Bimini 2018

[Betik]

you have been a naughty boy @Berrie.... that is what you are getting for considering not to go to BImini in 2018 LOL

 

[Amar Nanduri]

It's all up to the captains abilities and how much abuse they are willing to endure. There's tons of information on this site about rough crossings and folks not prepared mentally and physically. It's an amazing trip but you have to be prepared.

It's more mental than physical. You forget about the physical part once you start the crossing. Everyone new to the Bimini trips for 2018 should get a chance to read the experiences people on 2017 crossing went through to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

I don't think you need 100 gallons of spare fuel but for Exuma I would probably bring enough fuel to make it to Nassau. Abaco supplies and fuel were readily available on our Exuma trip we go stuck in Chub waiting

I have a feeling I will be the only one on my minivan making the crossing for Exumas. SO I am not worried about getting an extra fuel tank.

 

[Betik]

@Amar Nanduri I totally agree, yet I have to say that taking your anchor out of the anchor locker is physical preparation. Padding and wrapping the anchor will not do it. LOL

 

[Amar Nanduri]

That is one thing that should be put in the preparation list...Remove the anchor from the locker , wrap it completely in padding and store it in the head or at the back.

 

[Betik]

Bruce also said to consider a anchor what is not made out of lead. LOL

 

[robert843]

I have a feeling I will be the only one on my minivan making the crossing for Exumas. SO I am not worried about getting an extra fuel tank.

I wouldn't bring a fuel bladder but you will need to bring extra fuel as a precaution. I had a boat similar in size to what your looking at with the 8.1l mercruiser and can tell from experience you can expect about 1 mile per gallon in moderate conditions as it can be a pain to get on plane and keep on plane in slop. One big wave brings you off plane and it could take you almost a mile to get back on plane in some rough chop and that happening over and over again burns a lot of gas. Bimini to Chub cay is over 100 miles taking the proper route as it is not a straight shot and in a boat that size you will have to follow the true shipping lane or risk winding up on a sand bar so I would plan to have aprox 110-120 gallons of total fuel on board so what ever you primary tank is and what ever is needed beyond that to get to that total. Best case is you never need it worst case is with out it your dead in the water 15-20 miles from Chub Cay.

 

[Berrie]

I wouldn't bring a fuel bladder but you will need to bring extra fuel as a precaution. I had a boat similar in size to what your looking at with the 8.1l mercruiser and can tell from experience you can expect about 1 mile per gallon in moderate conditions as it can be a pain...

Wow, that surprises me. I have twin 5.7i blocks (300HP each) and even in moderate seas I get better than 1.5mpg running 25mph.
I've never ran her in more than sustained 3' chop though.

 

[robert843]

Wow, that surprises me. I have twin 5.7i blocks (300HP each) and even in moderate seas I get better than 1.5mpg running 25mph.
I've never ran her in more than sustained 3' chop though.

Yes but there is a huge difference in additional 4ft of boat and twin engines pushing 600 hp versus a single pushing 375 (what mine pushed). Even with the 8.1l that single will feel under powered at times I know mine did. In flat calm water it was fine in 3 ft chop it was under powered. Two props spinning from two engines would have made a world of difference compared to the single in the torque range to get back up on plane. On plane running 25 mph I was probably getting in the 1.5 to 1.8 mpg range.

 

[James R Whitten]

@James R Whitten I think there are 2 more scarab's going on 2018.
It is @Rick215HO and another guys whose name I forget right now.

PS. you might want to make up your mind in the next month or so and then start prepping.

This will have to wait till 2019. I'm going on a cruise in June. After thinking about it, all my funds are tied up with that this year. Maybe by then i will have upgraded to a 24ft

 

[ThatJeepGuy]

It's more mental than physical. You forget about the physical part once you start the crossing. Everyone new to the Bimini trips for 2018 should get a chance to read the experiences people on 2017 crossing went through to get an idea of what to expect.

