Cruise to Bimini – June 2005
This is the log of our first sailing trip to the Bahamas. Once again, we were sailing with the Conch Cruisers, a group of sailing enthusiasts like ourselves, with boats similar to ours. This year, we would have about 20 boats, mostly MacGregors, making the Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas. Our trip would start in Homestead, Florida and we would cross to Bimini.
Photos taken by the Conch Cruisers of this trip can be seen at the Conch Cruisers 2005 Photo Page.
Day –2
The story of our trip really starts a couple of days before launch. We had prepared for this trip for almost a year, and now it was time to hook up the trailer and head to Florida. We left from Oriental, N.C. on Thursday, June 16 at about 10:00 AM. As we progressed, we began to contact other Conch Cruisers, good friends, who were also making their way to the launch destination.
Upon talking to Chip Hindes (Nextboat), we found that he
was on the West side of North Carolina and that he was making his way south such
that we would be meeting at some time on the 95. In fact, Chip made it from the
26 to the 95 a mere 10 miles before we did. So Chip pulled into a rest area and
waited for us to catch up. We were moving along quite well when suddenly we
heard an awful bang!. I looked in the rear view mirror and realized we had blown a tire. We
moved to the side of the road, I took out the hydraulic jack, changed the tire,
and we were once again back on the road. We caught up to Chip at the next rest
stop. After exchanging greetings, I indicated that I was now traveling without a
spare for the trailer and that I would like to try to purchase one. Chip said that he was
fairly certain he had seen these trailer tires on rims at Wal-Mart. So, we began
looking for Wal-Mart stores. Telephone information I received indicated that
there was a Wal-Mart off exit 102 in Pooler Georgia. We both got off that exit,
and headed west in search of the store. When it was evident that this was not
the correct exit, we turned around. I had to go down another road to turn around,
Chip turned around in a parking area and waited for us. He then pulled out and
we pulled in behind him on route 80. We
were now traveling east on 80 back to the 95. This section of road, as it turned
out, had been paved the day before and was quite slick. We weren’t going very
fast but Chip had to stop suddenly for a garbage truck that stopped short in
front of him. I applied my brakes but could not stop. There was a ditch to the
right of us and traffic to the left. We could do nothing but go right into the
back of Chip’s boat. I watched in horror as the hood of our Suburban crumpled
and the engine quit as steam and fluids poured out.
At first I thought that all the damage was to our Suburban. But then, when I saw the twisted propeller on Chips outboard, I realized there was more to it. Chip’s transom was damaged, the motor was damaged, and the boat had been pushed up on the trailer, bending the bow support.
It looked like our trip was going to end before it started. We were in the middle of Georgia, one good boat and one good car. We even discussed the possibility of just going together in what we had but Chip was understandably reluctant to leave his boat. The wrecker came, took our crippled car with the boat attached, to the wrecking yard. On the way, he took the entire rig (wrecker, Suburban, boat) through the local airport so we could get a rental car to get around. This was quite a show. The wrecker, pulling the Suburban, pulling the boat. This "train" took up the entire lower sidewalk area of the airport. Chip meanwhile went to a vacant parking lot to sit and contemplate our predicament. We both booked rooms at a local motel so we could sleep on it and see what could be done. None of us could eat, and sleep was very difficult.
Day –1
The next day we awoke at the motel and met to discuss our options. I had decided that the only way I could get my boat out of there was to buy another car locally. Rental car companies will not rent vehicles to be used to tow. The only other option was to rent a U-haul truck. Chip had been inside his boat looking at the transom damage. He thought the damage was not structural and that it could be repaired. We agreed that if his boat could be repaired in a few days, we would wait and make the gulf stream crossing together. I went from used car dealer to dealer and looked for a deal on a vehicle to tow my boat. Well, as the morning progressed, things were looking up. Chip went to a fiberglass guy who said that the transom damage was not severe. He went to a Nissan motor place that said that the motor looked like it would be ok with a new prop. We both had spare props. At the same time, I found a Suburban similar to the one we had wrecked, at a dealership down the street. I went to a bank, took a cash advance against a credit card, and by about noon, we were ready to hit the road again. Camo Jack (Olivia II), and his crew arrived in the area about the same time and found us. We all met in the Wal-Mart parking lot (which turned out to be at exit 104). We were pretty much all set to go when Jack discovered that all of his trailer lights were out. So, after a bit of fiddling with that, we were once again on our way.
