The Beginning
I woke up, jumped out of bed and
ran downstairs while attempting to battle my phone service provider for at
least 1 bar of signal to make an outgoing phone call. Just a few minutes prior,
my brother yelled for me to wake up and pack as we were headed for the Bahamas.
A series of phone calls to a few close friends starting with Louis since he
lived the furthest away began. It was an interesting conversation that
basically went like this… “Hey wake up! We’re heading to the Bahamas!” with a “WHAT?”
in response. It did not take much convincing, or should I say it did not
require any convincing. Louis replied with “45 minutes I’ll be there.” For the
average person 45 minutes would be just enough time to pack and head out, for
some it was enough time to pack snorkeling gear, refuel 18 gallons of premium fuel
in a Jet Ski, drive 20 miles in South Florida traffic to my home and arrive
with a grin on his face thirsty for the adventure that was upon us. Just a few more calls and we had everyone
gathered at the house; including my down the street neighbor Jose who basically
thought we were playing a prank on him. No it’s not April Fools, not this time
buddy!
Slated for this trip was a 25’6
Dusky (“Dive Hard”) owned by my next door neighbor and good friend Danny and 3
supercharged Yamaha wave runners. We started preparations early that Saturday
morning, threw a bunch of soft drinks and water into the live well and doused
it with ice on the boat. With our earlier calculations, we predicted that the
18 gallon tanks inside the wave runners would be enough to get us across to the
“other side” as long as we kept them out of boost by being fairly easy on the
throttles. Anyone who has ridden a supercharged jet ski will know the pain one
must go through to restrict themselves from a full throttle burst. But we remained cautious and added three 6
gallon sealed jugs of fuel onboard the boat just in case we were all a bit low
at the end of the journey. It’s better to be over prepped than to pay for it later
floating our way to Greenland or wherever the current would take us sipping on
Gatorades; which would still be a bit of an upgrade over a scene of say “Open
Water”. Our wave runners were used to
long rides through the ocean but a crossing like this one still gave us some
worry. After watching the movie entitled “Captain Ron” we knew anything was
possible. As he would say, “If anything is going to happen it’s going to happen
out there, boss!”
Haulover Inlet is a perfect
parallel straight shot to Bimini, the first island in the Bahamian chain, or as
close to one as we could find. With 3 GPS’s on board we left the dock. As soon as we made it to the main channel I
noticed the Dusky pulling over to the side with a hint of engine trouble. Danny
had on board his good friend Michael, my brother and my mom. Everyone wanted to
see the beautiful waters of Bimini and get some diving/snorkeling time down.
The boat was overheating. Luckily Danny knew exactly what the issue was and
diagnosed the problem within minutes (Like a true captain). Part of being a
good boater is having the ability to diagnose problems quickly and accurately.
The 250 Evinrude Etec fired right up and we continued on our way. The winds
were calm, the sky clear. On regular day’s we would crawl out of the inlet into
the ocean and proceed with a short 70MPH burst to the South for some snorkeling
expeditions extending to Half Moon Wreck or our favorite, the Fowey Rocks
Lighthouse (where personal watercraft are not allowed, more on this later). On
this day we sped up to 30MPH with GPS’s set to the deep blue abyss to the East.
A Minor Setback… continued
As the Dusky got up on plane it
created a calm following “road” for the wave runners. The wake spread thick and
the path created was turbulent yet flatter than that outside the hulls path. The
three of us followed in linear formation. Seas were 2FT or less and mostly calm
at this time.
Small chop was present here and there but easily bearable by the 900lb wave runners loaded with fuel, gear and operators. Approximately 3 miles out Danny pulled the throttle back on the boat and motioned for us to slow down. The following wake slowed to a halter and assessing the situation became a priority. He said the boat was feeling jittery, he felt it was something to do with the prop. Having jumped in the water the assessment was correct: the prop was on its way off the hub. I followed suit and jumped into the water as well leaving Andrea in control of the Yamaha SHO who was my passenger. The water was already a beautiful deep blue color with unimaginable depth (Yacht blue as Louis would say). I swam up to Danny and with simple hand tools we tried banging the prop into place as a temporary repair to limp it back with no luck. A quick call to a tow boat followed by a 10 minute wait and we were headed back… unfortunately back to Miami and not our final Bahamian destination.
