Abaco Travel Tips
Useful, Practical and Fun,
From the many pages of
Sandy Estabrook’s Guide to the Abacos, Bahamas.
We'll preface our travel tip page by saying most folks traveling to the Abacos for the first time, will forgo some of the gadgetry mentioned here. I would suspect, if you make a second trip and that's a real possibility, you might reconsider some of the items.
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♦ Bring a small flashlight - Blackouts happen regularly.
♦ Bring zip lock bags for personal items wallets etc. in case you fall off your boat. Medium bags for wet clothes and large bags to cover a suitcase in the rain.
♦ Carry on Baggage is always your best bet as luggage sometimes gets lost or arrives a day or two late. And you might have to switch planes in a hurry to make a connection. The irony is they will probably confiscate your sun lotion.
♦ Watch out for the Wires - A photography tip. You'll never notice them when taking pictures. They only show up upon return.
♦ When snorkeling or diving, stay away from this pretty fish shown here, It's the Pacific Lionfish and they are not supposed to be in the Bahamas, but they are and are poisonous.
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Get yourself a pair of Polarized Sunglasses. They remove glare and reflection accentuating the turquoise green and blue of the Abaco waters. And their through water penetration is amazing. If you are like me and use glasses to read, you might want to consider a pair of polarized glasses with readers on the bottom and no magnification on the top. Perfect for reading on the beach or looking at a chart in a boat. Some brands that come to mind are Renegade, ONO and Scojo. Also check with L.L.Bean, Wallmart or do a Google Search, IÕve been using a bifocal of this type for 15 years. You might also want to also consider a polarized filter on your camera if it's threaded for filters. Your photos will then turn out like those fantastic tropical pictures we see in travel magazines.
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BEER DRINKER?
Here's a Practical Tip although to some this might be old news. My wife bought a pair quite unintentionally and that is Sandals with a built in beer bottle opener! - Perfect for the Bahamas since their national brew, Kalik, doesnÕt come with a screw off top. Nor does Heineken, Beck's or other Bahamian imports and how many times does one find themselves with a cooler full of beer and no opener. I'd definitely add a pair of these (at least for one person in the group) to my priority item list when traveling to the Abacos. For Information on where to get them click on the picture below.
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Still not sure of things? Figure you might get lost in your rental boat? Looking for a than the usual travel guide, get yourself a copy of the Cruising Guide to the Abacos. It covers all bases and is another must especially if renting a boat. It's authored by state side professor and Elbow Cay resident, Steve Dodge. (His house was one of many that blew into the sea during hurricane Floyd a few years back) The Guide, although geared to the cruising folks, is jam packed with useful info not found in any Fodor's or Frommer's etc. It's colorful and so inviting. Every nook and cranny is mentioned including many not covered in our guide, It's updated annually and includes a "yellow Pages" listing of services, shops, restaurants, fishing and diving guides etc. etc. Get a copy before you leave at BoatUS or West Marine or directly at the publisher White Sound Press. |
 Destination Abaco, is a new biannual free publication geared to the tourist and loaded with info. It's small size makes useful for carrying about. Look for it in gift shops marinas, and resorts. |
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CRUISERS NET |
Although many rental boats come with a marine radio, another very practical item is A marine VHF walkie talkie. It is the second item I pack after a flashlight. It's fun and invaluable tool for use in making a dinner reservation, booking a golf cart or boat rental, ferry or for hailing a taxi in Marsh Harbour (channel 06). Even listening to the island chit chat is fun. You will also be able to listen to the cruisers net on CH 68 every day at 8:15 In the Abacos there is what is called "The Cruisers Net". It's an all volunteer radio broadcast on Marine VHF CH 68 every day at 8:15 AM. It is geared for the cruising yachtsman. (It's least active as you might expect during Aug. & Sept.). It's been described as a combination CNN, Weather Channel, Entertainment Tonight, Discovery Channel, e-mail forwarding service and emergency broadcast system all wrapped up in one. The pleasant voice behind the microphone is usually Patti Toler who goes by the call sign "Blue Dolphin" and lives and broadcasts from Marsh Harbour. She volunteered for the job in 1992 and has been at it's helm ever since. Every morning it starts with the weather at 8:15 and repeats at 9:00 followed by the (free of charge) commercial announcements by the bars, restaurants, scuba folks, or anybody else that has an announcement of interest for visitors and yachtsmen. Here you will find out where the barbecues are and where the bands are playing etc. Following that there is a check in period for new arrivals and a departure period to say your good byes and or recruit a buddy boat. There is even a question period for new folks like YOURSELF using your VHF*. One might ask (as I heard one day) "what is the treatment for sea lice" (see below) or where can I buy some unusual product. The broadcast emanates from Marsh Harbour and is easily received on Man-O-War, Guana Cay, Elbow Cay (Hope Town) where I reached Patti with my hand held. Regrettably reception is poor on Green Turtle (30 miles to the north). Remember a handheld's "transmission" is only good for 4-5 miles and 3 to 4 times that using your rental boat's radio. They can be purchased at marine supply stores in the states like Boat US and West Marine. but be sure to learn Radio Protocol. More can be found on our home page. As of 2007 the Cruisers Net began streaming their broadcast. It can be found at Out Island Internet (the WiFi Folks) then go to Audio Services. Added to your coffee, it's a fun way to warm up cold winter mornings. |
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FOR THE STARGAZER IN YOU.
If you are one of those folks who must bring your lap top with you to the Abacos, here is an excuse you can use.
After the water, what do we love most about the Abacos? The nights, right, and more specifically the stars. Well, I came across software that will light up your nights. Although it can be used world wide, there is no better place than the Abaco for its Starry Nights.
It's apply named Starry Nights and its not only for us Mac folks, there are even PC versions. Anyway it is fantastic. There are 4-5 levels. I have the 2nd "Enthusiast" version. It's simple to use and there is only three settings:
1. Time, but that's already done by your computer.
2. Location which can be a zip code or in the Abacos the latitude and Longitude (25.50.00 n by 77.00.00 w)
3. The direction you are facing.
You will see on your lap top what you see in the sky and all in the same relative brightness, size and location! Of course if it's day time and you want to look ahead, just advance the programs clock to run at 300 X You see day turn into night
before your eyes. The stars will start to appear. Click on a star and it will tell you the stars name, constellation, distance from earth etc. etc. Then soon you will see satellites* floating by or occasional comet, You can click on them too and Starry Night will tell you about them also.
On the other hand if you search for Mars or the Andromeda Galaxy, it might say it is not currently in view and ask you if you want to go to the location where best viewed. Again the sky whizzes by and you are brought to a new location.
I could go on and on as there is so much more. I've said enough. Go to their site and check them out. If there is any amateur astronomer in you, you love it too. -Starry Night
*PS You'll see a lot of satellites in the Abacos. Just advance Starry Night a few minutes till you see a satellite go by, Note the time it passes. Reset to current time and lay back in your favorite hammock and wait for it to show up.
Quick links of Accommodations & Services
Abaco Guide
| The Abacos in a Nutshell
| Boat Rentals
| Air Carriers
| 2007 Update