Exumas

[Sumner]

I found this site, which shows coverage (strong signal to weak signal)....

Thanks Mike, good find.

... Regarding squalls and waterspouts, visual observation is probably your best tool. With your AIS, you can also hail larger vessels in your vicinity and ask them what they're seeing on their radar, in terms of storm activity and direction of movement. I've dinghied over to one of the larger boats in an anchorage for weather info on more than one occasion.

Good advice, I got some good info in the Berrys from another boat once. Other boaters are very helpful.

Other than the passage between FL and Bimini and from the Berrys to Nassau all the water is fairly shallow and you could put an anchor down about any place.

If you don't have charts now one option to keep checking out the various areas is load free OpenCPN on a computer along with NOAA charts for Florida and then buy the NV Charts ($150-$180) and you will get the paper charts and the digital that will work with OpenCPN. That will also give you a backup over there if for any reason your chartplotter developed problems. Don't confuse NV Charts with Navionics Charts. You will see the Navionics get bad reviews. I did also buy the Explorer Charts and had them along but ran the NV on OpenCPN and never had a problem. Some of the NV Charts actually had better detail than the Explorer. I'd buy both though. Use the charts to get from point A to B but only trust your visual when going into shallow water.

Thanks for posting about the dAISy. I might get one and see how it compares to the AIS with my Standard Horizon Radio. They claim it has better performance than the other low cost ones but not as good as some of the commercial ones...

https://www.tindie.com/products/astuder ... pberry-pi/

That might be a deal breaker for me as those big ships, commercial and Cruise ships, move fast and it isn't long from when you see them until they are by you.

The dAISy works easily with a Raspberry Pi computer and I just bought one of these $35 computers to setup as my secondary chart plotter on-board. They are amazing. I bought the Pi, a 10 inch monitor, a wireless keyboard/mouse and a few other things for $200 and now have OPenCPN running on it. If you have a spare keyboard and monitor you could be into one for under $100. One of the main reasons I'm switching to that is that it is only about 10 watts, so it and a monitor would be under 20 watts total electrical consumption.

In time I'll have setting it up on my site but there are others that have the details on the internet. The Pi computer for $35 has 4 USB ports, Ethernet port, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI port and a header that you can run all kinds of projects with. For $10 you can get a HDMI to VGA with sound port adapter to run older monitors. I bought this...

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberr ... y+pi&psc=1

... and was up and running in a few minutes with WiFI and it comes with loaded programs for word-processing, etc.. I then loaded OpenCPN on it and my NOAA Charts and NV Bahama charts and was off an running. I think I'm going to love it,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Sumner]

Do you guys subscribe to Chris parker ? How do yall receive his forecast ?

You can subscribe if you want to talk to him personally and have him give you individual advice otherwise you just tune in. That is the way it was when I used him unless something has changed.

One thing I would recommend is having a way to record his broadcast as he covers a lot of ground fast. I try and write down wind speeds and directions for the current and coming days but get behind sometimes. I also found it helpful to listen with earphones, but I have bad hearing. The reception isn't always great,

Sumner
============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[whgoffrn]

Ty for the map on btc phones.....as suspected fairly useless once in exumas .....ive got my eye on a cheap raymarine c120 and sr50 for sirius weather so may go ahead and buy it so when I go to the keys I can test it out to make sure it functions as it's supposed to..... as far as navigation.....ive love navionics app on my tablet ....it gives enough info that I just don't feel the need to go farther ...i have navionics on both phones and both tablets (in the event I lose or break one).....visual for anything else......supposedly that daisy will work on android tablets for beacon (that i already have and use....but its only as good as cell service)

With two young kids I think I'm best if I just suck it up and shell out the $ for a chartplotter with sirius xm ...im just cheap and trying to find other ways lol

I'll definately tune in to Chris Parker but to avoid summer squalls with two younger kids I prob will get the sirius

[Sumner]

I would be interested in a link that would show the actual details you would get for over there with the sirius. Looks like the package you might want might be$50 a month????
..

