[US27inKS]

I've chartered a Lagoon 440 to take my family and a few extended relatives from Ft Lauderdale to the bahamas and back. I would have rather done Belize, but schedule conflicts didn't allow it.

Can anyone give me some good recommendations on anchorages and dive sites? Also, will it be worth the time to sail to Andros island? If so, any recommended anchorages and dive sites there?

Any other recommendations or warnings about Bimini and Andros?

 

[US27inKS]

How much time do you have? If you have ten days you can get in a lot of sailing. If you want to miss Bimini, and go straight to Nassau. You can be in the Exumas in less than 2 days, unless an easterly is blowing snot against you.

This gives you 6 days of day sail, and a new anchorages with fantastic snorkeling. The it's across the bank, and into the tongue of the ocean. Less than days you will be back in Lauderdale with a 600 miles under the keels.

Many would just do the Abacos. I have only approached the Abacos from the east both times, and I am honestly not that familiar. cam is the man to ask. His knowledge is extreme there.........i2f

I only have 7 days, plus the charter co wants me to have a captain aboard for the stream crossing on the way out. I'll have to drop the captain in Bimini, then go do what I want. I doubt that I'll make it much past Andros or Nassau.

 

[US27inKS]

I was just reading an online cruising guide to Bimini. According to the guide, December may be more than a little iffy to cross the stream. It's showing a 47% chance of a North, Northwest or Northeast wind in January. It's also showing a very good chance of 15+ knot winds in the winter as well. North winds at 15kt or more (according to the guide) make the stream impassable.

I certainly don't want to "cure" my wife of any desire to go cruising ever again, so if the weather report shows strong north winds, I'll be going to the keys.

 

[US27inKS]

Too bad I didn't get to read the cruising guide before I put the deposit on the boat and bought plane tickets. I found the web site, but when I tried to access most of the info, it said that the file was damaged. Well, all the pdf's worked today, and now I know what my odds are. Still, it's a little better than 50/50.

I don't think I'll share that info with my wife until a few days before departure, and only if it looks like we'll have north winds. What she doesn't know won't kill her. Then I'll leave it up to the captain we'll be hiring whether he thinks a stream crossing is possible or advisable. If he says go, we'll go. His local knowledge and experience will outweigh anything I read on the net.

 

[US27inKS]

If you can't cross. Sail down to Biscayne, and do some of the Keys. It beats sitting in Lauderdale waiting. Have fun, and WELCOME to the darkside of multis.:laugher .......i2f

That's the plan. No way I'm sitting it out waiting on the wind to move. I've been on a cat before, and a big cat is in the retirement plans. I did my ASA classes aboard an FP 42, and went from Ft Lauderdale to the keys and back.

I meant to ask you about your boat. What model is it? What are the pros and cons about it?