Jack headed out by himself to make a dinner engagement at his sister’s in Florida. Chip and I stayed together for most of the remainder of the road trip. When Chip could drive no more, he stayed at a rest area in Florida. I continued to drive as I had a reservation at a motel in Homestead. We arrived at the hotel at about 3:20 AM. I called Chip to let him know we had arrived. He was supposed to turn off his cell phone so I could leave a message. He had instead left it on so I ended up waking him. I noticed as we pulled into the crowded parking lot that another Conch Cruiser, “Sea Pup”, was also staying there.
Day 1 – Launch Day
A skipper’s meeting was planned at 0900. I did not intend to make it as I didn’t get to bed till nearly 4. But, my father called at 8:20 AM to see how I was. So, since I was now awake, I jumped up, unhooked the boat and went to the skipper’s meeting at Homestead Bayfront Park. The first thing I noticed, as I got out of my car, was that I was instantly covered in mosquitoes. I had heard about them down here, but until you experience them, you really have no idea. The meeting was at an outside pavilion where Chip Giles laid out the details for the trip.
After the meeting, I waited for Chip, who was still driving in, to arrive with his boat. Once he got there we headed back to the motel where we could both get showers. We went to Denny’s for a big breakfast, then to Wal-Mart for provisioning. We retuned to the hotel and decided to move the items from the car to the boat at the hotel instead of the mosquito ridden launch site. We then hooked up the boats, stopped for fuel and ice, and headed to the launch site.
The weather at this point was declining. We arrived at the site and began rigging.
Now, at this point I should mention that we had been staying in touch with Wade and crew of “Moonlight Chaser” who were having problems of their own. Wade had blown 5 tires on his boat trailer and was having problems with some of the trailer bunks. He was way behind on the highway. Chip and I had committed to wait for him even if it meant that we would have to do the crossing as a group of three boats and not with the main group.
The Homestead Bayfront Park was a very busy launch this Saturday. And, when the weather became threatening, the ramp traffic was furious. Boat trailers were lined up and people scrambled to get their boats out of the water. Amongst them were a few that were even trying to get into the water. Then, at about the time Chip and I were finished rigging, the sky opened up. The rain, wind and lightening came with a vengeance. We thought it would pass, but it kept coming. It came for over 2 hours. Now we had a problem, the storm had delayed us to the point that if we launched, we would be navigating through Angelfish Creek in the dark. I suggested that we sleep in the boats, wait for Wade, and launch at first light. Chip thought we would be ok going through Angelfish creek in the dark. We had another problem, “Moonlight Chaser” would not arrive until after the park closed so they could not get their parking tickets. Wade asked if I could buy his tickets while we were there. So I bought Wade’s tickets, put them in a baggie and hid them in a portion of my trailer hitch for Wade to find.
Chip and I launched and made our way out of the harbor. As we headed out, neither of us could get out GPS unit to work. As I tried in desperation to get mine operational, I wandered off course and hit one of the concrete markers. Ouch! More gelcoat work to do.
Chip and I made it outside the channel and traveled in circles as we tried to figure out where we were and where we were going. Suddenly, both of our units started working and we were on our way. We made it to the anchorage well after dark and saw the welcome sight of the anchor lights of the Conch Cruisers. We tossed out the hook and prepared for a little sleep (very little sleep). Wade was still on the road. We stayed in touch via cell phone.
Day 2 Sunday– The Crossing
The skipper’s packet showed that we would begin the crossing at 00:30. Well, we had missed the earlier announcement that this was moved to 03:00 due to the storms that had passed. So, when 00:30 came and went, I figured there was a misprint, left the radio on and tried to get some sleep.
Chip Giles' friendly voice came over the radio at 02:42 to wake up the Conch Cruisers and prepare for group 1 to make way. Chip Giles was the point for Group 1, but his GPS was now giving him trouble so Mariah Skye took the point. Chip Hindes was supposed to head up Group 2. This changed when we requested to wait for Moonlight Chaser. “Baums Rush” would now take the point for group 2. We listened to the radio chatter as the groups, in columns with buddy boats, tried to line up in the dark. “Olivia II, please blink your steaming light.” or “I’m shining a light now on my mast.” could be heard. Mariah Skye must have some super radio. Chip and I laughed as the groups pulled away as we could always hear Mariah Skye on the radio, as far as they could get, as though he was next to us.
