Bimini Trip

[reelclassic]

Planning on a trip to Bimini any advice from anyone who has been???? Planning on leaving from Homestead Bayfront Park.

[Capt Chuck]

1.)LOCK UP THE BOAT/MOTOR TO THE PIER w/ a Hidden Kill Switch
2.) Leave NOTHING on board. Anything left after dark will never see the Bahama Sunrise
3.) Bring a 5cu ft freezer. Fill it with Ice/ food / Bait / Chum/ Filet Fish you catch during the week. Can be puchased for approx $125. Lock it on the dock next to your boat. Upon leaving, sell it to the locals for $100... Last trip there ice was approx $15 a bag
4.) Bring no cash bills over $50, Passport, Local Charts, Spare Parts, Bahamas & yellow Quarentine Flags.
5.) Fill out entry / Customs Paperwork prior to entry (go to Bahamas web site)
6.) File a float Plan & Cross with a Buddy Boat

[Fr. Frank]

... File a float Plan & Cross with a Buddy Boat

Everything Chuck said, and:

7. Carry enough fuel for double the distance.
8. Carry 32oz of bottled water per person per day before leaving the US.
9. Burn portable fuel supply first.
10. Carry extra water separating filters.
11. Carry photocopies of all important documents, including passport #, boat registration, other ID, etc.
12. Call home immediately upon arrival.
13. Do carry and declare a shotgun if you are staying aboard. The fact you are armed will then be known to potential thieves/pirates.
(Do NOT carry handguns in Bahamian waters unless you have a diplomatic passport or you are a federal law enforcement officer.)
14. Do not bring any cash back to the US for any Bahamian, even if they are law enforcement or government officials.
15. Do not bring any lobster or fish back to the US without specifically declaring it with customs before leaving the Bahamas.
16. Oh yeah, use a prop lock.

I used to live in the Bahamas on New Providence Island in '94-95, and I have made the crossing more than 100 times. I have crossed in everything from David Anheuser's old 77' Broward FDMY "TICA" as a deckhand/steward, a '43 Rybovich, to more than a half-dozen trips from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama in a 13' Whaler (accompanied by other boats).

I have made the greatest number of my crossings, however, in a 20' SeaCraft Seafari. I used to go across 2 or 3 times a week to dive, and return same day.

[reelclassic]

Cool thanks for the info keep it coming.....We are trying to plan it for late july or early august. Anyone know of any cheap airlines we are going to send the girls on a plane and meet them there they are not as excited about the boat trip as we are!

[jorgeinmiami]

Take plenty of $$ for gas and try to take as much from here to there as the prices go up 2 to 3 times

[sponge]

Island Air should be able to drop them on South Bimini

[NoBones]

Leave the "Bling" at home..
Strap on the Casio G shock watch and be happy..
Make sure you try a Yellow Bird at the bar.
and look out for "Conchy Joe"

See ya, Ken

[ScottM]

to more than a half-dozen trips from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama in a 13' Whaler

My back hurts just reading that. That boat must have been a floating gas can.

[Fr. Frank]

My back hurts just reading that. That boat must have been a floating gas can.

13' Whaler side console with a 35 hp Johnson. 18 gallon underseat fiberglass tank. We'd use about 12 gallons going across. It's only 54 miles from Lake Worth Inlet to West End. Steer a course of 101* to allow for the Gulf Stream current

2 guys, 4 tanks and scuba and fishing gear on the boat. Leave around 5 am, before daylight, while the sea is glassy and run 20-25 mph all the way across. We'd hit Jack Tar about 7:30am or so and refuel (and buy the fishing tackle we forgot). Dive and fish all day. Refuel again at the end of the day. Stay overnight at the Islander Inn (long gone now), and go back in the morning again while it was glassy.

You can only do this with such a small boat in the middle of summer when it's often like glass all the way across in the early morning. Normally it was 3 or 4 boats and about 9-10 people making the trip. The big boat that we always travelled with was a 28' John Allmand. On a couple of occasions, we came back the same day, and just towed the whaler home, cause the seabreeze kicks up the chop late in the day.

Today my back is part titanium, probably due in part because I did stuff like the above.

POST SCRIPT: I agree the best small-boat cruising in the Bahamas is the Abacos down through Eleuthra, and I would add the Berry Islands to that list.

[Bushwacker]

1.)LOCK UP THE BOAT/MOTOR TO THE PIER w/ a Hidden Kill Switch
2.) Leave NOTHING on board. Anything left after dark will never see the Bahama Sunrise

. . . or just go to the Abaco's instead, esp. Man-O'War Cay; they're a little more law abiding there, although they almost seceded when Bahamas got their independance from UK in 1972! Their loyalties still remain with the Queen. That particular island is dry however, so you'll have to bring your own booze! Be careful with the rum raisin ice cream at the Dock & Dine however - you can get a hangover on that stuff!