February 13, 2022 - Bimini

Nico and I crossed over the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas two days ago. The Gulf Stream, although only 35 miles wide at Miami, has lots of current (as much as four knots) and is a real navigational challenge -crossing holds up many boats in Florida. We picked a day that had light winds (8-12 knots) even though the wind was NE but mostly east. The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves in the Stream. It is especially bad if the wind is blowing against the current. Just recently a boat full of migrants capsized in rough weather. We left Key Biscayne at daybreak for the 50-mile passage. 14 miles out we reached the stream and the color of the water changed abruptly to a deep blue. The water depth also dropped to over 2,000 feet! There was little traffic and we motor-sailed along. We trolled a line but didn't catch anything until we approached Bimini - it was a monster barracuda! We did not keep it because you can get ciguatera, a nerve disease, from eating them.

Partway across we decided to clear customs at Cat Cay, 12 miles south of Bimini, because it looked like it had a good anchorage. As we approached Nico called them on the radio and they said it was a private club and it would cost us $500 to tie up and clear customs! So, we turned around and headed north to Bimini and tied up at the Big Game Club at the end of the day. We were flying our yellow quarantine flag and Nico immediately headed off to do customs, immigration, and our health passports. Over an hour and a half later he came back. The country has a new electronic system and it was a nightmare. The official had to repeatedly call his boss even though by then it was after hours on a Saturday night. Despite frustrations, the officials were friendly and helpful.

We spent the next day and night tied up to the Big Game Club which was a haunt of Ernest Hemingway. We learned that Dr. Martin  Luther King visited! Rather than hosting those who go after big trophy fish, it is now a thriving dive center. The only problem was that they clean the diver's fish at the dock and huge bull sharks and barracuda come around! We walked the island and had a Bahamian beer at a conch shack by the water.

                                                               The Big Game Club

                                          The view of the harbor entrance from Far and Away

                             The Bahamian courtesy flag and the Cruising Club of America Flag

                                  These fish were probably 1,000 pounds when caught years ago

                                                      There are many wrecks in these waters

                                                     These fish they go after these days

                                         I loved the name, Honey Buns, for this little restaurant

                                                                   So many conch shells

                        The Bahamian beer, named after the sound the cowbells make in Junkanoo 

I did NOT go swimming

                                                      Rays, snuffling about for bits of conch