So, where is Wade? Well, we tried him on the cell phone and could not get him. We couldn’t get him on the radio. Chip thought that maybe they blew another tire and finally gave up. We discussed how long we would wait. Finally, I was able to raise Moonlight Chaser on the radio. They were coming through AngelFish Creek, and, they were having radio trouble. So, we waited for a bit then pulled anchor so as to be ready to head out as soon as they were in sight.
I learned a new lesson here. Julie was sleeping below and I didn’t wake her while I went to raise anchor. The boat was pitching pretty well in the swells and it was dark. It was tough enough raising that 20 lb. Danforth in the waves during daylight. Darkness adds a new dimension. You can’t see the waves coming to anticipate the movement of the boat. So, there I was, on the pitching bow of the boat, in the dark, with no harness on, and no one watching me. I won’t do that again.
It was about 0400 when the three of us finally got under way. I started having some GPS trouble again and ended up following Chip. As we moved out into the Gulf Stream we noticed that the swells were a bit more than we perhaps expected. I remember Chip commenting on the radio “It’s going to be a long trip.” I noticed as we moved out that I passed within a few feet of some rather large round floats of some kind. They looked like metal and were perhaps marking some large nets. I asked the others if they had noticed them and they had not. I’m glad we didn’t hit any.
As we got more into the stream, the swells seemed to subside a bit. Either that or we were just getting used to it. I managed to get a couple of photos of the sunrise. I really wanted to get some video but we had apparently left the main video camera, complete with night vision, back in the car.
The
trip was made more pleasant by the fact that when the clouds cleared we had
nearly a full moon.
The sunrise over the gulf stream was beautiful.
We motored, we motor sailed, and we sailed. We switched around as the wind and mood moved us. We eventually passed up group 2. We found out later that they were hampered a bit by a boat that had a short shaft motor.
We were of course tired. Chip was single handling, and I was as well since Julie remained in the cabin sleeping. We would nod off on occasion to be awaken by a wave jostling the boat. The autopilot was indispensable. One time, we were approaching a freighter that would cross our path. As I looked at it, it appeared that we would pass to it’s stern. But, I noticed that Chip's boat was heading out at an angle that appeared to be in line with the freighter. His boat was perhaps 50 yards away from us at that point. I called him on the radio to be sure he was watching the freighter. No answer. I thought maybe he had gone below to the head so I waited a bit and called again. Still no answer. I waited and tried again with the same results. Now I was concerned that maybe he had gone overboard as I could not see him in the cockpit. I called down to Julie “Get the horn out of the head. I’m going to see about Chip.” I turned off the autopilot and headed quickly towards NextBoat. As I neared, I could see an arm dangling over the pedestal. It took 3 blasts of the horn to wake him up. He woke, looked at the freighter, and waved. He said that although he had fallen asleep with the radio to his ear, he was out cold.
As we approached Bimini the sky looked a little threatening. But fortunately, the storm dissipated and didn’t hamper us. Now the fun began. To get to North Bimini, you have to approach the beach at South Bimini, find range markers on the beach, follow the range right up to shore, and make your way up to North Bimini. Although we had waypoints for the markers, no one could visually locate them. We rode around looking with binoculars, discussing where the might be, and waiting for someone to spot them. Finally I saw a large fishing boat heading towards the shore. I figured they must know where it is so I tried to follow their path. At about the same time Chip believed he had located the markers so we all headed towards the beach. As we took the range in and made the turn close to shore, it was an interesting ride as we bucked the waves that were coming in. I saw NextBoat broach in one of them.
We had a reservation at Weeches for a slip. Well, a place at the dock anyway. We pulled in, tired, hot, sweaty and hungry. Before we could do anything we had to clear customs and immigration. We hoisted the yellow quarantine flag and I went to see the authorities. Only the captain is allowed to leave the ship until all is cleared. You can do either customs or immigration first. Customs is in a large pink building with immigration in a small yellow building next to it. We had printed out the forms in advance, so this should be a simple process. Yeah, right.