Small chop was present here and there but easily bearable by the 900lb wave runners loaded with fuel, gear and operators. Approximately 3 miles out Danny pulled the throttle back on the boat and motioned for us to slow down. The following wake slowed to a halter and assessing the situation became a priority. He said the boat was feeling jittery, he felt it was something to do with the prop. Having jumped in the water the assessment was correct: the prop was on its way off the hub. I followed suit and jumped into the water as well leaving Andrea in control of the Yamaha SHO who was my passenger. The water was already a beautiful deep blue color with unimaginable depth (Yacht blue as Louis would say). I swam up to Danny and with simple hand tools we tried banging the prop into place as a temporary repair to limp it back with no luck. A quick call to a tow boat followed by a 10 minute wait and we were headed back… unfortunately back to Miami and not our final Bahamian destination.
This
led me to the discovery of the concept of time. When I sit in my office at work
it drifts by one second at a time, when you are late for an adventure the clock
tends to freewheel and spin rather quickly. We were all losing hope for the
trip to become a reality on this particular day. On our tow back to the closest
marina we wasted no time as Capt. Danny was looking for a spare prop to be ready upon our arrival. He was able to reach his mechanic who ended up saving
our day. When we pulled up to the Marina, Danny’s mechanic was waiting on shore
with a smile and a spare prop in his right hand. A boat lift operator and a
large boat lift was also ready to get the Dusky out of the water for fast
repairs. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to top off the fuel
on the wave runners. I think it was the thought of running out of fuel that
scared us the most, I don’t think I put more than $10 worth of gas on this
rather short pit stop. Before I continue, I think it is fair to mention that
Danny’s mechanic drove from a family wedding and changed out of his tuxedo to
help us out. Now that is what I call service/friendship!
“We are propped and ready to go,”
said Capt. Danny. We applied some much needed sun screen and headed to our wave
runners. By this time winds had picked up and we missed our morning window for
shooting across in calm winds. I checked NOAA rather quickly on my IPhone and
it called for 2-3 foot waves for the crossing. Although waves of that nature
sound like just enough to get the boat rocking, when your “boat”, and I use
that term loosely, is 11’2 inches they do tend to matter somewhat. We followed
the Dusky out of the inlet once again which was now riding on its own power. We
waved Miami goodbye and headed out into the now rowdy sea. The miles seemed to
breeze by rather quickly. We averaged 28MPH into the approaching sea. Every few
seconds I could hear Louis’s Yamaha SHO and Jose’s Yamaha FZS scream a loud
“PSHHH” as the blow off valve released the built up pressure in the chamber in
synchronous harmony. Unhooking occurs when a wave runner is not planted in the
water by lack of water entering the tunnel. Around 25 miles into the ocean we
stopped to take a small break. We
grabbed some water and checked our fuel; there is no going back. We continued on into the sea…
A Boat!
We finally see a boat. A 35ish
Cabin Cruiser waves at us and puts his hands up in the air motioning to us like
we were crazy for being out that far on wave runners. We waved back smiling
from ear to ear. As we continued on, the water remained a deep beautiful blue. Andrea
did need to use the restroom on the journey and jumping into the abyss we tried
our best to hold jokes about sharks and attack whales to ourselves. With the
shore no longer visible, navigating without a compass was close to impossible.
I now know how helpless people really feel without a sense of security in
unknown situations. Everywhere you look the scene was the same, dark beautiful
blue water and the sun blaring at us. The most important part of this journey
is definitely to keep hydrated. We did stop every 10-15 miles to drink water.
