Where are you?

[Ann and Neville Clement]

Wharram Builders and Friends like to meet here on the website, but we also like to meet on the water boat to boat and in our sheds face to face.  It would be interesting to have an easy way to locate builders and boats around the globe without having to search through the very long members list.  For us, it would be helpful to have a map of the US east coast with little dots we could click on to get the name of the builder there so we can see if a visit is possible.  I have never yet been aboard a Wharram that is not extremely interesting.  Can this be done?  Are others interested?  We are in Bahamas in winter and Rhode Island in summer and would welcome all Wharramites.  Ann and Nev

[Brian]

It could be done on Google maps...

[Brandon Gamble]

Where in the Bahamas are you?   ;0)

[Olivier R.]

Bonjour

un peu comme cela?

http://www.stw.fr/localisation/localisation.cfm

Salut à tous de Genève  -5 degrés soleil

 

[Olivier R.]

Ou encore

http://www.mappemonde.net/en/

[Olivier R.]

 

Je suis inscrits

 

http://www.mappemonde.net/carte/wharrambuilders/monde.html

 

Identification =

wharrambuilders

Password=

tiki38

[Olivier R.]

http://www.mappemonde.net/carte/wharrambuilders/monde.html

Je suis inscrit

Name

wharrambuilders

password

tiki38

[Ann and Neville Clement]

We spend winters in northern Bahamas and are on our way there now. 

[Brandon Gamble]

Sounds nice wish I could join you... How's the stream crossing this time of year?

 

[Ann and Neville Clement]

We usually wait for weather in Lake Worth and I prefer passageweather.com as our prediction source.  There are no hard and fast rules, but one does need to consider the wind against current factor, the chance sharp waves can be produced, and what one will do after the crossing has been completed.  We have crossed about 20 times in this boat and I crossed many times in my old boat before I met Nev.  The Tiki 46 can make the 50 miles passage across the stream rapidly, and we like the Great Sale anchorage which is another 50 miles across the shallow Bahamas Banks.  There is a blue hole there, good fishing, beach walking, and no houses on Great Sale.  The boat is loaded with food and it is a nice place to rest up and relax.

[Brandon Gamble]

Thanks for the quick response... If you don't mind I have a few more questions. What conditions do you personally prefer to cross in? In those conditions how many hours roughly would it take to get to say N Bimini? I'm considering sailing Element (Tiki 21) there in the near future and the more I can learn the better. With your experience how do you think a smaller cat like Element would do not only crossing the stream but island hoping in the Bahamas? Any advice?

Thank you!!

[Ann and Neville Clement]

One could write a whole book about crossing the gulf stream.  The stream itself is about 50 nm across so you know your boat speed.  Most folks prefer to wait for the east winds to start to go south with a forecast to continue clocking around to west and then north and then east again.  This happens about every week or so and sometimes it is gentle and sometimes a bit rough.  Looking at it on passgeweather.com helps with passage planning.  West End is the first place to stop but it is too expensive for us so we just continue on without stopping and anchor at Great Sale. 

We usually go from Lake Worth to Abaco making an overnight passage to Great Sale Cay.  Years ago I used to sail solo in a 28 foot monohull and I went the Bimini way.  The trouble is that getting that far south in the ICW involves a lot of bridges with restricted openings, lots of motoring and all that congestion and suburbs.  It just is not a romantic and lovely journey to my way of thinking.  So we go to Abaco and it is all lovely right away with great sailing in the Sea of Abaco which reminds us of Drake's passage in the British Virgin Islands.  Any Wharram will do well in the Bahamas.

 

From Abaco it is just an overnight to Eleuthra and then one isloand hops down the Exumas and keeps on going if that seems like a good idea.  One can spend a lifetime down there.  Food is expensive but rice and beans are price controlled and so is cheddar cheese, eggs, and pork.  Bring dry fruit, oatmeal, and tins of veges.  Catch fish.  We are addicted to Manjack Island. 

 

If you want to, you can phone us 401 261 7816.    We are in North Carolina now.  All the best - Ann and Nev 

[Brandon Gamble]

Thanks for the reply! and your detailed answers. I really appreciate it. I look forward to making the trip I've been told fall and spring are the times to go so I'll be shooting for this spring... unfortunately I'll only have a week maybe two there before I'll have to return :(

Enjoy your trip! Shoot some pics for me if you have the time :)

 

Thanks Again
Brandon

ps: I'll try to give you a call or a skype before I leave