Customs and Immigration – a new adventure
I was sweating so much that I was dripping all over the forms. I decided to visit customs first. There were a number of folks in the customs office, most of them Conch Cruisers. When it was my turn I handed all the documents I had to the customs officer woman. This included my immigration forms. She looked at the top form and declared “These forms are out of date.” And before I could utter a word she ripped them all up. She of course had ripped up my immigration forms as well. Chip was next to me and seeing this shook his head and said “What a waste.” I had also forgotten to bring my boat registration so I had to go back to the boat to get it. When I returned, I had to fill out the new forms. I did this at an available counter, waited again for my turn ,and gave her the new documents. She looked at them, told me I got a C- on their completion, asked me a few questions, took my $150 entry fee, stamped my documents and sent me on my way.
Now came Immigration. As I entered the door of the little office I noticed a counter with a man sitting behind it, and a person in front of the counter. The man behind the counter mumbled in a monotone voice without looking up. “Look at the sample on the wall behind you. Completely fill out the form and give them to me. Make sure you fill them out completely.”
I dutifully looked at the sample, it looked exactly like the one my customs agent had ripped up. I took a blank and began to fill it out. When I finished, I waited my turn and handed it to the man behind the counter. He was quite busy watching a golf tournament on TV. He looked at my document, and without reading it said “You didn’t look at the sample on the wall.” “But I did.” I replied. He looked at me, then at the document, then back at me. “Where is your landing card?” “Landing card?” I asked. That was not posted on the web site we had used to get our documents. He handed me two landing cards. “Take these back to your boat DeFino and get everyone to sign them. Make sure they are completely filled out according to the sample on the wall.” I took the cards and once again headed back to the boat. Once back at the boat I put down my customs documents, had Julie fill out her landing card while I did mine. I then returned to the immigration office. Once inside, I again waited on line as the immigration officer switched between watching the golf match and acting uninterested in immigration work. When I got to the counter he looked at me. “Well DeFino, do you have the documents now according to the sample?” “Yes Sir” I replied. He looked over the documents, looked up and said “Where is your boat registration?” Oh no. This was immigration not customs. I had left the registration on the boat during my last trip since I thought I was finished with them. I could not believe it. I took my documents and again headed out the door and to the boat. When I got there, I took every document I had, held them in both hands and marched back again to the immigration office.
When I again opened the immigration door I noticed that Chip (Hindes) was now at the counter. The immigration officer looked at me and said “DeFino, why are you wrinkling my form?” I looked down at all the forms and documents I had grasped in my hands. In a defeated sigh I said “I just didn’t want them to blow away.”
The sample form on the wall used the name “King Tut” for the persons name. Chip joked “So, when was King Tut here?” The immigration officer replied without a pause “It’s on the form isn’t it?” Chip moved aside to fill out something on his form. I was now in my favorite place, once again, in front of Mr. Immigration. He looked at my forms, shook his head, scratched some things here and there and then looked up.
“So you looked at the sample did you?”
“Yes Sir I did”
“Well, are you staying on your boat?”
“Uh, yes”
“Well then why don’t you have that down here?”
I looked at the form and there was a place to list your hotel. Apparently, if you stay on your boat you need to list it as your hotel. As I hurriedly wrote the boat name in the hotel blank I noticed Chip writing furiously next to me as he attempted to be in compliance by my trial.
Finally, I got stamped and was out of that office. I learned later that the Immigration Officer had been nasty and rude to others including Chip Giles. If you know Chip, it’s hard to imagine anyone giving him a hard time. In his case he was dressed down for not properly closing the door to the immigration facility.
Once all that was done it was time to set up the boat. I had fashioned an air conditioner for the companionway. This turned out to be a real blessing. Once the boat was ready, we visited with a few of the other Conch Cruisers, walked around a little bit and grabbed a bite. We had run into Chip and Kelly Giles who told us of a little place with great conch fritters. The name of the place was La La’s. As with many Bimini establishments, the hours of operation are pretty flexible. For example, La La’s is not open on Sundays or in the evenings. However, this was a Sunday evening and she was open. Anyway, we ended up running into the crew of Sea Pup there so we all went in and had conch fritters. La La was a great hostess and was thrilled to have us all there. Now fed, I was ready for a shower and some sleep
Day 3 Monday – At Bimini
I don’t remember exactly what time the first squall hit.
We had storms every night except the last. The rains were really something
when they came.
