2018 Bimini June trip (June 24th - June 30th)

[Mystic1906]

My crews video of the June trip we had a blast with everyone! The first song I selected just for @Betik

Love the music sir. Conkarah is about to blow up.

 

[Julian]

Nope they were all there. I did just order 100 more as I feel like I let @Betik down for those who don't have them and would like one PM me you address and I will mail some out when they arrive.

View attachment 78060

We should send the customs and immigration $ to Robert!

 

[robert843]

We should send the customs and immigration $ to Robert!

LOl I good thanks though. Got your message I will get them out to you guys once they arrive.

 

[robert843]

Exuma 2019 !

@tim h @ThatJeepGuy and @Amar Nanduri if you guys get serious about trying to put this together let @Andy S and I know I'm sure we can help you guys with some of the stuff we learned from our trip in 2016. We too are planing our return to Exuma for next year but we have been blessed to be invited to join a crew of 33-38ft go fast boats with triple and quad outboards on the back so if that goes as planned we wont be taking our boats and just riding with them as we would not be able to keep up with them. I think @swatski may have an interest in next year as well. First big piece of advice is start planning now if you want to stay at the SCYC you will need to book in the next few weeks for next year which I would really recommend. Also keep the group small I would not try this trip with more then 4 boats the end locations are to remote to be fitting for large groups and be extremely flexible give your self a 3 day window on both ends of the trip.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

@tim h @ThatJeepGuy and @Amar Nanduri if you guys get serious about trying to put this together let @Andy S and I know I'm sure we can help you guys with some of the stuff we learned from our trip in 2016. We too are planing our return to Exuma for next year but we have been blessed to be invited to join a crew of 33-38ft go fast boats with triple and quad outboards on the back so if that goes as planned we wont be taking our boats and just riding with them as we would not be able to keep up with them. I think @swatski may have an interest in next year as well. First big piece of advice is start planning now if you want to stay at the SCYC you will need to book in the next few weeks for next year which I would really recommend. Also keep the group small I would not try this trip with more then 4 boats the end locations are to remote to be fitting for large groups and be extremely flexible give your self a 3 day window on both ends of the trip.

Good advice. This definitely should not be a trip that you try and suppress into a week vacation. You really need to be looking at a 10 to 14 day window. @robert843 & @Andy S how much do you think is a fair budget? I think it might shock some to realize the cost as I personally quit counting so I have no clue how much I ultimately spent. I know lodging was at minimum $300 per night and I would imagine the jet boats will have a couple grand in fuel alone.

 

[robert843]

Good advice. This definitely should not be a trip that you try and suppress into a week vacation. You really need to be looking at a 10 to 14 day window. @robert843 & @Andy S how much do you think is a fair budget? I think it might shock some to realize the cost as I personally quit counting so I have no clue how much I ultimately spent. I know lodging was at minimum $300 per night and I would imagine the jet boats will have a couple grand in fuel alone.

The best we could figure out was our group as a whole spent around $25K that week but it was probably more as I think many stopped counting. I think the boats spent somewhere between 2-3K each that week in fuel even once in Exuma we were burning a full tank at least every day as everything was so spread out. I would say the minimum cost is around $5000 per couple with a boat and add $1500-$2000 per additional person on the boat for food and lodging and this is not doing it up at all this is the minimum.

 

[bronze_10]

The best we could figure out was our group as a whole spent around $25K that week but it was probably more as I think many stopped counting. I think the boats spent somewhere between 2-3K each that week in fuel even once in Exuma we were burning a full tank at least every day as everything was so spread out. I would say the minimum cost is around $5000 per couple with a boat and add $1500-$2000 per additional person on the boat for food and lodging and this is not doing it up at all this is the minimum.

After I get all my mess back together and running this is what my bimini trip is gonna cost me this year. Lol

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Excellent information. Thanks guys. I will have to start planning soon then. Would having a cruiser is beneficial? Pitfalls?

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Excellent information. Thanks guys. I will have to start planning soon then. Would having a cruiser is beneficial? Pitfalls?

