Bimini 2015 - July 6th to 11th

[robert843]

Any watercraft is welcome to join the big group here, we even allowed a prop boat to join us. The trip is all about having fun and doing it safely with a group no matter how you get there.

Welcome aboard!!! In case you haven't found it here is the 2014 Bimini trip thread, https://jetboaters.net/threads/bimini-2014-june-22.346/

Thanks. Put us down then. Love the avatar we have season football tickets. We are in Myrtle Beach if you go let me know maybe we will catch up with you on the way down and.

 

[Andy S]

Thanks. Put us down then. Love the avatar we have season football tickets. We are in Myrtle Beach if you go let me know maybe we will catch up with you on the way down and.

I am excited about football season starting, just a little disappointed the Gamecock are struggling so far this season, hoping things turn around. That's cool you have season tickets, we don't but try to make at least one game a year.

I was just in Myrtle Beach, past Fri to Sun (Sept 5th through Sept 7th), played golf at The World Tour, River Hills, and Meadowlands. Each year a buddy of mine puts together tournament and we have on average 32 players come from all over to play. We all stay at Bay Watch in North Myrtle Beach right on the ocean which works perfect for me, the wife spends the day on the beach while I play golf.

The Bimini trip is a definite must do at least once trip, your family is going to love it.

 

[Speedling]

Well, it's official!
We will NOT be going.
We are selling our home and moving into a new one hopefully in the next month or two here, so we have a lot of added costs and a few things we really want to do to the house, so this just isn't in the works for us this time around. 2016 will be our 10 year anniversary though, so HOPEFULLY then!
Ya'll have fun without me!

 

[robert843]

Here are some pics from the trip that was two weeks ago. These are from the guys i was supposed to go with but stuff fell apart for me last second hope this gets you guys ready to go again

 

[Bruce]

We will NOT be going.

That is unfortunate. You are going to be sitting home wishing you had gone next year!

2016 will be our 10 year anniversary though, so HOPEFULLY then!

It will be our 20th and a perfect way to spend your anniversary!

Here are some pics from the trip that was two weeks ago. These are from the guys i was supposed to go with but stuff fell apart for me last second hope this gets you guys ready to go again

Looks like they had a great time. How were the waves and weather? It seems like this year has been unusually calm weather wise?

 

[robert843]

Looks like they had a great time. How were the waves and weather? It seems like this year has been unusually calm weather wise?[/QUOTE]

Yeah we missed it due to the threat of weather but it turned out not bad the seas where calm they made each trip in under 2 hours. It was a short trip they left Friday morning and where back by 11am Sunday so we just didn't want to chance the bad weather for such a short trip since it was a 12 hour drive each way for us.

 

[Charles]

the wife and I are looking forward to this trip!

 

[Greg M]

Hello all!

I know for a fact we will be in for next year! I have been dreaming of this since I found the Kevin and Corrie vids on YouTube last winter! Work and timing didn't let us go this year, but have already started gathering my gear for the trip.

Also, would be VERY VERY interested in doing Exuma trip!!!!

 

[whaler7626]

This Exuma trip sounds awesomely insane!! Should we start a thread for that trip? Or will it be an addition to the Bimini trip? We should find a way to tell yamaha about it after we return cause this is really really exotic and quite notable.

 

[Bruce]

@Greg M, @whaler7626 my family would like to make the Exhuma trip someday. Maybe even as early as next year. But it is a lot farther, a lot more risk and if the weather is rough a lot more rough water. There are a lot of wonderful spots to explore around Bimini. I am confident that we could spend a month in Bimini without getting bored. My wife and kids want to stay two weeks next year and we really have talked about a month. I posted some maps with distances of the various hops to get to Exhuma on page two of this thread. @1948Isaac is planning to take his 192 to the Exhumas in October. I am excited to hear how the trip goes for him.

 

[whaler7626]

@Bruce I absolutely agree. I hadn't looked at the maps carefully enough, and then pulled up navionics and was like holy crap that trip would cover all the places that the cruise we regularly go on stops at.. and then goes further!! It would be epic but I don't know that I am quite ready for a trek like this :/ I've also never been to Bimini, which to me seems like a crazy enough trek as is, I just enjoy looking to the extremes of adventure and this is my new long term boating goal. Anyone who goes should get some trophy/award hahaha but actually.

