RADAR COVERAGE LACKING IN MYNN AIRSPACE AND TURBULENCE GENERATED ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative

I HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE BAHAMAS FOR 3 OR 4 YRS. A FRIEND NEEDED A RIDE TO MYAM FROM PMP. I WAS TO LEAVE PMP AROUND XF00Z; DROP HIM OFF; TURN AROUND AND CLR CUSTOMS AT PBI; AND RETURN TO PMP. TOTAL FLYING TIME WAS ESTIMATED AT AROUND 3 HRS. THAT MORNING ABOUT XA00Z A CHK WITH FLT SVC WARNED OF AN ADVANCING LOW WITH ASSOCIATED HEAVY RAIN AND STORMS MOVING INTO NORTHERN FL AND FORECAST TO REMAIN IN THE UPPER 2/3 OF THE STATE. THE WX CHANNEL ON CABLE TV CONCURRED THAT THE WX WOULD ONLY INVOLVE THE UPPER PORTION OF THE STATE. I FILED AN INTL IFR FLT PLAN PMP TO MYAM FOR XF00Z AND RETURN IFR; MYAM TO PBI FOR XG30Z. I DISCUSSED AT LENGTH WITH THE FLT SVC THE AVAILABILITY OF RADAR COVERAGE OVER THE AREA OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. I WAS TOLD THAT NASSAU NOW HAD RADAR SVC; AND MY CHART MANUAL HAS AN AREA OF THE BAHAMAS BTWN GRAND BAHAMA AND NEW PROVIDENCE LABELED AS 'MIAMI ARTCC (ABOVE 6000); NASSAU CTA (TO 6000).' THERE ARE LOW ALT INSTRUMENT ROUTES ALL OVER THIS AREA. THE TRIP TO MYAM BEGAN AT XF10Z AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LEAVING MYAM AT XH05Z I NOTED THE SKY LOOKED A LITTLE DARK TO THE W. I CONTACTED NASSAU RADIO AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FREEPORT RADIO. I TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT REPEATEDLY AS I CLBED ON A WESTERLY HDG TO 6500' MSL ALONG THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. THE WX NOW LOOKED TERRIBLE AND MY STORM SCOPE PUT ALL THE ACTIVITY AT MY 12-1 O'CLOCK. FINALLY FREEPORT ANSWERED ME AND TOLD ME TO RPT DEERS INTXN AT 6000'; THEN ZFP VORTAC WHERE A TRANSPONDER CODE WOULD BE ISSUED. I ASSUMED I WOULD BE HANDED TO MIA CENTER AT THAT TIME. UPON REACHING ZFP I WAS CLRED TO 10 DME ON THE 289 R OF ZFP. AT 10 DME I WAS HANDED TO MIA CENTER; BUT AT 9 DME I HAD PENETRATED THE LEADING EDGE OF A STORM THAT WAS SPAWNING TORNADOES IN BOCA RATON. MIA WAS VERY HELPFUL AND IMMEDIATELY LET ME DEVIATE TO THE S. I REDUCED TO MANEUVERING SPD AND POUNDED MY WAY ALONG; UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AT TIMES (5500') DUE TO THE TURB. MIA KEPT ASKING FOR MY POS BUT THE ZFP DME WAS BLINKING ON AND OFF AND; OF COURSE; WENT OUT JUST BEFORE MIA WOULD CALL BACK FOR A POS CHK. FINALLY I EXITED THE STORM TO THE S AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH TO FXE. AS SOON AS I HIT THE STORM I KNEW NASSAU DIDN'T REALLY HAVE RADAR; OR IF THEY DO THEY ARE NOT USING IT; AND I SHOULD HAVE STARTED YELLING FOR MIA A LOT SOONER. I JUST HAD NOT BEEN OVER THERE FOR SO LONG AND I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE TELLING THE BAHAMA CTLR (I WAS IN HIS AIRSPACE) THAT I WOULD RATHER BE TALKING TO MIA. NOW I KNOW THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED MUCH. YOUR ONLY HEAVY WX CHANCE BACK FROM THE BAHAMAS IS MIA CENTER. IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BE. I WON'T BE GOING BACK VERY SOON; HOWEVER; TO TEST THIS THEORY. I HOPE THIS RPT HAS BEEN USEFUL.