PLT OF AN SMA SEL PVT ACFT DSNDED BEFORE CLRED TO DO SO DUE LACK OF COM CLARITY.

Narrative

I WAS APPROX 2 HRS 3 MINS OUT OF FORT PIERCE; FL; ENRTE TO STELLA MARIS; LONG ISLAND; BAHAMAS. I WAS ON A PLEASURE FLT WITH MY WIFE; THE ONLY OTHER PERSON ABOARD. I HAD BEEN IN SOLID IMC FOR ABOUT THE PAST HR; NAVING ON THE NDB - DEFINED AIRWAY A555 AT 7000 FT MSL. I HAD BEEN IN 2-WAY RADIO COM WITH ZMA WHO THEN HANDED ME OFF TO NASSAU APCH. NEARING MY DEST; I WISHED TO GET BELOW THE CLOUDS INTO VMC IN ORDER TO MAKE MY APCH AND LNDG AT STELLA MARIS; WHICH IS AN UNCTLED FIELD WITHOUT INST APCH PROC. COM WITH NASSAU WAS GARBLED; BUT I XMITTED TO NASSAU THAT I WAS GOING TO BEGIN MY DSCNT. SINCE I RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM NASSAU; IN REALITY WHAT I DID WAS TO LEAVE AN ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT ATC AUTHORIZATION. WHEN I REACHED 1500 MSL I WAS IN VMC. AT THIS POINT NASSAU CAME BACK ON THE AIR OVER MY RECEIVER INFORMING ME THAT ZMA HAD TOLD THEM (NASSAU) THAT I COULD NOT VACATE MY 700 FT ALT WITHOUT ZMA'S AUTHORIZATION. BY THIS TIME I HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH STELLA MARIS ON THEIR ADVISORY FREQ AND ESTABLISHED THAT AN APCH AND LNDG THERE COULD BE SAFELY MADE. THEREUPON; I CALLED NASSAU APCH; WHO INFORMED ME THAT ZMA HAD AN AMENDED CLRNC FOR ME. I REPLIED TO NASSAU THAT I WAS CLOSING (I.E.; CANCELING) MY IFR FLT PLAN. I THEN LANDED AT STELLA MARIS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE MY DSCNT WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC WAS AN ERROR DUE TO STRESS AGGRAVATED BY INADEQUATE RADIO COM FACILITIES IN THE BAHAMAS. I BELIEVE THAT HAD I BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE SOLELY WITH ZMA WITHOUT BEING HANDED OVER TO NASSAU APCH; WHOSE INTELLIGIBILITY WAS MARGINAL; THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.