BIMINI 2013 At Last

Fri 5/17/2013 Preposition my car at Dinner Key, Clean and prepare boat

Inspected the new dingy at 84 Boat Works and they followed me back to the boat to deliver it. I spent an hour adjusting the lifting straps to get it positions right. Then drove to Dinner Key and meet Gerry at 2PM so we could leave my car there for the trip back. The rest of the crew joined us back at the dock and we finished cleaning, loading and preparing the boat.

Sat 5/18/2013 Shakedown cruise, meet at 9 AM, rain delay, Anchor at Nixon’s.

We planned to depart at 9 AM but it started to rain. The GPS would not turn on. I seem to remember on the trip from the yard a few days ago that I unplugged it before turning it off. That may have caused the failure. We delayed a half hour but the rain did not seem to want to stop so we took off in the light rain. The rain stopped after we got down the river a bit but it looked like it was still raining at the dock.

We tacked out to deeper water so Tom could try fishing. We caught one small fish on Camille’s line. The wind backed so we could just make the course to Miami but it was too late to continue to Elliot Key so we anchored behind Key Biscayne around 7 PM.

Sun 5/19/2013 Swim, lunch and back to mooring

In the morning we put the dingy together for the first time and took a tour of the marina on Key Biscayne. After swimming and lunch we headed for the mooring and then back to Fort Lauderdale.

The GPS does not appear to be repairable so I bought another one. Of course they do not make that model anymore and the replacement needs a different wiring harness and a new depth transducer. So I spent Tuesday and Wednesday on the boat installing the new unit.

Thur 5/23/2013 Departure from Dinner Key

We meet at 2PM at the dock in Ft Lauderdale and somehow packed everything into Gerry’s car for the drive down to Dinner Key. On the drive down Gerry got into the wrong lane and we ended up on the airport road but he knows Miami and found another way that was about as fast to Dinner Key. Catherine then remembered that she left the beer at home in the frig and also the butter. Somehow we survived.

We decided to get the beer in Bimini and made the 3PM shuttle out to the boat. We left the mooring at 6:30 PM and motored out Stiltsville before the sun went down and set the sails. The moon was full or nearly full and provided lots of light. With a SE wind we tacked out and then South for about 10 miles to get a better angle to Bimini. On the VHF we could hear the other boats that were leaving Fort Lauderdale at about the same time but could not contact them. We set two watches, Cathy and me and Gerry and Rita with 3 hours on and 3 hours off. After the first watch we finished our 10 miles south and were outside the reefs in deep water. The AIS really helped in identifying the big ships that crossed our path but it was a little intimidating to see how many there were at the longest range. The wind shifted a bit south so we had no problem keeping the course and always stayed several miles south of the rhum line. Once the wind dropped and we motor sailed for a while. A little over half way we altered course for a freighter, the only one that came close. Also a bank of clouds ahead was building and started putting out some really spectacular lightning, beautiful branching structures. We headed south, barely making headway against the Gulf Stream for about a half hour while the cloud dissipated. None of the freighters announced their name on the AIS but one target headed towards Bimini was Commotion, a boat from the Gulf Stream club. At the half way point we could communicate with the other boats that left Fort Lauderdale, they were a bit behind us. Commotion was also behind but going at 7 Kt to our 5 Kt and reached Bimini an hour before us.

Fri 5/24/2013 Arrive at Bimini Sands, Dinner at Anchorage Inn

At dawn the islands were just visible and around 8 AM we entered the channel to Bimini Sands and to a temporary dock until we cleared customs. The customs office opened at 9 AM. After customs we moved the boat to our assigned dock.

The resort had a small pool and bar at the north end along with a convenience store and the dock master and customs offices. We were at the south end which is not completed yet but it did have a large infinity pool looking over the beach that we spent a lot of time relaxing in.

