Big Majors Cay - The Exhumas

[robert843]

I emailed them and asked about docking and availability just to get an idea. Their description says they're 5 miles south of Staniel Cay. I'll update once they reply. They rent boats so I'm interested to know where they are docked. Here's another link that gives a little more insight on their place.

http://www.exumavacation.com/

Yeah I went to the site before I replied I took a general guess of where they were on the island and routed it to Staniels Cay and it was 8.8 knotical miles. Which isn't terrible. I would say the biggest issue with location is how far south it is into the Exumas. As a straight shot to this location from Nassau is 90 miles according to Navionics.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Yeah I went to the site before I replied I took a general guess of where they were on the island and routed it to Staniels Cay and it was 8.8 knotical miles. Which isn't terrible. I would say the biggest issue with location is how far south it is into the Exumas. As a straight shot to this location from Nassau is 90 miles according to Navionics.

I heard back from Ulrisa/Raymond Andrews (owners), they said they have mooring balls where we could keep boats/jet skis. Would that be sufficient? I also had to select a date when submitting my question so I just put June 20 - 25 and they replied that they do have availability during that time. It's a little south, but still pretty close to the things most would want to see and a reasonable distance to fuel at Staniel Yacht Club (if nothing closer). I would like to think we could make it from FL to Exuma in 2 days although it would be 2 full days of running. Hopefully the last leg through Exuma would be closer to WOT then say 20mph. From Exuma back to FL I would say make it a 3 day trip if you want to catch the last leg from Bimini to FL in the early morning hours.

Just an option to consider if some are interested in going a little further next year. Again, it might be my last opportunity for the next several years so I'm pretty motivated.

Possible dates to take advantage of the July 4th holiday (June 30th - July 9th)
-Depart Bahia Mar to Bimini to Chub and stay overnight- June 30th/Thursday
-Depart Chub to Nassau to Exuma arriving late July 1st/Friday
-Spend 5 full days (no travel interfering) in Exuma - July 2nd/Saturday - July 6th/Wednesday
-Depart Exuma to Nassau to Chub and stay overnight in Chub - July 7th/Thursday
-Depart Chub to Bimini and stay overnight in Bimini - July 8th/Friday
-Depart Bimini to FL - July 9th/Saturday

 

[Bruce]

@Ramblin Wreck, would you bring your daughter? I am getting resistance from Emma and Gavin.

 

[tim h]

We would bring our girls...

 

[Bruce]

How many Yamahas would be willing to carry and plumb in two 24 gallon fuel tanks making it possible to go from Bimini straight to Nassau? This would save time, cut off miles and elimate the risk of not being able to find fuel in Chub. My guess of the cost of the tanks and plumbing would be around $600.

This trip would not be possible for 192s.

How do the skis plan to handle fuel?

 

[ACrews]

Would the extra fuel need to be plumped in for weight distribution reasons or could there be a way of carrying an above deck type of tank? @Bruce

 

[Bruce]

Would the extra fuel need to be plumped in for weight distribution reasons or could there be a way of carrying an above deck type of tank? @Bruce

That 24 gallon moeller tank is an above deck tank. I would want to plumb it in with a pump to transfer fuel to the main tank. I don't like the idea of trying to stop and pour 5 gallon jugs in rough water.

 

[MrMoose]

I can't believe I've never noticed this thread before. @Bruce @andy07sx230ho @upperdeck are you still interested in doing this in 2016? @tim h @1948Isaac @robert843 look to be locks. You know @JROD is down to go anywhere. @waterboy any chance to get the family down there? @chris24 do you think Beth would do it? @Tony Sweasy per your previous post Bimini is over, now on to Exuma? @ACrews you shown a lot of interest in Bimini, you ready to to the full run? Anybody else from the Bimini trip 2015 interested (i.e. @ArmyChief @MrMoose @David Hoff @kthrash @Jerry Ferrera @Justin G. @veedubtek @zedxmike @DieselCamel etc.)

I'm definitely interested in making this happen.