Docking at Weeches is not like any other docking experience we have had. For one thing, “no wake” zones seem to be non existent. Small boats and big sport fishing boats go zooming by, inches from the dock. Our boat was constantly rocked and pounded into the pilings by the wakes of these vessels. Add to that the occasional “Chalks” seaplane landings and takeoffs.
And let me say that there are lots of sport fishing boats there. On this morning they seemed to be lined up as far as I could see.
Getting in and out of the dock is an experience too. There
are essentially three docks on North Bimini. Weeches, Blue Water, and the Big
Game Club. They are priced in that order with Weeches being the cheapest. There
is a current that runs around Bimini that is reported to be as high as 5 knots.
Whereas Blue Water and the Big Game club seem to sheltered from this current, it
runs right through Weeches. I was talking with Don of “Gladys Marie”. When
he was docked he didn’t want to move as it was so difficult to get in and out.
A few of the Conchs stayed at Weeches, most seemed to be at Blue Water. The Blue Water facilities were much nicer than the ones at Weeches. And Blue Water has a pool. About the only thing Weeches had going for it was “Sailor” the parrot who might greet you with a “Hello” from time to time.
Weeches is reasonable though. We paid $20 a night for our
26’ boat with an additional $10 for electricity. I believe water was an
additional $6 but we didn’t use it.
Our first day was to be a day at Bimini to explore the Island. It was a mostly overcast day and most of us just sort of wandered around. Breakfast was at Captain Bobs. The food was pretty good, the service a bit lacking. We went to “Radio Beach” for a while to try snorkeling. The water was of course crystal clear but there was not an awful lot to see. The water did feel good however. We later swam in the Blue Water Pool and visited with other Conch members.
In the
evening, we had the Conch Cruisers Social at the Compleat Angler. This was
Earnest Hemingway’s hangout. Chip and Kelly Giles actually spent their first
night here. They stayed in the room that Hemingway used to occupy.
The social was a blast. We had the usual Conch Cruisers
group photo. The photo had to be taken in two parts to get the whole group. Chip
(Giles) thought he had found the most sober two fellows at the bar (non Conch
Cruisers) to take the picture. Well, I’m not sure how he assessed the sobriety
of these two but they had to be replaced after some complex instructions like
“Push the big button” seemed to be heard in a different language.
During the social we discussed the next day’s activities. It appeared that it would be another overcast day with possible storms. We had originally planned a sail to Honeymoon Harbor that day. We decided to postpone it a day and have another day on Bimini instead. Also, a party was planned at the condo that “Island Time” was staying at for the next evening. In addition, a few of us planned to go along with Chip Giles next evening to try to find a restaurant he had visited there a couple of years ago.
After the social, we all retired to our boats. When we left the Compleat Angler we were almost back to Weeches when it started raining. It rained pretty hard. When we got to Weeches I saw Kayla, then Brianna, then the rest of the Moonlight Chaser crew running down the dock at Weeches. It turned out that Moonlight Chaser could not get a slip in North Bimini (they were kicked out of Blue Water after one day) so they found one in South Bimini. They had to dinghy across. They had left Blue Water when it started pouring so they aborted the trip and sought shelter at Weeches. I wished we had room for them but they just had to wait in the shelter of Weeches until the rain subsided enough for them to cross.
Day 4 – Tuesday at Bimini
I think the squall came through at 1 AM. This was a big one. Someone later said the wind gusts had clocked over 60 MPH. You didn’t get much sleep, even at the dock, when one of these came through.
Another day on Bimini. It was pretty overcast most of the day. I went to the Royal Canadian Bank and took a cash advance on a credit card as I thought I might run low. I made a few visits to the store that sold nice cold, Kalik, the beer of the Bahamas. I had a milkshake at CJ’s (fabulous). Julie got her hair braided at the straw market. It was kind of a lazy day.
In the evening, we had a group going to find an eating place that Chip Giles had been to a couple of years before. Chip had flagged down Bimini Bus 2 (a van) and asked him to pick us all up in front of Blue Water at 6:10. All 15 of us somehow crammed into the van as we looked for this place that Chip had remembered.
I don’t know how we found it. There was no sign, it was
just a little pink house. The name of the place was Sarah’s. Chip had
remembered they served lobster. Well, they sure did. A complete lobster dinner
for $12. Inside the place there were two little tables with enough seats for 8.