Physically I mean prepping your boat. Fixed amount VHF radio, Chart plotter/GPS, additional bilge pump‘s, additional fuel if you think you might need it. And pack light. Ounces make pounds which equal more fuel burn and you need a higher speed to stay on plane.

 

[Bluewater272]

Excited to follow this thread along, planning for 2019. Will be doing hardware prep on the boat this year, as well as doing some ocean running to get a feel for it this summer.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Yes but there is a huge difference in additional 4ft of boat and twin engines pushing 600 hp versus a single pushing 375 (what mine pushed). Even with the 8.1l that single will feel under powered at times I know mine did. In flat calm water it was fine in 3 ft chop it was under powered. Two props spinning from two engines would have made a world of difference compared to the single in the torque range to get back up on plane. On plane running 25 mph I was probably getting in the 1.5 to 1.8 mpg range.

Do we need to add additional bilge pumps to the minivans ? I need to upgrade the vhf and gps anyway.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

Excited to follow this thread along, planning for 2019. Will be doing hardware prep on the boat this year, as well as doing some ocean running to get a feel for it this summer.

Excellent. The way I prepared for Bimini 2017 is by going to Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay from Piney Point MD ( which is a good 33 miles ). You might want to do a couple of practice runs in Chesapeake Bay by choosing distances close to 50 miles. The conditions you get in the Chesapeake Bay is one third what you will experience during the crossing to Bimini.

 

[Berrie]

Do we need to add additional bilge pumps to the minivans ? I need to upgrade the vhf and gps anyway.

I have two 2,000gph bilge pumps in the back, one on a float, the other on a switch. I also have a 500gph in the fwd bilge. Then the shower has its own bilge pump of unknown gph.

*** IMPORTANT ***
If you increase bilge pump size, make sure the fuse or breaker is rated for the larger pump.
The previous owner of my boat boated in the Gulf and upgraded the 1,000 gph pumps to 2,000gph pumps and was all proud about it. Once i realized neither pump worked, i found out he never upgraded the breakers, and running a 9A pump on a 5A breaker allows it to run for just about 3 seconds.
If he had ever popped a hose, she would have sunk with no working bilge pumps.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

I have two 2,000gph bilge pumps in the back, one on a float, the other on a switch. I also have a 500gph in the fwd bilge. Then the shower has its own bilge pump of unknown gph.

*** IMPORTANT ***
If you increase bilge pump size, make sure the fuse or breaker is rated for the larger pump.
The previous owner of my boat boated in the Gulf and upgraded the 1,000 gph pumps to 2,000gph pumps and was all proud about it. Once i realized neither pump worked, i found out he never upgraded the breakers, and running a 9A pump on a 5A breaker allows it to run for just about 3 seconds.
If he had ever popped a hose, she would have sunk with no working bilge pumps.

Thanks. I will keep this in mind.

 

[Berrie]

I have a feeling I will be the only one on my minivan making the crossing for Exumas. SO I am not worried about getting an extra fuel tank.

If you boat alone - especially off-shore - i would invest in a Fell (wireless marine lanyard) or similar device.
It gives you the freedom to move around and kills your engines if you fall off.
I wouldn't go off-shore alone without it (don't have it now but will in the future).

 

[Amar Nanduri]

If you boat alone - especially off-shore - i would invest in a Fell (wireless marine lanyard) or similar device.
It gives you the freedom to move around and kills your engines if you fall off.
I wouldn't go off-shore alone without it (don't have it now but will in the future).

Thanks @Berrie . I will definitely look into this.

 

[Betik]

@Berrie , I am have the feeling that @Amar Nanduri 's life insurance has "being lost at seas" clause that makes his family millionaires overnight. But he cannot really talk about

 

[Amar Nanduri]

@Berrie , I am have the feeling that @Amar Nanduri 's life insurance has "being lost at seas" clause that makes his family millionaires overnight. But he cannot really talk about

I would prefer not being lost Life is too beautiful to be "lost"