Wild Woman is sailing out from FLL to Bimini

[Wild Woman]

Hi all,

We are sailing out tomorrow from FLL to Bimini, our first trip on a 4 month journey through the Caribbean! Does anybody have some good suggestions on waypoints from FLL to Bimini as we heard we should sail south first and take the Gulfstream up to Bimini (S curve). Any good achorages is also welcome ; )

Wild regards! Erik & Debby

[the_alpine]

Angelfish Creek in key largo is a good spot to leave from.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[W32PAMELA]

Stage down to the Miami area tomorrow and wait for the the next weather window. Leave from Government Cut or the south end of Key Biscayne depending on your draft.

For your first entry into Bimini I would wait for good light so you can see the channel. The anchorage in Bimini is secure but difficult because of the dredged, limestone bottom. I always use a Bahamas moore ( 2 anchors at 180 degrees) due to the strong tidal currents.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by the_alpine

Angelfish Creek in key largo is a good spot to leave from.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I like Angelfish myself, but if your 40'C&C has that 7' draft, you might not want to take this option.

I would favor the constant heading, calculating the vector for the Gulfstream, and make that "S" curve course as you described out of Lauderdale. We usually leave Port Everglades from a Lake Sylvia anchorage a daybreak and make a daylight passage; however, our choice is more often West End.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by W32PAMELA

For your first entry into Bimini I would wait for good light so you can see the channel.

Very good advise.

Originally Posted by W32PAMELA

The anchorage in Bimini is secure but difficult because of the dredged, limestone bottom. I always use a Bahamas moore ( 2 anchors at 180 degrees) due to the strong tidal currents.

Not sure what you mean here; secure in what regard? I agree that holding is iffy due to the currents and hard bottom. Also the anchorage is exposed to the east so in strong east winds it can get choppy.

[sailingfarmer]

If you leave from Miami... it's pretty straightforward...

BTW... I once owned a 40 foot CC named Wild Woman in Newport, Rhode Island... maybe the same boat? if so...small world... that was back in @1996 I sailed her up from Florida...

[W32PAMELA]

Skipmac, To me "secure" means that you can sit safely through a frontal passage. I don't consider choppy to be a problem. The fetch to the east varies in depth from 0 to 4' depending on tide conditions and does not allow for anything other than a chop.

[sailing_gal]

I have done that trip from both No Name Harbor and Angelfish Creek. No Name Harbor is perhaps the easier to traverse, a friend of mine with 6 foot draft went aground at the entrance to Angelfish Creek a couple of months ago. Angelfish Creek works very well if you have a slow boat- say 5-6 knots because you are further south for the Stream. If you can do more than that, No Name Harbor may work just fine for you. Leave at sun up, because the last thing you want to do is approach Bimini in the dark.

[tdh1849]

From Port Everglades go to Miami and when at Government Cut make a left and motorsail 129 degrees.
Have a GPS with the Bahamas chip, this heading should take you to the entrance channel at Bimini where you clear in. Dont forget your yellow flag.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by W32PAMELA

Skipmac, To me "secure" means that you can sit safely through a frontal passage. I don't consider choppy to be a problem. The fetch to the east varies in depth from 0 to 4' depending on tide conditions and does not allow for anything other than a chop.

OK, understand your meaning.

Yes in a norther you are protected and there are the banks close at hand to the east to limit the fetch in that direction. However I've been in Bimini when it was blowing 25-30 kts from the E to SE and it got choppy enough that that the bouncing was a strain on the anchor rode, especially in the south end of the harbor. Add that to the generally poor holding, limited swinging room and a very short distance to trouble if you drag makes me not a fan of anchoring in Bimini Harbor.

[Charisma1937]

It's a little deep for anchoring in the Gulf Stream which is where you'll be once you clear the sea bouy at Ft. Lauderdale!

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by W32PAMELA

...........................
............................ The fetch to the east varies in depth from 0 to 4' depending on tide conditions and does not allow for anything other than a chop.

I do not understand this use of the term "fetch". I've only known fetch to identify the distance across the surface of the water that is available for the build up of waves. This would be the distance facing in the direction of the wind to the shore or a breakwater. A zero to 4' fetch would mean that you are tied to shore or a dock.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I do not understand this use of the term "fetch". I've only known fetch to identify the distance across the surface of the water that is available for the build up of waves. This would be the distance facing in the direction of the wind to the shore or a breakwater. A zero to 4' fetch would mean that you are tied to shore or a dock.

I took it to mean that the fetch (of unspecified length) had a depth that varied from 0' to 4'.

[sailingfarmer]

Newbies!..... I remember when I was one......

[Lepke]

The islands you visit, stay on the trails. Watch out for gorillas.

Ron