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Can I sail to the Bahamas with NO experience?

90K views 259 replies 134 participants last post by  Jeff_H  
#1 ·
I'm 23 years old. My girlfriend and I are bored and looking for a tropical adventure.

I've come up with a few ideas but the one I'm most seriously looking into the feasibility of, is buying a sailboat and spending like 6-12mth just cruising down the Bahamas; gaining more experience along the way and heading further South towards the Turks & Caicos, Dominican, Puerto Rico, BVI's, St. Lucia, etc..

SO, the two biggest questions I have are:

- Can I find a comfortable, used sailboat - qualified for the trip - for under $20k, all in?(preferably closer to $15k).

- How long would it take/what would I have to do, to learn enough so that we could safely embark on the initial journey from Florida to Grand Bahama?

I'm thinking I could spend a solid month reading and researching the basics of sailing, then buy the boat in Florida and spend another few weeks/month practicing and learning on the water with someone locally. Then be ready to hit the 'road' with my girlfriend and our dog. Is this at all accurate or am I dreaming?

I'm a very optimistic person and although a bit naive perhaps, I'm pretty confident I can do this given the right advise and guidence.

Thanks so much for any and all input!

Cheers,

Owen
 
#2 ·
it all depends on your risk tolerance (and your gf's) as to what if we have an oh sh!+ situation. I doubt you will find a boat in that price range equipped with the safety gear that I would want onboard... but heck people have rowed across the ocean. If you are fat in the wallet to the tune of 15 dimes, maybe spend some of that dough on a charter (with captain) or some lessons... or pick up a laser/hobie on craigslist on the cheap to get down some basics/make sure you like it etc. in any case good luck.
 
#5 ·
I think you would quickly be in over your head and the scary part might be that you would have no real idea when you went from being uncomfortable to being in danger. Also gettting to the Bahamas is different from getting to the Eastern Caribean (BVI and south).

Unfortunately there are dues to be paid before doing this sort of thing - or maybe it is not unfortunate since it makes the accomplished feel better. You can speed up the learning process, but you can't eliminate it.
 
#25 ·
Maybe read the post above again. There is a HUGE amount of stuff to learn. Even if you are a hands-on capable guy, the great likelihood is that it will not be long before you run into trouble, probably before you even get to trying to cross the Gulf Stream and thread your way through a cut in the reefs that surround the Bahamas.

It's a great idea but you need to be careful. Go out with someone else for a long trip somewhere or get a little one design, even something like a Sunfish to learn about sailing.
 
#7 ·
Hmm, yes, I realize there's some pretty serious waters beteen the Turks and Caicos and the BVI's/Dominican/Puerto Rico so let's just assume island jumping in the Bahamas for now.

And of course there's inherent dangers when you're on a piece of wood in the middle of the ocean. I understand that. What I'm trying to figure out is, how do I condition my feet just enough to run across the bed of coals..so to speak.

I'm looking for specific information or experiences, not just speculations based on my obvious inexperience.

I also realize I'm not going to buy a boat tomorrow, learn everything there is to know about every technique and scenario the following day, then leave for the Bahamas on the third day without a hitch.

I'm not the most interesting man in the world from the Dos Equis commercial. I'm just trying to figure out EXACTLY what I'd have to do.
 
#128 ·
I'm perfectly happy with that idea and realize going further South is too ambitious to think about at this point.

Can you elaborate some on the feasibility of a complete noob 'gunkholing the Bahamas'?

Boat size, costs, training/learning for that specific trip?
A good friend of mine did almost exactly what you are trying to do with remarkable success. He had a bit more experience than you, though - one summer living aboard a Catalina 22. A couple of years later he and his GF quit their jobs in Massachusetts, drove to FL, and shopped around for a boat to sail the Bahamas. They settled on a C & C Redwing, 30' LOA but only 21' 9" on the waterline. The boat was pretty basic, stoutly built, the Atomic 4 ran well, the groundtackle was oversized and the mainsail was new. It was November 1991.

Both of these people are quick learners, able to come up with creative solutions, and were willing to accept a very simple lifestyle to achieve their dream. There were certainly times when they were very tired, cold, and wet. They lived without refrigeration, they caught fish with a Bahamian sling to supplement what was likely a beans and rice/noodles diet, and they learned from their mistakes. On one occasion they ran hard aground and spent at least the next two low tides creating a "channel" back to the actual channel by hand; the boat was so hard over they slept on the settee backs.

After seven or eight months I got a phone call. We've done it and had a great time, they told me, but now we need to sell the boat and move on in life. Where do you think we should sail to and sell the boat? When I suggested Annapolis they said okay. When they arrived I saw two exuberant and beaming souls who had gotten to know one another oh so well. They cleaned the boat up and sold it within three weeks for a profit; I think one of them was a very good negotiator and did well on the front and back end.

