I plan my trips early obviously

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Chinook
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by Chinook »

Alas, I didn't start writing and posting blogs of our trips until our 2005 Alaska trip. That started with us emailing daily descriptions, along with mailing cd's of pictures, to our high tech son. When we got home, he surprised us with this great posted blog, which matched pictures with the daily entries. He did a great job, but it was a huge amount of work on his part. For our next trip, he taught me (yes, I'm teachable but barely) to post blog entries and attach photos, and I've been doing it for our major cruises ever since. As for the Abacos cruise, it was part of a year long odyssey we undertook in 2003-4, immediately after I retired. We loaded a small camper onto the truck and hitched up the boat, and set out on a 16,000 mile road circumnavigation of the US and southeastern Canada. Along the way we put the boat into great cruising waters like Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Lake in the Grand Tetons, Isle Royal on Lake Superior, Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, Lake Champlain, the coast of Maine, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, southwestern Florida (including the Keys), the Abacos, and on our way home, Lake Powell. We were on the boat cruising for about 4 of the 12 months we were out. The Abaco cruise was 2 months in length, in March and April. I have the pictures and the memories, but no written account.
whgoffrn
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by whgoffrn »

Did u feel the abacos was just as beautiful as the exumas or would I feel I short changed myself if I went there... I guess that's my biggest question is if the abacos is ALMOST the exumas or almost the keys..... when people ask me about the keys I tell them I dont feel the keys are worth going to unless you have a boat and willing to go 5 miles off the beach to the reefs ..... to me alligator reef and sombrero reef are show stoppers and everytime I go there I'm amazed a place like it exists on this planet ....the rest of the keys is meh ok... I've only seen pictures of the exumas but it also looks to me to be equally or more phenominal...... what is you opinion of the abacos....I know a hard question to ask but on a scale of. Keys ----to----- exumas where on this scale are the abacos
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Sumner
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by Sumner »

whgoffrn wrote:.... I guess now that's my question is if once I get to the abacos if I will be disappointed because it's not nearly as beautiful as the exumas and pretty similar to the keys or if it will be just as stunning as the exumas... I think with nippers pig island and a couple of the other things my kids would find the abacos entertaining enough ..... are the beaches, (are there any grottos??) Is water and overall beauty of the abacos equally as beautiful as the exumas?
Image

I don't see where there is that much difference in distance between the two, but as Mike said more open crossings going to the Exumas, but getting from West End east is also a lot of open water where you won't see much in the way of land. I did most of that going from Fox Town west to West End. I also agree with him in that you don't want to have to sit at West End. Most people that I've read their trip reports cruising to the Abacos end up at Marsh Harbour (the end of the route shown above). They then sit there during the winter months. Now if you went to the islands a ways north of Grand Bahama that would make the trip much shorter. Google those islands/cays for pictures and info. Someone on here went to them a few years ago, but you don't see much about them. I looked once and they did look interesting as far as beauty.

The route I showed to the Exumas just gets you to the northern Exumas but from there 30 miles or so south is some really pretty cays and the iguanas and pigs and the James Bond grotto. There again most that go for the winter end up in Georgetown a fair ways south and sit the winter out there.

As far as the Keys vs. the Abacos, I haven't seen anyplace in the Keys that is as nice looking in regards to scenery as any place you will go in the Bahamas, but that is my view. If the kids like that it is a big plus. If they want to be connected on cell phones and like activities with lots of other people around then the Keys are going to win.

Sumner

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Last edited by Sumner on Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
whgoffrn
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by whgoffrn »

https://vimeo.com/282436349. This is a a video my kids made they think they are going to be YouTube stars lol... skip to 28 seconds that is the water clarity and view of alligator reef.... I want to give my kids what they want which I think they would be happy with the abacos from my reading but I'm wondering if the abacos has water with that type of electric sparkling clarity .... because that is what I day dream the most about is the stunning views..... I know the exumas has it just wonder if the abacos measures up to exumas in regards to sheer visual beauty
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Chinook
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by Chinook »

You've mentioned 2 coral reefs in the Keys, and I'm guessing you had lots of company when there. I recall some pretty amazing snorkeling around coral reefs in the Double Breasted Cay and Moraine Cay area (Abacos), and we had the place all to ourselves. There are some other spectacular snorkeling areas on the way to Little Harbour, however when we were in that area it was to windy and choppy to snorkel. Water clarity when we were in the Abacos was excellent. I think the Abacos are far more scenic and interesting, in terms of beaches, anchorages, island exploration opportunities, and interacting with interesting island folk, when compared with the Florida Keys. As far as comparing Abacos with Exumas, they are quite similar while at the same time, unique in their own ways, if that makes any sense. My recommendation would be the same as that wise old dockmaster we met in St. Augustine 15 years ago. Make a first trip to the Abacos, gain the experience and flavor of cruising in the Bahamas, and then follow up with a more lengthy trip to the Exumas.
whgoffrn
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by whgoffrn »

Ty for the input ..and yes very true ...there are only 2 places in the keys where u can find that picturesque of water I'm looking for and both are packed.... there was probably 30 boats out there with us everytime we went....I also did find some videos of various islands in the abacos and it definately has some of those clear waters I'm looking for ....unfortunateIy i just realized that lobster season is closed in June and July which is one of our favorite things about mini season (2 days in july) so much thought to be made..... I did notice however how much cheaper boat storage is there... I've always dreamed of being able to afford to keep a boat over there in storage so I could fly in and use it....a boat on its own trailer 6 dollars a foot...hmmmm.... very affordable prices on dry storage , boat rentals and places to stay...... I've priced stanial cay y.c and was 500 per night with the whaler added to it.....where I found places for rent in abacos for 150 per night and boat rentals much cheaper also...... I'm not sure this coming up year will be the year we go as bully netting lobster was my sons and also my fav part of our last trip and I'm not sure were willing to give that up with the only time frame june/July that we can go....... but when the time does come it appears the abacos is going to be our first stop
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Chinook
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Re: I plan my trips early obviously

Post by Chinook »

Yeah, lobster season is only open through the end of March. So, if you go then you'll be dealing with the tail end of norther season, which, along with cool water temperatures, can interfere with snorkeling. The best compromise I've come up with is to get over there around the 2nd or 3rd week of March, which gives you a week or so of possible lobster hunting. Then, have 6 or 8 weeks available, which improves water temp and sea conditions and gets you home before the bugs and summer heat/humidity/squall pattern gets too bad. I don't like the fall months, because you walk a tightrope between the tail end of hurricane season and the start of northers.
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