Bimini Valentine

We were among the lucky people who stayed in Miami for free over SuperBowl weekend, as we happily anchored in Biscayne Bay. We left Fort Lauderdale last Saturday, alongside Felix the Cat. Bill and Chris (11) sailed aboard Act III, while Heidi crewed for Lorie on Felix. Lorie's husband, John, was in Boston on business and we wanted to move the boats to Miami to position ourselves better for crossing to the Bahamas.

The speedy sail down from Fort Lauderdale was most excellent in west winds to 20 kts.and without serious incident (Lorie learned Felix was more maneuverable leaving a slip with both keel boards down). We spent almost as much time seeking a mooring or anchorage (or even marina) in Miami as we did on the passage. Bill poked into the popular Miami anchorage of No Name Harbor at the southern tip of Key Biscayne, and came out reporting it looked like a WalMart parking lot the day after Thanksgiving, with lots of bad seamanship. Both boats finally anchored west of Virginia Key near the Causeway bridge in a fairly stiff wind that bounced Felix quite a bit. Heidi slept aboard Felix that night in case any problems occurred, but we had an uneventful sleep.

On Sunday Felix moved to nearby Crandon Park Marina, with Bill coaching Lorie from the dinghy. Lorie made 2 excellent landings at the marina, at the fuel dock and into a slip. Chris also had "driving" lessons from Bill, on both Act III and Felix, and he's a natural at the helm.

Monday Act III moved to No Name Harbor, for easier access to our route across the Gulf Stream. For the first time, we awoke early enough to listen to weather on our SSB radio (0630 hrs!), and discovered that Chris Parker is indeed a Bahama weather god. We later signed up to be a "sponsoring" vessel, which means we can call in to ask questions about weather in our specific location. It's a bit like sponsoring public radio: he provides an excellent service to cruisers who can listen in anytime. The wind had no north in it--critical for crossing the north-running Gulf Stream--and was predicted to be under 25 kts, so we left at 0800. We motor-sailed southeast for a few hours to compensate for being carried north when we hit the stream, then had a very fast sail into Bimini Harbor. The ride was a little bumpy, but nothing we haven't seen before, and Act III showed off her ability to crush through chop and waves while sailing close-hauled.

Bimini waters are clear and insanely turquoise blue. We cleared customs and immigration neatly, receiving an 8-month stay, which can be extended if necessary, and a fishing license, all for $300 cash. We unlocked our cell phones and bought a Bahama SIM card, got our Skype program active again, and can easily contact all you friends and family as long as we have internet access.

We're charmed by Bimini. Blue Water Marina is across the street from where Hemingway hung out at the Compleat Angler Hotel which, sadly, burned down in January 2006. The local museum is mostly pictures of Hemingway with his friends and family catching big fish. Last night we went to a local church school fundraiser supper and ate our fill of delicious conch fritters and lobster tail. I was disappointed and Bill was thrilled that I didn't win a large (gaudy) clock or a blender (hey, margaritas!) by picking the right numbered slip of paper from a heart-shaped board. Bill also failed to win his gal a prize at hoop throw, but I strongly suspect he wasn't really trying.

The local shop windows are full of random items, including a 2002 Bimini calendar and children's games and toys from the 1950's, alongside new cell phones. I'm still thinking about picking up some Valentine lingerie from the shop pictured above.

Bill's plumbing the watermaker to our second water tank and I'm prepping something to take to a marina BBQ tonight, where a delightful group is waiting for the current front to pass and wind return to manageable. We're planning to leave late tomorrow afternoon (2-14-2010) and sail through the night to Frazers Hog Cay. (Do you know the difference between an island and a cay?) We'll move on to Nassau the next day, where we'll meet several of the boats we left behind in Miami.