Bahamas and open sea voyage on GW235

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quantase

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Hello all, I was wondering has anyone with or knows of others with a newer GW 235 took the voyage out to the Bahamas from Florida or from other sites on the East coastline to the Bahamas? Of course dependent on weather forecasting, fueling, etc. Also, how far have you or known others taken a 235 out in the ocean, maybe for fishing tuna? Again, thinking about safety, weather, etc in consideration and the 235 ability to deal with chop. Thanks.
 
Where are you based out of? Year of boat and what motors? Condition of the boat and all systems? All safety gear?

I did the Bahama's trip several time with my family. That was in the late 90's and on larger boats. My kids still talk out their Bimini trips! I would recommend teaming up with other GW members and doing a flotilla. Its only 60 miles across but its a good idea to have company. Bimini is relatively easy. Chub Cay, Abaco and Eleuthera are more difficult. Summer has better crossing condition. Winter is doable but you can be stuck on either side for a week or more waiting for the right day to cross the Gulfstream.

The one noticeable thing is you really are on your own over there. You get the feeling you are NOT in the USA. You need passports. No Coast Guard, no BoatUS. Very few aids to navigation. Poorly marked inlets if marked at all.

www.boatus.com

Taking A Boat To The Bahamas

The western islands of the Bahamas are only 50 miles from Florida's east coast. With a bit of prep and planning, you can get there even in a modest-sized boat.
www.boatus.com www.boatus.com
 
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If you haven’t spent some time running around in the Keys you should. Especially running the Bay side from Miami down. Great experience that will help with your Bahama’s trip.
 
60mi, 23 foot boat can be done but I'd want perfect weather and at least another boat with me.
 
A group is a great way to go.This is great for Bimini. Get to know some people and maybe go further maybe Abaco. Chubb Cay was good back then but may have become more of a club. When I was at Chub Jack Nicholas came in with his 90’ “Golden Bear” with two flats boats on the bow. Dale Earnhardt had three boats there - motor yacht, sport fish and a sport cat. “Sunday Money” and “Intimidator”. My crew ran into him on bicycle at the island store and got autographs! Very cool place.

As Seasick said at least one other capable boat.

A lot of jet ski’s don’t identify themself’s as “boaters”. They think they are dirt bikes or off road vehicles. Probably carrying gas cans for range. Darwinism at its best!
 
The biggest problem with Bimini might be finding reliable fuel, a safe place to dock the boat, and a place to stay. It is also a foreign country so you will need to go through customs and have a passport. It's a little bit of a logistics headache.
 
I wouldn’t go without someone who has done this trip and done it recently.

You need to make some calls and talk to others. Bimini is a popular stop. It was the Big Game Club owned by Bacardi family but it’s been sold once or twice since then. There are two or three marinas. Fuel should be fine. Water was $1/gallon then. We got a room at Big Game. Cheaper than buying water to shower!

You clear customs on Bimini. Now you need a passport. Typically boats clear there before proceeding further into the Bahamas.

You probably need to update some registrations. Radio license. EPIRB. I think you can pre-register with US Customs to make clearing on return easier.

Garmin’s Active Captain has a community that contributes cruising info. I haven’t tried it but from what I hear it’s very good. Also check cruising boards on the internet.

As I said - You are not in the USA!
 
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There is US Coast Guard over there as well as RBDF Royal Bahamian Defense Force. Be ready to be boarding By RBDF if you are fishing and make sure you take an EPIRB. USCG has aviation assets in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. There is a volunteer org BASRA Bahamian Air Sea Rescue Association as well.
 
Conditions and Time Of Year matter, matter as much as the type of boat.

Hookup gives good advice.

I would avoid crossing in North winds that are counter to the Gulfstream. Even 15kt winds can build standing waves in the Stream.

Summer is a MUCH better choice than winter as winds are generally lighter. In winter months, you'll get cold fronts that punch thru and NE winds will blow at 15-25kts for days afterwords. You'll be stuck over there for a week before you can attempt a return trip. Be open-minded about cancelling at the last minute if conditions worsen. Don't chance it.

A 235 will get there; Just take a Buddy Boat with you and try to hit a consistent forecast of winds below 15kts out of the SE S SW or W.
 
Thanks for the replies. I've been watching videos online of people who recently did it and there seem to be a variety of vessels (smaller and bigger than the GW235) crossing to the Bahamas. I have a 2022 GW235 with Yam300. It seems like it would do okay going there. Good idea to go with another capable boat, the more the merrier. I would plan to do it within the next 2 - 3 years, but I like to plan ahead of time. I mostly spend time in the Chesapeake Bay in VA, but if I do it, I may ship the boat down to FL to launch from Miami rather trailering it myself all the way down there. Any thoughts on a good boat shipping company? or would you just trailer it down that distance for a trip? What are your thought going out 60-100 miles offshore on the east coast with good weather for fishing with the 235?
 
