Crossing from Florida to The Bahamas 

Thanks Gregory, I hope that folks can see trips like this and perhaps it ignites a small flame within to step a little out of their own comfort zone towards their own adventure be it big or small. Cheers and thanks for the watching!

That was one of the most intense crossings in a skiff i ever saw i applaud your big time

Assuming they reproduce and live that long

This just made my day James! Thanks for watching and thank you for sharing! Cheers!

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it and super cool you guys have been able to experience it for yourselves! Cheers and thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much David! I definitely try to enjoy my builds as much as possible! Cheers!

Hi Allan, oh what a treat that must’ve been. You’re a lucky man to not just experience this wonderful place, but to do it in that time period as well. Thank you fir sharing and I hope this brought back some wonderful memories!

Great to meet you and so cool you live there ! I couldn’t agree more with how incredible your home is. Cheers !

I Couldn’t agree more, and I can’t wait to be back to explore more! The Beach caves sound cool! Thanks for watching and commenting ! Cheers

Oh heck yes Brandon, it's been a while! the Bahamas is calling your name buddy, lets go!

Thank you! And right on! 👊🏼. It’s a pretty awesome adventure on small boats! Cheers!

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the comment! Cheers!

Haha, thank you Nicholas! Glad you like the content and stoked to have you follow along with the channel! Cheers

Thank you! It was a fun trip and paradise indeed! Cheers!

Haha, thanks Brian! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching! Cheers!

Thanks Brandy! Glad you liked it! Cheers!

Haha! Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! And right on! The older 3 cyl 70 Hp OMC’s are workhorses. And I’m pretty sure the first outboard powered boat yo cross the Atlantic was equipped w them! 🤯. Cheers on your new motor and thanks for watching!

They run forever with 0 problems

Thank you for watching and for these words. I couldn't agree more , such great people. Cheers

Glad you like it! And big cheers, your Island 🏝 is one of my favs and couldn’t agree more on Brice!

Thanks Keith! It was an amazing trip indeed! Glad you liked the video! Haha, yeah, that skiffs a ripper with the 70, I had that motor on another skiff and luckily between the props I have and some loaners, I was absolutely able to dial it in to get the most of it! 👊🏼. Those old 70’s are gems especially if you can find a clean freshwater one which was the case with this one. :) Thanks again for watching and just wait till you see what’s coming up next! Cheers!

Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed and thank YOU for the comment! Cheers!

Vrooom vrooom buddy! Lets go!

Haha. It’s all about planning and safety measures! Cheers to you rocking the small boat! 👊🏼💪🏼

Haha. That sounds like a sporty ride! Crossing on a PWC! And thank you, glad you liked the video and I appreciate your comments! Cheers

Most definitely Josh! send em! Let's do a little skiff rally soon!

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed!

Haha, thank you Todd! So glad you liked the video! Truth be told there is a lot more planning/ preparation then meets the eye , combined with years of experience making this exact crossing, it’s a lot safer then most would think. Cheers!

@@diywaterworld I grew up on a boat. My dad use to run dive and fishing charters. He would tell me about running back and forth. I got a bait about that same size and I use it for freshwater. lol but I’m glad your out there doing it and showing people instead of some video game or something 😂

Haha. Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching! Cheers!

Thank you so much Lance! I'm stoked you enjoyed it! haha, well heck yeah, you should make the trip indeed, its 1000 times better in person! cheers!

Thanks Matthew! I’m stoked you are enjoying the channel! It’s a pretty simple setup. I chopped down the console and just made it a seat essentisllly that stores gas tank and battery/etc. otherwise, and old beat up hull that I mounted the 70 hp Johnson on. Perfect hp for this skiff. Tops out around 35 mph. Comfy cruising in the 20-25 mph range. Perfect for exploring / diving with 3-4 people. :). Perhaps I’ll throw a video together showing more details!

Hahaha. Soon buddy! And haha, yeah, I still have a bucket imprint on my ass 😂

Haha, thank YOU for watching! Glad you enjoyed it. Here’s some inside info buddy… my next two videos are going to make this trip look like child’s play… haha. 1st one uploads before the weekend! Cheers!

Awesome. Just found your channel and have really enjoyed it. Cant say enough how nice it is seeing you fix boats to your likeing. My buddies and i are determed to get to Sweetings Cay after your vid. Cheers

@@checkthewater39 thanks so much! You just made my day, I’m stoked to have you here watching and enjoying the vids! And right on, that’ll be one awesome trip for you and your buds! Cheers!

