2019 Bimini Trip ( Unofficial Thread Until Admin Puts Official One Up)

[robert843]

@Betik why a Bimini thread come on man I thought for sure you would be planing at least the first ever organized Jetboaters.net Abaco or Exuma trip! I had higher expectations from you for 2019 I'm a little disappointed

 

[Bruce]

Abaco or Exuma

Those have already been done. Less populated and less disturbed sounds good to me. But that is for a private conversation.

 

[Bluewater272]

Tagging along to this, hoping to make my first trip next year. Finished prepping the boat for a bimini run this year. Curious to see how things shake out at the Sands, or other potential lodging venues.

 

[Julian]

Here is what I quickly calculated my trip's cost:

Bimini Trip Costs:
Prep (all from memory):

$ 180 Marine Radio
$ 65 Antenna Mount
$ 70 Antenna
$ 175 Hand Held Radio
$ 10 Navionics (don’t recall the price…this is a guess)​

$ 500 Subtotal

Trip Costs
$ 75 Motel 6 - this was a big mistake…sorry folks…won't do that again! LOL
$ 257 Gas to Ft. Lauderdale
$ 257 Gas to home
$ 960 Boat gas in Bimini
$ 1,690 Bimini Sands hotel
$ 380 Food we took
$ - Beer (brother got it free)
$ 150 Eating out in bimini (we caught fish)
$ 336 Dock Fees
$ 90 Bait
$ 150 Customs
$ 200 Misc

$ 4,546 Subtotal

$ 5,046 Total

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Those have already been done. Less populated and less disturbed sounds good to me. But that is for a private conversation.

So are you eluding to a Cuba Fling Bruce

@robert843 looks like someone upgraded their Seadoo. I will admit, had I not ran across their Exumas videos several years back I would have never had the opportunity to do the trips we've done. I remember staying up that first night watching every video I could find. 4 years later we've enjoyed 3 trips to Bimini, a trip to Abacos, and of course the Exumas. Much like @1948Isaac, Kevin and Corrie videos have cost me a lot money but it's been worth every penny.

 

[Bruce]

@Julian, how many days did you stay?

 

[Julian]

@Julian, how many days did you stay?

6 Nights - Sunday to Saturday.

 

[Betik]

@Betik why a Bimini thread come on man I thought for sure you would be planing at least the first ever organized Jetboaters.net Abaco or Exuma trip! I had higher expectations from you for 2019 I'm a little disappointed

As matter of fact I hate organizing things. I have a @Mainah kind of approach. I just want to follow someone to where I am planing on going. But then you have @Bruce who throws you on the hot seat with zero warning. LOL

For the record, I am scoping out Haines Alaska to Seattle for 2021, but I am still looking at logistics and how we can get the boats up there without having to spend 6 days driving. That is any another discussion for another thread .....

 

[Betik]

@Julian I so very much hate you for spending $5K on the bimini trip

 

[Julian]

@Julian I so very much hate you for spending $5K on the bimini trip

And that was split between my brother and I...so you'll hate me even more! LOL Pretty cheap trip in the grand scheme of things when you think about it being 6 nights on a caribbean island with a boat!

 

[Bruce]

@Julian I so very much hate you for spending $5K on the bimini trip

@Betik, I budget $5K for 5 night trip or $8K for 10 nights. That includes $1K in fuel for towing the 2,500 mile round trip.

 

[Sbrown]

That includes $1K in fuel for towing the 2,500 mile round trip.

Wow! I did the same distance in my Ecodiesel for just under $450 in fuel.

 

[Bruce]

Wow! I did the same distance in my Ecodiesel for just under $450 in fuel.

You towed an AR240 2,500 miles for $450 of diesel?

What kind of MPG were you getting?

My actual truck gas cost would have been less than $750 this year. I budget for $4 a gallon gas at 10 MPG which is about the most I have paid.

 

[Betik]

You towed an AR240 2,500 miles for $450 of diesel?

What kind of MPG were you getting?

