Bahamas - April 2011

M

mda

Initial Climb
My wife and I will be flying our Sundowner to the Bahamas the week of April 17th. (Due to limited vacation time, we've been unable to join any of the recent trips). Leaving Watertown, WI ~ Thursday pm, April 14th. Leaving the Bahamas ~ Saturday, April 23th.

Would love to meet up with other interested pilots enroute or in Florida, for continued flight to the Islands.
We're interested in getting off the beaten path and spending a week in the Out Islands. Will be flying VFR.

Please post here or contact us directly if you have interest. Otherwise, we'll see you at OSH this summer.

Contact information:
Mark Anderson
Watertown, WI
414.315.0359
 
It really is a fun trip and easy VFR flying. Remember that Chalk's airline is/was the oldest US airline and had only VFR privileges although they flew US to Bahamas. Interesting for the pilots on 9-11 that got stuck in the islands and had to get special permission to return VFR when things opened up.
 
Mark,

I am in Orlando, but I most likely will not be able to make the flight. However, if you need any flight planning assistance, I can help you navigate the waters and find the cheapest fuel, and arrange for free tie downs at KORL if it helps. Fort Pierce seems to be the main jumping off point, and they have customs for the way back.

Jim Olsen
 
I used to clear through Ft. Pierce because it is most northern customs option. Returning to Ft. Pierce requires a longer over-water leg than the more southern options.

I need to put in a plug here for National Jet, FBO at Ft. Lauderdale International KFLL, the care there was superb. I felt like I landed in a G4. They made hotel reservations. When I landed it took less than 5 minutes from parked to in courtesy van headed to hotel, bags and passenger already on board. Gas ain't cheap. But no problem just buying 10 gallons.
 
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Bahamas, April 9-16, 2011 -- Update

Thank-you for your comments and offers.
Plans for this trip are developing quickly.

After an exhaustive review of islands and accommodations, we've decided to rent a beach house on Cat Island.
2 bedrooms, on a sandy beech, coral reef offshore, secluded/private, large patio with shade, thatched cabana on the beach, etc.
Rate is $1200/week.
We looked at places priced $800-$1600. This one fit our wishlist perfectly.

There are many websites that list rental accommodations. There is no killer website with a master list. It took us a week of spare time before we found the place we're staying.

We bought life vests, signal mirror, and in-flight personal relief supplies.

I bought a SPOT locating beacon on eBay for $50.
I've tested it and like its features. Will use it to communicate my location for all trips.
I know its not an ePIRB. But I like what it does better than the single-purpose ePIRB.
I bought the older version. It's a little bigger, but it FLOATS.

Am looking for general advice on flares, dye, streamer, and inflatable raft.
Between the combination of SPOT beacon, flight service, ATC, and boats on the water, I'm not thinking I'd be spending a lot of time in the water if I ditch. But I have no experience or data. Can others please comment?

The current plan is to fly VFR from Wisconsin. We will leave Thursday, April 7th and spend the night in Indiana. Friday, we plan to get to the Orlando area and spend the night with my uncle. Saturday morning, we'll fly to Cat Island. Flight will be VFR. We intend to fly during daylight. Of course, weather can delay us.

Anyone planning to fly that route during the same timeframe ? If yes, would love to hear from you.

-- Mark
N24693
'73 Sundowner
 
Sounds like a great trip planned! Cat island is fairly rural overall. Are you planning a fuel stop after Orlando? I doubt avgas is available on Cat Island. Great Exuma is on the way and reliable. North Eleuthera or Governor's harbor are good and might be closer to your route.
Remember that there is no night VFR in the Bahamas. Most customs offices close at 5pm or so.
most of your safety gear needs like odds, flares, etc are avail at discount boating stores.
Life rafts can be rented, but most rental rafts I looked at are not worth the trouble. There are some private rentals of good rafts. I urge you to read the various online reports of liferaft testing.
depending on your eating plans you might want to carry some food with you. Shopping for food can be expensive and often stores have empty shelves waiting for "the boat".
Let me know if I can help your plans at all.
Paul
 
Do you now suggest that FLL is a more convenient and friendly place to go international from? Even though FPR is a pain, it does have that convenient restaurant.
 
Mark , I too bought the SPOT and don't fly without it. It will map your movement on a Google Earth map for your friends! Also, Paul is THE man for Bahamas questions. He will gie you all you need about the Islands. You will be suprised at the time you Don't see land on your flight. Enjoy your trip.
 
I have had good luck with KFPR and KFLL. If heading for Cat Island I think the trip is 3. Hours in a Sierra from KFPR. Closer from KFLL. The FBOs are great at both. KFLL is more corporate jet oriented with service and prices to match. Either can set up rentals as needed.
I think the spot is a great device. Especially for your family back home when you leave USA flight tracking. But it is not really for the same purpose as a PLB. Obviously you can't carry everything. If anyone is really wanting to be as prepared as possible for rare but dangerous possibilities, remember that water landings are often survived but passengers drown trying to escape the plane afterwards. I carry some "Spare Air" or "HEET" bottles. Small lightweight simple to use 5 minute air supply systems. Useful for scuba divers or pilots. I am not a doomsdayer, but this seems to be a lightweight item that really addresses the risk.
 