Thanks so much! Sounds like you’re quite the adventurer as well buddy! Cheers on the 17 footer, should make for some awesome trips! Just make sure you bring a seat! 😜Cheers!

You should've seen what I got yesterday up here. I landed a 52lb wahoo 22 miles out. I've been blowing up since the tackle shop posted it. Thank you for the response

Raydel porto. I have the same 27 open contender 30” and I don’t have the courage to make the trip😂. Definitely we the cubans are overrated.

Hi Raydel, thanks so much for the comment and sub! I hear you on being nervous / stressed. That’s not a bad thing at all, it keeps you on your A-game and most important , from becoming complacent. That’s when $hit happens. I follow an important rule, I let the ocean dictate my travel speed / deviations in route, and ultimately I don’t challenge her! :) Crossing the Gulf Stream on any vessel is a big deal and not to be taken lightly. Although my travels on small boats seem “on a whim” or wreckless to most, the reality is that combined experience and planning allow me to layout very safe and trouble free crossings. Weather windows, flexible departure dates, staying within safe speeds given the ocean conditions, well maintained gear , epirb , vhf w/ DSC, compass, strobes, floatation , back ups on top of backups, what to do in case of fire/ punctured hull/ ingress of water/ etc. I have training and I am equipped to deal with just about any situation. and most of all I have a very detailed float plan. I mitigate as many risks as possible by taking all these steps and it all gives me the piece of mind that I’ve set myself up for success better then 99% of people crossing. I’ve seen plenty of big boats swallowed by the Gulf Stream. All much bigger, all much “safer” in the eyes of the general public. Equipmemt failure can happen to anyone, those that think their setup is bulletproof will never be truly prepared. I went off on a bit of a tangent haha, but hopefully as you gain more experience crossing amd hopefully follow these same “steps” you’ll see how safe it truly can be. Cheers and feel free to reach out anytime!

@TrustyTrucking haha, checkout my comment above mi Hermano! Complacency is good! If you ever want some guidance on planning a crossing feel free to reach out! Cheers!

Well hell yes haha! Come on and join us sometime! Cheers!

Thanks so much Kevin! Glad you like it! Quick question, are you Kevin Shivbaran whom I knew many year’s ago?! 🤯. If so big blast from the past buddy! If not… great to meet you! 👊🏼

Thank you Joe and cheers for watching!

I couldn’t agree more! The dory 22 is a dream boat and holds so much value! And right on…. Cruising on the dolphin! Cheers and thanks for the comment!

Thanks so much Maurice! It truly is a world of its own! Cheers !

Thanks for sharing! Oh man, what a story and a lot to learn from it! Most folks have no idea how much deviation they have with their compasses , mounted on center consoles with all sorts of instruments/ electronics snd metal surrounding. 2-3 degrees easily turns into 10-20 miles off ! Oops! But hey, that’s a beautiful area to end up at. Some of my favorite spots are on the shoal up there. Cheers and thanks for watching/sharing!

I did the same thing with a small radio once, that I put to close to the Compass and couldn't figure out why we weren't recognizing any landmarks! (Back in the 80's before GPS was a thing)! We were heading for the middle of Gulf of Mexico when we figured it out!

Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the comment! Yes sir, this is by far the biggest motor I’ve had in a skiff. A bit more fuel then I’m used to as well. Haha. Great motor for sure, electric start and power trim are nice, but I’m still keen on the 15-25 Hp motors. 😎. Cheers!

Haha, so cool! I'd been hoping theyd share that footage! Glad you caught it, it's been funny to read some of the comments haha. Cheers and thanks for watching!

Hi Kieth, very cool! Thanks for watching and for sharing!

Thanks Buddy! Soon you’ll get to see for yourself!

Heck yes! I love it! If you liked this video, you’ll sure like the next couple..(spoiler alert ) I make crossing from East end back to Florida in 13’ freshwater skiff 😎. Cheers!

Haha. Thanks Edmund and thank you for watching! Cheers

Thanks so much Benjamin! Glad you enjoyed! On this trip I stayed at a friends along the way, and once in Sweetings I rented a room from Nako. He has an Air BNB in Sweetings Cay. :)

Lol. Not quite buddy! Haha. Although it appears to be “on a whim”, It’s way more calculated then you’d think! Thanks for watching!

