Back on the water again, finally.......off to the Bahamas

[fishstalker7]

Sumner,

Doesn't matter where you wear the weights and 1 more pound may make all the difference so up your weight carefully/slowly and make sure you can ditch it wherever you end up placing them easily. Most scuba setups are on sides/stomach level. Most free divers go kidney area to accommodate a kill knife at hip and tend to wear rubber belts at hip level. Your belt type may lend itself more/less to one or other location. Again, key is quick release easily accessible.

Lol...I always want make sure I can get myself out of as much trouble as I can get myself into!

Have fun! Great reports!

[Tomfoolery]

Here's a good link on SWB:

http://shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org/

And a technical link for those of you who want the science:

http://www.scuba-doc.com/latenthypoxia.html

Fair winds and safe diving!

That was extremely informative. Thanks for those links and discussion. Probably should have its own thread, as it's good info. I never even knew there was such a thing as SWB.

[Sumner]

....Are you doing much navigation by reading the water?
How closely do the GPS plotted positions match, last time I was there I did not have a chart plotter.
Thanks...Ix

I forgot to answer the above. I'm feeling a lot better about reading the water and as you know that is the first means to keep you out of trouble and not what the chart plotter says. I plot out each move and have the points also in the handheld and use it 90% of the time but keep peeking at the large screen (chartplotter) in the companion way to see if I'm in an area where the channel is real narrow and there might be very shallow water on one side or the other or coral heads. If so then I really try and hit my marks but what the water color tells me is the final factor in hitting those marks or not. None of these charts are that perfect or that accurate.

I plotted the course from Rudder Cut to here (Little Farmers) on a large scale NV digital chart that showed the entire route in detail. There was still a larger scale chart of just the harbor here at Little Farmers. When I switch up to it some of the waypoints I had plotted showed up on top of areas with coral heads so I moved them before I downloaded them into the hand held. When I got here I used them but mainly used my eyes.

I would not want to come into these anchorages at night on waypoints alone since no the charts are not perfect. Everyone says that Explorer Charts are the gold standard and I have them and like them but they are paper only since the digital ones won't work with OpenCPN and the paper doesn't have the detail that the NV digital I'm using have. I think I also have read, this might not be right so check it out, that Garmin now might not be using Explorer in all cases for over here. The Explorer Charts themselves say there could be errors so as you told me use any of this to get you close and from point A to B but your eyes are the final factor. One thing about the Explore Charts is they also have a lot, a lot, of other good info along with tide tables which for sure you need also THE YACHTSMAN'S GUIDE TO THE BAHAMAS, recommended by Mike, is also a good guide to have and also has the tide tables.

Yesterday...



.... I was going to take the 'safe' way, left arrows, vs. the dinghy channel right arrow since it shows depths of under 3 feet at the point of the arrow. When I got close I changed my mind as we were going to high tide and looking over there it looked doable so at the last minute diverted towards the dinghy passage figuring I could change my mind at the last moment. At the same time I had a large motor yacht right behind me a ways and I'll bet they wonder what I was doing as the made their turn to port on the route that I was going to use.



I got to the passage and the water looked good, shallow but good, not white. I went through and it got shallow enough that it kicked the rudder up, so it was probably a tad under 3 feet but it immediately increased in depth. When the rudder kicked I just steered with the outboard for a hundred feet or so and then was able to pull the rudder back down. Looking above it looks like I went over the end of the bar but at the moment where I went was the deepest water available.

Also the references I mentioned above have color pictures on reading water depth that are good for anyone that hasn't been over here,

Sumner

============================
2015 To the Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[mastreb]

For the Bahamas, I think I might invest in a forward-looking Sonar. Not a replacement for reading the water, but as an additional form of insurance. I believe there's a variety made that you can just drop from the bow on a stick for going into harbors.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... r&_sacat=0

SIMRAD has a new one out in the $1200 range but it requires a SIMRAD/B&G/Lowrance chartplotter and I think most of us here are Raymarine and Garmin or laptops/OpenCPN.