My actual truck gas cost would have been less than $750 this year. I budget for $4 a gallon gas at 10 MPG which is about the most I have paid.

doing 93mph is not conductive to low mpg LOL

 

[Mainah]

As matter of fact I hate organizing things. I have a @Mainah kind of approach. I just want to follow someone to where I am planing on going. But then you have @Bruce who throws you on the hot seat with zero warning. LOL

For the record, I am scoping out Haines Alaska to Seattle for 2021, but I am still looking at logistics and how we can get the boats up there without having to spend 6 days driving. That is any another discussion for another thread .....

Leading group trips is like project management and politics combined. I don’t want either involved in my vacation time. I do truly appreciate the leaders here as I know there is more involved than meets the eye such as fielding personal phone calls from the likes of me and @Betik. I owe @Bruce a big thanks for all of the knowledge and tips he shared.

Sadly, I likely won’t be joining the 2019 trip. 2018 was fun with some great memories but also wooed me into agreeing with my wife on having a second home in retirement on some crystal blue water. That is 20 years away but gives us plenty of time to visit lots of places in search of the ideal location for us. Florida keys, South America, Bahamas? Who knows but it sure sounds like fun and this trip inspired it.

 

[robert843]

So are you eluding to a Cuba Fling Bruce

@robert843 looks like someone upgraded their Seadoo. I will admit, had I not ran across their Exumas videos several years back I would have never had the opportunity to do the trips we've done. I remember staying up that first night watching every video I could find. 4 years later we've enjoyed 3 trips to Bimini, a trip to Abacos, and of course the Exumas. Much like @1948Isaac, Kevin and Corrie videos have cost me a lot money but it's been worth every penny.

Yeah I saw this a few days ago I look forward to the video. I don't feel like I spent anymore money for me I was going to spend the vacation money any ways its just they helped allocate it. I hope in 2019 to knock two more Bahimian Island Chains off the list if I'm lucky 3. Only a few more trips and I will be done my goal of hitting them all. I'm starting my goal of completing the great loop this year as well plan is to have NC, SC and GA all knocked out by the end of this year and next year it will be VA all the way up to NY or All of Florida up to Alabama so got a lot going on still but loving every minute of it.

 

[MrMoose]

https://www.visitingangels.com/

I think @MrMoose brought his 80+ years young father in law in 2016

My father-in-law was 78 when we crossed in 2016. I wish I had known that he was afraid of the water before we left! He thought that he had internal bleeding after the crossing. I convinced him (correctly) that he was just really dehydrated... that's why it looked like he had blood in his urine. I got him there and back safely, without any need for medical treatment. Keep in mind, he's Canadian, and the most popular past time for Canadian seniors is going to the doctor, cuz it's free.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

@Betik, I budget $5K for 5 night trip or $8K for 10 nights. That includes $1K in fuel for towing the 2,500 mile round trip.

That is dirt cheap @Bruce
I think I spent more on towing this year as the truck only gave 8 mpg (~2000$) . Plus add the cost of a speeding ticket in Georgia on the way to Fll (330$) and a Trailer inspection sticker ticket in Va one and half hour from my marina on the way back to Va ($110) and the cost of the truck rental for 2 weeks ($1500+) and of course the tolls.

I now understand why they say every inch bigger size of boat adds to the costs exponentially....

Can’t wait for the 2019 trip

 

[bronze_10]

We spent a ton on stuff for this trip... But that's what it takes to outfit a family of 5 and prep a 10 old boat for the crossing.

Oddly enough we use our trim tabs every time we go out... No matter the water I find myself lf fine tuning the ride.. We love them.

 

[Sbrown]

You towed an AR240 2,500 miles for $450 of diesel?

What kind of MPG were you getting?

My actual truck gas cost would have been less than $750 this year. I budget for $4 a gallon gas at 10 MPG which is about the most I have paid.

I averaged 17mpg and my average fuel price per gallon was $3.00. We travelled a grand total of 2638 miles round trip.
I should also clarify that we were not in a hurry to get to Fla or to get home and mostly took our good old time, meaning between 55 and 75 with most at 60 or 65. We took 3 days to tow down and 3 days to tow back.
We were in vacation mode the moment we left the driveway.