Burnt Dinosaurs to Bimini & Bahamas Bucks

Entering the Bahamas via Alice Town's harbor, Bimini.

We love the sound of silence, sailing smoothly along without running our engine.  Besides, we’re cheap; we’d rather use our Bahamas bucks on something other than diesel fuel, even if we sip more than slug it as we motor along. 

In that respect our sail – or rather – motor -- from Boot Key Harbor Marathon Florida to Alice Town, Bimini, Bahamas yesterday wasn’t ideal.  Other than “burning dinosaurs” (using diesel fuel from our motor) our sail was pretty awesome given all the nasty Northerlies we ducked that would’ve made the trip untenable.  Instead, it was warm, and relatively calm. 

Happy feet in Bimini, Bahamas.

Morning delivered the inevitable discovery of another Darwinian dropout passage visitor, a flying fish on deck, well past rigor mortis.  The vivid purple-finned Portuguese man-o-war and a 4-foot nurse shark who greeted us as we entered Bimini’s Blue Water Marina, were more compelling.  Sorry, no photos; focus was required to negotiate the tricky marina tie-off (watch for that in a future post) and I was too embarrassed at our boat's chrome rust stains in my the flying fish photo.

Thanks, Gunnel!  This one's from you!

We arrived early enough to enjoy the day, even after customs and immigration check-in, getting a Bahamas phone sim chip, taking a much needed shower and mechanical wonderkind Wayne fixing the head, unpickling and restarting our watermaker as even the marina water is clean enough to redeploy it.  At 40/cents gallon, we’re happy to make our own gallon-an-hour water. 

We wandered nearly all North Bimini’s coastline and watched the sun set in the West.  A most excellent beginning for our Bahamas adventures!

Mom - you wanted my photo.
Here 'tis on Bimini's beach.

 Continuing this blog post’s money theme, Gunnel will be pleased to know we used the $10 Bahamas buck from you for a sunset toast here.  You were here in spirit;).

Cheers to you all, whatever your adventure may be! 

We'll judiciously us charts, weather reports and cruiser's intel
 to avoid this fate.  This was one of many wrecks
we saw in Bimini, Bahamas.

Note – New Blog Post Addition

Galley Wench Tales is not a daily diary; it’s more a collection of stories, lessons and observations.  Blog subject matter does not necessarily reflect the most recent events.  Given that, for the curious and the concerned, there will be a closing note giving brief specifics on where we are.  It will be an addendum in blue at the end of each blog post subtitled “Location, Location.”

Bimini Bahamas Alicetown harbor entrance seen from the beach.

Location, Location

Jan 27^th 2014.  We just arrived in the Bahamas!  Left Marathon Florida (N24.42.315 W81.05.635) Sunday Jan. 26^th at 12:30 am. Sailed 125 nm overnight arriving the next day at 11:45 am at Alice Town North Bimini Bahamas, Blue Water Marina (N25.43.456  W.79.17.887).  Gorgeous day, sunny and 80s.  Next stop:  Bahamas Banks, followed by Frazier, Hog Cay, then Nassau.