Going International!

We have been busy getting all kinds of things ready for a trip to the Bahamas!  Our plan is to travel south to Ft Myers, then across the state via the Lake Okeechobee waterway to the east coast of Florida.  Then go south just a bit to the Palm Beach area, and wait for good weather (more on that later).  We will then continue east across about 55 miles of the Atlantic ocean to the Abacos, stopping first at  West End, Grand Bahamas Island! This big ocean water includes crossing the Gulf Stream, which is about a 25 mile wide “river” in the ocean that moves to the north along the Florida coast at about 3 knots.  YIKES!

To go international across big water, we’ve been getting all kinds of things in order.  Safety First!  We got a MMIS (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number from the FCC for our marine VHF (two-way) radio.  This unique number belongs to Island Girl, and is coded into our radio. With a press of a button in case of emergency (as long as we are within radio range ), our identification and location coordinates will be transmitted to the Coast Guard .  Next was the purchase of an “EPIRB”.  This is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which communicates via satellite, so it has no range limits.  It is also registered with the Coast Guard, and is automatically activated when it is in the water.  So, if we have to abandon ship, it will transmit our location to global rescue authorities.

Next comes international travel requirements. We will have to go through immigration and customs in the Bahamas, and again when we re-enter the U.S.  We had to buy some flags for the boat.  An American flag which we will always fly.  A yellow quarantine flag that we must fly when we enter Bahamian water before clearing customs.  And a Bahamas courtesy flag, which we will fly the whole time we’re in Bahamian waters, after clearing customs.

When we come back to the U.S., our boat needs to have a Customs decal. I guess it’s like her passport.   Got that ordered and stuck on the window.  It’s good for a year.  And to simplify re-entry for us, we registered ourselves and Island Girl with Customs & Border Patrol through the “Local Boater Option” program through the Small Vessel Reporting System.  (It’s kind of like “pre-check” at the airport.)  We had to meet with a Customs officer and he issued us each a SVRS number.  Now when we re-enter the U.S., Captain Kenny just calls the Customs & Border Patrol to tell them we’re back, and we may (likely) not have to physically appear in person at a Customs office to be cleared.

Captain Kenny has been learning all about his new Garmin GPS/plotter with Bahamian charts, and getting it all tied in with the existing sonar, radar, and auto-pilot.  Running new cable to put the old GPS at the downstairs helm, and tie it in with the new upstairs fly bridge one.   IT-guy Kenny has been busy with all of that and figuring out a Wi-Fi booster for better computer use.  He also looked into how to get a Bahamian sim card in a smart phone to avoid absurd AT&T international phone rates.  Mechanic Kenny has been doing all kinds of maintenance to get the Girl ready for a big trip.  Oil changes, new batteries, aftercooler cleanings, checking anchors and chains and ropes, cleaning the dinghy motor carburetor, this, that, and the other thing!  Navigator Karen has been reading and researching, plotting and planning!  Galley cook and chief supply officer Karen has been menu planning and buying all kinds of food and supplies for the big trip, since we will be at anchor at beautiful remote tropical islands part of the time.  We will spend time at marinas too, but everything is more expensive there, including water, which is .25-.40/gal from a hose.  And we’ve heard that paper products are very expensive, so we’re all supplied up with paper towels and toilet paper!

We are within a week of leaving on a very big adventure!!