Georgetown Texas to Treasure Cay Bahamas in a Piper Arrow

[Datadriver]

I just returned from a trip to the islands in my Arrow.
19.6 tach hours round trip.

Atlantic crossing uneventful. I rented a life raft from KFPR for $25/day.
Bought 2 life jackets from Academy prior to departure, along with a $300
406mhz PLB from Amazon.

Paid $50 immigration fee for 2 people at MYAT.

Paid the expected $29 departure tax per person after gassing up
at Marsh Harbour (MYAM).

When departing Treasure Cay, smoke was covering the whole airport
from locals clearing the brush. Could not even see the terminal from
the plane. Waited for wind to clear it.

EAFIS website is a complete disaster. Did not send email confirmation
of manifests, accept US as USA, lost manifests in progress, etc.

CBP officers very friendly.

Beautiful views enroute - worth doing at least once in your life. Here's
a video of some of the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2BGuTagLuI

 

[Dennis McKim]

Nicely edited video. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[hindsight2020]

EAPIS website is a complete disaster. Did not send email confirmation
of manifests, accept US as USA, lost manifests in progress, etc.

CBP officers very friendly.

That's the only thing that keeps me from venturing OCONUS in my personal airplane. CBP and eAPIS (fify) and their 5AMU threats and hostility is not worth it for me. Other than that, sounds like a fun trip.

 

[Datadriver]

Yeah, I've never been to the Florida Keys. I've heard you can get some of the same views/experience there as the Bahamas.

Maybe that's my next trip.

 

[BigBadLou]

You went to Bahamas and didn't take me with you?? What a friend! *sigh*
Oh what? We're not friends? Ah, I see.
Hey, my name is Lou, I am in Austin too, wanna be friends?

Actualy seriously, haven't heard of you so far. I am puttingt together another PoA dinner (the first one was a success, thanks to Wade), I can add you to my list if interested.

 

[Archammer]

Very cool!

Just like Lou, I'm in the good ol ATX as well!

 

[Datadriver]

You went to Bahamas and didn't take me with you?? What a friend! *sigh*
Oh what? We're not friends? Ah, I see.
Hey, my name is Lou, I am in Austin too, wanna be friends?

Actualy seriously, haven't heard of you so far. I am puttingt together another PoA dinner (the first one was a success, thanks to Wade), I can add you to my list if interested.

I don't get out much :wink2:

 

[eman1200]

nice!

 

[Bill Watson]

We may have passed each other out there. A fishing bud and I just finished a Bonefishing trip to Long Island followed by lunch with sailing friends at Grand Exuma, a night at Staniel and than back to the US via North Eleuthra to Tamiami. My second trip to the Bahamas.

EAFIS website is a complete disaster. Did not send email confirmation
of manifests, accept US as USA, lost manifests in progress, etc.

CBP officers very friendly.

EaFIS is tough. The app worked okay for me and I got the email confirmations and such. Input edits are unforgiving and yet potentially confusing, e.g. country fields will accept invalid input (and autofill can perpetuate problems) but there is a selection list for country codes which can be used without a problem.

We returned on a different date than our original EaPIS submission and tried to go through the proper procedures for changing. I messed up and CBP in Tamiami was forgiving while giving us a hard time.

I intend to bone up on procedures for future flights and will be trying to go thru KFPR when possible. CBP does a good job there.

On the other hand, the Bahamas clearly want us flying there and they do a good job all around, customs and immigration in particular. I think they should round up and charge $40/head for the departure fee for simplicity

That's the only thing that keeps me from venturing OCONUS in my personal airplane. CBP and eAPIS (fify) and their 5AMU threats and hostility is not worth it for me.

Your loss.. what is 5AMU?

Yeah, I've never been to the Florida Keys. I've heard you can get some of the same views/experience there as the Bahamas.

The Keys are great. The Bahamas are great. I'm fishing out of Everglades National Park and will be hitting the Keys tomorrow. It's all great in the spring!

 

[Datadriver]

Yeah, eAFIS kept my departure manifest for a few days, but then on the day of the trip when I went to finalize the departure time accurately, I logged on and got the "You have no saved manifests" message.

The no-email confirmation bugged me, as after you press Submit it says, "contact CBP if you don't get an email confirmation".