They had to send out for more tables and chairs. Someone returned with a plastic
patio set. We re-arranged the tables so we could all sit together. Somehow, Bert
and Kathy (Mariah Skye) were one of the lucky ones who got the plastic chairs. 
Chip
Giles called for a short prayer of thanks before dinner. As we began to join
hands, there was a loud CRACK! Bert and Kathy were both on their backs, laying
on the floor. The plastic chair legs gave way when Bert leaned back slightly.
Fortunately, the injuries were slight. You might think that was the end of that
story, but not quite. We removed the chairs to the yard out back. Within a few
minutes we noticed that the children in the area had taken the pieces of broken
chair and had made play toys out of them. This continued for quite some time and
provided the entertainment for the evening.
The food and
service at Sarah’s were great. You would think that having 15 people descend on
this little place all at once might cause a little strain. They were happy to
have us, served us all at the same time, and could not be more pleasant. Almost
all of us ordered lobster and we all got what we wanted.
They called Bus number 2 again for us to return to the marina area. The bus ride was $6 a person and included both ways.
After dinner at Sarah’s we went to another Conch social that was arranged by Island Time at a condo they were renting across from Blue Water. A singer / guitar player that we all met at the Compleat Angler the night before came up and provided entertainment. Frank and Eva were great hosts.
Day 5 – Sail to Honeymoon Harbor
We had the typical squall in the middle of the night.
We all left for Honeymoon Harbor mid morning. We headed out
of the Bimini Channel and headed south. The winds were east so it made a great
day for sail
ing. We sailed first
to the wreck of the Sapona. The Sapona is a giant concrete ship wreck that lies
in less than 20 feet of water. You can snorkel all around the ship and even swim
inside. The crankshaft in the engine room is plainly visible as well as many
other parts.
We then pulled anchor and headed towards HoneyMoon harbor. This was another nice sail. We all beached our boats then swam, snorkeled, sunned, and visited.
When it came time to head back, Wild Hair had a little trouble with their motor. They had to be towed back to Bimini by Baums Rush. Nextboat and I held back and rode alongside to be sure they got back ok.
When we got back we went to the fuel dock at Blue Water. It was a couple of minutes past 6 and I was informed sternly by the dockmaster that fuel sales were closed. We pulled away and went back to Weeches.
When we returned to Weeches I felt like some conch fritters. We ended up going to the Big Game Club lounge with a group of about 13 for dinner. The dining room of the Big Game Club is pretty expensive. But, upstairs, there is a bar with a large seating area and outside deck. Here you can get anything from Conch Fritters to a pizza. And, it's quite reasonable.
Day 6 – Thursday – at Bimini
We had another day at Bimini. I wanted to fill the fuel
tanks for the return trip. I just didn’t want to wait till the last minute. I
decided that I would use a jerry can to fill the tanks at Weeches rather than
move back to the fuel dock. Don, Gladys Marie, lent me a can. I also decided to
rent a golf cart for the 
day. I
could use the cart to ferry the gas can and we could tour the island. I made
several trips with the gas can and got this task over with.
We then went with Chip (H), Jack and Kelly for a ride around the island in the cart. Golf carts are the primary form of transportation here. It was an interesting way to tour.
We had a skippers meeting at n
oon.
The main point of discussion was weather coming from the states. Miami was
having a number of storms. But, most important, winds out on the gulf stream
were projected to be out of the North West. We did not want to make the crossing
if the winds had any north component. We decided to delay our return crossing
for a day. This would not be a problem for most as we had a weather day built
into our itinerary. Chip Giles made calls to the Sail Club, immigration etc. on
the other end to make sure the delay would not be a problem.
Chip Giles was having trouble with the motor on Wild Hair. There was an outboard mechanic on the island named Bursel. He drove a red Ford 150 pickup. We spent some time on the golf cart trying to find Bursel. Everyone knew who he was. When we finally caught up with him he said he would be right over. Well, everyone is on island time in Bimini. I think he finally came by the next day.
This evening was a planned dinner social for the Conch Cruisers at the Red Lion. Chip and Kelly could not attend as they were waiting for Bursel to show up to look at their motor. The food was ok but I thought a bit over-priced.