Not only was the sun beating down on us but both your knees, legs, back, etc.
get a serious workout from battling 3-4ft seats. The last 5 of these miles were
turning to be rather interesting. The ocean in the Gulf Stream was no longer
just a flat quiet plateau. Waves were picking up and we were introduced to 4-6
foot rollers. Louis decided to have some fun and started jumping them. We
grabbed water and some coffee flavored mints to get the taste of saltwater out
of our mouths and headed for shore!
BAHAMAS!
Approaching Bimini requires prior
channel knowledge. The entrance to the islands is sandwiched between North and
South Bimini. Many vessels in the past have run aground and lost their hulls
due to serious damage. We had the path logged in. You have to keep to the right
to pass a shoal and then take a hard left. If you find yourself navigating
these waters at night I recommend you take it very slow and very easy! Before
entering, we took out our yellow Bahamian flags and loaded them onto the jet
skis on makeshift poles. As we pulled in to North Bimini people waved hello
from shore. The water was absolutely beautiful, like nothing we had seen
before. It was clear and absolutely see-through for what seemed like miles. It is a quiet no wake channel (although wide).
First order of business was clearing customs and getting settled into our hotel. Wait, what hotel? We didn’t have time to book one! Luckily Danny knew the dockhand working out at the fuel dock. We filled the Jet Ski’s up with fuel. The Yamaha SHO I was riding took 14.2 gallons of fuel. The boat, I don’t remember but it had to of been 5-6 times this amount. We popped into the famous Big Game Club in North Bimini. The Big Game Club was originally build by Guy Harvey, a famous artist who works primarily with a maritime theme. With the jet skis at dock tied to the boat each “captain” would have to leave the vessel to clear Bahamian customs while passengers remained on the boat. I remember Jose yelling to everyone about how clear the water is almost in tears. It really was absolutely beautiful. We saw fish swim below us and some of us jumped in just to cool off…. The four of us walked over to the customs office (about ½ mile). You must bring a US passport for each person on board your vessel and your registration to the vessel. There is a fee that is collected for each vessel, at the time of this trip it was $150 per vessel, not per person. We walked back to the vessels to meet everyone and then head for the hotel. They only had a few rooms available and the group was split into the Big Game Club and into the Bimini Bluewater Hotel right next door. Looking onto the dock we saw some available spots nearby and a few very far. Initially we were presented with a far off parking spot but with a small donation to the hotel staff (I forgot, 50-75 bucks) we parked right in the front, spot 1. We tied the jet skis to the boat and to the dock in a crisscross pattern to avoid bumping them into each other temporarily. We were restless, ready to go, ready for adventure…
First order of business was clearing customs and getting settled into our hotel. Wait, what hotel? We didn’t have time to book one! Luckily Danny knew the dockhand working out at the fuel dock. We filled the Jet Ski’s up with fuel. The Yamaha SHO I was riding took 14.2 gallons of fuel. The boat, I don’t remember but it had to of been 5-6 times this amount. We popped into the famous Big Game Club in North Bimini. The Big Game Club was originally build by Guy Harvey, a famous artist who works primarily with a maritime theme. With the jet skis at dock tied to the boat each “captain” would have to leave the vessel to clear Bahamian customs while passengers remained on the boat. I remember Jose yelling to everyone about how clear the water is almost in tears. It really was absolutely beautiful. We saw fish swim below us and some of us jumped in just to cool off…. The four of us walked over to the customs office (about ½ mile). You must bring a US passport for each person on board your vessel and your registration to the vessel. There is a fee that is collected for each vessel, at the time of this trip it was $150 per vessel, not per person. We walked back to the vessels to meet everyone and then head for the hotel. They only had a few rooms available and the group was split into the Big Game Club and into the Bimini Bluewater Hotel right next door. Looking onto the dock we saw some available spots nearby and a few very far. Initially we were presented with a far off parking spot but with a small donation to the hotel staff (I forgot, 50-75 bucks) we parked right in the front, spot 1. We tied the jet skis to the boat and to the dock in a crisscross pattern to avoid bumping them into each other temporarily. We were restless, ready to go, ready for adventure…
Sapona?
