Prepping for the Bahamas

Have you thought about how to prepare your boat for a cruise to the Bahamas? Whether it’s your first or fifth time, it’s worth planning ahead.

How to Prepare Your Boat for the Bahamas

For many American cruisers, crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas is their first long passage. It’s a challenge, but one that is manageable if you plan ahead. In broad terms, this is what you should focus on:

• Ready the boat. Take a critical look at your hull, systems, and dinghy. Keep a running list of repairs you need to make before setting off. The last thing you need is to make a critical repair in an anchorage far from professional help and supplies.
• Work on your skills. If you have added any new equipment (perhaps a chart plotter or anchoring gear), practice using it before you leave. I spent a lot of time on Aqua Map to make using it second nature long before setting out. 
• Research crucial information. Where will you anchor? How will you get internet? What paperwork do you need to check in? And what do you need to do if you have pets on board?
• Stock up. You will need spare parts and provisions. Yes, you can buy food everywhere. But some of your favorites may be more expensive in the Bahamas than they are at home. 

What does this look like in the real world? Take the example of how we prepared Barefoot Gal and apply it to your vessel and crew. Welcome to a quick, behind-the-scenes glimpse at getting ready for our last Bahamian cruise. 

Several Months in Advance

Well before we planned to leave, we had a lot of decisions to make, lists to write, and stores to buy. You may not need to do everything we did. I expect, however, that our list of tasks will prompt you to make your own. 

• Decided to switch from ablative bottom paint to hard. Figured out what work was involved and scheduled our haul out. Read about why we decided to go with hard bottom paint for our boat and how we made the switch.
• Researched the problems we were having with our outboard engine (let’s hear it for YouTube) and Dave repaired it. No longer planning to buy a new-to-us one. As expected, we found plenty of uses for the money we saved.
• Began researching options for internet in the Bahamas. This is an ever-changing topic, but Bahamas Internet Options will get you started on the issues involved. 
• Inventoried diesel, outboard, and general boat spares and decided what we needed to buy. Make sure your list is easy to update. It will be a moving target right up until you leave. 
• Ordered two Sport-a-Seats for the cockpit as an alternative to new custom cockpit cushions.
• Downloaded AquaMaps, a navigation app, and got familiar with using it. Whatever navigation methods you prefer, practice using them in advance and have a back-up in case of failure.

Quick tip: Keep your list in the cloud so that it syncs between all your devices (phone, tablet, laptop). That way you can update your list from anywhere and share it between crew members. This will help keep you organized. 

One Month Before Leaving

Just a month before we left for the Bahamas, we spent hours rehabilitating our dinghy. With that done, we were free to concentrate on varied tasks.  

• Arranged for enough of all our prescription medicines and emergency medicines in the first aid kit. How to do this: Cruising and Prescriptions. This can take some time to set up, so don’t wait until right before you leave. 
• When we bought Barefoot Gal, two of her floorboards had damage caused by leaking hatches. Once we finally felt confident that we had stopped the leaks, it was time to replace those. We contracted with a local woodshop to do the work. Dave and I aren’t skilled at this type of work, and the cost of teak and holly plywood is frightful, so we left it to the professionals. 
• I began stocking up on provisions for the Bahamas. Every time I went to the grocery store, I bought extras!
• Ordered various spare parts, provisions that were not available locally, spare sandals, and more from Amazon.
• Pored over charts of the Abacos and read Active Captain and Waterway Guide notes on various anchorages. The more I used it, the more I loved Aqua Map on my iPad! By the way, this is one of the most fun planning tasks. 
• Chatted with other cruisers who have spent considerable time in the Abacos and have a cruising style similar to ours about favorite places. 
• Purchased DAN Boater medical assistance/evacuation insurance, just in case.

More Resources to Help You Take Your Boat to the Bahamas

The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone. Other cruisers are a great resource. But if you want a comprehensive guide to help you enjoy a fun and safe Bahamas visit, we’ve got you covered. In Getting Ready to Cruise the Bahamas, we’ve gathered the resources you need to cross the Gulf Stream safely, check in (humans and pets), provision, and more. This standalone course offers everything you need to do, in the right order, with nothing missed and no conflicting advice — all accurate and up to date. Or save by taking advantage of the All-Access Pass, which includes courses on operating your VHS radio, provisioning, living with a tiny fridge, cruising with pets, and more.

Regardless of what ends up on your Bahamas to-do list, start now. Stay organized. And enjoy a wonderful visit to these beautiful islands. 

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