Bimini Bound

Bimini Bound

Leaving Boot Key Harbor after almost three months was bittersweet.  We ended up casting off a few days early since a promising weather window for the crossing to Bimini opened up.  So, we missed a good bye hug from some of our dock mates, but hopefully we will be seeing them down the line.  On the plus side, our planning aligned with fellow Krogen boaters, Marty and Suzanne, on Alizann, so we met them behind Rodriguez Key for a daytime crossing into South Bimini.  

Our weather on the crossing was nearly perfect with light and favorable winds and virtually flat seas.  Since the Gulf Stream can be nasty when winds and current are at odds, we were grateful to catch it on a good day and enjoy a smooth ride.  It was a long ride, however, for this slow boat – we left at the crack of dawn pulling the anchor at 7 AM and arriving dock side at Bimini Sands about 5:30 PM.  Thankfully the Gulf Stream gave us a boost so the almost 90 mile crossing was only ten and a half hours not our normal 12+.  

The boys tried to catch a taxi to the airport for our Customs and Immigration check in, but the taxi didn’t show up before the offices were closed for the day.  That chore was reserved for the AM and went as smoothly as our crossing.  After getting legally in the country we exchanged our yellow “quarantine” flag for a Bahamian one. Next the four of us biked up to the ferry that took us across to North Bimini for a cycle tour of the main drag through Alice Town.  We made stops at the tourist office, a few other marina choices as well as the telephone company to purchase sim cards for our IPADs and phones.  (side note : The Ipad sim seems to work – although slowly, so far we have struck out with the phone.)

The waters off the beaches are as spectacular as all the advertisements.  No one is exaggerating about the water colors or visibility. We had a chance to get in the water that afternoon when we visited the Shark Research Lab on South Bimini which also housed a Bimini Boa.  The crew kindly gave us a special tour of their shark pens and impressed us with their pose and knowledge.  The lab is staffed by young volunteers – mostly grad students and college interns from a variety of countries – a most impressive group, and the boys didn’t mind the bikinis either. Visit their website or Facebook page to learn more about the research and educational outreach they are conducting. www.biminisharklab.com or /Biminisharklab

Frank, on the other hand, seems to have lost his sea legs.  He objected to the chop that greeted us on our departure from Boot Key Harbor but seemed to settle down a little as the wind died.  However, the open crossing was not entirely smooth enough for him judging by his occasional drop of drool and the desire to get outside while we were underway.  Princess, sporting her lion cut, took it all in stride only voicing her feelings a few times.  Mostly she slept moving from one sunny spot to another between stops at the food bowl.