Salty Podcast #77 ⛵ Sail Orange Beach to Bahamas | The Journey begins

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The docklines aren’t off yet, but the journey’s already begun. From a quiet slip in Orange Beach, we walk through the exact work it takes to ready a 1998 Island Packet 320 for a run down Florida’s Gulf Coast, across the Keys, and over to Georgetown in the Exumas—repairs, routing, weather calls, and the steady courage to go. We start at the masthead with a rigorous rigging inspection: a too‑long Genoa luff corrected with a new head Kringle, a migrating swivel brought back into spec, aging sheaves flagged, traveler cam cleats replaced with Harken 150s, and a fresh VHF cable run down the spar. It’s the kind of preventative detail that keeps a furler smooth and a solo sailor safe when the wind pipes up.

Belowdecks, a routine engine check turns serious: a leaking fuel pump leads to a cracked exhaust manifold diagnosis and a race to source the new part before departure. We talk through why manifolds matter, what a cleaned exhaust elbow buys you, and how to choose a no‑go line that honors both the calendar and the sea. On the electronics side, a Garmin Reactor 40 gets fully calibrated, chartplotter data and Auto Guidance charts are restored, and a remote finally brings the autopilot to the helm—a small shift that pays off across Florida’s Big Bend on a long night to Tarpon Springs.

Routes and weather get specific. We lay out a realistic hop plan—Destin, Panama City, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola—then the jump across, with alternatives based on 15–20 knots on the nose and bridge clearances too close to flirt with. In the Keys, Key Biscayne becomes both staging ground and vet stop for two boat‑curious cats with their Bahamas permit, lifeline netting, and tiny PFDs. Then it’s Bimini, Northwest Channel, and south through the Exumas, with community‑sourced tips like Norman’s Pond in a cream forecast and sensible cuts to reach Georgetown.

Threaded through the checklists is the reason for going. We talk openly about loss, faith, and choosing a busy anchorage over a lonely one; about how a rigging report, a diesel part, and a handful of spares can become a way to rebuild confidence; and about the generosity of the cruising network when you need it most. If you’ve been sketching your own passage to the Bahamas—or you just love the craft of making a boat ready—this is your map, your nudge, and your weather window.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a sailor who’s planning their crossing, and leave a review with your best Big Bend or Bimini tip—we’ll read our favorites on a future episode.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!
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GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7