I have flown NJ to Eleuthera over 80 times; I used to own a home there. It is easy to do this flight, with a little planning. You will be in radar contact (Miami, Freeport, Nassau and Miami again while flying to Cat Island) and flight following is available until Eleuthera.

Ft.Pierce is a good point to go VFR from; go to Freeport (west end is 45 miles from USA), follow east across Freeport to Abaco, follow southward to Eleuthera, fly south along Eleuthera to Cat Island. You will never be far from land that way, esp at 8000 ft alt.

Arrive before 5pm for customs. Make sure you fill all the forms beforehand; you can get all the forms from FPR, as well as rental liferaft. If you take a gift bucket of KFC they will love you! (I am not joking!)

Weather should be good in April. Bring a couple gallons of drinking water until you can find clean source on Cat Island (beer works), Most of water in rental homes is rainwater collected in a cistern with frogs/slugs etc.

Be prepared for loss of com during flight, and do not be shy to ask other aircraft to relay for you. That is how it is done.

On your way home, be sure to file VFR or IFR flight plan and advise customs at U.S. (do this directly with customs, not flight service) and be on time!

Once you do it once, you will love it. Next time google "Ten Bay Rentals Eleuthera" !
 
Greetings !
We're back from the Bahamas.

IMC caused delays on the trip south. I'm a VFR pilot. We got there one day behind schedule.
Once we got there, Cat Island was fantastic.

The Tiki FBO at KFPR was very helpful, though a very busy place. Bahamas Customs at North Eleuthera was quick and painless. There was a basketball game so they didn't have much time for us. Fuel was over $6/gallon. They take credit cards. We conserved our cash supply.

Arthur's Town Airport, Cat Island, was a ghost town. No people. No airplanes. No fuel. The small building was locked at 5:20pm on Sunday.
The island was as we expected. There are few people there. The beaches and water are beautiful.
Fruits and vegetables were hard to find. It has rained very little since January, and crops have not been successful.
My Verizon CDMA cell phone doesn't work there at all. You need to have a GSM phone. I could only find WiFi at the phone company building.
It wasn't like being at home.

We were flying near max gross. I had trouble getting to 7500' in the warm air, so I spent much of the time at 5500' or below the cloud ceiling. We kept on schedule for the trip home to Wisconsin. We overnighted at KPIA and KBWG on the way south. We overnighted at KQMY on the trip north. We overnighted at FBOs near larger cities, with hotels, restaurants, and expensive fuel. We made enroute fuel stops at small airports with low cost fuel, courtesy of Airnav.com. People at all the FBOs were fantastic.

I will certainly go back, but the next trip may be as a commercial passenger. It would save me some money and get me there and back faster. However, I had to fly to Bahamas at least one time. I have crossed it off my bucket list.

Thanks to Paul Werbin for his helpful advice.
-- Mark
 
Congratulations Mark on this trip. Our trips overlapped but Mark and I did not catch up in the Bahamas. Big place. With 60 airports there is a lot of variety to try.
I did manage to shut down Charleston AFB/Airport for while by getting a flat tire and rolling to a stop in the intersection of the two runways and could not move myself. Unfortunately I was the second plane of a dozen that had been holding while the Thunderbirds did a practice show. I don't think anyone was real happy with me for shutting down the field again for another hour. Oh well, what ya gonna do, right?
This trip I started at Stella Maris on Long Island. Gas, Customs and nice help all right on the field, only a half mile from the "resort". Few rooms but nicely spread out. Lots of food, and the local crowd comes by a lot to eat, shoot pool etc. The place had a limited beach onsite, but free transportation for lots of nearby beaches for sailing, snorkeling, boating etc. I was surprised at how much I liked the place. I am pretty picky. Then we did some hopping around... Lunch at Hawk's nest on Cat Island, I am witholding my public comments until I hear back from them. But then we went to Staniel Cay, one of my favorites. Cheap cottages, accessable but slow local food, easy boat rentals. This is the kind of place where a beach Sierra feels comfortable but people do fly in on local service airlines. Caravans mainly. I had a great time in my rented 17 foot boston whaler, and visited (well we both waved anyway...) Stephen Spielburg on his jetski coming off his 282ft cruise ship, the Seven Seas.
I visited Blackpoint settlement on Great Iguana ( not inagua). This is a really remote local place that has a fun reputation, a nice runway, and is close to Staniel. Now there are a few cottages for rent, good for a group.
North Eleuthera for gas and exit papers then an interesting trip weaving around the cells on the way back to Ft. Pierce with a not so fun ILS approach in heavy rain. Customs was in a good mood so onto the Tiki for lunch. This was the day before the tornados struck the Carolinas so I decided to spend a few days at KLUX and get some deferred maintenance done.
For me another great Bahamas trip and I am already planning my next trip.
 
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