Best time for a Bahamas trip

[z28jimi]

From the standpoint of average weather conditions, what would those of you who have been there, done that, consider to be the "best" months for making the crossing to and from the Bahamas?

 

[Lady Enna]

We have found May and June to be great weather months to get to and from the Bahamas. After the cold fronts have stopped pushing into FL the crossing windows are often and their duration is long. There is plenty of room in the anchorages, water is warm enough to swim/snorkel all day without a wet suit; yet the breeze is cool enough to be on the hook without running the A/C. Fishing is also good as Tuna, Mahi and Mackerel are abundant. If you are really lucky, as we were last year, you may even hook into a bill fish! That was a sight to see a 56 MY with no cockpit fighting a white marlin on a $50 Ugly Stick. Needless to say we didn't get it all the way to the boat, and I'm not sure I wanted to. But it sure was one of the highlights of the trip!

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I 100% second May and June... Days are getting longer and the weather is (mostly) a lot more predictable....

 

[capttonyf]

Spring in general, April, May and June I think are the best months. Good weather, and a great overlap of many species of fish to catch.

I use to keep the boat at Atlantis/Hurricane Hole in Paradise Island every Spring because it was an easy Hub to fly in and out of with family and friends. I like it there because depending on the wind we would fish off Chub in the pocket, Andros, Hole In The Wall, or run down the Exuma Bank and fish the Exuma Sound.

I don't care one way or another for Atlantis because it's a little to commercialized BUT the kids LOVE it and its a nice Central location to fish multiple Bahama Hot Spots depending on weather. In the spring if you get a South West Wind along with a change of the tide the fishing in the Exuma Sound up in the North West Pocket can get Red Hot. Typically there is little to no wave action and in one day you can hook up with Marlin, Sails, Wahoo and a boat load of dolphin with 4 to 6 hooked up at a time. Of all the places I've been, the Spring Fishing in the Exuma Sound is my favorite. Calm seas, great fishing, crystal clear water and tons of places to dive, and explore on or near the bank. Just a beautiful place to be and only a 1 1/2 to 2 hour run south of Nassau.

Fish the day, Dinner, Casino and Luxury Hotel rooms at night. Like I said I personally could care less for Atlantis, but for guests it's great. At sunrise they show up at the boat we fish, swim, and Island hop all day long, then a 2 hour ride and a nap later they're back at the Hotel.

Don't get me wrong the Abacos and Harbor Island are beautiful as well, but the Spring fishing and diving in the Protected Waters of the Exuma sound are second to none for me.

 

[thoward]

We go to the Northern Abacos but May is the best month. Seas are reasonable, no hurricanes, not scorching hot and good fishing.

April can be dicey. We crossed back this last Sunday in a 5-7' slop but found 15'ers(might have been a couple pushing 20) in the middle of the stream.

June can get pretty hot and the afternoon thundershowers kick in.

 

[Mike36c]

We go to the Northern Abacos but May is the best month. Seas are reasonable, no hurricanes, not scorching hot and good fishing.

April can be dicey. We crossed back this last Sunday in a 5-7' slop but found 15'ers(might have been a couple pushing 20) in the middle of the stream.

June can get pretty hot and the afternoon thundershowers kick in.

We crossed back yesterday, your freeloading stowaways also reported a fun ride. Congrats again on winning tournament.

 

[Tingo]

We have done the Bahamas many times over the years. I agree whole heartedly that the #1 best time to catch the best crossing conditions and also be able to take advantage of excellent fishing and diving is the April-May-June time frame. If you plan to spend a Winter season (Georgetown) there then our rule of thumb has always been to plan your crossing before Thanksgiving when you can usually expect the first cold fronts to be pushing through. We lived in the Florida Keys for 26 years and have seen many many cruisers over the years that have come down the ICW expecting to do a Bahamas crossing right after the holidays, then never get a weather window, never make their crossing and head back up the ICW in the Spring. Our cruising grounds have changed. For the past 10 years we've been on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and cruise the Cayes of Belize and the Bay Islands of Honduras. Plenty of great fishing & diving. Now our 43' Double Cabin is up for sale and I'll be posting a link on this forum soon.

 

[thoward]

We crossed back yesterday, your freeloading stowaways also reported a fun ride. Congrats again on winning tournament.

LOL, I never saw so many people head for dry land so quick in my life. You know it is a bad day when you pull props out of the water.

They get that Ocean fixed?

 

[magnawake]

From the standpoint of average weather conditions, what would those of you who have been there, done that, consider to be the "best" months for making the crossing to and from the Bahamas?

Are you thinking about going? I'm thinking maybe in a week or so. Maybe Bimini to Nassau to the exumas. I want to see wardwick wells, Thunderball Groto, Georgetown. I'm in Stuart now getting the boat ready.

