[RTB]

Do you have the Near Bahamas Explorer charts? You should be able to plan your route to the Sea of Abaco across the Little Bahama Bank. Be careful with weather going through the Whale. If you do go around, be very careful with the inlet you decide to use. Plenty of "cruise ending" reefs. You might get a report on the VHF for the passes.

Forget Treasure Cay with your boat. Depths of 1.7-2.2 meters. Great Guana is a pretty fun stop. Especially Nippers! Good holding to anchor, and Moorings available from Troy (Dive Guana). Unprotected with west winds! Not sure where you plan to hide as a front approaches? Marsh Harbor may find you aground with 8' draft. Very skinny getting in to Hope Town as well.

Good luck....

Ralph

 

[RTB]

We anchored in Fishers Bay, near the moorings, west of Grabbers. Then a short dinghy ride to the dinghy docks inside Guana Cay Harbor. You can also anchor just outside of the harbor there, watching your depth.

Pretty fun if you can catch the Barefoot Man Concert at Nippers. Nippers Beach Bar & Grill, Great Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas - The Barefoot Man

Ralph

 

[RTB]

Going over the top seems a no-brainer, to me - it's a much more pleasant route, with far many more options...

Fair warning, I'm sure the following opinion will be in the minority, here...

But if I was gonna head to the Bahamas with an 8' draft, the Abacos or the Berrys would probably be about the LAST places I'd want to go... Sure, they can be done, but you're really gonna be limited...

In addition, I've always found the Abacos to be one of the least appealing parts of the Bahamas... No question, it's still very nice there, but that area never quite seems like the REAL Bahamas, to me... In many respects, I find the Abacos to be more like parts of the Florida Keys, than much of the rest of the Bahamas...

I totally agree with Jon. I almost suggested heading to Exuma instead, just didn't want to muddy the waters too much. We did Abaco earlier this year, and agree....It's just not the REAL Bahamas for us either. Still, many cruisers go there year after year, so must work for them. We are all looking for our own personal "Paradise" I guess?

I have read in the past, that the Abacos were great for lesser experienced first-timers cruising the Bahamas. After our trip, I totally disagree (that's just my own opinion).

Anyway, thanks for the post, Jon. I was afraid no one else was willing to help out the OP, and having only 6 months experience total in the Bahamas, I don't feel very qualified to give others advice.

Cheers,
Ralph

 

[RTB]

You're thinking and planning, and that's 90 per cent of getting it right, right there.

The planning is half the fun really. Break down and buy the Explorer Charts Explorer Chartbooks

It's the only real way to plan a cruise in the Bahamas.

Ralph