The world famous Sapona shipwreck
occurred in 1926. It was made out of mostly concrete and ran aground during a
hurricane never to move again. The ships stationary position for close to 100
years has enabled it to become the center of a large reef and accumulate sea
life. We did not know what to expect when snorkeling around this ship but we
knew it has served as a navigation marker for those arriving to the Bahamas so
we knew it must be the first stop for the day.
We left
a lot of our personal belongings inside the hotel and decided to meet at the
dock. We took the three jet skis and the open fisherman and headed out to the
wreck. It was visible from shore as soon as you left the inlet. The ship was
sunk in shallow water that could not have been more than 25ft deep. Capt. Danny
threw the anchor out after watching the current to make sure we weren’t brought
right back into the wreck, and we proceeded to tie the jet skis in a line from
the back of the boat. It is usually important to use the front hook of a wave
runner so water is not back fed into the pump/engine. The current was strong,
maybe 6-7 knots but luckily we were a bit rested from the crossing. You can
enter between any of the sections of the ship but there is a main “entrance” on
the port side near the engine room (stern). As soon as you enter and look down
you can still see the camshaft of the engine still in there. The engine room is
very large housing a 1500HP steam engine that was capable of bringing the
vessel up to 10 knots at one point in time at its top end.
Marine
life is abundant! All around the ship you will find schools of fish circling
and looking for food as the current briskly drifts on by. Many fear the
presence of sharks but on our adventure we did not spot any at this location.
We have been lucky to have seen nurse sharks on other trips around South
Florida. Lionfish, groupers of various sizes and the always present parrotfish
are everywhere. The abundance of colors is simply mesmerizing. Those that have
owned a salt water fish tank will know what I mean, just imagine that in a much
larger tank you can swim in. Many view the Bahamas waters as being overfished
and I hope the limit does not get lifted so many can enjoy these beautiful
sanctuaries for years to come.
Due to
being weathered the ship has mostly fallen apart but narrow openings still
exist and so does it framing. Someone has hung a rope from the top of the upper
deck that allows you to climb and actually jump from the top. I highly
recommend bringing some sort of gloves if that is something you will be doing.
Do not forget your water shoes with a thick sole and save your upper body
strength! Since the ship rests ½ into the water you can snorkel easily through
all of it. Once you exit the ship and head for the stern, the large propeller
still exists and is sitting upright. The current is really strong in this area
so going in groups is always a good idea.
On to the next one!
Our next destination was snorkeling the much debated
Atlantis Road. The history of Atlantis Road (Bimini Road) is a very interesting
one. It began in the 1930’s when Edgar Cayce (psychic) reported that he had
once spoken with someone who lived in the Lost City of Atlantis in his former
life and the location described to him was near Bimini. The person said that it
would become visible 30 years from that moment. A pilot flew over Bimini and reported these
structures laying in parallel and in shallow water which made it all seem very
strange. Many people believe that these were walls formed for the road to the
City of Atlantis! (Latitude/Longitude: 25.7665833333333
-79.2785333333333) The dive site itself is more of a snorkeling destination.
Max depth is 20-25 feet so it is easy to touch the bottom and get some good
shots with the rocks. Travel to the site is also easy as there are tour
operators on the island that can take you there if needed. The water was very
clear and the current almost nonexistent. Visibility was clear so it helps to set
anchor. We kept an eye on the boat as the Jet Ski’s were tethered to it.
