Hurricane Joaquin

Hurricane Joaquin was the dominant event this fall in The Bahamas. The brutal, slow-moving hurricane suddenly went from a category one near Mayaguana to a category four and sat over Crooked and Acklins islands for two days with destructive winds and torrential rains. Joaquin then caused major damage in Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador as it moved west, north and northeast out of the region. But as they say in The Bahamas, “Thank God for life,” as the storm did not claim a soul. There are hundreds of stories of heroic action and bravery and later of incredible generosity. One family in Crooked Island had to leave their house through a window as it became flooded to the ceiling. Michael Carroll was able to free one of his boats from its trailer, then he and his family spent 19 hours in the boat tied in the lee of his house.

The long rebuilding of the southern islands has begun, and their citizens are showing amazing resilience and determination.

Recovery

Some areas are recovering from Joaquin a lot faster than others. In Long Island, Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina opened soon after Joaquin’s passage. Flying Fish Marina reported some slight damage to its docks yet was expected to be fully operative within weeks of the hurricane’s landfall. Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort on the north tip of the island had a bit of beach erosion but is completely open. Long Island Petroleum is pumping fuel in Salt Pond. Services in Salt Pond will be fairly normal by Christmas though many of their fishing boats were destroyed.

In San Salvador, Club Med and Riding Rock Resort & Marina are working on repairs. Club Med hopes to be open by December 20^th. Rum Cay’s recovery efforts are a bit slower as the loss of government docks hampered equipment delivery.

Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay are in various stages of reconstruction, but they sustained the most damage and full recovery will take time. Be sure to be full of fuel, water and supplies if you sail to Rum Cay and the southeast islands. Phone lines are expected to be back in service so call ahead to your destination.

A house near Mangrove Bush, Long Island, is in dire need of repairs post Joaquin.

Giving a hand

December is known as a season for giving, so what can the cruising community do to help the southern islands? The best answer is to carry on and bring business to the islands. Cruise down to the southeast and purchase groceries and fuel where available. Eat ashore if there is a restaurant open. Hire a bonefish guide. If you want to get involved, look around to see where help is needed and ask the local people. Offer whatever skills you have, or simply start working alongside someone. Remember also that cash is good.

El Faro

There was loss of life at sea—a reminder of nature’s wrath and the importance to be prepared for the worst. The 790-foot cargo ship El Faro (“the lighthouse”) went down with all 33 crew members on board in an area near the southeastern Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin’s passage. The nearly 40-year-old El Faro was on its regular run from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it lost power and began taking on water in heavy seas. It is the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S. flagged vessel in more than 30 years.

Navtours

A good charter company is operating crewed and bareboat charters out of Nassau, Staniel Cay and Great Exuma. Navtours is a French Canadian company with years of experience in the business, and they are the first to offer extensive services in the Exumas. Skipper your own boat, or charter one with a captain, mate and cook.

Charter companies have been operating in the Sea of Abaco for years because it is a safe, enclosed area where visitors can cruise for weeks and anchor in a different location every night. The Exumas are more difficult because there are fewer good harbors in westerly winds, but this island chain is definitely worth it with the support of a good charter company. With the variety of departure and return locations and with its backup and safety services, Navtours provides a wonderful way to enjoy the finest cruising in the Bahamian region. navtours.com

Crewed or bareboat charters are now available in the Exumas with Navtours.

Navigation notes:

There were few aids to navigation that could have been affected by Hurricane Joaquin in the southeast islands none of which are essential. Proceed with caution and call ahead to marinas before making way to storm affected areas.

by Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine, December 2015

Hurricane season is upon us again, but summer and early fall are great times to cruise in The Bahamas as long as you have a good hurricane strategy. (Southern Boating readers know they need a hurricane strategy any time they’re in the hurricane zone no matter where they’re cruising.) If you look carefully at the charts and read the yachting guides you will discover that there are some excellent hurricane holes throughout the north and central islands. With good planning and a close eye on the weather forecasts you can keep yourself within reach of one of these harbors and ensure you’ll be securely moored in plenty of time. Make sure that space is available in your haven of choice and that your tanks are always topped off. The choices will depend on the size and draft of your vessel, where you want to cruise and whether you plan to stay on board during the storm.

Generally you want to choose harbors that are enclosed and small enough to have little fetch. It is also good to be tucked in behind some land and not just a breakwater. If you plan to stay at anchor make very sure that the holding is perfect. A few good choices are:

• Grand Bahama: Bradford Marine in Freeport and Port Lucaya Marina in Lucaya,

• Abacos: Baker’s Bay Marina

• Berry Islands: Great Harbour Cay and Chub Cay

• North Eleuthera: Spanish Wells Yacht Haven

• Nassau: Atlantis and Hurricane Hole

• Cat Island: Hawksnest Marina

• Exumas: Compass Cay Marina and Crab Cay

The southern islands have very few natural harbors. Fast powerboats can cruise these islands with greater safety because they can run back to Hawksnest or down to the Turks and Caicos in a few hours.

If you are new in The Bahamas local knowledge is strongly advised. Inexperienced cruisers will quickly learn that Bahamians have a very healthy respect for hurricanes and are more than willing to help anyone on the water.

Be sure that you have communications systems on board that will provide you with up-to-date hurricane warnings and tracking. The Miami Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov) is available on the Internet, and Chris Parker’s Marine Weather Center is available by email or single side band (mwxc.com). Be extra careful to maintain your float plan with a reliable friend or relative. We also suggest daily communications with at least one other boat cruising in your area.

San Salvador

San Salvador, the “Living Jewel” of The Bahamas, is a lovely destination with good facilities and some of the most abundant wildlife in the islands. Scuba divers swim with beautiful coral, reef fish, turtles, and sharks all along the southwestern shore. Birders find a variety of land and sea birds—Birds of San Salvador, Bahamas by R. Hays Cummins et al. is available from Kindle—and sport fishermen troll for pelagic fish on “The Hump” off the north end of the island. Bonefishermen work the flats in Pigeon Creek, and students and scientists are in residence at the Gerace Research Centre (geraceresearchcentre.com) year-round to study the island’s flora and fauna and geology. Historians still like to argue the evidence that the island was the place that Columbus first came ashore in the New World.

Best of all, the people of San Salvador know how fortunate they are and have worked relentlessly to preserve the island’s environment. For the last 10 years citizens have worked with the Bahamas National Trust, BREEF, the Gerace Research Centre, the Nature Conservancy, and the Bahamian government to achieve permanent protection for important habitats on the island and in its coastal waters.

At a ceremony in Cockburn on April 23rd the Deputy Prime Minister, Phillip “Brave” Davis, announced the establishment of five new national parks in San Salvador. The parks will be managed by the Bahamas National Trust. Most important to cruisers are the protected area on the west side, Graham’s Harbour and Pigeon Creek. These parks are part of the growing number of no-take marine protected areas that will protect at least 20 percent of Bahamian near-coastal waters by 2020 as part of the Caribbean Challenge.

By Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine July, 2015

Tag: San Salvador

Hurricane Joaquin

Hurricane Season in The Bahamas