2000 Chapbook

The Bahamas chain contains some 700 atolls and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean. It's easily accessible from Florida and excellent for long weekends, with pretty reefs, decent tropicals, and resorts that feed sharks.... Winter weather from December to March means mid-70s, cooler water -- heavy wetsuit water -- and sweaters in the evening; average nighttime temperature is in the mid-60s, but can drop into the 50s if winter air blows off the continent. . . .Nassau is full of big restaurants and expensive restaurants. Out-island resorts are small and personal.... Of the islands with land-based resorts (primarily Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Great Exuma, Grand Bahama/Freeport, Long Island, New Providence/Nassau and San Salvador) the latter offers frequent small hammerheads .... and a lot of algae on the reefs, which is now plaguing the Bahamas. . .Keep hurricane season, June through October, in mind; Hurricane Wilma devastated Grand Bahama in October 2005. Average time between hurricanes is nine years. Liveaboards occasionally have to change plans or cut trips short in the bad weather.

Blackbeard's Cruises (Sea Explorer),July 1998, Tim & Paula Pastushin, CA. Water: 84-88 degrees, Vis: 80-150 ft. Left from Miami with get-together BBQ on shore. Sailed at 3 pm, after meeting Capt. Tracy, 2nd Capt. John and the crew. Detailed safety orientation. Almost glassy seas (check conditions before going without seasickness medicine) Went to Alice Town on the first night to clear customs and Sat. morning headed to dives. DM Tracy went through the rules: we were responsible for our own depth and times, but no going deeper than 130 ft. Come up with 500 psi, complete a 5 min. safety stop. She briefed us on site with fish to look for (with the places to look). First dive 25 ft. a tune up. Lots of fish, not exciting. Second much prettier, 35ft depth. 3rd dive was site for night dive; loggerhead turtles. Dives got better and better. Gingerbread grounds, 35 miles east of Bimini: coral was pristine, no boat traffic, fish life amazing and diverse. Since we were first off the boat, Tim and I saw reef and nurse sharks on 6 dives; grouper, large and small; schools of bar and yellow jacks; barracuda; small tropicals; angels (French, grey, and queen); rock beauties; lobster and crab. One drift dive; nodules, a deep wall site, had a ripping current. They lined up all divers on the railing, gear on, paratrooper style, and one by one we went into the water on a wall that topped at 90 ft. Visibility 150-200. Shark dive: crew kept non-edible fish caught trolling, froze them then strung the fish on a pole spear adapted for feeding. Tracy sat us all in a semicircle around a cement anchored bolt. 10 large nurse sharks and 8-10 reef sharks moving in and out of the coral heads and swimming around the divers. No aggressive behavior. After the feed, the divers dispersed among the coral heads riddled with large swim throughs filled with glassy sweepers and silversides, and the fish life was amazingly healthy. Dark Star night dive was spectacular, with open sea baskets feeding and large lobsters. Bahamian law prohibits taking anything on scuba, but the crew encouraged us to try with hunting while free diving. Boat and crew excellent. Food, while not gourmet, was plentiful, hot, excellent. Blackbeard's is camping on a boat. Bunks are comfortable, but space is at a premium don't over pack; you won't need anything dressy. We shared a cabin with another couple whom we didn't know. Blackbeard's boat leaving from Nassau more expensive, but they have private cabins. Some bunks more private, with singles in the bow. Some bunks in the galley. Doubles on the bottom and a single on top 3 single guests got extra space, as they assigned them these bottom bunks. Our cabins (the middle berths) were doubles on top and bottom. Each bunk had a curtain for privacy. All below deck areas were air conditioned. Didn't spend much time below decks, because it was chilly. (Ph: 800-327-9600 or 305-888-1226, e-mail: blackbrd@fla.net)

Blackbeard's Cruises, February 1999, Laurie Stavracos, Southold, NY. Vis: 30-50 ft. Accommodations rustic, more than anticipated. Crew was great, little restriction on diving but enough to be careful. Crew was always up for suggestions.

