Getting a small boat to the bahamas

[Frogwatch]

Just out of curiosity, I contacted Discovery Cruise Lines who runs a ferry from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport, Grand Bahama about the cost of them shipping my 20' powerboat on her trailer from Lauderdale to Freeport. It was around $350. Not bad. I'd anticipate that a Catalina 22 or similar size sailboat might be just a tad more than that. This would enable people with small boats to sail the bahamas without doing the crossing in a too small boat.

[MarkCK]

That's a nice a idea. Not that I live anywhwere near Florida. A few curiosity questions. What do you do with your trailer once you are in the Bahamas? And how do you launch your boat.

[Frogwatch]

I dont know if you need a trailer or just a cradle. I intended to put the trailer at a marina but there are storage places.
Something I found was that a sailboat is not the best way to explore the Bahamas because many places require less than my 4' draft. I intended to take my 20' Tolman Standard over to Freeport and then use it to explore the nearby reefs and then to go thru the Lucayan waterway and then around to Abaco. Once at Abaco, I could explore as I see fit while "camping" aboard my boat. AS the Tolman gets about 5 mpg with 90 hp Yamaha, it is financially feasible. I'd consider the 50 mile trip from Little Harbor to Spanish Wells in Eluthra in good weather aboard her.
A small sailboat could also take advantage of the Lucayan waterway if she could drop her mast thus cutting off the expensive marina at West End and the necessity of spending a day going from there to Great Sale Cay.

[MarkCK]

So you are just going to pull the boat onto the ferry with your tow vehicle and then park your truck and trailor at the marina. I guess my question came out more complicated than what I meant it to.

[ftldiver]

be careful of the Duty, if you leave it there too long....

you'll take it back home the same way? (in 6 mo's)?