My friends married a few years later and continue today to raise a family in the DC metro area. I mention this simply because when the OP asked about "costs, training/learning for that specific trip" I thought it important to also describe some potential life-long dividends.
 
#15 · (Edited)
It isnt just the trip over to the Bahamas, Its staying on a boat for a length of time in nachorage, having access to water ( did you know it cost money for water in most of the islands?). Have you ever sailed in the trade winds...far different than what even most copastal cruisers sail in. Its also expensive to travel there even by your own boat with entry fees etc. Food may be 3X US costs.

These old deck hands are just trying to take the wind out of your sails... so to speak. Of course theres risk involved... of course it will take some time and practice/ learning Rear Admiral
You have to be kidding with this statement?

Most people do not get a permit to drive at 16 and then enter the NASCAR Daytona 500 in a 10 yaer old car.

I beleive you can do this and build up you experience so that you begin to make it less risky. It more than risking your boat and you lfe...you are also risking someone elses.

Get sopme experience crewing and delivering on other poeples boats before you set out on your own I would suggest.

I not telling you to give up your drive or your dream at all so do not take it as that. I am not telling you to be overly cautious, just be prudent. Its always safety first.

Feel free to PM me.

Dave

Dave
 
#16 ·
Hi Owen,

The short answer is, "It is possible if you are a really LUCKY person"

Even if you are an experienced coastal cruiser, sailing passages needs a different equipment and skill set.

But if you have NO sailing experience, I would not really recommend that kind of adventure. Foreseeing and avoiding potential risks is directly related with your experience and believe me, usually the"Unthinkables" happen on the water.

I believe it would be wiser to extend you prep period from 1 mth to 6 mths and would definitely include proper sailing lessons in the training mix.

Budget is a totally different aspect. Of course you can find a nice boat in that range but equipping it for long distance cruising may cost you a fortune.

I would think it twice... even more times :)

Cheers,

Tafa

PS: I hope this is not a joke :) ...... and I admit.... I have some trust issues :)
 
#17 ·
Maybe a more realistic goal and just as fun would be to buy in FL and island hop the keys. By the time you get to key west you might have the boat and your skills dialed in enough for the crossing to the Dry Tortugas. When stuff breaks you would be closer to services. If you run out of money you could find jobs at a restaurant or hotel in key west.

Get a small stout boat with lots of water tankage and some good ground tackle. Lots of boats for sale in FL get a decent one but save plenty of dough for upgrades and unforeseen failures, which will probably be many if you don't have much time around boats.
 
#46 · (Edited)
Maybe a more realistic goal and just as fun would be to buy in FL and island hop the keys. By the time you get to key west you might have the boat and your skills dialed in enough for the crossing to the Dry Tortugas. When stuff breaks you would be closer to services. If you run out of money you could find jobs at a restaurant or hotel in key west.

Get a small stout boat with lots of water tankage and some good ground tackle. Lots of boats for sale in FL get a decent one but save plenty of dough for upgrades and unforeseen failures, which will probably be many if you don't have much time around boats.
Good advice, that's the approach I would suggest, as well... After the OP acquires the basic skills sailing a smaller boat first, of course...

The Keys will offer an ideal preparation for a possible trip to the Bahamas, you'll learn a bit about reading the water, anchoring in reversing currents, and so on... But the Keys are considerably more benign than the Bahamas, it's a bit tougher to get into any real serious trouble in the Keys, and of course assistance, if needed, is generally gonna be pretty close at hand... One thing a lot of people don't appreciate about the Bahamas until they've been there, is how quickly you can find yourself in some pretty remote spots, and the possibility of getting into some pretty serious trouble you might have to contend with entirely on your own...

Another big advantage to starting out in the Keys, IMHO, is the likelihood of encountering many more people your own age, either living aboard, or cruising... Once you cross the Gulf Stream, you've officially entered Old Farts Territory, you're not gonna find too many young people bumming around over there, at least from what I've seen in recent years...

So, get your feet wet for awhile in the Keys, then maybe think about making the jump over if you feel your skills, and your boat, are up to it... The Keys aren't the equal of the Bahamas by any means, but they're still a pretty cool place to cruise, and the perfect training ground for such a venture, IMHO...
 
#18 ·
Not to make light of the difficulties of the journey, but let's not overcomplicate it. Novice cruisers have been fumbling through the Bahamas for decades. Really, when you get down to it, there is little difference between a novice sailing in skinny water in the bahamas and sailing in skinny water in the USA- the biggest hurdle is getting there. Make friends, introduce yourself, get time on the water before setting out, and prep your boat. buddy boating and picking your window, then continuing to keep an eye on the weather and being prudent will take you a long way.

Find the best decent old Bayfield 29 or Alberg 30 or Grampian 30 for 80% of your boat budget, then spend the other 20% making it better, and go.
 
#70 ·
... I'm not trying to downplay or trivialize the difficulties but c'mon, is it really the 'Daytona 500'...
You are trivializing the difficulties.

