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

[JeffVans]

Apparently I need to buy a ski to make quick weekend trips!!!

 

[Sandbar29910]

Unfortunately the drive to SoFla and back is the not so quick part!!

 

[Berrie]

After much discussion and running numbers, we will most likely not go in 2019.
It's 3 weekdays driving down to FLL, 3 weekdays driving back home.
$1,500 in gas for the truck, $500 gas for the wife's car, 6 hotel nights, six days of eating out all day, $250 in permits, just to drive to FLL and back.
I could save over $1.5k just flying to the Abacos and renting a boat for a week. And accommodations there are much less than Bimini, that's another $750.
Maybe 2020 when I have more vacation, or definitely once we move back to the east coast (hopefully in 2020).
I will however feverishly follow this thread and throw in my $0.02 whenever it's inappropriate (my specialty LOL)

 

[Shookie]

Man, I just stumbled across this.... never heard of Bimini and saw it mentioned a couple places. Man, I'm intrigued about doing this! Wife and 3 kids would tag a long for sure..... Watching this thread for sure as time goes by

 

[Betik]

Man, I just stumbled across this.... never heard of Bimini and saw it mentioned a couple places. Man, I'm intrigued about doing this! Wife and 3 kids would tag a long for sure..... Watching this thread for sure as time goes by

you got 10 months to prepare....
I assume you have seen the prepare for Bimini thread etc right ?
Are the kids old enough to cross ? ( like at least 5)

 

[Shookie]

you got 10 months to prepare....
I assume you have seen the prepare for Bimini thread etc right ?
Are the kids old enough to cross ? ( like at least 5)

Yeah, I haven't read it word for word, but I skimmed through it. My kids are 7, 12 and 15 so not worried about age. My boat is pretty much stock, except for lateral thrusters and thrust vectors which won't do squat out in the ocean. Would have to invest some time and $$$ in a radio, antenna, GPS, etc. Just talked to my wife (she's from Florida) and found out she's been there. No big deal to her....

 

[Betik]

I am from Greece so being there is not a big deal either. However crossing the gulf stream on you own lake boat is whole different ballgame LOL

You can probably get away with less than 2k in prep. Even if you just get a second bilge , chartlottrr and fixed radio you are below 1k

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Your boat will easily do the crossing. Like Betik said you can get away with 1k in mods.

 

[Berrie]

Make sure your boat is in top shape, prepare your boat and prepare yourself and your crew mentally.
Make a testrun somewhere off the coast near you so you get a feel for it, and you will be ok.

Have a backup plan in case it is too rough and don’t be afraid to activate it.

 

[Jack Long]

Prep your boat and GO! Besides the usual stuff add trim tabs. Worth the investment.

Bimini is so easy to do and your boat can handle it.

We have already booked everything for another Exuma trip in July 2019!

 

[robert843]

Prep your boat and GO! Besides the usual stuff add trim tabs. Worth the investment.

Bimini is so easy to do and your boat can handle it.

We have already booked everything for another Exuma trip in July 2019!

@Amar Nanduri check out @Jack Long he might be your guy to run to Exuma with!

 

[Betik]

Don’t know @robert843 , @Jack Long says that Bimini is so eassy to do. Makes me a bit nervous. In June of 2018 that is defiantly very true. But 2017 was a whole different animal. When it is flat it is all good , but you get 5 feet of waves breaking in your bow you better hope nothing goes wrong.
In my book Poseidon’s domain is not to be taken lightly. Not that jack is, but I Poseidon tends to get revengeful for no good reason besides to just make a point that we are land animals and salt water is his domain.

 

[robert843]

Don’t know @robert843 , @Jack Long says that Bimini is so eassy to do. Makes me a bit nervous. In June of 2018 that is defiantly very true. But 2017 was a whole different animal. When it is flat it is all good , but you get 5 feet of waves breaking in your bow you better hope nothing goes wrong.
In my book Poseidon’s domain is not to be taken lightly. Not that jack is, but I Poseidon tends to get revengeful for no good reason besides to just make a point that we are land animals and salt water is his domain.

I just know @Amar Nanduri was looking for a running mate just pointing out that Jack had been and was going again if he wanted someone to run with.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

@Amar Nanduri check out @Jack Long he might be your guy to run to Exuma with!

Thanks @robert843 I think I will need to stick to Abacos for 2019 and aim for Exumas in 2020. I will however keenly follow @Jack Long and learn from his experience.

 

[robert843]

Thanks @robert843 I think I will need to stick to Abacos for 2019 and aim for Exumas in 2020. I will however keenly follow @Jack Long and learn from his experience.

I think that is an excellent plan! When we did Abacos it was imediatly following the year we went to exuma. Abacos was a little bit of a let down to me but I still think it was because I was coming off the Exuma trip and it really didn’t have a fair chance to live up to that trip. We had several people who were with us in Abacos that did not join on the Exuma trip and they all thought Abaco was incredible which leads me to believe if we would have done Abaco first then Exuma we would have enjoyed Abaco a little more then we did. If you sweet talk @Andy S i bet he still has the list of cooridinates of all the stuff we had listed to do the list for Abaco was long we prob didn’t hit half of it.

 

[Jack Long]

I am sorry if i used the term "easy" loosely.

I just meant that if you had the right equipment, planned well enough, had built in redundancy, and knew how to handle your boat that the trip to Bimini would be something that an experienced boater could do and his family would enjoy.

That is not to say that wind, weather and waves could not pop up during your trip and as captain you must know your boat and your crews limits.

I am experienced. Have had many trips out into the pacific and a few in the gulf. So I am comfortable at sea.

With that being said, I would not advise a guy to go out and buy a 24 Yamaha, load it up with his family unless he had experienced something more than just his weekend trip to the lake and had been boating for a couple of years.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

I think that is an excellent plan! When we did Abacos it was imediatly following the year we went to exuma. Abacos was a little bit of a let down to me but I still think it was because I was coming off the Exuma trip and it really didn’t have a fair chance to live up to that trip. We had several people who were with us in Abacos that did not join on the Exuma trip and they all thought Abaco was incredible which leads me to believe if we would have done Abaco first then Exuma we would have enjoyed Abaco a little more then we did. If you seeet talk @Andy S i bet he still has the list of cooridinates of all the stuff we had listed to do the list for Abaco was long we prob didn’t hit half of it.

@Andy S Pretty please ?

 

[robert843]

@Andy S Pretty please ?

View attachment 82118

He should be driving to Hilton Head to pick me up now I will see him shortly and find out if he still has them if not I bet they are located in our Abaco conversation on here somewhere and we will get them to you.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Thanks again @robert843

 

[JeffVans]

After reading about you people going out farther than Bimini, I'm realizing my true calling to win the lottery and buy a sail boat or large yacht!!! lol