Bahamas: March 2015 (6 Months!!)

Planning a long range expedition of the entire Bahama Island group. Looking for many people, willing & able, committing to this 6 month journey! Sell the house, quite the job, send the kids to summer camp, whatever you have to do, join the island gypsy brigade!


March 1st 2015 leaving Largo FL (Transport to an island of our choice, i don't plan to cross the Gulf-stream)

The trip will focus on deep sea Yak fishing
Snorkel/diving (Air line Hookah System, 4 people to 60')
Spear fishing (Hawaiian sling/pole spear only in Bahama waters/free dive)
Island camping (Remote islands)
I'm an avid fly-fisherman, (Wild trout) so i will be looking to hook as many bone-fish as humanly possible! Would love a few others willing to learn flat's fly fishing!

Other plans as of now (Much more to come!)

Website for all social media:
Daily group progress updates
Video of everything cool on the expedition.
Company sponsorship from our group. (Hobie..knock knock... some will need 2015 TI's! Help them)
If i see enough HONEST interest, we will request a area on the forum to start planning this trip, asap.

I'm 100% in, who's with me! 6 months, sailing/diving/fishing the great Bahamas!

Hobie, please contact me on special pricing on 2015 Tis for member's of this group.

Bill

Updates:

I'm speaking with a company now about pricing on 3-5 2015 TIs

Here is how they are spec'd for this trip.

Note: This price will only be offered for people coming on this trip!

2015 TI
Tourq. engine with x2 solar panels & extra battery pack (2 total battery's)
Stock TI fins w/a extra set of turbo fins

People we need in group:

In charge of all social media creation and posting (Remote, needs to have equipment for this)
In charge of video/photog work (Including editing, need's equipment)
In charge of navigation
In charge of Weather
Cook! <Important hehe!
Fun people!

So at this point, if you have no boat, but would like to sail with us, we have you covered! This will be a well documented, epic trip!

You sound awesome and so does this trip. But I have 3 kids and a 4th on the way next month. I'm stuck

_________________
"Not everyone who wanders is lost." - Tolkien

Sounds like a great trip if you can get enough people to join. June-Aug may be a bit warm & sticky.

GetawayIsland--your profile does not indicate where you are located. Could you add that?

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Sure, I'm (right now) In Washington DC, Metro area. I will be relocating to Miami/Keys Feb 2015 for the trip.

Yes it will be warm no doubt, but we are surrounded with water! I think we will stay cool enough.
It's just to unsafe I feel, to sail in the hurricane season, unless you stay in one smaller area.
Plus, the Mahi Mahi will be in full swing! Also lobster season.

EDIT: The more I'm thinking about it, with a GOOD weather window, crossing to Bimini might not be so bad. Start in Largo or further south, and let the stream push you right on in!

Sounds fun.
I won't be retired yet, though. 6 months later or a year later, you might recruit me as cook. 6 months is a awfully long time, though, with a group you don't know you like being with.

Last of my worries. Anyone willing & able to set off on this 6 month Yak tour, of the Bahamas, will already have something in common. Everyone will get along fine. It's takes a rare bird type to do a trip like this. Rare bird types get along fine with each other, while in paradise.

I'm going to install the Hennessy hammock on my TI.... http://hennessyhammock.com/catalog/spec ... _asym_zip/
Instead of using pvp tubes for the supports, I will make the support tubes out of carbon fiber. I have experience doing this sort of work. I can make anyone a ready to install, hanging kit, at cost, when they join this trip. This keeps night sleeping out of the bug zone & off the sand. This i like.

I have also decided not to carry a Airline compressor, just to unsafe with gas. So the diving will be free-diving/snorkel.

I don't know how experienced you are GI, but I would suggest you read this article before attempting the open-water, 60-mile, crossing from Miami to Bimini. It is an 85-mile crossing from down in the keys.

http://biminiguide.com/bimini_advice.htm

It is a dangerous crossing for any small boat.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

I made the crossing in a 17 ft ski boat when I was a kid, but we left early in the morning and it was like glass the whole way. I remember getting into Bimini at breakfast time and it was still flat. We also made it in a larger boat another time with 10-15 ft rollers and things got hairy. I think it just depends. I would feel safe in the TI but speed would be the big issue. You couldn't really zip over there on a clear weather window in an Island. I guess best case scenario would be 12 hours for the crossing?

_________________
"Not everyone who wanders is lost." - Tolkien

Thanks for the info. I know the Gulf-Stream well! Well enough to know, I don't know the Gulf Stream!
I do have a bit of blue-water sailing experience.

Most likely, we will pay to have the boats transported out of Miami, just all around safer.
Depends how many are in the group. The more boats we have, the safer i feel, assuming a GOOD weather window.

The catch comes in the "...GOOD weather window." The summer months can have perfectly calm days which are great for running between Miami & Bimini at 25-60 mph--a 1 to 2 hr trip. Of course, with an Island you need some wind. You can't just hope to drift with the 5 mph gulf stream current, because drifting, you have no rudder control. You miss Bimini and the next stop is Newfoundland, Canada, because you are pretty much being swept straight north at that point, and later, the current takes one out into the Atlantic.

