[Rhodes22-list] Bill's Bahama Trip

[Chris Geankoplis]

Dear Bill,
            I've lost a lot of info because of the dead hardrive, however
I'll do my best.

We did not need the sleeping bags (summer weight) and gave them to a
returning powerboater and picked them up later in Ft. Lauderdale.

Boy was I glad I had:
45watt solar panel
A good sunshade and side panels
Lots of food (it cost a fortune to buy anything there)
Several spare sparkplugs (the fuel was dirty and salt filled, it really
fouled the plugs)
Plenty of water containers (water is hard to come by)
A fixed VHF with a masthead mounted antenna and a handheld to talk to the
boat from shore.
A copy (out of print) of Peter Benchley's "The Island" to read out loud and
scare the hell out of the listeners!

I had two danforths and a great rock anchor which was the old yachtsman
foldable anchor (you know the one tatooed on Pop-Eye's arm).  All the
anchors had 10 feet of chain and 150 of 1/2 inch 3 strand.  I also always
anchored with a minimum of 2 anchors and almost always dove down to hand set
if necessary.  (watch the currents they are strong and switch back and
forth) also expect a  large and very territorial baraccuda to check you out
as you do the chore. I used a plow type in the Baja and it worked fine also.

I did not have a dingy with a motor, only a small 3 person max inflatable
that we rowed around, lots of excercise but it would have been nice to have
had a little 3 hp lightweight aircooled outboard.  (not sure where I would
have put it).

It might be of help if you check out the "Baja Prelim" in the archives.  The
trip to the Sea of Cortez was similar in the prep and type of equipment I
used for the Bahamas trip.

Oh yeah,  Go to Great Stirrup Island in the Berrys.  Anchor on the south
side and then hike north, but dress up as if you were a tourist off a cruise
boat.  If you time it right on the north side of the island is a big beach
owned by the Disney and Carnival lines.  They have big BBQ's on the beach
(free of course to the guest on the ships)  Just exit the scrub jungle as yo
u are zipping up your fly.  Then mingle, eats lots of BBQ and food and
charge your drinks to cabin B 326. (Just kidding about charging the drinks).
My brother and I had a great time and ate and drank ourselvs full.  Then the
local serving lady filled a bag with left over food and Ice for our boat.
We tried to play dumb but she just laughed and pointed out that "Dem
cockelburs in yo socks, de grows on the sout side of de island.

Chris G


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William E. Wickman" <wewickman at duke-energy.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 6:04 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bill's Bahama Trip


>
> Wow Chris.  I wish I had that much time.  This trip is doubly special for
> me because it is the last bonding experience with my son before he goes
off
> to college.  I will probably not have as much time with him collectively
> for the next 4 years as I will have on this one trip.  I was hoping to
> stretch it into a three week trip (let alone 3 months) but alas, my son
has
> a summer job as a camp counselor at some far away camp so I'll be limited
> to two weeks; besides the fact that I would probably lose my job if I took
> longer.
>
> I plan to follow your footsteps to Bimini and then on to the Berry
Islands.
> If time, weather, and the mood strikes us we may sail over to Providence
to
> visit my wife and two daughters who will be there for a week while one of
> my daughters works as an intern at Dolphin Encounters.  A story, and the
> genesis for this whole adventure, which I will not bore you with.  One
> cardinal rule that I do plan to follow is to not have a scheduled
> itinerary.  I'll leave that for the cruise ships.
>
> Since you have been there, done that, I have a few of questions for you:
>
> What things did you not take that you wish you had?
>
> What things did you take that you found you did not need?
>
> Is my Fortress danforth anchor (I've got two plus a small one for my
> dinghy) adequate for anchoring in the Bahamas, or did you find need for a
> plow type?
>
> Is an outboard for the dinghy an essential piece of equipment?  I have
read
> that they are, but most of the people that say so were large boats with
> deeper drafts than the Rhodes22.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill W.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>              "Chris
>              Geankoplis"
>              <napoli68 at charter                                          To
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>                                        [Rhodes22-list] Bill's Bahama Trip
>              03/13/2006 01:17
>              AM
>
>
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>
>
>
> Bill,
>        I missed your original statement about a trip to the Bahamas.  Your
> Idea/itinary sounds good.  I've made the trip on my previous Rhodes and
> liked it so well in the Bahamas I stayed for 3 months.  I Sailed to Bimini
> then Berry islands (some cool stuff there)-Providence to Eluthra back to
> Profidence Then South through all theExumas, back to Providence and south
> again to Georgetown then Back north to the northernmost islands including
> Walker Cay then over to Freeport and finally to Gun Cay for the return
> trip.  You can contact me backchannel if I can be of any help.
>
> Chris Geankoplis
> S/V Enosis
> Medford, OR
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