[Ixneigh]

On a nice day you can see all that crp pretty plainly. These boat only draw shin deep water. Go slow with everything up over the shallows. In most areas it's only a few spots you have to get over. Forward looking sonar isn't going to take into account side drift. So now you need side looking sonars. Plus how far will it look? Now your glued to the screen. And you will still need your charts if you actually want to go into the really out of the way places. Now you got two screens. Radar, three screens.
I'm taking my boat over there again God willing but if I find myself needing a forward looking sonar to manage 12 inches of draft I might sell the boat and take a cruise ship instead
Ix

[Chinook]

Ix has it right. Navigating the Bahamas in a Mac is pretty straight forward, and reading the color of the water really does work. It doesn't take long to figure out just what shade of pale blue you can float over. Pretty much anything except white (which is a foot or less deep) can be crossed. The only tricky thing is determining the difference between the color of a weed bottom versus coral. They're both dark, but weed generally has a bit more of a brown color.

[mrbillfll]

Chinook,

Thanks for elaborating on that part...very safe way to snorkel! I didn't mention this part as Sumner is likely not spearfishing in the Bahamas (illegal), but for those of you who may give it a try somewhere...and perhaps helpful to Sumner to visualize the possibilities since he may be doing some solo exploring/boat maintenance in current/wind...

I actually use my dinghy in the manner Chinook describes so well, with me not attached, but holding a short (10') line (when free diving/hunting...I would attach if just snorkeling) while scanning for targets on the reef at the surface and drifting with the dinghy. Then I have a 100' float line off the back of the dinghy in open water (for wind /current divergences) and attach my gun to the dinghy via a 2nd long (150'), 200lb fishing line (looks like really thin rope, not clear fishing line).

That way if I spear something and there are a lot of sharks in the water or it is a big fish that will take some effort/time to land and I am short on breath...I can just let the gun/fish go and recover both from my dinghy (spear is attached to gun by coiling wire...think phone cord style). Thus, my dinghy acts as a float buoy to tire the fish (tuna in deep water)...and I can catch the dinghy via the float line off the stern.

Hi there,

I want to make a minor correction. its illegal to posses a spear gun in the Bahamas, but not illegal to use a pole spear or Hawaiian sling as long as it doesn't have a trigger. (and you're not using tanks, or a hooka). IOW, you can spear in the Bahamas, when free diving with a pole spear or sling.

interesting technique using a dingy as a float bag...

fwiw, I do a lot of diving (mostly scuba) off a kayak, but in less than 40'... I use a folding anchor and drop it when I find something interesting. I'm more worried about boats running me over than any shark/predator...

I forgot Sum had a 5mm wetsuit.

I think 8# would be about right for a 5mm. I use 6# on a 3mm full suit...

[Chinook]

I don't do a lot of pole spear hunting, but have tried it a little. On our first trip to the Bahamas I speared a few lobster with my spear. I also hit a nice Nassau grouper, but after a few vigorous vibrations, the fish managed to shake free. I was disappointed and immediately started looking around for another. That's when I saw the 8 foot long shark, hovering about 15 feet away. My grouper must have caught his attention. After seeing the shark, I felt glad that the grouper had gotten off. The prospect of the shark trying to claim my catch didn't appeal. Also, it didn't take me very long to get out of the water.

[fishstalker7]

Mrbillfll,

You are correct sir...sorry for the confusion in my oversimplification (laziness). I do carry both aboard (leave the gun home when travelling there), but tend to gun more than pole (again...laziness). I've used my offshore kayak in the same way as my dinghy (kayak has side/down looking sonar....see fish...don gear)(again laziness...a trend? ) in the reefs off Palm Beach/Broward. Good, relaxed times!

As to sharks...usually the first few aren't that aggressive as long as you poke them on first approach...but when there are more than you can track...it's time to take more caution via drop and recovery, going to surface or getting in the boat.

Thank you for clarifying in case I misled anyone!

Fair winds!

[Chinook]

Mrbillfll,



As to sharks...usually the first few aren't that aggressive as long as you poke them on first approach...

Fair winds!

That explains how my shark behaved. After I spotted him, I slowly swung my pole spear around and pointed it at him. I had no intention of trying to spear him, but it did seem like a good idea to have something between him and me. As soon as the spear was pointing in his direction, the shark drifted off. I'm thinking he's probably been trained by other divers. Thanks, you guys.

