, Steve, Jeff:

Thanks for the thoughts. It's been way to long since I was back out at sea and it feels like even longer since I was doing some serious freediving.

Dive Safe

[underpressure]

have a safe trip, i'm sure you will have a blast. see ya in march!

[cmfish]

Have a safe trip and enjoy yourself. Keep us updated on the bluewater ploespearin if possible, it sounds awesome. Also save some fish down there for me.....might have to make a trip south in the spring.

[DonJeffVivo]

Try attaching a floatline to your polespear, you'll avoid watching your polespear descend in the blue while you say "ah F%&%!!"

[El Cid]

Godspeed, sounds like it'll be an awesome time!! Like everyone says, keep the photos coming from your travels!

[loose_cannon]

Fair winds, following seas and red skies at night.

Enjoy!

[ObieWan2bWet]

Originally Posted by loose_cannon

Fair winds, following seas and red skies at night.

Enjoy!

Ditto... could not have said it better...

Keep us posted, have fun.