Blackbeard's Cruises (Pirate's Lady),March 1999, Guy Johnson, Coal Valley, IL. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 70-75 degrees. Sunny, windy. Free to do as pleased provided we were using computers. Good time. Go at least a month later to get warmer air and seas. Food good with cook Terry always having a good selection and variety, good taste and quantity. Drift lines put out when needed; dinghies always ready. Full length 3mm wetsuit would have been a better choice over a shorty. Crew and Capt. did fine job.

Blackbeard's Cruises (Morning Star),April 1999, Larry Ready, Mobile, AL. Vis: 50-75 ft. Water: 85-88 degrees. Restrictions: 130 ft. Crew wonderful. Made sure that you enjoyed the trip. Ad hoc entertainment from stargazing through night vision binoculars to the deck hand's guitar playing. Great value!

Blackbird's Cruises (Cat Ppalu),September 1999, Becky Kennedy, Athens, TN. Water: mid-8O's. Restrictions: 130 ft. Wreck dive only if certified to go into. Crew terrific. Five were vegetarians and let them know before sailing. The cook, Peg, did a great job in accommodating our needs. Lack of size of cabins made turning in bed difficult, but we had the smallest cabin. Diving easy; Go to the back of the boat, put your gear on, and enter the water! Exumas: marine life was great, nurse sharks, reef sharks, southern and spotted rays, friendly groupers, Queen Angels, squid, octopus at night, shrimp. Wreck, drift, blue hole, shark dives. Crew adapts according to the wants of the group.

Dream II/The Dream Team,April 1999, David R. Lamb, Salt Lake City, UT. Vis: 40-90 ft. Water: 77-79 degrees. Restrictions suggested: 100', 5 min. safety stop and 500 psi left (unless something good came by while you were on the down line, e.g., hammerheads.) Similar to a Blackbeard cruise but more comfortable. Quarters tight and little privacy, but fewer passengers, more showers, no water rationing, larger heads with electric marine toilets, more shelter topside, no added port charges. Food good and plentiful, crew great. Combination dive and dolphin encounter trip. One or two dives each day and the rest of the time was spent free diving with wild dolphins, which we encountered several times most days, in groups of two to twenty; would hang out with humans for 5-45 minutes. Fantastic. Dives very good with healthy coral and sponges and lots of fish. Huge loggerhead turtles lugging huge remoras. Occasional hammerhead and bull sharks. Well worth the $975. ( Telephone 800-741-5335 or 407-768-9859)