As
dinner time rolled around we sat on the top deck of The Big Game Club. We
ordered cheeseburgers for all of us. Prices were comparable to an Ale
House/Flanigans down here in South Florida. We did have to wait almost 40
minutes for the food to arrive but we enjoyed the view of the water so it was
no bother. From the second story we could see fish swimming alongside the hotel
underneath all the boats. The temptation to jump off the second floor into the
water was great but we were exhausted at this point. The hotel did a very nice
job by putting submersible lights throughout the marina which makes for a
breathtaking view. The hotel has a beautiful pool which seemed to be open
pretty late but with ocean water so clear why even bother! A stroll around the
pool leads you to some hammocks overlooking the water which guests can enjoy.
What about the island?
On day two we gathered together and
walked to the dock checking on the boat and wave runners. We felt they were
safe since we left them parked right in front of hotel staff but it was better
to check than to walk up with a surprise waiting for us later in the day. After
we checked the ropes and made sure we had enough slack we decided it was time
to explore the island. Bimini is divided into the North and South island. The
south island contains mostly private homes located at the southern tip while
the northern is more commercial with hotels and marinas encompassing most of
the square footage. Danny knew some of the guys working out there and we were
able to get some golf carts to rent for the day to do some exploration. Golf
carts were scarce as we arrived during the summer months when the island does
get pretty popular. With the carts loaded, we decided to go for a drive through
Bimini! The first stop was to look at the famous Hemingway’s “Complete Angler”
which suffered through a fire 6 years prior. Not much was left but the remnants
are still there and it has become a famous tourist attraction. Bimini is an
interesting island. Most of the homes appear run down and very old. There
aren’t many cars on the island as you can easily walk from one side to the other
in a matter of maybe an hour. There was a story I once read that their fire
truck had caught on fire and how tragic it was because they only had one. I
found it weird that some of the cars on the island had been modified with
custom wheels etc. and people were making such an effort to stand out. I think
I saw maybe 9-10 cars the whole day while there.
It is hard to find a bad beach
here. Every single place you look the water is absolutely beautiful, clear,
blue, enticing. We stopped by the east end and took some photos just so we have
memories to look forward too.
As we depart…
We decided that with winds picking
up we may have to leave for the US before mid-day. Danny and Michael wanted to
do some diving near a deep ocean trench they had coordinates for and we headed
out. The dive was close to 130ft. While the water is crystal clear up top, the
deeper down they went the less light penetration existed but they said the dive
was amazing! One day I will join these seasoned divers! We stopped by the
Sapona one last time and snorkeled a bit. The winds had picked up and the
decision was made, we are headed home!
We enjoyed the adventure for all of its ups and downs. The
memories made will be remembered forever and the bond we share will live on.
This trip was a dream of ours for a long time ever since we began search for
our first boat. Thank you to everyone for following us on our adventure.
FAQ:
Which wave runners did you us for this trip?
We used Yamaha FX SHO/FX FZR/FX FZS wave runner’s. They have
been well used before this trip and tested on local trips. We did not purchase
wave runners and immediately use them for this trip as a precaution.
Can you rent a jet ski and head over?
Yes/No. All rental companies in FL will not rent wave runners to be used outside of their immediate location. There have been instances of people renting.
Why are there yellow flags on the PWC's?
They are required to be displayed when entering a foreign port.
What did you use to edit the video?
The video was made and edited using Imovie on a MAC computer.
Do I need a passport to go on this trip?
Yes. Absolutely yes. You are required to check in with bahamian customs upon entering and with US customs upon arrival back in the states.
If you would like to see more of this adventure you can see the video on youtube.
Yes/No. All rental companies in FL will not rent wave runners to be used outside of their immediate location. There have been instances of people renting.
Why are there yellow flags on the PWC's?
They are required to be displayed when entering a foreign port.
What did you use to edit the video?
The video was made and edited using Imovie on a MAC computer.
Do I need a passport to go on this trip?
Yes. Absolutely yes. You are required to check in with bahamian customs upon entering and with US customs upon arrival back in the states.
If you would like to see more of this adventure you can see the video on youtube.
