Subject: Abacos cruise report
Cruising News: The crew of Radiant, a 1980 Tartan 33, left West Palm Beach in early May 2008 and spent a month in the Abacos. We used the Explorer Chartkit for the Abacos and found it very accurate. Don?t leave home without it. The link is http://explorercharts.com/. We didn?t visit every island or harbor but here are some other observations that other cruisers bound for the Abacos might find useful.
Clearing in. We elected to sail to Mangrove Cay then the next day motor-sailed to Spanish Cay for a rather seamless Customs/Immigration clear-in at Spanish Cay. According to the typical pricing in Mr. Young?s cruising guides, the price for a slip at Spanish was above average but the facilities are very nice and the staff was helpful and very courteous. Wi-Fi was available for $10 for 24-hours and the resort facilities were open to marina guests. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. The link is http://spanishcay.com/.
Communication & Wi-Fi. You are able to receive NOAA weather radio signals throughout most of the northern Abacos, even in Marsh Harbor. Signal quality varied based on atmospheric conditions but the fact that our mast-top antenna was 50+ feet above the water obviously helped. In addition to the VHF, we opted for Wi-Fi/internet to connect with not only people in the U.S. but also other cruisers and businesses in the Abacos. Thus, we avoided using the pricey Batelco services. Most marinas and some restaurants offered Wi-Fi links. If you are up for morning coffee ashore in Marsh and Treasure Cay you can visit one of the coffee shops offering free internet links. A number of cruisers had Wi-Fi range-extending gear onboard and that?s certainly on our wish list.ÂÂ
If you seek local weather and other island venue information tune to VHF 68 at about 0815 for the local ?cruiser?s net? updates every day. Conditions at the main channels, such as Man-O-War, and the Whale Cay Passage are given at the top of the program. Please avoid using channel 68 during the broadcasts. Also check http://oii.net/ for a range of web-connect options and Abaco websites.
Marsh Harbor. The Marsh Harbor anchorage still has very good holding ground. Hardware stores, liquor stores, marine supplies, two supermarkets, a lumber yard, and even an auto parts store are within walking distance of the Union Jack dinghy dock. At Rainbow Rentals, adjacent to the dinghy dock, you can purchase block ice. We needed to replace our autopilot and received very good service and a fair price from Merlin Electronics in Marsh Harbor. The link is http://www.merlinsmarine.com/.
For a special treat, scuba lessons were in order and we received superb instruction from Dive Abaco, located at the Conch Inn Marina which also is home to Moorings/SunSail charter bases. The Dive Abaco crew, Keith, Bridget, and Marlon, were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Check http://diveabaco.com/ for more information if you are interested in diving lessons or packages.
Restaurants. Most of the Marsh Harbor restaurants were located on Queen Elizabeth Drive or Bay Street, the main drags. Yep, still only one stop light but they do drive on the wrong side! For local flavor and reasonably priced lunches we opted for Jamie?s Place. For slightly higher-end dining our cruising group found Curlytails and Wallys to be good choices.
Provisions. In our estimation, the best provisioning can be found at Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay. Selections compared favorably to a small to medium-size supermarket in Florida. But certain things are pricey?it cost anywhere from $2.00 to $4.00 for a container of ?Pringles? chips in the Abacos. In terms of items to pack before leaving the U.S. we suggest you stock up on extra batteries for your portable devices, over-the-counter medicines, snacks/chips, paper products, and bring plenty of zipper-lock plastic bags.
Moorings. The best mooring opportunities were at Great Guana, Green Turtle, and Man-O-War Cays. Treasure Cay has a few (I think three) and they are usually occupied. We did not visit Hopetown during this cruise.
Water. Fresh water was priced anywhere from 10-cents to 40-cents a gallon and reverse osmosis (RO) water is the rule, not the exception. Bottled RO water cost anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50 a gallon.
Jim & Rose
Aboard ?Radiant?