You can absolutely take your own boat. You just have to check into customs and pay them a fee that is based on the size of the boat.

Hi Hugo, cheers to you for wanting to do it in your boat. And even bigger cheers for being nervous. Honor the “Nerves “ because they are what will make you prepare properly, do your homework , learn as much as possible , and make sure that you create and promote the ideal plan. They’ll also keep you from becoming complacent which is the root of most crossings that go bad. I’m happy to help you make a plan and offer some guidance. Ironically I have been working on a very detailed video on how to plan and execute such a crossing. Keep a watch out , it’ll be finished in the next month or so. Cheers!

Hi Tony. Beam is around 6’, maybe a tad less. Length is 17’. It’s very “panga-ish” in terms of measurements and looks with a little dead rise so it rises halfway decent. I run 2 different props on the 70, a 15” prop if I’m loaded or have 2-4 people. Easily cruises in the low to mid 20’s … tops out around 30 with load. With the 17” prop numbers are a couple mph more. In lightweight form, the boat cruises an easy 25+ mph and tops out in the high 30’s. Fuel economy ranges from 3-4 gal per hr on avg. sometimes better/sometimes worse haha. That 70 likes to be fed! Thanks for the questions and thanks for watching!

@@diywaterworld Thank you for the reply!

These blue holes are saltwater blue holes. Connected underground to deep ocean water with very similar limestone structures like the springs up in Central Florida.

i wondered who would notice 😂 You know me well buddy! I brought it as a gift for someone. My fishing rod is 6' long 5/16" stanless steel with a flopper ! 😉

very cool Chris! Are these Wonky holes freshwater fed? Or similar to these saltwater ones which flow with the tides? I’d love to learn more, cheers!

Hi Robert, thank you, glad you enjoyed it! In this video it was all shot with a GoPro 7 as well as some iPhone 6 footage. :) cheers!

Thanks so much! It’s a 17 Aquasport. Pretty sweet riding little hull. And haha, full send indeed! Glad you enjoyed!

Haha. Yeah buddy, it goes well with the 70! 💪🏼

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed and I couldn’t agree more. A buddy boat is highly recommended and always my first choice for crossing. The problem I run into is I’m weather dependent which often times means I have to be ready to catch the weather window that favors a small boat crossing, and being last min , most people can’t just drop what they are going to cross. 😬. Cheers!

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed and I couldn’t agree more. A buddy boat is highly recommended and always my first choice for crossing. The problem I run into is I’m weather dependent which often times means I have to be ready to catch the weather window that favors a small boat crossing, and being last min , most people can’t just drop what they are going to cross. 😬. Cheers!

Im a year or two away, will let you know when I do it, I’m in between, 17 aquasport , 19 deep vee Aquasport, or 21 super boat , something small fun and stupid

@@fairwind3111 right on! I hope you do it one day and I’m happy to help / share details of my trips anytime. Cheers and good luck in your boat search !

Thanks for asking Rickey, I get them from a guy local that deals with used plastic containers. they work well and hold up good. Generally you can find them on craigslist, many of the plastic drum sellers have these smaller ones. good luck!

@@diywaterworld is it just a food grade drum or something specific?

Yes, I have a portable box that has lights attached with an internal battery. I can strap it down , turn it on and good to go! 👍🏼

@@diywaterworld awesome! As someone who grew up on boats it was the first thing I looked for lol. Thanks!

Hi Richard, it’s an early 70’s Aquasport 17’ model. Cheers!

Hi Eric, there was a local consignment store in Stuart that had a bunch but they are now out of business :/

@@diywaterworld did you have to get a special plug that would let it vent? I have a 55 gallon drum, but I’m afraid of the gas vapors expanding

Hi Mitch, man this is so great to read! Big cheers to you for going for it! And absolutely , I’m happy to help out. You can shoot me an email at Forrest.stunts@yahoo.com cheers snd I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you Alexander! Glad you enjoyed!

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy!

Hi there. It’s an old 17’ aqua sport. Measures around 16’ and change. 👍🏼

Hi Richard, yes, old Aquasport indeed! One of my all time favorite boats in that size range. :)

Hi Justin, i'm in the Stuart area.

haha, thanks Joe. 😂 I've definitely been told that a time or two!

Or a mako?

17 Aquasport

you got it! Old aquasport 17' ! cheers

you got it buddy! thank you!