Gulf Stream Eagle,May 1999, Ron & Gisela Sorjonen, Slidell, LA. Vis: 100+ ft. Water: 79-83 degrees. 130 ft. depth limit; required 1200 psi for return to boat, computers fine. As a non-diver, I accompany my husband and his dive buddy on most trips simply because I do not want to miss wonderful destinations. I snorkeled, an opportunity afforded divers as well. "Gulf Stream Eagle" is a comfortable motor vessel 100 ft. long. Cabin's storage was adequate; we had single bunks. All interior is air-conditioned. All meals in the spacious salon - buffet style - beginning with a continental breakfast (cereals, breads, cream cheese, milk, juices and fresh fruit) to get morning dive underway, followed by a hot breakfast (grits, hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits). Salon housed extensive video library, TV and VCR, cassette and CD player, and paperback novels. Two heads held vanities, all large enough to be more than just functional. Two shower compartments were separate. Ship was immaculate. Crew friendly and helpful. I had a marvelous time; divers are a special breed, kind, helpful and caring. One cannot help feeling like part of a family. Spacious sun deck (18' x 45); come sunset time this area offered relaxation and drinks (alcoholic - supplied by divers; nonalcoholic - supplied by boat) that most enjoyed. Zodiac allowed for excursions to special little islands during the trip to Cay Sal. Thorough briefings and safety measures. Night dives in more shallow waters, some diehards could stay for 75 minutes at 19 ft., loving it. No reason for non-divers not to go on a live-aboard. Snorkeling is always an option, fellowship can be enjoyed. Food well prepared and tasty, sort of home-cooking and plentiful. Pasta salads at many meals, so were fresh salads and slaws. Meats ranged from chicken, beef to seafood (shrimp), and freshly caught fish. Even a gas grill for BBQd Hamburgers. Had the captain's pooch on board, cute with a great personality. He got his own zodiac rides to land (do I have to state the reason?) 2 full captains and 3 more crew (engineer, divemaster and cook all crew members dive), cruising speed 15-22 Kt. two generators, two compressors, fresh water 2,200 gal. per day, GPS, Radar, Sonar, Loran C, VHF and SSB radios, 400 sq. ft. dive deck, Rear deck fresh water shower, camera table and rinse bucket, 6' wide stairway to 12' x 4' platform, two ladders, Staterooms: 5/w double berths and overhead single; two with 4 single berths. $195/person/day (no discount for nondivers), includes meals, snacks, all nonalcoholic beverages (BYOB), accommodations, (bring towels). diving. $35/person departure tax and a required $250 deposit three weeks before departure. Bring passport or birth certificate with picture I.D. (Gulf Stream Diver: (800) 488-3483; 561-743-5747 (Fax). (Ph: 800-488-3483 or 561-575-9800, Fax: 561-743-5747, e-mail: gseagle@gulfstreameagle.com, Website: www.gulfstreameagle.com)

Gulf Stream Eagle,August 1998, Bob & Jenni Long, Columbus, OH. Vis: 40-60 ft. Water: 85 degrees. No deco diving, stay above 130 tt. No one to greet us at boat or help with luggage. Crew member told us our cabin number and where to put our gear. No offer to help with luggage. When we left the boat no one helped either. Cabins OK but not big enough for 2 people to stand and dress at same time. No reading lights or lavatories. Double bed with upper bunk for storage and a place for hanging clothes. No one in crew said hi or introduced themselves except at a briefing. Saw Capt. next day and he was same way. Briefings hit or miss and brief. Had to ask for more detail often and once it was not correct. We spent 20 mins. looking for something that turned out to be beside the boat. Little help on dive deck and dive platform but after dive there was some if you needed it. Trip is for experienced divers because you are on your own, drift diving, and deep. Most bottoms started at 70-90 ft. Drift dives well run with a guide and float ball; Capt. knew how to pick-up divers expertly. 60-70% of dives are drift and deep. Laid back atmosphere. No schedules. We were always asking what was next. Spearfishing allowed and the only lobster we saw was on someone's spear. Got tired of smelling second hand smoke on dive deck. No boxes, baskets, or lockers for gear. Had to keep in travel bag. BC and reg stayed on tank. 11 guests so we had plenty of room on dive deck and platform at entry. Would be crowded with full load (21). Great ladders for exit with fins on. Shower on dive deck with hose to rinse. Half of dive deck in shade. Large sundeck with speakers from stereo but no covered area. Heads large and kept clean and had 2 separate showers with sinks so there was no wait. Salon had a fine movie selection. Temp. in salon would get uncomfortable in late day so we would go below to cabin where it was always cool. Photo table 3x5' but everyone including crew put other stuff on it even food and drinks. A rinse bucket not big enough for more than 3 cameras. No E-6 processing. Food plentiful, just OK. Would cater to special diets. No fresh baked goods. No snacks after dives. Just jars of pretzels or trail mix. Only had dessert 2 times. Great fresh fruit tray for breakfast. For night dives there is a bright light on each side of boat shining in water. Boat is fast and steady. I could stand while using head. Trip is for people who want to be left alone to do what they want including killing what other people came to see. Expect no crew help. Expensive as other live-aboards but you don't get the equivalent food or accommodations. Diving good but not like Little Cayman or Bonaire or San Sal. Saw sharks everyday. Fish life plentiful; saw no pelagics except sharks. The reef and terrain were beautiful.