I'm in Cape May and started offshore fishing in 1995 with a 29' Luhrs diesel boat. At the end of the season that year I thought "what a waste to leave the boat sit all winter" and had the boat transported down to FL. Boat was in Pompano beach that winter and my family used it long weekends and Holidays. Keys and a few Bahama's trips. It was big enough that we could move the boat around and sleep on it although it was tight. Boat came back to CM in 1996 and went back down in 1996. Sold boat in FL bought a 42' Egg Harbor. Back to FL in 1997 returned in 1998. Now I fish on friends 56' F&S sportfish in CM. My boat is primarily a FL boat in the winter and doesn't really go in the water in CM.

A GW235 is a capable boat but the runs up North are long - typically 60 to 80 miles out. Even watching the weather you can get caught in some nasty weather making for a terrifying, long ride home. I have been canyon fishing on a GW 24' Offshore on a nice day. In fact I bought my GW shortly after that trip (sold the Egg Harbor a few weeks before in 2007 and bought my GW). I don't like the runs up North and personally will on do them on a larger boat. My GW hasn't been more than 25 miles off! You can still fish a GW235 up North but you really have to pick your weather.

A GW235 is a very trailerable boat to take to FL. I have done it for 16 consecutive years now. Islamorada - Lower Manacumbe. You need a good tow vehicle and the time to transport it. I go ferry, Eastern Shore, BBT, Emporia then 95. Two day trip.

That is a great boat size for Florida Key's up to Palm Beach/Jupiter. It's only 3 or 4 miles out to the reef edge to go Sailfishing. Bottom fishing in the Keys and the bay is good too. Bahama is about 60 from Miami. I highly recommend fishing the Keys because of the short runs and excellent fishing. Miami up to Jupiter is good too its just not the Island feel you get in the Keys.

To do FL right you need to be there for an extended time - especially in the Winter - to get the weather and fishing windows. I'm there for a month or two and try to fish every day. But when visitors come in for a week it can be a blowout with strong East winds and lousy fishing.

GW235 is fine for Bahamas with all the above guidance. You need big window for a Bahama trip too especially in the Winter.

Good luck and stay safe!
 
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The boat is certainly capable in the right conditions. Getting those conditions to line up with your trip is the hard part. The trip has to be planned and may have to be aborted or postponed. If you don't live in FL I don't imagine you could count on making that trip. Better off to plan a Keys trip.

My brother ran his 29 from Pompano beach to Bimini and beyond. Also did it on friends boats of various sizes. There were some great trips and there were some crazy 8-12 foot in the Stream return trips. Some of his friends will pick a flat day and run a fast CC out for fishing and back, kind of like a Jersey canyon trip.
 
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Bimini from South Florida is like a canyon trip that you can overnight on land! Bimini is a cool destination. Hemingway drinking spots, Silence of the Lamb's seaplane port, End of the World bar.
 
quantase said:
What are your thought going out 60-100 miles offshore on the east coast with good weather for fishing with the 235?
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Rigged properly, the boat is certainly capable of fair weather canyon trips out of Ocean City MD (60-80 miles) or Va Beach. Great fishing there. More white marlin and tuna than you'll find in Bimini.
115 gallons ...probably close to 3 mpg cruise with a single 300? You have the range. And a lot of tuna and marlin and wahoo are short of the canyons. Work up to it. IDK if you have been out there. Some people can't get comfortable 2 or 3 hours out.

Before I got the 265, I overnighted 90 out on a 23 Sea Hunt CC with a single Yam 250. Spur of the moment, "Dead calm for 3 days" forecast....and it was! Caught a white marlin and lost a few and small YFT, and mahi and a big hammerhead at night.
 
I agree with skunkboat, work up to it. I used to be scared of being offshore. Then I realized I regularly do 30 miles in each direction to get to decent fishing grounds. Yeah, not that far offshore, a mile or two, but I was depending on my boat working for 60 miles and it always has.

I'm going to Fort Bragg this year to chase albacore, like I did in my friend Jens' boat: http://mcvoy.com/lm/2022-fort-bragg/
we were so far off shore that we were in a different time zone. And it was fine. I've been with him when we went 53 miles down to Point Sur to chase bluefin, the boat was fine. I'll be fine that far out in my boat but that is because I have worked up to it and trust my boat and my experience.

The more you run your boat, the more it works, the more you know how to trust it. And you know when there is a sound that is not normal, yeah, go sort that. If you don't know the sound thing, you are not ready to do a long run. If you do, yeah, you probably are ready.
 
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Thanks for the advice Skunkboat and LuckyDude regarding "work up to it". Yeah, definitely plan to do this. One must start somewhere and respect the seas and the boat.
 
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