Safely in Bimini, Bahamas

Miami skyline

May 9, 200

     May 8, 2009:  We got up early to prepare for the crossing.  It was a beautiful day, sunny but without much wind.  We arrived at a fuel dock but had problems getting anyone to come down to fuel us up.  We had radio one marina and evidently gone to another marina's dock which had not opened yet.  After fueling we proceeded to Miami and Government cut.  As we arrived to the Cut, a cruise ship tender told us we could not go out the Cut and motioned for us to go up the ICW.  I tried to explain that we were going into the ocean.  He was insistent so I called the Coast Guard to find out what was going on.  Evidently when they have 2 cruise ships docked in Govt. Cut, they close the channel.  We had to backtrack south and go out Fisher Island

Cut;  so we did not get out into the ocean until 11.  We raised our sails but had to motorsail to make Bimini in daylight.  It was a smooth crossing with waves of only 2 feet if

that. In the Gulf Stream they say the water is a deep blue; note the

picture.   We arrived about 6p.m. We had tried to call several marinas in N. Bimini (Alicetown) by cell phone and radio to no avail.  Finally the marina on South Bimini answered confirming that the way into Bimini was still via the two small range markers.  Charlie's chart by Navionics incorrectly showed  red and green buoys at the entrance.  We docked at Bimini Sands Marina.  Maybe all the other marinas had closed at 5p.m. but this one had boats coming in as late as 7:30 with dockhands helping.  It has docks with a large turning basin in front of two-story condos.  So if you come by boat, you can dock your boat in front of your condo.  We can also clear customs at this marina.  We will have to dingy over to Alicetown but it is a short trip. cocktails were followed by dinner under a full moon.

     May 9, 2009:  we plan to check in with customs, explore Alicetown, and plan our route for the next few days.  We are at a marina so we can check in but also because our freezer is still not functioning well.  Electricity supplied at the dock or by the generator will pull the temperature down quickly, but once the compressor goes off, the temperature rises quickly.  I assume that it is an insulation problem, not a compressor problem.