[Sumner]

I'm going to hang out at Little Farmers until the weekend. Lots of wind coming in from the west the next 3 days and strong possibilities of squalls that could have 40-50 knot winds according to Chris. I might move over to the other side of the harbor here tomorrow if the water is deep enough for me to get inside a couple boats there as outside of them the current is strong. There is a Cat over there now and some of them get into about the same depth water I like which is 5-6 at high tide and 3-4 at low. If that doesn't work I'll come back over to where I am now which will be pretty good except when the wind moves more NW at the end of the cycle. I'm about 1/2 mile from the town dock and that is a long dinghy ride if the wind/waves go up like they are predicting.

I went ashore today and had a good time and great conch for dinner (I ate the lunch plate) and the place is really nice and so is the owner. He was in Utah a couple years back and said that was the first time they had ever seen snow. I told him that yes ...



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... cs-11.html

... Ive also seen it there. Sat. they are having a conch festival with it server/prepared every way imaginable according to a public announcement this morning on Ch 16 of the VHF. I'd like to go to that but Sat looks also like a good travel day. If I stay I'll leave early Sunday as that afternoon the winds are suppose to get back up to 20 kts but finally back out of the east or NE. I could of gone north today but the next anchorage, Black Point, is very exposed to the west and that is where the winds will be for the next 3-4 days so don't want to be there.

Also if any of you were reading the first part of the trip report on my site...

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015%20Ba ... Index.html

...some of the pages were not finished with just pictures. I've completed the narrative for that part of the trip and the rest of the trip is current up to arriving in Georgetown. I'll try and get it current to here over the next few day while waiting to move north,

Sumner

============================
2015 To the Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Ixneigh]

On the 22 my biggest worry while anchoring was letting the boat dry out on a conchshell. I was part of the 1-2 low water crowd.
I've parked in what's called big harbor on my chart for a week. There wasent much current. Farmers wasn't very happening then , sounds like, compared to now.
It it was me is waltz right over there cats be ***** and snuggle up with them for the incoming weather. It just went over us in the keys but could intensify over the bahama banks.
Also, later, if your by little bell island, on the western side there is a deep area right up by the beach and you need pretty shallow draft to get to. I had that all to my self. Don't know what's on little bell these days but back then there was nothing. Except me.
Ix

[Sumner]

....I've parked in what's called big harbor on my chart for a week. There wasent much current....It it was me is waltz right over there cats be ***** and snuggle up with them for the incoming weather....Ix

I moved over and glad I did as wind is picking up. The winds aren't suppose to be terrible unless we get hit by a squall and Chris says that tonight and Friday are the best chance of that happening and then winds could be over 50 kts. Hope that doesn't happen. The one on the banks with probably 30 kt winds was enough for me. At least here I'm not underway. I put a second anchor down just in case and have about 100 feet of rode on one and 75 on the other. Ended up with the anchor going down pretty far into the beach in what should be about 3 feet of water there at low tide. Where the boat is probably 4-5.

The current was ripping on the way over here as it was half way between high going to low. I was down to about 2 1/2 until I made a turn and then was running 6 1/2 and cut the motor back and then it went up again just as I got to Big Harbor. All of that in about 2/3's of a mile. It is interesting . The current went way down like you said once in where I dropped the anchor.

...Also, later, if your by little bell island, on the western side there is a deep area right up by the beach and you need pretty shallow draft to get to. I had that all to my self. Don't know what's on little bell these days but back then there was nothing. Except me. Ix

Thanks for the info up by Bell but I can't find Little Bell but only looked at the digital NV at this point. There are a couple small islands by Bell by the cut but don't look like what you are talking about. It looks like Bell has 4 pretty nice cove/beaches on the east side and one is marked Harbor Bay and has an 'anchor symbol' but it with 2 to the north of it and one to the south of it,

Sumner

P.S. On the weather Chris doesn't think it is going to happen but still he says one model is predicting the possible formation of a tropical storm in the Abacos north of where I am with possible sustained winds over 50 kts.. I should be up there in a couple weeks. I don't think the weather has been typical according to him since I've been over here.

============================
2015 To the Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Russ]

A quick look at Bahamas radar shows a lot of dark stuff heading east.

[dlandersson]

Before anyone goes thru something like that, please make sure you don't owe me any money.

A quick look at Bahamas radar shows a lot of dark stuff heading east.