Thanks for thinking of us @Ramblin Wreck ! I've been lurking this tread ever since returning from Bimini. From my perspective, at this particular point in time, the cost, risk, and amount of planning required to pull this type of trip off in a Yamaha jet boat make it hard for me to justify. There are so many factors that can turn this type of trip into a bad experience. I really appreciate @Bruce 's information-packed postings about this trip. They really help to provide a balanced view of things. Regardless of whether you make this type of trip with other boats or not, there are still lots of safety risks and logistics to manage. More boats just means more chances that the group will be impacted by problems. In my opinion, the 60 mile Bimini crossing is a reasonable risk/reward scenario that was well managed by those leading the group. If I were to ever consider a trip out to the Exumas, I would need to add some mods to my boat (longer range vhf, snap-in bow cover, ...) and I would only do the trip with two other carefully selected (properly equipped and trained) boats.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Thanks for thinking of us @Ramblin Wreck ! I've been lurking this tread ever since returning from Bimini. From my perspective, at this particular point in time, the cost, risk, and amount of planning required to pull this type of trip off in a Yamaha jet boat make it hard for me to justify. There are so many factors that can turn this type of trip into a bad experience. I really appreciate @Bruce 's information-packed postings about this trip. They really help to provide a balanced view of things. Regardless of whether you make this type of trip with other boats or not, there are still lots of safety risks and logistics to manage. More boats just means more chances that the group will be impacted by problems. In my opinion, the 60 mile Bimini crossing is a reasonable risk/reward scenario that was well managed by those leading the group. If I were to ever consider a trip out to the Exumas, I would need to add some mods to my boat (longer range vhf, snap-in bow cover, ...) and I would only do the trip with two other carefully selected (properly equipped and trained) boats.

I completely understand and you're spot on with a lot of thought I'm sure many have as do I. There is a lot of water between FL and Exuma for things to go wrong. I think that's partly the appeal for me. Hopefully, we can make it happen in a safe way and have an adventure to talk about for years to come.

 

[Bruce]

While hanging around in the infinity pool with owners of a 35' and 50' boat they joked about how we had cojones for crossing the Gulf Stream in such a small boat. But then they laughed about the idea of us crossing the Tongue of the Ocean on the way to the Exhumas. They both had had bad experiences in their larger boats crossing the Tongue. This is an area East of Nassau that can provide 20+ miles of really rough water. I believe this may be what caused @primedoc to turn back on his crossing from Chub to Nassau. This needs to be researched further before we dive into it.

 

[H2Oload]

How far is it to go from Bimini to Atlantis? My wife has always wanted to go. This may be the leverage I need.

 

[Bruce]

How far is it to go from Bimini to Atlantis? My wife has always wanted to go. This may be the leverage I need.

~120 miles if you add a fuel tank and go straight or ~140 if you stop in Chub for fuel.

 

[robert843]

While hanging around in the infinity pool with owners of a 35' and 50' boat they joked about how we had cojones for crossing the Gulf Stream in such a small boat. But then they laughed about the idea of us crossing the Tongue of the Ocean on the way to the Exhumas. They both had had bad experiences in their larger boats crossing the Tongue. This is an area East of Nassau that can provide 20+ miles of really rough water. I believe this may be what caused @primedoc to turn back on his crossing from Chub to Nassau. This needs to be researched further before we dive into it.

You first enter the tounge of the ocean about 15 miles before you get to Chub. Kevin said it took them almost an hour to go 12 miles in it as they came into chub so yes it can get rough. With a trip of that distance the chances of you hitting foul weather and seas somewhere are greatly increased. You can almost count on the fact if you do an Exuma run there will be a point in time where you have the thought of what the heck was I thinking doing this. Especially in any boat under 30ft. Even @tim h when he did his Bimini run earlier in the year with his wife in their 31ft boat said they hit seas on that run that made him nervous.

 

[Greg M]

That 24 gallon moeller tank is an above deck tank. I would want to plumb it in with a pump to transfer fuel to the main tank. I don't like the idea of trying to stop and pour 5 gallon jugs in rough water.