Biggest issue I see with a cruiser is your draft. Lots of shallow areas to explore. Now, there are a lot of very large vessels there and many of the dinghy's were bigger then the 24fts we had down there so it's not like you can't do it. You'll just need to be very careful.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

After I get all my mess back together and running this is what my bimini trip is gonna cost me this year. Lol

The difference is Robert isn't including any of the onetime purchases I'm sure you wouldn't make on a return trip but did for your first.

 

[robert843]

Excellent information. Thanks guys. I will have to start planning soon then. Would having a cruiser is beneficial? Pitfalls?

You def will at worst I would go ahead and book docking at SCYC soon. You really will want to stay in or very near Staniel's as other then that you have to go to High Bourne Cay or Great Exuma for fuel and staying near either of those would significantly increase your daily travel distances.

 

[robert843]

The difference is Robert isn't including any of the onetime purchases I'm sure you wouldn't make on a return trip but did for your first.

LOL yes my cost calculations are based on fuel, lodging and food you brought with you if you buy a pack of gum in Staniel's cay your cost just went up $5 or rent a golf cart on Staniel's for $100 a day which is needed if not staying at the Yatch club cost goes up. It's real tough to put in perspective but supplies are super limited down there as well when we got back to Bimini hell we may as well have been back in Miami the way it felt with supplies and stuff being around compared to Exuma.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Biggest issue I see with a cruiser is your draft. Lots of shallow areas to explore. Now, there are a lot of very large vessels there and many of the dinghy's were bigger then the 24fts we had down there so it's not like you can't do it. You'll just need to be very careful.

How would a center console with twin outboards fare in shallow waters ? I am seriously thinking that I might need a backup engine for longer distances compared to my current single engine.

 

[Andy S]

How would a center console with twin outboards fare in shallow waters ? I am seriously thinking that I might need a backup engine for longer distances compared to my current single engine.

Would work if the engines were on jack plates to raise them vertically in shape water instead on trimming them at an angle.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Would work if the engines were on jack plates to raise them vertically in shape water instead on trimming them at an angle.

So my best bet is to get a yammie jet.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

So my best bet is to get a yammie jet.

You'll be the only one down there with one then

 

[Andy S]

So my best bet is to get a yammie jet.

If I had to choose between a Yamaha or a center console, it isn't an easy decision. Center console probably carries for fuel than the Yamaha a big plus for extend excursions. The Yamaha would not worry about extremely shallow water compared to a center console without jack plates.

Having a backup engine is nice but you have to remember that with just one engine you will probably be only able to go 15 mph, this applies to both the Yamaha and most center consoles.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

If I had to choose between a Yamaha or a center console, it isn't an easy decision. Center console probably carries for fuel than the Yamaha a big plus for extend excursions. The Yamaha would not worry about extremely shallow water compared to a center console without jack plates.

Having a backup engine is nice but you have to remember that with just one engine you will probably be only able to go 15 mph, this applies to both the Yamaha and most center consoles.

What boats do people normally take for a trip like the exumas trip ?

 

[robert843]

So my best bet is to get a yammie jet.

The Yamaha was great while there we were able to run in skinny water all day long @Andy S typically had to take a significantly different path then us in his I/O. That said if I was buying a boat specifically with this trip in mind the Yamaha probably wouldn’t make the list. I would be looking at a 26ft + offshore boat with twins with over 100 gallons of fuel capacity. This would assist tremendously in the getting there part and eliminating some of the fuel concerns. If at any day we would have returned to Staniels and they said they were out of fuel we would have truly been stuck there till they got done that’s I feeling I would not want to have if I was selecting a vessel for this trip. Also a larger boat will give you s little faster and more comfortable crossing its a long trip anything that can help with that is a plus. @Andy S juat happens to be selling a 27ft boat with twins if your looking.

 

[robert843]

What boats do people normally take for a trip like the exumas trip ?

Boats that use the boats were describing as a dingy. We would get compliments on the Cobalt and the Yamaha while there and the complement was always followed by the question where is your boat? They just assumed the Cobalt and the Yamaha were tenders for our other boat I don't believe we ran into anyone else over there on a boat that was even in the same class as ours that was used to get there we were literally surrounded by Yatchs the entire time in Exuma.