CODA HERE IN THE BAHAMAS 2025 (20)

CODA : we have arrived in Bimini, Bahamas.

29 January 2025 

Bimini Big Game Club and Marina, Alicetown, Bimini, Bahamas

We saw so many catamarans in Key Biscayne.  Sailboat catamarans and power cats.  No Name Harbor and outside No Name were filled with them.  And they are all big new bright shiny things.

Marc-  We hauled up the anchor at 06:55 in time to make our 07:00 departure.  Only one ipad worked so the track I had so carefully made on the way in to Key Biscayne was kind of useless.  Between the working ipad and some paper charts we muddled through.  We passed by Fowey Rocks Lighthouse on the Biscayne Bay barrier reef at 08:00.

We steered a compass course of 120 degrees magnetic to offset the 3 knot north flowing Gulf Stream current.  My AIS lasted until cellular service ended.  It was helpful in locating several other sailboats headed for Bimini and some ships that would be crossing our path.  We crossed paths with 6 ships (only one required Coda to deviate her course).  Initially the 10 knot north wind made for whitecaps and swells.  The waves never exceeded a foot.  The swells started around 3 feet once we entered the Gulf Stream and maxed out about 6 feet.  We set both sails, and motored as well, completing the passage in 8 hours.   

We arrived at the entrance to North Bimini harbor at exactly low tide.  There are numerous warnings about shifting sands and unreliable buoys.  Not to worry, the ipad with the Navionics software with sonar charting was spot on.  It also helped that we were arriving in plenty of sunlight making both the reef and the sandbar obvious.  A ferry leaving while we arrived also delineated the way.  We saw a large catamaran hard aground in the middle of the channel to the Bimini Sands resort in South Bimini.  Our plan was to go to the Sea Crest Marina but I could not raise them on VHF or on the phone.  The marina looked mostly deserted.  In any case we had plan B of the Bimini Big Game Club.

I had heard stories of difficulties with Bahamian Customs and Immigration.  It was a breeze with wonderful people at every step.  All you have to do is complete the required Click2Clear online forms (the forms are a nightmare).  I had done a practice run with the forms in Vermont, completed the final forms on Coda on arrival (poor Sue had to listen to me moaning about the forms) and paid our $309.00 fee online.  Once that is done nobody asks you for any money again.  Funny thing happened at the Customs office.  The guy in line in front of me sees my Point Bay Marina cap and says "You're from Vermont."  Yes we are indeed from DIYC and so is he:  Tristan Vaughn on a beautiful red custom aluminum trawler.

Big Game Club pool.

Guess who used to rent a cottage here and dock his boat.

Dolphin House built by Ashley Saunders,  Remarkable place. 

 Notice the free roaming dog (quite friendly).

Interesting homemade tombstone behind a house.

Found this work of art on the sidewalk.

A well balanced cat.

There are two main streets in Alicetown:  The Queens Highway, along the beaches, and the King's Highway, along the harbor.

Queen's Highway beach.

Cruise Ship leaving North Bimini.

Queen's Highway sunset.

 

Sue:  We waited 6 days to leave Key Biscayne, when the forecast was for light and variable winds.  The idea being that there would be no wind from the North, so no waves or swells.  But the wind today was blowing 10 from the North, so there were waves and swells.  The first half of the crossing was a bit rolly, with stuff flying around the boat, and 2 hands needing to be tightly on the wheel at all times.  So it was difficult to drink my coffee, and with the rolling I was not as interested in it as I usually am.  The second half was quieter, which was great.

Along the way we heard the Coastguard on the radio saying that a 27 foot boat had left Freeport for the US, and was overdue.  Right after that a Coastguard helicopter buzzed us, and we assumed it was looking us over to see if we were that boat.

We only had about an hour to walk around Bimini after the $#%@! Customs forms were completed.  It is nothing like the area we left this morning.  Everything is beat up looking, and nothing here ever looked like the area we left this morning.  There are pretty murals that say "KEEP BIMINI CLEAN" and it is clean on the Main Street, but on the back streets there is trash in some yards.  We did not make it up to where the cruise ship was docked, so don't know if it's nicer up there.  But the views everywhere are amazing.  We'll explore more tomorrow.