After lunch we took the bus to the ferry and checked out the sights on north Bimini and visited with the yachts that stayed at the marinas there. After some sightseeing we had dinner at the Anchor Inn. It was a long day or several days so we headed back to the boat.

Sat 5/25/2013 Snorkeling Expedition, Cookout on N Island

We decided to try snorkeling at the Sapporo, the remains of a concrete ship just south of Bimini before the expected wind increase but in the morning it was already blowing pretty hard. We had 11 people aboard and Ryan’s’ Place followed a short time after us. At the Sapporo with the wind and current we could not make the anchor hold so we gave up on that spot and tried another set of rocks off North Bimini. We swam for an hour, had lunch and returned to the marina.

Then everyone headed over to Brown’s Marina on North Bimini for a cookout. Gerry bought orange juice and banana rum and mixed Yellow Birds for everyone. After dinner there was a report of a Junkanoo so we headed up the road and soon found a dozen or so musicians in colorful costumes, big head gear, drums, scrapers and cow bells. They played and marched around the town for a half hour.

Sun 5/26/2013 Bimini Beach Club, Snorkeling, Shark Lab, Bonfire

After breakfast we got our snorkel gear and took the bus to the Beach Club on the south end of the island.

They have a small marina that is exposed to the south and a large beach with some rock breakwaters that are supposed to have good snorkeling. Cathy and I headed into the water while the rest checked out the bar. We swam around the break water and got some nice pictures. We came out on a beach on the other side of the breakwater.

We ordered lunch and heard that there would be a tour at the Shark Lab at 3 PM, low tide.

The Shark Lab is work space and living quarters for up to 20 volunteers and PHD students who study the local shark population. The guide was a PHD student doing 2 years research on the migration of the local Lemon sharks. He lead the group out on the flats at low tide to a shark pen where he netted one for a close up view.

For dinner Gerry brought a large container of seafood Paella which we heated up at the boat and brought to the picnic tables. Gerry pushed it on everyone who asked what it was and it was delicious.

For desert we had marshmallows and Smoors cooked over the fire.

Mon 5/27/2013 Nature trail, cart ride, shopping

In the morning I decided to wait another day before crossing in hopes that the wind would not have a northerly component. We said goodbye to several boats that were leaving and had breakfast. Afterwards we explored the nature trail which is just south of the resort. It is very well done with markers and nice trails. It has the ruins of an old home, a well and a terrarium with an indigenous snake.

After lunch we went to the N island for some final shopping and exploration. The museum was closed but the liquor store was open. Gerry and I walked to the telephone office but it was closed for lunch. On the way back we stopped for mango ice cream and then met the girls zooming by in a rented golf cart. So we all set out on an expedition in the golf cart to the far end of the island where there is a large housing and marina development and a casino. The casino is supposed to open in July but the building looks far from complete.

Tue 5/28/2013 Return to FtLd

In the morning it was raining steadily. The Miami radar showed lots of rain around but it looked like the rain to the south was not moving and the rain to the north was streaming ENE all the way to Florida. The other boats got under way around 6:30. I waited for a while. There was some rumbling of thunder but not close. At 8:30 the radar showed a patch of clear air passing over us and the winds calmed a bit so I decided to go for it. We were quickly out of the harbor and with double reefed main and jib we were going about directly down wind at 7 to 8 Kt and occasionally surfing down a wave at 12 Kt. It rained for a bit at the start but although it stayed overcast we did not have any more rain until we got to Fort Lauderdale. There were only a few freighters and we only had to alter course for one. When we altered course to the north and got on a beam reach we hit 14 Kt. We got to the inlet at 4 PM and motored around until 5:15 to wait for the bridges to resume operation after rush hour. We watched the local pirate ship reenact an attack, a small boat circles and the kids shoot at it with water hoses disguised as cannon. When we headed up the new river and got to the first bridge we were told that they did not open until 6 PM so we had to turn around and wait another half hour. We reached the dock at 6:30 with no further incidents.