West Palm Beach to Treasure Cay Bahamas - June 2016

[zapufast]

All that said, we had an amazing week! I will tell you one thing thou, a 201 trip is a huge difference than a quick 55 mile run to Bimini!

Tim, I bet it was one hell of trip for sure. Would be South Bimini was a hope skip and a jump for us, but not sure how much farther you go that your going to see any better water quality. I guess it would be for the bragging rights to say you made it there and back in one piece with your ski and body intact. Would love to say I would do a trip like that one day as well. Who all when in your group again? Would all of you guys/gals do it again if given the opportunity? What exactly happen when you say the racks failed? I see in the pictures you guys posted one of the skis has it racked/fuel tanks intact. Was the rack system different on that setup? Any recommendation on places to stay or a must see if ever out that way?

Billy

We went to Abacos because there is so much to do in a small area. Third largest barrier reef and one of the best beaches in the world. We have a friend that owns a home there and we chose to go there instead of the Exumas. I feel the Exumas have the best water.
We had a 22' boat and 3 skis. Our wives flew. Would I do it again? Yes, but I do feel you would enjoy a trip to Bimini better with only 55 miles. My wife and I left the next morning on my ski to go hit some dive spots, the other 2 skiers didn't get on their skis for 3 days. They were pretty beat up. I was sore, but ok.
Everything that failed seemed to stem from the racks. I have a Platinum Products rack and it is built very well, and it held up well, but the top deck of the Yamaha Nano-exel II is only about 3/16" thick and basically the rack feet just punctured thru the deck. It was secured very well.
Kevin's Kool-PWC rack basically crumbed into pieces. He dumped it overboard. Roto-Pax mounts that held the external tanks ALL failed.
I will never attach another rack to my ski again. If I can't carry it in the front, then I will ship it.
Three things worked flawless on this trip. My Spot Gen 3, my Garmin 44dv, and my secondary internal fuel tank. We went thru some serious beating on the way home and zero problems without a rack.

Yeah the friend with the house helps with the lodging for sure. I bet it does have much more in on places to visit compared to Bimini from the pictures I saw and heard about. You mention that you would do the trip again! The others feelings? Maybe not? Was it from the ass beating riding over or amount of time spend gone? Pricing for a trip of this magnitude possible. I would love to try it out one day, just have to get over the idea of possible damaging/tearing shit up. And you said the others didn't ride for 3 days after from being beat up and sore. Damn, I know they couldn't have been excited about that happening. Can't control Mother Nature that's for sure. How much fuel did you all use? What about the boat fuel situation? Would it have been easier to load down the boat with the extra gas cans? I know it had to be long and a lot of planning for that trip. We planned for a few months and that was a lot of work

P.S Nice pictures! Any drone or Gopro footage?

We actually rented a place with a dock for $1575 tots for the week that sleeps 8... Only $175 a person.

[zapufast]

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Hey guys we made it back from the Abaco Islands! Thanks for everyone that tracked us and checked weather for us.
We did have great weather coming over, once we made the tip of Grand Bahamas, we had 2-3 foot seas the rest of the day. I started taking on water, about half way, every rack we had failed besides one, lost gas cans and mounts, ran out of gas, etc, but had a great time.
Our return trip wasn't as nice. We broke it up into 2 days Friday and Saturday. We had 4-5's all day Friday with a 20 mph west wind in our face. Cut thru the "waterway" as the people call it and stayed in Freeport for the night before the 86 mile crossing the following morning. I was wind burnt like never before. Saturday morning at daylight as soon as we left the harbor we had 6-8's with random 9-10's so it made for a very long day. It didn't help that the day before our boat dislodged its whole center console/t-top from the floor. We strapped it down to keep it from cutting any of the instrumentation and motor controls. This slowed us in these conditions as well. About a third of the way they the trip, I noticed the skis were using a considerable amount of gas(not really on a plane at 8-10mph) so out boat guy said to go on without him. To keep the group together I told him to run ahead 2-3 miles and then we would cruise at a good speed for us and catch and pass them up by 2-3 miles and then shut down and wait. This worked well til we got close enough to the coast that he was able to run the speed that was also good for the skis. It was kinda too late thou, I when on the fuel buzzer 28 miles out and ran out at 8 miles out. The boat pulled me in from there! Lol
Here are some of the pics! Videos coming a bit later!
https://m.facebook.com/zapufast/albu...?ref=bookmarks

Looks like a great trip. I was just checking out the pictures and was surprised to see you guys find Guy Fieri's hair.

Hahahaha!

[RedG]

What a great video and story, thanks for sharing

[Rescue1]

Wow that video...Wow, just wow...

[Broncosguru7]

@zapufast How close was that place to the fuel dock at treasure cay and how big was the dock will it hold 3 24ft boats? Can you give me any info on renting it thats a hell of a price for a week with a dock.

[zapufast]

@zapufast How close was that place to the fuel dock at treasure cay and how big was the dock will it hold 3 24ft boats? Can you give me any info on renting it thats a hell of a price for a week with a dock.

Might could squeeze (2) 24' in there. The side the boat was on really wasn't ours, but no one was staying in the next door neighbors condo so that slip was open all week.

[zapufast]

Yannick and Elenda Ledard

1 (242) 577-1435

Tell them Tim sent ya! Lol

[zapufast]

Update:

This is our 2017 trip!

https://youtu.be/HPlQ_ZQGgj8