 

[Bruce]

We took three days to travel home from Bimini. For much of the road portion we talked about going back for more of Bahamas experience next year. We were not sure what that meant but initially we talked about going farther over a longer period of time. As time progressed I realized that one of the best parts of the trip was the complete lack of pressure to be anywhere or do anything at any specific time after we arrived. We had brought everything we needed with us and were set up in a beautiful condo where we could look outside and see white sand and blue water. Or walk outside to swim, pick up sea shells and make sand castles on the beach. Or walk to the infinity pool. Or board the boat to go dive, snorkel, fish or swim at our choice of hundreds of wonderful spots. Most of the time there were few other boats around and many of those were in our group. There were so many JetBoaters around that we always knew we could call for help and someone would be available of needed and it was easy to find friends to hang out with. I have often said that it was the most relaxing trip of my life. I have realized that a big part of that was that once we arrived we had complete freedom to do what we wanted when we wanted.

 

[Speedling]

I haven't been there yet obviously, but I certainly look forward to the aspect of simply chilling and relaxing in one of the most beautiful places I could imagine. I do love a challenge, but I feel that Exumas or whatever would just deter the relaxing part of the trip.
I'll be honest, the finances of this trip are a huge determining factor for us and so it will probably be a good while before we would do it a second time, and therefore, we want to do just enough to be active and remember fun things, but relaxing enough to where we don't care what we do.
We have talked about doing it ourselves, but due to the distance we have to drive to get there, and the safety factor of having a large group, we got that idea out of our heads. It would help if it was mid July though, as fireworks season is big money for me
In fact, it's trips like this that gets us talking about bigger boats. Something in the 26-28' range. But we decided (as I think most Yamaha owners have) that our current boat is just right for the family growing up phase.
I rant/digress...
You guys have fun!

 

[Charles]

2 weeks or 1 month or Exuma....whatever everybody else would like to 'extend the Bimini' trip to, feel free to do so. For me, 1 week in Bimini is all I am looking forward to. I hope all this talk about longer and further doesn't scare away anybody that may want just a simple week.

 

[Charles]

Also...would it be possible to get a separate thread with a checklist, and tips sticky'd in this forum for Bimini? Bimini has a lot of special requirements (both equipment, and procedures).

 

[Bruce]

I hope all this talk about longer and further doesn't scare away anybody

The normal group trip has been a Monday morning departure followed by a Saturday morning return. This allows the two weekends for driving. I believe that is @upperdeck's plan for 2015.

Some of us may choose to go earlier or stay later. If that happens it will provide a little bit of flexibility in dates for those with conflicts during the main group trip.

 

[Bruce]

Also...would it be possible to get a separate thread with a checklist, and tips sticky'd in this forum for Bimini? Bimini has a lot of special requirements (both equipment, and procedures).

There is lots of info in the 2014 thread. https://jetboaters.net/threads/bimini-2014-june-22.346/ . I will work on compiling a list.

Flares are the only Coast Guard requirement above normal lake gear. You will need passports for customs. And you will need food, drinks and supplies for the entire trip.

I would not want to make the trip without some sort of chart plotter.

I bought type 1 life jackets for my family.

Having a shower on your boat is nice.

Having a refrigerator and grill on your boat are nice.

You may want fishing gear. I found non trophy fishing to be easy and caught dinner in a few hours.

Masks, snorkels and fins are necessary!

A waterproof camera or video camera helps record the memories.

 

[Charles]

@Bruce I know I saw it in there once, but that thread is large now...didn't feel like digging. Time spent digging for old threads and info is time not spent on the boat ;-)

 

[Bruce]

@Charles, the Bimini trip is worth investing the time to read many and varied experiences and opinions to figure out what you want on your trip. We all traveled together but everyone had different experiences.

 

[robert843]

We too have been thinking about the Exuma's trip. We want to throw the Bimini trip under our belt first then plan to try it the following year. We do lots of long trips on the water through out the year we did two over 150 miles each way this year but both where in protected water( The ICW) only involving a few open harbors that may have some wave activity. So even though my wife says she wants to I need to see how she handles this trip first before I start making plans for anything bigger.