Nekton Pilot,October 1998, Marianne & Jeff Daniel, Walnut Creek, CA. Vis: 15-100 ft. Water temp: 80-85 degrees. Crew excellent! Friendly, knowledgeable, safety and service oriented. Boat comfortable, private cabin with own bath. Small, well appointed. Individual air conditioning. Fresh towels each day. Food superb! Well prepared and plentiful! Sites healthy; each had a Nekton-installed mooring pin. Even Hurricane Mitch couldn't put a damper on this crew. They ensured we had a good experience. (Ph: 800-899-6753 or 954-463-9324, Fax: 954-463-8938, e-mail: nekton@gate.net, Website: www: nektoncruises.com)

Nekton Pilot,November 1998, Kathy & Wayde Sherman, Rome, GA. Water: 89-92 degrees, Vis: 75-100 ft. Excellent. I did get sea sick. Prepare for this boat as you would for any boat or your first and last days will be miserable. Crew outstanding, food delicious. The diving was exceptional. Wonderful trip.

Nekton Pilot,November 1998, Rodney Kummer, Great Falls, MI. Professionally run dive operation. The dive platform worked great. Rooms extremely nice. If you want to dive a lot this is the boat. Staff helpful with needs. Good presentation on sea life every night. Recommend to beginners through experienced.

Nekton Pilot,January 1999, Ron & Sharon Frankel, St. Petersburg, FL. Vis: 50-60 ft. Water: 82 degrees. Stable; well run operation. Diving excellent without any real limitations except 130 ft and 500 lbs left before climbing aboard. Food was good and accommodations excellent.

Nekton Pilot,March 1999, Bob Perry, Yuma, AZ. Vis: 40-120 ft. Water: 74-78 degrees. Water: calm, no currents. Restrictions: 130 Feet, No deco diving on computer, buddy system. Nikonos rentals, photo and video pros available, 2 camera tables and 3 dedicated camera rinse buckets. E-9 processing on board. No Nitrox. Stable boat well designed for diving. Food plentiful and delicious. Though many of the 13 person crew were young, they were professional. Information before the trip was accurate and all questions answered promptly. Nekton Pilot supports DAN research providing free computer use in exchange for downloading dive profiles and filling questionnaires. No harvesting souvenirs. They encourage reef protection and offer buoyancy training free. I made 27 dives in 5 1/2 days including dawn dives and night dives. Personnel, especially Melissa, solved any problems and made the trip enjoyable and a great value.

Nekton Pilot,March 1999, Dr. J. Wright & Virgie Cortner, Tucson, AZ Vis: 60-80 ft. Loved it!

Nekton Pilot,March 1999, Greg Edgehouse, Chagrin Falls, OH. Water: 73 degrees, Vis: 100+ ft. Crew excellent. Always there to help. Never interfered. Evening slide shows informative. Reef sharks most every dive. Sea turtles on 3 dives. Professionally run, safety conscious, consumer friendly dive operation.

Nekton Pilot,April 1999, Pat Wickstram, mrpat@dnet.net, Warne, NC. Vis: 85-150+ ft. Water: 74-76 degrees. Restrictions in force: 130', 500 psi. Roomy and stable. Crew was attentive and professional. One of the last Southern Bahamas winter cruises of 1999. Loved this itinerary; deep walls, spur and grooves, turtles, and hammerheads. Food was plentiful, varied, and tasty. Diving was great. Paid the double occupancy rate, but they gave my daughter a separate cabin on our under booked cruise. Very much appreciated. If you want a guide or need your hand held, a crew member will jump in the water, but experienced divers are left alone. Five dives a day, no problem. Camera friendly with E6 developing. Most tanks are steel 95's. No Nitrox. Bring your own booze cause they serve nothing on board, (some sort of drunken accident changed their policy). Overall a great trip for novice or experienced.