Sumner

[whgoffrn]

I think the 50 dollar one has forecasts ..... I'm not sure if I'd need that or not ....i think the coastal plan at 29 a month will do everything I need... as far as forecasts it sounds like Chris Parker is the way to go..... I'm only interested in the radar images of storm cells ....it gives real time images and a history of the last couple hours so you can see the path of the squall ..... I use my radar right now and it's saved my backside MANY times but of course you need internet for that..... from the best of my reading up on it sirius does the exact same thing.... getting forecasts is easy......seeing the squall and direction and speed overlayed on the map with your location also lets you tell if you're in the path of it and also lets you guesstimate with fairly precise accuracy how long till it gets to you

[Sumner]

I guess what I'm wondering is where Sirius would get detailed radar for the Bahamas? It looks like at the moment there is maybe one radar out there if they have it back on line. It doesn't cover the whole Bahamas. Looks like they are trying to add 3 more by November of 2018 that might then give coverage to almost all of the Bahamas. I wonder if once they have it do they share coverage with Sirius? I would imagine there would be a contract of some kind.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2017/mar ... mid-april/

I've been able to find satellite cloud coverage for the Bahamas on line but no radar except from Miami out towards the Berrys. If you have found some I would sure like a link, thanks.

I do have Sirius radio that I took with me, but not Marine, and had pretty good reception about everywhere I went. A couple times it was weak for some reason. I only have the antenna that comes with the radio for car use. A better one might be in order, but looks like that is what is in one of the packages you mentioned.

On Navionics I haven't seen criticism for it in the States but it does get bad reviews for the Bahamas. Not sure if they are justified or not. If you get a Garmin you could get their Bahama coverage, which is what I would suppose you do. The Standard Horizon CPN700i chartplotter I bought has C-maps for the Bahamas bundled with it. One reason I got it, along with Mexico charts (where I hope to go but probably won't make it .

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[whgoffrn]

I've not been on a boat that had sirius xm weather but what I do know is my radar app on my phone even now is showing cloud coverage all the way through the exumas ...not sure exactly where the radar towers are ....miami? Ft pierce? But my cheap little free I think? App shows radar data all the way out to exumas so the hope is that if I can find something to receive that data all the way out there

[whgoffrn]

I'm sorry I was way off .... my radar only shows for up to abacos not exumas so now I'm even more confused lol

[Sumner]

I realize you are trying to get the equipment for radar to give your kids the safest possible voyage and that is great but it sounds like you have already made it through some bad weather and you and they are doing just fine. Squalls are no fun but you will weather them. Just
keep track of the general weather, wind directions and sea state when making the couple longer hops you will need to make. Once in the Exumas you will always be by islands that can give you some shelter and the water is shallow and with the X you will have more options on where to go than the big boats.



Above is a copy of the weather coming ashore tonight in SW Florida and off Florida's east coast from NOAA's radar. It extends from Everglades City all the way up to Naples. The 10,000 Islands is about in the middle of the area that the ''Special Marine Alert" is headed for. If I was down there right now I would just sit tight and weather it out. I'd have to run 15-20 miles north or south to try and get out of the area the storm was headed for. That just wouldn't happen for me in an S and probably not reasonable in a X or M either, especially if the seas were already up and it was dark.

Get yourself setup where you can track the larger weather trends and if they are calling for storms put two anchors down and more scope out, at least 7 to 1, I'm more like 9 to 1 if there is nothing to swing into. Trust your anchor gear and your boat and you will be ok.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[whgoffrn]

I'm going to go the somewhat cheaper route.....the true sirius weather satellites go through raymarine and some of the higher end $ plotters.....from what I gather they get reception farther out but in the end the data ends around nassau.....so I decided to go with the original plan the garmin 545s and gxm31 on eBay can be had for 1/2 of the raymarine c120 and sr50 ....it uses the xm weather which cuts off at the berries but is 400 vs 1000 but will get me across the gulf and banks with radar so that's my newest plan and get a btc cell phone if it appears they get any service in exumas .....i think that's about the best my frugal budget will afford and still get 3/4th of what I'm after

[Sumner]

Sounds like a plan but still think you don't need the xm plans as you can see what the weather is before making the jumps and they are one day only. I got good wifi in Bimini even without a Batelco plan there and you could do that there and have good wifi go decide when to cross the banks. The same on the way home.

