Bimini 2013

It doesn’t take long to get out of your routine and one thing about life on a boat is that is routine. Up at dawn, check the weather, prepare the boat for being underway, navigate all day, pick an anchorage, drop the hook, eat and go to bed. Repeat the next day.

After moving ashore in late November we settled in quickly to our life ashore. We put up our little Christmas tree and prepared for the holidays. In the back of our minds was the fact we were going back on the boat soon after Christmas. Things didn’t get quite unpacked and we started making lists of things that had to go back on the boat. We had a wonderful Christmas but it was time to pack up and spend our last winter in the Bahamas.

After a few small snags in plans, we departed Titusville at 1015 the 28th of December. Our friends on Camelot and Symmetry had left Marathon on the 26th. We would rendezvous in Miami as weather permitted. We stopped for the night in Melbourne, Vero Beach and in Hobe Sound across from Greg Norman’s house. New Years eve was spent in Lake Worth near West Palm Beach where we were treated to a nice fireworks display. Due to weather we stayed in Lake Worth until the 2nd. A weather window was opening to go to the Bahamas but we needed to get to Miami first. At 0400 on the 2nd we left West Palm and arrived in Miami twelve hours later. We hooked up with our friends, anchored for the evening near Key Biscayne and at 0700 the next morning were heading east towards Bimini.

Camelot – Oday 35

The trip across the Gulf Stream wasn’t too bad. Camelot had some fuel issues and we hung close while he cleaned filters. It took a little longer than normal but we slipped into Bimini Sands in South Bimini at 1600.

For us we need two weather windows to make it to the Exumas. One to cross the Gulf Stream and the other to make it east across the Bahama Banks and the Tongue of the Ocean. We will sit for almost two weeks waiting for this second window.

We enjoy Bimini every time we stop. The colorful buildings and beautiful water are a welcome site. The people like all Bahamians are welcoming and friendly.

The sea life is our favorite. There is a reef under our dock and wonderful sights are everywhere.

Grey Angelfish (foreground)

Lionfish

Magpie Turbo

A nature trail is just south of us and it explains many aspects of the local flora. The Poison Wood tree is to be avoided but the beautiful Gumbo Limbos jump out of the landscape. In season orchids grow among the trees and butterflies flit about.

A visit to the shark lab was in order and was informative as usual (we’ve been before). Bimini is in a unique geographical position and is a center for shark and marine studies.

Papayas

Coconut Palms

We’ve been in Bimini long enough again to have had the tides swing to low lows and expose the flats. We enjoy looking at the birds, fish and live shells. We choose to take pictures rather than kill and collect the shells.

Ibis feeding

Octopus

Helmet Conch

Queen Conch

Well, the weather patterns are changing and maybe we can head east towards the Exumas. If not, we’ll post more pictures of Bimini.