Nekton Pilot,April 1999, Jim & Debbie Mercer (jcdd@compuserve.com), Montgomery, TX. Vis: 90-100+ ft. Water: 76-80 degrees. Sunny, dry. Water: calm, no current. Restrictions: Depth limits and safety stops. Second time on board the Nektonand this was the best. Captain Ephey and his crew did outstanding job accommodating everyone. Divemasters familiar with the diving and made sure everyone has a great dive. Food? Out of this world! Pam knows how to make everything taste delicious. She will also work with you if you have special dietary needs.

Nekton Pilot,April 1999, Richard Bennett, Virginia Beach, VA. Vis: 100-200 ft. Water: 76-78. Sunny. Water: calm. Restrictions: 130 foot limit. Crew excellent and attentive. Diving was excellent, extraordinary visibility.

Nekton Pilot,May 1999, Jim Payne (jimp10150@aol.com), Franklin, WI. Vis: 60-100+ ft. Water: 83-86 degrees. Restrictions: 130 ft., buddy, no alcohol. Best overall dive experience in 9 years. I've seen better coral and more fish but the accommodations, food, staff and boat made the trip worth every penny. Impressed with their environmental concern and orientations (without being preachy). For those who wish to "dive, dive, dive" and enjoy a first class cruise too.

Nekton Pilot,, May 1999, Robert & Gweneth Schwab (schwabreRix.netcom.com), Peoria, IL. Vis: 30-120 ft. Water: 78-81 degrees. Excellent experience. Boat leaves from Fort Lauderdale, avoiding foreign air travel problems. Great balance between safety and diving independence. Optional slide presentations were well planned and provided an educational experience for all levels of divers. Dive with loggerhead turtles at the wreck of the Hesperuswas a highlight. Several were 5' long and looked like a "Yugo with flippers" in the water.

Nekton Pilot,June 1999, Walt & Angie Redmond (endo@jump.net), Austin, TX. Vis: 60-80 ft. Water: 85 degrees. Restrictions: 130' depth limit, no diving after alcohol consumption (no night dive if wine with dinner). Well-run operation with great staff. Left Ft. Lauderdale with rough crossing of Gulf Stream but boat is stable. Furnishings worn. Food good and plentiful; special requests easily met for lighter fare. Limited alcoholic beverages so bring your own if you want wine with dinner, etc. Sodas not available so bring them also; plenty of fruit drinks and punches. 2 morning, 2 afternoon and 1 night dive each day. Dive own profile, dive times at your discretion. Guide dive available to lead your dive. Reef sharks, barracudas, barracuda cleaning station, lobsters, crabs, groupers. Several blue holes. Stopped in Bimini for a shore excursion. Great live-aboard.

Nekton Pilot,June 1999, Johnnie Donley (jdonley@mpinet.net) Montverde, FL. Vis: 50-150 ft. Water: 80-84 degrees. Sunny, windy water: choppy. Computers randomly checked; if you went below 130' you were ask not to dive the next dive. Two large tables and two fresh water rinse tanks. No one went to shore to snorkel we were having too much fun diving. Did snorkel around the boat during intervals. Great time.

Nekton Pilot,July 1999, Arthur C. Hulse (ntcc@grove.iup.edu), Kittanning, PA. Vis: 50-100. Water: 80-82 degrees. Sunny. No deco, nothing over 130, must dive with buddy, first drink last dive, 24 hour wait to fly. Butt ugly ship, but a great dive boat. Cabins large and have private heads and showers. All rooms with individual ac. Staff fantastic 11 crew for 30 divers. Food great, plenty of it, lots of snacks. Pam did a great job in the kitchen. Melissa gave excellent presentations on marine life. Dive Cay Sal Bank: really good for intermediate to experienced divers, not new divers. Divers went off in pairs, no guided tours unless requested. 6 of my 23 were greater than 100, max 126) though you could remain shallow. Current can kick up, nice blue holes, especially Sistine Chapel. Good value.