I also read more on the dASIy option and you need another VHF antenna for it or a splitter might work. By the time you buy it and an Antenna and cable and mount it you might be another $150 into it and if you use the splitter maybe degrade both. I'd think about putting that money into a Standard Horizon Radio that has AIS and uses just one antenna. That is what I have and love the radio and could pick up NOAA weather over 100 miles off Florida also.

Here is some other info that might be of help to anyone going to the Bahamas.

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Crossing the Gulf Stream:

First a good article on how and how-not to cross the gulf stream going or coming:

http://capkool.tripod.com/rhumb.html

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Tides:

Another thing that does come into play.



To avoid ending up on the bottom at low tide, like I did above, it is good to check the tide reports and know what is happening. You won't have near the tide info you have in the States but you can get the Nassau tides and find out if where you or at or before or after the Nassau times for low and high tides. I had this info in either one of the books I had or with the Explorer charts. I can't remember which and they are all in Florida. Mike do you know? I do know Explorer Charts has them and just saw on their web site that they post them there ....

https://explorercharts.com/chatter/?p=15728

... for people that bought Chart Books for some years back. You could print them and take them next year or for anyone going this year do it now.

This link ...

http://exumapark.org/WeatherTides/tabid/63/Default.aspx

... shows that the tides at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (a must see stop) run about 20 minutes ahead of Nassau. They also show how you can get daily weather on your VHF. This is true a couple places. They use channel 16 down there for general anoucements and such, differently than how 16 is used in the States.

Keep searching until you find where places like the Berrys are time wise before or after Nassau.

Even if you don't go through cuts between the shallow water on the west side of the Exumas and the deep water on the East side if you pass near the cut the currents can really be running depending on the tide. You can approach a cut and if the tide is going out be running at very little throttle and then at the cut turn down a channel that is going away from the cut and really have to apply throttle to make headway. Probably not near as exciting with a X or M and the larger motor but just be aware of conditions near cuts when the tide is running.

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BOOKS:

Mike recommended books to me and I used most of them one time or another. There again they are in Florida but I remember a couple and hopefully Mike will jump in with any other ones that are good to have.

THE EXUMA GUIDE (this might of been the one that gave you the info on the tides before/after Nassau)

Yachtsman's GUIDE TO THE BAHAMAS

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International MMSI number for your radio:

If you are outside the US you are suppose to have an international MMSI number for your radio and I went through the procedure and expense to get one. If you have to have a MMSI number in your radio for the DSC feature to work if you push it in an emergancy. If you have gotten a number from say Boat U.S. it isn't an international number. If you are outside U.S. waters, and the Bahamas are and you push the emergency DSC button on the radio a call for help will go out and other boaters near you with DSC radios should see it and respond. If say the Bahamian navy sees it they probably will respond also but have no info on the boat. So they won't know the boat's name or have any contact information if for worst case they had to contact someone at home. When you apply for the international number all of that information goes into a data base that is good around the world.

So should you get it or not get it is the question? I got it but after being over there don't know if I would again.



I saw an official Bahamian boat twice but that was it and it was in the Exumas both times. So I think if you had an emergancy you are probably hoping another boater will come to help you out. If that is the case they just need to know where you are and I think they would.

If you want to get the international number Google is your friend ....

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtMmsi

.... and you also have to get a FCC license ...

http://www.offshoreblue.com/communicati ... icense.php

... I think that both ran around $300.