Day 7 – Friday - Bonus Day in Bimini
Another lazy day on Bimini. We arranged with Weeches to be able to leave our boat at dock until around 1800. We basically visited, went to the beach, hung around Blue Water, had a few Kaliks and another milk shake at CJ’s etc.
I also decided that being in the crystal clear Bahamas water, this would be the time to do an inspection of the centerboard, centerboard line, and boat bottom of our vessel. I got out my snorkel gear and went over the side. What I had forgotten is that in the pocket of my bathing suit was the envelope, along with $300, that I had received from the bank. It did not occur to me until later when I went to look for the money to pay the bill at Weeches. Julie thought that maybe I had dropped the envelope while swimming around the boat and that it might be laying at the bottom. I discounted this and though that it would have floated out of my pocket and was now somewhere along the shore having been taken by the current. I scoured the shore to no avail. When I returned to the boat, there was Julie with the money. It was wet but it was all there. She found it just where she thought it might be, under the boat, laying on the sea floor.
When evening came it was time to make our way to the anchorage on the east side of Bimini. We motored out of the channel and made our way to the anchorage. We dropped the hook and tried to get some sleep before the early morning departure.
While at the anchorage, we heard on the radio that Wild
Hair was still having motor troubles. They made the decision that they would
stay beh
ind to try to get repairs
done. Mariah Skye would stay behind with them. This meant that group 1 had to be
re-organized. Nextboat would take the point and I would have his flank as buddy
boat. Moonlight Chaser would also join in group 1. We moved our intended
departure from 0300 to 0200 to be sure we would arrive in plenty of time for
immigration.
With the plans set, we watched the sunset then tried to get a little sleep.
Day 8 – The return crossing
The morning call came over the radio at about 0140. It was time to pull anchor and head out. We had about a ľ moon and lights from the shore that helped us get started. As before, the radio chatter was all about boats trying to identify other boats as we tried to get into formation. I was anchored furthest from shore and was to be the flank of the lead so I waited for the group to catch up. Chip (Nextboat) was having trouble with power which meant trouble with his radio which added a challenge to his leading the group. When we all got in formation it was a sight to see all the boats lined up.
About an hour into the trip we had noticed a storm off to the south. We thought it was going to move west and pass behind us but we were wrong. I was prepared mentally I thought for such a storm but it was a new experience that did come with some surprises. The first thing we noticed was the drop in temperature. At about the time I noticed it Chip commented about it on the radio. I had the headsail partially unfurled and immediately brought it in. At about that time I noticed the wind pick up a bit. I woke Julie, or the increased activity woke her. I yelled down to her to get my harness. She threw the harness and tether to me as the sky opened up. I was about 100 yards off the starboard of Nextboat. As the rain began, the first thing I noticed was that the visibility decreased rapidly and I was loosing site of Nextboat. This had me concerned. I turned off the autopilot and altered course to get closer. A storm at sea can be a little frightening. A storm at sea, at night, adds further anxiety. The storm however turned out not to be too bad. I think we were all concerned that it might be like one of the squalls we experienced at night while in Bimini. Fortunately, it was nothing like it. The rain was pretty heavy, the winds and seas picked up a bit, there was very little lightning, and it didn’t last very long. I was drenched, and would remain pretty damp for the remainder of the trip.
The swells were uncomfortable at times but not severe. Our crossing was delayed by a member of the group that had a short shaft motor and could not make way in the swells. We were bucking the stream more on this crossing and progress was slow. We had to stop and wait a number of times.
On the way over, we heard on the radio that group 2 was having difficulty. Baums Rush, who was leading group 2 had broken his rudder. He had a Hunter 260. Gostosa and Pocket Change tried to tow him but the boat would not remain stable enough being towed without the rudder. They finally had to call the Coast Guard and Towboat US. They were towed to Ft. Lauderdale accompanied by Gostosa and Pocket Change.
We made Biscayne Bay by about 1300. We continued then to the Coconut Grove Sailing club where our Commodore, Chip Giles, had made arrangements for anchoring. He had also made arrangements for US Immigration to meet us at the sailing club to clear us back into the US. Even the people at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club were surprised that this had been done. I can’t say enough about what Chip and Kelly Giles have done for the Conch Cruiser’s as Commodore for the first 3 years.
To clear US customs you call an 800 number. They ask you a few questions and give you a clearance number. You then must meet with Immigration officials personally. You give them the clearance number, answer a few questions, and you’re all set.