Fuel bladder in center locker. low center of gravity, easy to plumb, out of the way. My thought was put it as far forward in the ski locker as possible and use a giant sheet of Velcro along with supplied built in strap/rings on the bladder to keep it in place(hate drilling a bunch of holes) and still be able to put other things in there. Would cost around $800 BUT with a quick mod you would then have a ballast bag for the rest of the year.

As discussed, if this is a go, and I don't care if I have to quit my job, we are in. I know for a fact an airplane to staniel will be involved though. me and my daughter would boat it no problem, wife and especially son, no way in hell lol. once we are there, all in, but crossing.... out lol

 

[Jerry Ferrera]

I would only consider this trip by Plane and charter. It may be best for a couple of us to simply charter a boat big enough to sleep on.

 

[robert843]

I would only consider this trip by Plane and charter. It may be best for a couple of us to simply charter a boat big enough to sleep on.

A couple of us looked into that from a cost stand point you are better off to fly down and rent a place that has a boat included.

 

[Greg M]

The biggest issue with doing this imo is twofold..... give yourself plenty of time/time cushion, and have plenty of cash so you can be flexible.

Time, if the weather just isn't nice, don't force anything. The problem is, if you reserve anything, you're under a deadline to get there by X and mother nature might say she has other ideas. The only way around this would be to book for the earliest time you want to be there, or any place to and from, and pay for more days upfront in case you're delayed. You want to stay 7 days, book places for 10. you want 10 days, book for 2 weeks. Irks me that something would be sitting there empty waiting on me to get there, but I would rather have it than have nothing.

Which means - Cash! lol imo, this is easily a 8k-10k trip.

Obviously a plumbed in fuel fill source, epirb, back up gps-es, and two vf's would be bare minimum. And I was informed the is no way this happens unless I put Bruce's refridge mod on the boat lol

our hoped for plan ideally would be to make chub day one, and northern beginning of exumas by day two, then take 2 days getting to Staniel. Stay in staniel at least 7 days, one or 2 days back up to nassau/chub, then spend 2 days in bimini possibly. so 14 days minimum.

As said earlier, my wife (iffy if she would boat the whole way) would meet us in nassau with my son (no way he makes the crossing, nassau to exuma chain would be an omg for him and hes a water monkey - just the thought for both of them of being out of sight of land is a major hurdle) My daughter is like me, dreaming of this and completely in!

 

[Bruce]

no way this happens unless I put Bruce's refridge mod on the boat lol

Reducing dependency on ice does make the trip easier but you will either need to have access to power once you get to where you are going in The Exhumas or bring a 40 watt solar panel. The stators should cover the load on days that you are boating significant distances.

northern beginning of exumas by day two

I have always thought of the day that you reach Nassau as a day to spend buying food for your time in The Exhumas and an opportunity to visit the Atlantis Marina

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Doing this in 2016 is definitely viable. With that said, lodging near the top of the Exumas down to and including Staniel Cay is either limited, super expensive, or already reserved. I know at this point I've become almost annoying about trying to make this happen next year but I just can't move past it. I really think the better option is to take it all the way down to Grand Exuma Island. It's only another 50 miles south of Staniel. If you do that, you have access to much more lodging options then what you have on the upper half. In addition to increased lodging options, you would have easy access to food, airport, etc.

I personally would fly my wife and daughter directly from Atlanta to Georgetown via Delta. Georgetown is located on Grand Exuma and is the Capital. American Airlines also flies directly to Georgetown out of Miami.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Doing this in 2016 is definitely viable. With that said, lodging near the top of the Exumas down to and including Staniel Cay is either limited, super expensive, or already reserved. I know at this point I've become almost annoying about trying to make this happen next year but I just can't move past it. I really think the better option is to take it all the way down to Grand Exuma Island. It's only another 50 miles south of Staniel. If you do that, you have access to much more lodging options then what you have on the upper half. In addition to increased lodging options, you would have easy access to food, airport, etc.

Just toss in another weeks vacation and you could make it to the Turks! Soooo close....!! (it probably seems closer seeing how I am just looking at a map) Can't wait to read all about this amazing trip, assuming it all shakes out.