Nekton Pilot,July 1999, Jim Kiernan, Coral Springs, FL. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 83-85 degrees. Cay Sal Bank trip. Blue Hole a disappointment. Shark dive too! Other dives excellent. Boat is ugly, but rides as smoothly as they say it does. Food was best I've had on a live-aboard. Service too.

Nekton Pilot,July 1999, Martha Schiemann, Boynton Beach, FL. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 81-86 degrees. Restriction: 130 ft. My decision to go on the Pilot was a result of your reviews. Wanted to go to Roatán in May, but after reading a review mentioning sea lice, I changed my mind. I had a bad attack in Florida and became quite sick for 2 weeks. People who took the reservations for Nekton were pleasant and helpful. Everything went smoothly. Boat was comfortable; only movement was gentle rocking which would lull you to sleep. When a female passenger did something she should not have done and caused a major plumbing problem, Captain Ephy was nice in explaining the problem and please be more careful. Maintenance excellent minor problems handled immediately. Evening slide shows informative. Staff friendly and helpful, great sense of humor. Food delicious wonderful variety, real home cooking. Plenty of juice, coffee, tea and water. Soda a charge, so before departing Fort Lauderdale, crew stopped at Publix so people could buy sodas or whatever. Board 5:30 p.m.; crew took people on vans to restaurants. Customs and Immigration went smoothly in Bahamas. Nice boutique on board for souvenirs. Darin gave slide shows featuring his own excellent photos, some for sale. Cabins small, beds comfortable. Clean towels each day. Mints on pillows each night. Hot water in the shower, great water pressure, toilets flushed well. Ample space for storing. Just bring bathing suits, shorts and T-shirts. A/C good. Each cabin had own head and shower. Up top, plenty of places to recline in shade or sun. Nice inside lounge (living room) area, plenty of books and videos. Two TVS. Suiting up area comfortable enough, storage beneath benches. Tanks close together, making it difficult to tell which was yours. If tank was low, crew member topped it off. Sign out and sign back in, record your time in, time out, max depth. Board location inconvenient. Tank to rinse off diveskins. Not permitted to walk into boat while in a diveskin or wetsuit. On last day could go into Bimini; crew drove groups back and forth in a small boat. At midmorning always freshly baked cookies and before dinner snacks hot and cold (e.g., spring rolls). Tables set for each meal. Suggestion about gratuities done discreetly and in good taste and you never felt pressured. I dived the first day but the next morning felt congested and did not dive the remainder of the trip. So, I had a relaxing vacation; everyone was concerned how I was feeling and they never made me feel like an outcast. Since I knew what the diving would be like and the fact that I dive a lot, I did not feel bad.

Nekton Pilot,July 1999, Clay Coleman, Baton Rouge, LA. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 85-90 degrees. Northern Bahamas with a large group of old friends, most of whom had been on the boat before. Perfect weather, flat sea. Captain and crew competent and accommodating. Variety of diving shallow reefs and wrecks, a deep wreck, a deep wall site. Shallow wrecks rewarding 20' dives on wrecks crawling with life. Logged 1-1/2 hour dives without a minute of boredom, excellent video and photography, many turtles at night. A week of carefree, easy and rewarding diving aboard the most comfortable vessel afloat. Good food, helpful and cheerful crew. Had a blast.

Nekton Pilot,September 1999, Mr. & Mrs. D.K. Parker, Las Vegas, NV. Vis: 40-80 ft. Water: 85-86 degrees. Restrictions in force: 130 ft. 500 psi. Competent, fun crew. Decent diving, cheaper than other live-aboards because of Ft. Lauderdale base. No seasickness advertising is false. Several divers were seasick. Strong currents on most dives, had to use granny line to mooring line and descend on mooring line, didn't dare venture far from mooring pins. 32 divers, so dive deck is quite crowded.