But, your 6-month trip is starting in March--your "Good weather window" just doesn't exist in March. Prevailing winds are out of the northeast or east. Your 60-mile, open-water crossing now becomes 120 miles with tacking. Winds can be fierce or non-existent in March--for sure they are undependable.

Ship your boats over and enjoy the trip.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Not sure how you came up with the idea I plan to drift..... ? Anyway, I have lived in Miami/Key West for years. So i also have a feel for the Gulf Stream. Thanks for the advice.

I do agree, shipping them is the best plan.

Still haven't heard anything back from Hobie on a group purchase of 3-5 2015 Ti's!

From you:

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Really, trolling a little? Surprised you didn't edit out the smile which means I'm joking..... You really think ANYONE is dumb enough to try to drift the Gulf-Stream into the Bahamas, no you don't, that's why its a troll post...

I think you got the wrong guy here, I have plenty of common sense and experience. Deep sea fishing off the coast of Fl 20 years,
US Forest service (Wilderness Ranger) Scuba/Cave diving 15 years, helped build THE VOR sail/race boat 2008. 20 years of remote fly fishing, all over the US. Did my first wilderness float trip in Baxter State Park when i was 12 years old with Father. 8 years catching marine fish in FL, commercial, I could go on and on, I have much experience planning and guiding these sort of trips. It gets harder and harder to find people these days, because the internet sailors have so much to say, negative....

This trip will be Epic for anyone with the guts to do it.

Or just keep watching YouTube vids all year. But the good news, i'll post lots of Vids for ya!

GetawayIsland:
I also live in the keys (Key West) quite a bit of the year, and am offshore quite a bit, I've been running my TI's for 4 1/2 yrs now and don't feel the TI is the right boat for such an epic trip without a mother ship, providing the basic necessities like electricity, cooking kitchen, bathrooms, showers, fresh water, and sleeping facilities for the whole group. If bad weather comes up (and it will) everyone can retreat to the mother ship. In the shallow areas that the TI's would favor, and by the sounds of it the areas you sound like you want to visit, something like a 40-60 ft shallow draft sailing cat would make a really nice mother ship. There are tons of live aboard 'cruisers' with big boats (retired gypsies) out there who would probably jump at the chance to do something like this, especially if everyone kicks in for fuel and expenses. At night or bad weather the TI's can be towed, or stored on deck somehow (if the boat is big enough).
The mother ship would take everyone to a destination, then day sail with the TI's from that point, stay there for a while then set sail for the next island cluster, and spend a week there, etc. Yea a few can camp on a couple islands overnights, but reasonably close to the mothership. I know I would not be all in to camping for 6 months with no running water, camping is fun for a week, but not for 6 months (LOL)). You will need to go into ports and re-supply probably on a weekly basis, I can't imagine pedaling five TI's 20 miles just to go to the grocery store (ten people go thru a lot of food and water, and toilet paper), in the many of areas you are describing, there is no water, and you can't carry 60 gallons of water on the TI's, but you sure could on the mother ship. Security can also be a problem over there, it's like the wild west in the remote areas I've heard and read ( personally I have never been there except quite few times on cruise ships, so I'm just speculating here).
As far as the boats themselves, I don't advise taking a stock TI out into open ocean many miles from shore, first the TI only has a 'D' CE rating and is not certified for open water. Second I'm sure you have been out in open water around the keys as much as me, and you know the currents (like the gulfstream) can be very dangerous for a boat that can barely do 3mph in light winds (which you will likely experience a lot in the summer). An Evolve even with solar panels is only good for an hour or two if your in trouble it only delays the inevitable (pretty useless offshore IMO) unless you feel 3mph propulsion power for an hour is going to help you in any way (Evolve would be great on a Revo kayak, but can't provide enough power for a huge TI).
Even my TI which is specially hardened for offshore, with 260 sq ft of sail, twin Honda outboards, and 250 miles worth of fuel on board (2 gallons). In light winds I easily average 8-10 mph headway, with top speed around 20 mph (in good trade winds), I wouldn't attempt anything more than a few miles from any shore line (we do island hop quite a bit in the keys), and I can't imagine living on the thing for much longer than an afternoon (it's a kayak with no bathroom or creature comforts, just sitting in that uncomfortable seat for ten hours is about all I can take). I would definitely not do the Bimini run, I'm pretty sure my TI would handle the trip easily, but I'm not up for that, and never will be, too much can go wrong.
I do 50-60 milers all the time with my boat, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, even if I maintain 10 mph average sailing speed (my normal average sailing speed is 8-10mph, even in no wind (the wing makes it's own wind)), it still takes a long time to get anywhere.

I'll bet if you post on some of the cruisers forums, you will find a 'gypsy couple' with a big enough mother ship for your adventure, especially if everyone pitches in with expenses who can provide the mother ship, and host.
It sounds like a fun adventure, If was younger and in better health and didn't have anything to do for 6 months I would think about an adventure like this.
Hope this gives you some ideas
Bob