While there is some good info, much of which is already covered in
https://jetboaters.net/threads/preparing-for-bimini.3800/, other parts are false info from people who chose not to cross with the group without communications equipment they said they had and were rescued by Bimini Sands who no responsibility for their safety yet they choose to criticize their rescuers.
I almost don't want to comment on this because some wounds may still be too fresh. I think that it's good to share lessons learned, and I believe that the video will help others in the future.
@Bruce, I didn't take the rescue comments as criticism (maybe it's an effort to clear his conscience); it is his perspective, and if anything it sends a clear message to all captains who are contemplating this trip in the future. Be prepared, and if you run into trouble that can't be sorted out by a another boat in your group, then the Coast Guard is trained and equipped to rescue you provided that you have the equipment on board to enable them to do so.
So, this thread is now taking on a lessons leaned direction.
As captains, it's our duty to keep our crew safe. Even though we do everything within our knowledge/ability to use the lessons learned from previous crossings to be prepared, sometimes unforeseen things can still happen, and it's comforting to know that you have boats around to help you out.
In 2015, a bunch of boats ran out of fuel, and this was the big lesson learned that was passed on to future crossing groups. The reality is that if you don't stay on plane, you will run our of fuel, and this was clearly communicated to all captains in 2016 and 2017. If the conditions are such that you have too much difficulty staying on plane, then you should turn around, unless you have a reasonable amount of extra fuel on board. Only the captain can make this call as every boat's fuel consumption is different, especially considering how it is loaded. The big problem with this simple sounding logic is that as captains, we're not really certain about making the turnaround call. It's a judgement call. It's not black and white in many cases.
In 2015, I was loaded very bow-heavy, and I could
stay on plane at 15 mph. Our crossing group ran 8-14 mph. I had less than a half tank by mid-point, but I had 15 gal of extra fuel that year so I wasn't worried. In 2015, I made the crossing without having to use any of my spare fuel, but I believe that this was possible only because I made an effort to get on plane while crossing. I repeatedly slowed down to create a spacing of about a half to 3/4 mile between myself and the boat(s) in front of me, then I'd get on plane until I was right behind the guy in front of me. I had never done the crossing, so I wanted to stay with the group.
In 2016, I brought extra fuel and didn't use any of it. In 2017, I did not bring extra fuel, and because I was weighted heavier at the stern relative to 2015, I needed to maintain 17-20 mph to stay on plane. I fell off plane at about 15 mph. When we were about 5 miles out of Port Everglades, I knew that it was going to be tough for me to stay on plane, and I knew that if I didn't, I would run out of fuel. That was the reality that I found myself in. This reality was shared with and clearly understood by the slower ones in my group.
2017 was a really rough crossing. Although I think that 2015 had bigger waves and stronger winds, it's my opinion that 2017 had bigger rogue-style waves. 2017 is the first crossing that I had to continuously keep an eye out for the big waves and throttle back, almost to a stop, in order to minimize the impact. It made it really hard to establish a rhythm and stay on plane. Because I did not have extra fuel, I'd say that out of 2015, 2016, and 2017,
2017 was the tougher crossing for me.
When trying to catch up to my group after turning back to check on the slower ones (three times), I ran as fast as 20 mph, and my hull was flexing to the point that my windshield was almost falling through. If it were not for my son's efforts to reposition the windshield, it surely would have broken. In the end, my boat did not sustain any permanent damage that I'm aware of; although I've run it since Bimini, I have not had a chance to go over it with a fine-tooth comb, which I do once a year when I do my annual maintenance.
During the crossing, I had two VHF radios on. My handheld was set to my group's channel, and my fixed was set to channel 16. At no point during the crossing did I hear any jet boaters call for help... BUT that does not mean that calls for help were not being transmitted... it means that I did not hear any. Radio communication is terrible while crossing. The only way that I can effectively communicate via radio is if I throttle back to reduce ambient noise first, and even then, I find that the noise in the back ground of the person who is talking to me makes it nearly impossible to hear them.
Every captain draws their own line in the sand when it comes to preparing for the unexpected. There isn't a time that I go out on my boat where I feel 100% prepared, and if something ever happens to me, I pray that someone will be able to help me out. I do my best not to put myself in that position.
Bimini is the most amazing boating destination that I've ever experienced; it's also the most dangerous.
As the guy in the video did, I strongly encourage others to share their experience so that those who follow can learn from it, and ultimately have a safer vacation.
