Navigation to Sail Rocks Question

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Diversion

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Upcoming 1st timer to Exumas this summer. I read quite a bit about the coral heads getting to Sail Rocks. Is there a preferred route most take in getting there from Nassau or is everyone just going slowly thru them? Or is a southwesterly route and coming back up the most common route? I guess Yellow Bank and Middle Ground are the problem areas?
Thanks,
 
What does your boat draw?

If your heading from Nassau to the Exumas there is no real need to go to Sail Rocks. Unless you want to hop out into the sound at Beacon Cay.

If you're going on the inside down the Exumas just stay to the SW of the Yellow Bank as much as possible and you will miss most of the coral heads. (The ones you have to watch out for are really more like small patch reefs.)

As longs as the light is good they are easy to see. And while you should slow down, there is no need to go dead slow.

If you haven't already, pick up the "Explorer Chartbooks" for the Bahamas. Best charts by far for the Bahamas.
 
You should have little or no problem with that kind of draft. Just go with good light on a clear day and enjoy some of the most beautiful water in the world.
 
Bill on a clear day just look for the black spots and avoid them right? Given that draft the rhumb line to Highbourne would be ok? I pretty much plotted it that way from Nassau but was thinking I should move it as mentioned. Not holding you to anything just curious how dense the coral gets.
 
I should point out that there will be boats going along with Diversion that draft up to 54". Has anyone gone south around the coral heads and then back east toward sail rock?

Ken
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

Bill on a clear day just look for the black spots and avoid them right? Given that draft the rhumb line to Highbourne would be ok? I pretty much plotted it that way from Nassau but was thinking I should move it as mentioned. Not holding you to anything just curious how dense the coral gets.

Click to expand...


That is correct. The coral "heads" ( as mentioned they are more like round patch reefs) are not that dense. Especially if you stay to the SW and them once through them head up to say Highborne.

If you have any height of eye you can see them coming up pretty well and should have lots of time to go around them. And the smaller dark spots tend to be deeper than the larger spots.

I draw over 6 feet and can go through at any tide skirting around them.

Why are you going to Sail Rocks? To jump outside?
 
Me, sail rocks? No. I was going straight down to Highbourne from Nassau. I cannot speak for anyone else. If the winds are light wouldn't that area make a good anchorage?
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

Me, sail rocks? No. I was going straight down to Highbourne from Nassau. I cannot speak for anyone else. If the winds are light wouldn't that area make a good anchorage?

Click to expand...


Sail Rocks? I suppose. It's pretty low as I recall. Better to do what Solar mentioned and head to Allen's.

Hey Solar, are you in the BVIs now?
 
after passing Porgee rocks, i usually stay on a SW heading for a little while to clear some of the stuff off the east coast of Prov. then steer due south to clear the Yellow bank. it really doens't make a difference in time, maybe a few minutes, and that way i dont' have to worry about it...

doesn't seem to be much north of Allan's, sail Rock is pretty small with little protection, i guess it's fine in light winds but is it worth the detour? there is so much more in from Highborne on south. Allans is ok but kind of tight with other boats. Last trip we anchored in the cove on the north side of SW Allans. it's a little small but out of the current and the water is deep almost all the way to the sides. only room for one or two boats there though.

this time around we went straight to Normans and spent 2 days there... really nice spot, well protected (we stayed there the second night becuase of the last front). I usually anchor past the DC3 in the 5 meter deep spot on the charts, the channel is wider so we have more swing room than in the most popular west side.

for those who draw under 5', a real sheltered spot is the North Harbour in Norman. do a run with the dink first then go trhu at high tide. it's really nice and protected in there

Dan, when are you heading down to the Exumas? I'm going to be down here till the second half of april. Heading up to Nassau this week end then down to Georgetown on Sunday for a charter in the Southern Exumas. then Nassau again around April 14th and another 10 days down to staniel before heading back to Miami and north in may. if you're comign this way, hope we can hook up!
 
Cap.Bill1 No, not in the BVI now but keep my boat there. Will move on to Antigua next year. I will be flying down to the boat in about four weeks and be down for about five weeks.
 
I'll be heading over in a couple of weeks. Thought I might see you there. But looks my the timing might be off.
 
Pascal, when you say there is not much north of Allans Cay, are you referring to habitats/people only? I'm wondering if it's worth the detour regarding scenery and snorkeling but foregoing overnight stay. Or is the scenery/snorkeling just as favorable from Allens south in your opinion?
Thanks
 
Can't speak for Pascal. But Sail Rocks are small barren islands with little in the way of scenery. And while am sure you could find something to snorkel around or on there I for one would be surprised if it's anything worth detouring for.

But then again I've only motor by or around them so I could be totally wrong about that. :-)

If you want to detour a bit and it's a nice calm day, stop at the larger patch reefs you pass on the Yellow Banks. They can make nice snorkeling spots. And you might even pick up dinner.
 
i have never bothered going to Sail Rocks since none of the guides and charts show anything interesting there. North of Allans is just a few rocks and not much scenery. there are so many nice spots further south that it's really not worth the detour.

for some reason, i've never made it to Highbourne but will tomorrow. We're in Samson Cay Marina right now and i think it is one of the most beautiful marina, and not jsut here in the exumas. the lagoon with its maze of sandbar is just spectacular.

my must stop at points in the the north/central Exuamas are Normans, Warderick Wells, Sampson, Staniel, and Bitter Guana / Gaulin South cay, just south of Staniel. there are nice beaches and some cliff/elevation to make the scenery more interesting.
 
Pascal we move around to Lucaya very soon, and then hope for a window to the Berrys. If the boat is behaving we may continue on. When we ran her up a bit from Hope Town to Guana the stbd EGT was up a bit. I'm wondering if the stbd. turbo (we did not do that side) is finally starting to cough up some oil. We'll see.
 
There are a number of reasons why the EGT might be up other than a turbo leaking oil. Are you sure that engine isn't running under a bit higher load? Bent prop, miss-alignment causing the shaft to bind on the strut bearings, something on the shaft?
 
I'm pretty sure all of that is ok. We've not banged on anything and she's running smoothly. No smoke either. I know the EGTs are a little different as indicated because the port side has twice the wire length up to the gauge. It seemed higher last time we ran I'll know more next time we move. Good point about looking at the shaft the water is clear here. Next time I get wet...
I have an I.R. thermometer and with a little persuasion I can shoot the snails.
 
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