****New Poll****West End / Gathering?

[kmoose]

Any interest in doing a Gathering in Bimini? Been about 30 years since I've been there so me and the Admiral are considering doing a trip over for a few days. I think a group run would be fun and adventurous to do, especially for those who haven't done it before. Anybody have any recent experience in lodging and travel logistics? I figure it would be good to kick it around early so as to work some solid plans up.

[Vezo, Part II]

I have never considered this, but with the group I've met at Sebastian and Homosassa, I'd seriously consider it. What time of year is ideal?

Vezo, Part II

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by Vezo, Part II

I have never considered this, but with the group I've met at Sebastian and Homosassa, I'd seriously consider it. What time of year is ideal?

Vezo, Part II

That would be a question I hope to get an answer for. I travel farther out one way on some of my dive trips so distance isn't an issue but logistics have changed over time. Hopefully some of our more traveled member can provide some input.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Vezo, Part II

. . . What time of year is ideal? . . .

Mid-July is statistically the least amount of wind. Earlier and you'll run into more rain, later and the odds of tropical storm or hurricane are higher. An early morning crossing is often flat calm, BUT if wind is out of any northern quadrant, stay the hell out of the Gulf Stream! If crossing to the Abaco's (much longer trip), in my experience you can generally figure on a rougher trip in 2' square waves (2' high x 2' apart!) across the Little Bahama Bank than crossing the Gulf Stream!

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

Mid-July is statistically the least amount of wind. Earlier and you'll run into more rain, later and the odds of tropical storm or hurricane are higher. An early morning crossing is often flat calm, BUT if wind is out of any northern quadrant, stay the hell out of the Gulf Stream! If crossing to the Abaco's (much longer trip), in my experience you can generally figure on a rougher trip in 2' square waves (2' high x 2' apart!) across the Little Bahama Bank than crossing the Gulf Stream!

Denny, it would be great to have you part of this run. I can't think of having a gathering without you there. You and Connor would be my go to folks for advising on this trip.

[DonV]

Hummmm.........would love to. Now to work Danny's Jedi magic on the boss!!

[flyingfrizzle]

If I had my seafari ready I would trailer it down south for this one! My vacation just restarted and I got 3 weeks plus one week that I rolled over from last year. I think that would be an awesome trip if the weather would work out right for a safe trip. If yall make this one happen I expect lots of pictures oh and some video too...

[NoBones]

Originally Posted by flyingfrizzle

If yall make this one happen I expect lots of pictures oh and some video too...

What goes on in the Bahama's stays in the Bahama's .....
There are better choices besides Bimini... just sayin'

Stuart to Jupiter for a crossing to the west end would be more centrally
located for those traveling to do this!

Drinking Yellow Birds and eating raw Coconuts brings back bad
memories of Bimini....

[Bushwacker]

. . .There are better choices besides Bimini... just sayin' . . . [/QUOTE]

Bimini has the advantage of the shortest crossing from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale at about 45 nm, but West End or Lucaya on Grand Bahama (about 60 and 90 nm from Palm Beach respectively) would have more accommodations for those who can't stay aboard their boats.

Too bad Walkers Cay (100nm from Palm Beach/Lake Worth inlet) is still out of commission (as far as I know), although maybe you could now clear in at nearby Grand Cay, who may also have gas now. Lots of nice reefs nearby, so great diving and fishing. After clearing through West End on my first couple trips to Green Turtle in the late '70's, we started clearing in at Walkers on later trips. We'd spend the night anchored off Grand Cay and then spend the next couple days working our way down the chain of uninhabited islands the next 65 nm to Green Turtle, making for a much more relaxing trip than trying to run all the way to GT via WE in one day! Don't know how it is now, but back then the W.E. customs guy covered both the marina and airport, and you can guess who got priority! Only the skipper can get off the boat till you've cleared customs, so waiting several hours in that well protected marina (=no wind=hot!) is no fun. At Walkers, you knew the customs guy had to be on island somewhere, all you had to do was find him!

Navigation to Walkers from PBI is also a bit easier than to WE, which bears 90 deg or due E. This means you have to head about 95 degrees or so to compensate for Gulf Stream current. Course to Walkers via Memory Rock, which is about 20 nm N of WE, is about 85-87 degrees, so you're getting a lift from Gulf Stream on the way to Walkers instead of fighting it on the way to West End! Memory Rock was a very important waypoint since this was way before GPS! It's about the size and looks like a submarine conning tower, so if your dead reckoning navigation was off by more than about 5 miles, you'd never see it! Although you're never more than 20' from land once you get to the Little Bahama Bank, you're out of sight of land or any landmarks for about 4 of the 5 hour trip to Walkers!

[NoBones]

Originally Posted by DonV

Hummmm.........would love to. Now to work Danny's Jedi magic on the boss!!

Tell Deb we are NOT tent camping... That should do the trick.