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Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS):

I did also enroll in the SVRS program and was glad I did. It was a little pain to enroll but on returning to the states I could check in with just a phone call.



I had a large Coast Guard ship approach and lay off me in the 'stream' returning. They looked at me for a bit and then streamed off. I think they got my bow number and looked me up and saw me in the system. That might of avoided me being boarded which is fine with me.

I'd recommend getting into the SVRS if possible. You can use it later and we will with the Endeavor,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Chinook]

I relied on the tidal station info on my Garmin, if I recall correctly. Didn't ever have any problems with miscalculating on tides. The Yachtsmans Guide is a definite recommendation. It is revised annually, and contains a wealth of info on everywhere in the Bahamas. And, as cruising guides go, it's very reasonably priced. The sketch drawings of anchorages and approaches to ports are quite handy and well done. I also did the SVRS for going from Florida to the Bahamas. Signing up is fairly straightforward, but I had lots of difficulty getting their required on line float plan to work. I finally figured out that it's not really a float plan, in the sense of telling the Coast Guard where to look for you if you get into trouble. All they want to know is your departure date, port of departure, and return date and port of return. Don't try to say that you're departing from Angelfish Cut anchorage or any place like that. The format requires an address, including area code, so you need to list a marina with known address for both ends of the float plan. And don't worry about not being sure of your return date. Give it your best estimate. Your goal is to get the darned float plan to enter into their system, so that you can get a float plan number in return. Then, armed with their phone number and your float plan number, a simple phone call when you get back is all you need. If you're a week early or late, or if you come back to a different place than listed, no big deal. The guy on the other end of the phone line, in Miami, could care less. All he needs is your SVRS and float plan numbers, and confirmation that you're back. Regarding boarding by the Coast Guard, when we came back last year we could hear the CG radioing probably every returning boat which was headed for Lake Worth Cut (West Palm Beach), getting info and telling them to prepare to be boarded and inspected. We were on course for return through St. Lucie Cut and there was no Coast Guard waiting there. On that occasion at least, it seemed that they focused on the more frequently used cut. I wasn't worried about being out of compliance with anything, but after a long and somewhat bouncy crossing, the last think I wanted to do was heave to and wait for the Coasties to pull an inspection.

[Sumner]

I relied on the tidal station info on my Garmin, if I recall correctly. Didn't ever have any problems with miscalculating on tides. .....

Good info, hopefully my Standard Horizon chartplotter will be the same over there. I used OpenCPN on the computer last trip and it does currents and tides but only seems to work with the NOAA tide and current stations in the States and since there are none there I had to look the tides up in one of the books/charts.

My Garmin hand-held gives tidal information but it is also only for the nearest station and not sure if it finds the ones that are over there. I never thought to look .

Looking at a manual for the Garmin 400/500 series it looks the same. Do having the g2 charts for the Bahamas change that? Here is a list of tide stations in the Bahamas that show current and future info. I don't recognize any of those for being in the Exumas.....

https://tidesnear.me/countries/bahamas

Are these the stations you could see? I guess I will just have to wait and see what works with the Standard Horizon but I'll have paper info as backup. This info will be more critical with the Endeavour's 4'6"+ draft,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Sumner]

I just looked and found out that OpenCPN does work with the tide stations shown in this list in parts of the Bahamas ....

https://tidesnear.me/countries/bahamas

I guess I never noticed that over there since none of those stations where near where I was. Still I could of looked at the Nassau station and used the time before/after Nassau for where I was. I'll be a little smarter next trip .

I also just found this link...

http://www.exumamap.com/tide-tables.htm

... that has tide tables for Great Exuma Island. Kind of strange though that there isn't a single tide station in the Exuma chain?? There is one or more on about all the other islands in the SE Bahamas.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Chinook]

I recall reading in an Exuma cruising guide how to estimate tides based on the nearest tidal station, with appropriate time adjustments.