Subject: Abacos cruise report
Cruising News: The crew of Radiant, a 1980 Tartan 33, left West Palm Beach in early May 2008 and spent a month in the Abacos. We used the Explorer Chartkit for the Abacos and found it very accurate. Don?t leave home without it. The link is http://explorercharts.com/. We didn?t visit every island or harbor but here are some other observations that other cruisers bound for the Abacos might find useful.
Clearing in. We elected to sail to Mangrove Cay then the next day motor-sailed to Spanish Cay for a rather seamless Customs/Immigration clear-in at Spanish Cay. According to the typical pricing in Mr. Young?s cruising guides, the price for a slip at Spanish was above average but the facilities are very nice and the staff was helpful and very courteous. Wi-Fi was available for $10 for 24-hours and the resort facilities were open to marina guests. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. The link is http://spanishcay.com/.
Communication & Wi-Fi. You are able to receive NOAA weather radio signals throughout most of the northern Abacos, even in Marsh Harbor. Signal quality varied based on atmospheric conditions but the fact that our mast-top antenna was 50+ feet above the water obviously helped. In addition to the VHF, we opted for Wi-Fi/internet to connect with not only people in the U.S. but also other cruisers and businesses in the Abacos. Thus, we avoided using the pricey Batelco services. Most marinas and some restaurants offered Wi-Fi links. If you are up for morning coffee ashore in Marsh and Treasure Cay you can visit one of the coffee shops offering free internet links. A number of cruisers had Wi-Fi range-extending gear onboard and that?s certainly on our wish list.ÂÂ
If you seek local weather and other island venue information tune to VHF 68 at about 0815 for the local ?cruiser?s net? updates every day. Conditions at the main channels, such as Man-O-War, and the Whale Cay Passage are given at the top of the program. Please avoid using channel 68 during the broadcasts. Also check http://oii.net/ for a range of web-connect options and Abaco websites.
Marsh Harbor. The Marsh Harbor anchorage still has very good holding ground. Hardware stores, liquor stores, marine supplies, two supermarkets, a lumber yard, and even an auto parts store are within walking distance of the Union Jack dinghy dock. At Rainbow Rentals, adjacent to the dinghy dock, you can purchase block ice. We needed to replace our autopilot and received very good service and a fair price from Merlin Electronics in Marsh Harbor. The link is http://www.merlinsmarine.com/.
For a special treat, scuba lessons were in order and we received superb instruction from Dive Abaco, located at the Conch Inn Marina which also is home to Moorings/SunSail charter bases. The Dive Abaco crew, Keith, Bridget, and Marlon, were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Check http://diveabaco.com/ for more information if you are interested in diving lessons or packages.
Restaurants. Most of the Marsh Harbor restaurants were located on Queen Elizabeth Drive or Bay Street, the main drags. Yep, still only one stop light but they do drive on the wrong side! For local flavor and reasonably priced lunches we opted for Jamie?s Place. For slightly higher-end dining our cruising group found Curlytails and Wallys to be good choices.
Provisions. In our estimation, the best provisioning can be found at Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay. Selections compared favorably to a small to medium-size supermarket in Florida. But certain things are pricey?it cost anywhere from $2.00 to $4.00 for a container of ?Pringles? chips in the Abacos. In terms of items to pack before leaving the U.S. we suggest you stock up on extra batteries for your portable devices, over-the-counter medicines, snacks/chips, paper products, and bring plenty of zipper-lock plastic bags.
Moorings. The best mooring opportunities were at Great Guana, Green Turtle, and Man-O-War Cays. Treasure Cay has a few (I think three) and they are usually occupied. We did not visit Hopetown during this cruise.
Water. Fresh water was priced anywhere from 10-cents to 40-cents a gallon and reverse osmosis (RO) water is the rule, not the exception. Bottled RO water cost anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50 a gallon.
Jim & Rose
Aboard ?Radiant?