Can you make it there, will you survive there? Probably.

An alternative ending, is the night of your first thunderstorm at anchor, the boat and you end up on the beach. if its a sandy beach, you live. If its a rocky beach, you die.
 
#23 ·
Well I do know the 'driving' physics are nothing alike!:D I'm comparing more in regards to the margins for error.

From the complete outside, looking in, I just feel like as long as you're extremely cautious of weather conditions and navigation that although a noob, I could get there with some basic training and a buddy boat.

Also, with such a large community of active, experienced sailors in the areas I'd be looking to cruise..aside from getting there, where better place to learn?
 
#87 ·
From the complete outside, looking in, I just feel like as long as you're extremely cautious of weather conditions and navigation that although a noob, I could get there with some basic training and a buddy boat.
Being cautious of weather and navigation is always prudent but even with todays electronics, Sat. weather etc, $hit happens and when it does, you have to be able to look after yourself.

I read a quote once that stuck with me;

The land is benign, it will provide for all our needs.
The sky is indifferent, if we are properly prepared, we can safely pass through it
The sea is malignant, it is ALWAYS looking for a way in to kill us.
 
#26 ·
of course you can do it. whether it will be fun is up to you. you might want to invest in a basic sailing course for the two of you, take a couple weekends to learn the basics and discover if either of you are prone to debilitating sea sicknesses or paralyzed with fear by being on the ocean. if it works for you, buy a boat, hang out with other sailors in any anchorage and you will easily learn more traveling with other boats for a couple of weeks than you would spending months tied to a dock listening to the experts that have a million reasons why they never manage to drop their own dock lines ;-)

go, have an adventure and post it here for us to read!
 
#31 ·
...than you would spending months tied to a dock listening to the experts that have a million reasons why they never manage to drop their own dock lines ;-)
Are you referring to the posters who are simply trying to give the kid enough advice (that he solicited, no less) so that he doesn't have to call the Coast Guard before he crosses into international water?
 
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#27 · (Edited)
Have you thought of maybe chartering or renting a boat? They are available all over the place and you wouldn't be stuck with a boat after you were done with your adventure. Buying a boat is easy, selling one can be quite the opposite. And then you are stuck with paying for storage. With 20k you could fund a really great adventure on a boat that is not yours and even with someone to show you the ropes in the beginning. And you would bypass the whole making the passage problem. Just an idea
 
#30 ·
Have you thought of maybe chartering or renting a boat? They are available all over the place and you wouldn't be stuck with a boat after you were done with your adventure. Buying a boat is easy, selling one can be quite the opposite. And then you are stuck with paying for storage. With 20k you could fund a really great adventure on a boat that is not yours and even with some to show you the ropes in the beginning. And you would bypass the whole making the passage problem. Just an idea
Yeah but then I'm just out $20k? At least buying a boat gives me some equity that I can later recoup even if it's at a loss.
 
#29 ·
It's not the Daytona 500, but you DO make your own luck.
I beleive my anaolgy to the driver learning how to drive who just got his permit and driving the Daytona 500 is a good one. Safety is the most important part of any journey.

BLjones if you were taking an airplane flight from lets say Florida to the Bahamas would you get on a 30 year old piper cub bought at a bargain basement price with suspect maintainence. piloted by a 23 year old who had accomplished his first landing 1 month earlier? I doubt it. I am puzzeled why you would suggest something which may put his grilfriend in danger as something like a casual walk to the corner store, when you do not take the same casual attitude with regards to your boat I amsure.

There are odds that nothing would happen...would you take those odds though.

It is irresposnsible to not talk about the dangers faced in a trip which this new poster is potentially going to make and not give prudent safe advice to him. I am certainly not risk adversive and have taken many trips offshore for more thasn 3 weeks at a time, but not with the casual attitude being displayed and certainly not in a foreign country.

I think next month I am going to get a CDL Liscence and then drive 30 year old jet fuel tanker semi down I95 over to Texas down through Mexico and Central America with a valid passport to Argentina so I am there for Carnival next year.....just because I can get the liscense and purchase the truck and the gas and get a passport. I will learn to read a map, as well as Spanish from a book along the way. If I run out of money or need to eat I will get a job as a Chef for a few weeks.

Geeze...
 
#35 · (Edited)
There are odds that nothing would happen...would you take those odds though.

It is irresposnsible to not talk about the dangers faced in a trip which this new poster is potentially going to make and not give prudent safe advice to him.
And several, in fact the vast majority of, posters in this thread did just that. I didn't tell the OP NOT to listen to them. It's good advice. I wanted to offer something in addition to what had been covered, and something other than the all too common doom-and-gloom -and - it- will -take -years- of- training- and- hundreds- of- thousands- of- dollars -in -preparation-and-you-still-might-not-be-ready advice that it is all too easy to give.

Mac 26s skippered by novices have cruised the Bahamas successfully. 'nuff said.