It was New Year’s Eve and we were ready to go. Our plan was to nap for a few hours at 8PM and leave at 1AM, but the adrenaline from the excitement got the best of us; we ended up staying up for the Miami fireworks. Not a bad tradeoff. At 1AM, we tossed the mooring line, raised the mainsail and motored south towards Biscayne Channel under a foggy night. Outside the channel, winds were from the SE at 10 KT and seas were calm at 1-2 FT. We felt confident as our eyes adjusted to night vision quickly.
As a safety measure, we made arrangements to send status updates every hour using our satellite messaging device to Ryan in DC and our friend Leslie in Seattle. They have our backs with coverage from the east coast to the west coast. Heading out the entrance, we sent our first status update and set course for Bimini.
When we were a few miles offshore the seas began to stack up a bit more than predicted and we proceeded with trepidation, wondering if it foretold what was ahead and if we’d need to bail out if it continued to get worse, which we were prepared to do. But as we pressed on and arrived at the Gulf Stream things settled down quite nicely. We motor-sailed as the autopilot is hard at work during this crossing as the stream wants to push the boat north while our bearing (where we were headed) was to the east. So while you lose a little speed and burn a bit more fuel, it’s still very straight-forward navigating in the right conditions.
As land, lighted by the Miami skyline, disappeared behind us we did encounter a handful of boats out in the stream including a few freighters that we had to pay close attention to because of the movement of the stream. And then something kinda crazy happened. When we were about 30 miles offshore, a cruise ship “Disney Princess” heading towards us, about five miles ahead on our exact course line. No matter what we did, it continued to come into a collision course. Changing our course and slowing down didn’t seem to matter. As I’m about to hail them on the VHF radio, to make sure we agreed on passing arrangements, she drastically made a 30 degree change of course and we were able to passed behind her safely.
At 6AM, a beautiful small orange & yellow ball started to glow on the eastern horizon and quickly turned our surroundings into a glorious bright blue ocean.
When we were about fifteen miles out of Bimini, the first silhouettes of land came into sight and it really started to hit us that we were about to enter a foreign land on our boat. We know, people do this every day, but we imagine that everyone must feel this way when they do it for the first time. Heck, we felt something like this the first time we went to Block Island just a few miles off the coast of Rhode Island.
As we got closer we saw a wide swath of rain clouds that appeared to be stalled off to the south and we really didn’t want to end this perfect day in a downpour. So we poured on a bit of speed until we came within a few miles of the first set of markers at Bimini
We arrived safely into Bimini harbor with only one mishap – while docking, Claudia got yelled at by the dock master for not paying attention while she was mesmerized by the 6 ft Stingray under our boat. A nice laughable incident we both gladly take.
As soon as we were securly tied off, I was off to Customs and Immigration. When you first arrive in The Bahamas you fly your yellow quarantine flag and no one but the captain is permitted off the boat until he/she has gone through the process of “clearing in.” This meant no wondering off for Claudia until I got back, a big ask for her.
Its absolutely beautiful in Bimini. The boat appears to be floating in air as the water is crystal clear and turquoise tinted. There are manta rays and bull sharks and all kinds of tropical fish swimming below us. It has been a monumental effort, with a LOT of ups and downs, speed bumps and un expected surprises. But we’ve finally arrived, ready to start part 2 of our journey but not before we pop open the champagne bottle that’s been waiting patiently in the cabinet for 6 months.
Dang, leaving in the middle of the night with fog no less!?! Glad it all went off without too much anxiety!
Hi Kathy, nice to see you catching up on the website. Yeah getting to be a pro at these overnight adventures. However, I’m getting old and they do take a toll on you.🤗
The Fujiko looks happy and content in those stunning aqua waters! Congratulations! All of the planning for this trip has come to fruition as you’ve arrived in paradise. Sip that champagne slowly, savoring every drop, and celebrate the New Year! Cheers to you both, dear friends!
Ann, Thanks for following us. I still can’t believe we did this!! Toast with me to doing it all 😜😘🥰
So glad you made it safely! What an adventure it has been. Look forward to hear more of your excretions. You deserve every drop of that champagne. Happy New Year to you both!
Hi Toni, Love it here, it’s good for me to on island time. Thanks so much for thinking about me any my excretions 😂😂😜 ( I’ll be sure to give you all the details on next excursion😋🙄😘) Miss Ya
Popping up the champagne! What a great way to start the second part of your voyage!!! Congradulations! Have fun in this beautiful water, with the stingrays and Sharks! Enjoy friends!!!
Hi Marie-France, Thanks so much!!! Yahoo 🎉🎉🎉it’s so beautiful here, the water is pristine. Wow …I can’t stop looking at all the sea life. Next, I have to learn to dive for conch, so Jim can make conch salad🐚🐚🐚 (it’s so yummy)!
Congratulations and Happy New Year Claudia and Jim! You did it.
Sharon and I are so excited for you both.
Great discussion regarding navigational preparations for the crossing. So much to think about and consider.
How could Claudia’s attention, while docking, not be drawn away by your surroundings. It must be magical!
I know it’s not your speed, but try and sit back for a while and take it all in. The years of thinking about such a voyage, the many months of preparation, the long journey down the inter coastal and finally your destination. And, as an added bonus, you’re Grand Parents!
Love, Dennis and Sharon
Thank you Dennis for your thoughtful reply as always.
The Bahamas, as we suspected, seems to be always on “island time”, not unlike Cuttyhunk. Most places are still closed for New Year, which forces us to just sit back and taking it all in. So we did. Took our snorkeling gears to a nearby beach with nice pink sands and reefs and had a blast observing colorful fishes. Later we simply sat under the umbrella and did nothing. Great suggestion Dennis, we’ll need to do more of that!
What an adventure. You made it safely. Can wait to read what’s next😍
Sarah, Thanks so much for following us. OMG.. it’s official. I’m doing the vacation dance 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🕺🏻🕺🏻👯♀️👯♀️ Also, Happy New Year!!!!!
You made it!! So exciting! I’m so happy for you. Enjoy the adventures that await.
Sally, Thank you!!! Now, I didn’t get 10,000 steps today. However, I did spend the afternoon snorkeling, so I guess the question is which is better, swimming or walking?🧐🥰
Wow, a few scary moments there! I’m glad you’re now in what looks like paradise and enjoy your time in Bimini! Miss you and wish you both a very Happy New Year! 🥰🎉
Claire, Happy New Year to you and your family🎉🎉. Also, thanks for following us. Can you believe they serve piña colada’s right out of a fresh coconut.🥥
Have fun at Jeanne’s birthday bash and send me pictures 😘
Welcome to Bimini. I’ll be flying out tomorrow!
Hi Gil, I’ll be sure to send the seaplane right over to pick you up, in front of your house on the Watuppa. 😘😘