There was a little confusion at the sail club when we arrived. We had thought that they would ferry us in from the anchorage. It turned out that they were not allowed to ferry from outside the sail club. The anchorage was outside the club. So, a few of the Conch’s that had dinghies helped to ferry those of us that did not. I still can’t believe how many people Wade (Moonlight Chaser) could get in that dinghy. Then, when we were in the dinghy, it was hard to figure out where to go. Coconut Grove is a busy area, lots of boats and buildings. Fortunately I had my VHF handheld and we were able to get the dockmaster, Peter, to guide us in. Once there, the Immigration officials couldn’t have been nicer. I was getting concerned that some of the Conch’s however would not make it in in time to see Immigration. If they missed them, they would have to go into Miami. We worked with the officials to check off the boats that had cleared. I got on the radio and found that Gostosa and Pocket Change were still out in the channel. We got the idea that perhaps they could come directly to the courtesy dock to see Immigration and anchor later. Peter agreed and offered to take me out on his skiff to help guide the boats in. We finally got all the Conchs cleared.
The sail club was gracious, offering their facilities to us with a smile. Peter, who had met a number of us by now decided "to hell with regulations". The rest of the evening he ferried us to our boats despite the rules. We all had dinner at the club and took advantage of the showers.
We returned to the anchored boats to get some sleep before the final leg of the journey the next day. The mosquitoes were out so the screens were put up.
I lay in the V-berth, passed out from the lack of sleep. I was awaken some time in the middle of the night with water splashing in my face. Rain was coming through once again. I alternated with the hatch closed and open as the showers moved through.
Day 9 – Sail down Biscayne Bay
At about 0700 Julie woke me telling me that the other Conchs were pulling out. I jumped up, pulled anchor, and joined them. Our GPS had gone out in the storm on the Gulf Stream so I decided to see where the others were going. I plotted quickly on the paper charts and joined a group heading to Homestead. Julie had a flight out of Melbourne the next day and I did not want to risk any further problems causing a delay.
We had a pleasant motor sail down Biscayne bay and made Homestead midday. While entering the channel at Homestead I could not believe how shallow it was. Also, I noticed that although I was virtually idling, I was doing 4 knots. It was low tide, and the tide was coming in.
We got to Homestead and couldn’t believe the difference from our departure. It was a Monday, and we had the place virtually to ourselves. All the ramps were open, we took our choice. This was a far cry from the Saturday we launched.
We docked, and caught the lines for a few of the other Conchs. I then got the car only to find that one of my trailer wheels was locked and locked hard. It took a little work to get it free.
The remainder of the trip went without incident. We said goodbyes to a few of the Conchs at the ramp and kept in contact by phone with a few while on the road.
Summary 
Once again, there could not be a better group to sail with than the Conch Cruisers.
If you are looking for a resort vacation with waiters handing you drinks, someone cleaning your room, giving you fresh towels as you bask in the sun thinking about the lavish dinner you will have later, Bimini is not for you. If you want to go someplace that is not accessible by a large cruise boat or other transportation and don’t mind putting up with the lack of many luxury facilities, then this may be what you are looking for. You have to remember that you are on a very small island and that everything there must be brought in.
It is nice that there are some amenities such as eating places that are reasonable. A cold bottle of Kalik is usually available from either a bar or small store, just a few steps away from where you might be.
As always, the attraction of the Bahamas, in my opinion, is the water. Many of the people in the Bahamas are very friendly, some are less than.
Crossing the Gulf stream is a matter of timing in our small boats. This is critical. You must be able to change your schedule based on weather.
Be prepared for “Island Time”. Things never follow a strict schedule. Meals and such can take a while. Stores and eating establishments do not follow posted hours.
Recommendations
To eat, try to find Sarah’s if you can. The lounge at the Big Game club is another recommendation. For breakfast, try Capt’n Bobs. For a quick lunch, try CJ’s or La La’s. For a great milkshake it’s CJ’s. Of course you need to get a drink at Hemmingway’s place, the Compleat Angler.
Rent a golf cart to see the island. A cart for a day including overnight cost us $60.
Make sure you have complete forms when you see Bahamas customs and especially, immigration.
Photos taken by the Conch Cruisers of this trip can
be seen at the Conch
Cruisers 2005 Photo Page.