 

[rsmith]

We go to the Northern Abacos but May is the best month. Seas are reasonable, no hurricanes, not scorching hot and good fishing.

April can be dicey. We crossed back this last Sunday in a 5-7' slop but found 15'ers(might have been a couple pushing 20) in the middle of the stream.

June can get pretty hot and the afternoon thundershowers kick in.

20 footers WOW!!!! That would mean that with an effective eyeball height on the bridge of 14 feet you would be looking up 7feet to the top of the wave. I know the 52 is a good sea boat but that's just incredible.

 

[Mike36c]

20 footers WOW!!!! That would mean that with an effective eyeball height on the bridge of 14 feet you would be looking up 7feet to the top of the wave. I know the 52 is a good sea boat but that's just incredible.

It was blowing pretty good a few days, Seal Cay channel on falling tide was all rolling white water. Waves breaking over Tom Brown's and Seal Cay, no picnic.

 

[z28jimi]

Are you thinking about going? I'm thinking maybe in a week or so. Maybe Bimini to Nassau to the exumas. I want to see wardwick wells, Thunderball Groto, Georgetown. I'm in Stuart now getting the boat ready.

Wish I could say yes, but not this year. Hopefully, next year around this time.

 

[thoward]

20 footers WOW!!!! That would mean that with an effective eyeball height on the bridge of 14 feet you would be looking up 7feet to the top of the wave. I know the 52 is a good sea boat but that's just incredible.

Yep, that was how I estimated the 15s, I was looking directly at the wave crest with no horizon. The ones estimated at 20 I was looking up at. I guess they could have been 18 but at that point in time I was a little to busy pull out the tape measure.

 

[magnawake]

Well, lets hope all those big swells are done and now they are laying flat for my trip in a week or so. I know this 8 footers look bigger than 8ft. More like 16ft right? Way too big for this 43' MY.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Not long ago we ran to Compass Cay from Warderick Wells and here's a clip of the tame stuff. When it was all said and done I was leaving salt foot prints on the aft deck carpet again. The trip from Spanish Wells down to Highbourne was definitely worse. At least we could make out the coral heads since we took the straight line from Fleeming down to South Sail.

http://youtu.be/eJw48ticFR8

Not trying to debunk all of the dialog about May being a good month for the Bahamas, but wow is it blowing over here. The trades have set in and neither of us are inclined to park the boat in the lee of the Exumas on the way North with 20-25k winds predicted until who knows when.
We made it down to Great Exuma and folks have stopped going over to Georgetown because it is kind of rough over there now. I was going to take the dink from Emerald Bay over to Paradise Bay but had to nix this due to the closely spaced chop at 2-3'.
The worst of this is we're stuck and have nothing better to do but get day passes at Sandals and try to find Vanna White and Pat Sajak.

If you have a 65'er and a 150 pound bruce on 3/8 chain sure go for it!

 

[Pascal]

That's why I really avoid emerald, if it starts blowing you re stuck there with little to do. Yes, they have a nice club house but that's about it.

If we have to go meet people in Gtown, and there is a chance for wind to pick up, we either go all the way to Gtown so we have things to do if we re stuck for a couple of days or stay in the barraterre area. There are some good surge free anchorages there, in the lee of Rat Cay for instance, ith great beaches within easy dinghy ride. You can also take the dinghy to barraterre and get a taxi to the airport of Gtown market. Pretty convenient.

From barraterre, you can can easily take a 6' draft to lee stocking, one of th most scenic anchorages in the Bahamas. And if the weather doesn't settle, you can cross to the bank side around the tip of barraterre and head back towards Staniel. Many options.

 

[Dan Mapes]

At this point it was either here or Stella Maris and to get over there we would have arrived at dark. Since we do not like to run at night especially in unfamiliar waters we wound up here. Back in '11 we had a couple of days that were off so we were not concerned about traveling in May this year. Wow did we get snookered.

If you didn't cross very recently it looks as though everything is shutting down for a while. I believe Parker has indicated it will be well into next week before we get some calm weather again.

Today Sandals. Tomorrow boat cleaning.

 

[magnawake]

Yeah its depressing. I'm already a few days behind schedule and now I'm looking at all this wind and waves on passage weather. Dang !!!! I cant take it. I guess we are going to the Abacos with the lack of time I have. Maybe next tuesday will be OK. Till then I'm just cleaning the boat and doing some much needed projects. Weeks like this I wish I had a 55C Sporty fish boat.

 

[GCSI]

It never fails! I'm going from St. Lucie across the top Of Abaco Thursday afternoon, just in time for winds to start kicking up..... Brett

 

[gfay0829]

I agree... May and June are usually ideal. Watch the Gulfstream forecasts carefully and avoid days when the wind has any Northerly component.

Safe crossing.

We'll be doing it in mid-June.

"CHINA DOLL"
1998 43 Hatteras Convertible