JetBoaters.net Bimini Fling July 10th to 15th 2017

[Valerie]

 

[Bruce]

All the towing policies I've seen will cover towing in the area we will be in. Losing a boat entirely would be highly unlikely.

If your boat is disabled 25 miles from Florida you are two hours plus from a tow. The closer you get to Bimini the worse that situation gets. The other boats in our group are not large enough to tow your boat and it likely would be unsafe for them to wait two hours with you. So you send your family and friends ahead on another boat. Now you have the final decision to make, do you go with your friends and family or do you stay on your boat drifting at 4 mph toward Greenland. Is your boat or your life more valuable to you?

 

[Julian]

If your boat is disabled 25 miles from Florida you are two hours plus from a tow. The closer you get to Bimini the worse that situation gets. The other boats in our group are not large enough to tow your boat and it likely would be unsafe for them to wait two hours with you. So you send your family and friends ahead on another boat. Now you have the final decision to make, do you go with your friends and family or do you stay on your boat drifting at 4 mph toward Greenland. Is your boat or your life more valuable to you?

At this point I follow the directions of the Coast Guard plain and simple. All I'm saying is that this scenario is unlikley (not impossible). If your boat is going to swamp, it is most likely going to happen at the inlet where the water will be roughest. Can in happen out in open water after you've gone 25 miles...Sure it can. But as with planes....the probabilities show that takeoff is the highest risk time, followed by landing.

Again....I'm not saying it can't happen, or that I wouldn't leave the boat, just that a complete loss where you drive away is on the low end of the probability scale.

 

[swatski]

All the towing policies I've seen will cover towing in the area we will be in.

Are you sure about this? Most insurers will not touch anything once you are in international waters, unless you have a specific waver. Otherwise, pretty much the only way to get coverage would be if the boat sinks and you lie about where it happened...

At this point I follow the directions of the Coast Guard plain and simple.

Sure. IF you can talk to them, which becomes tricky once you are out of VHF radio range, and certainly past 30 miles offshore.

Please consider that once you are in international waters there are no hard rules for USCG operations.

If the weather window is closing, or if it is just rough, a group can not wait with a disabled boat. A Yamaha jet boat that's not on plane will get swamped quickly in rough water.

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[swatski]

This is why I have insurance.

Do you have a waiver for Bimini?

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[Bruce]

@Julian, the Coast Guard will rescue people. They will not recover your boat. US Tow companies do offer policies that extend to Bahamian waters but as far as I know they can not venture closer than 2 miles from Bimini.

You are correct that swamping on the way to Bimini is most likely to happen near Port Everglades where the Coast Guard will respond and towing is available.

In the scenario of a disabled boat somewhere in the middle the Coast Guard would respond if they were the closest boat but they are not as the other boats in your group are. Offloading your crew and waiting for a tow while your boat drifts toward Greenland may not be the best option.

If a boat were to be disabled in my group in rough water I would offer to take all the people then pull close and toss a 100' anchor rope across for the people to use to pull themselves to my boat. If my boat was disabled I would abandon ship with my family. I might leave my inReach tracker on the boat and call for a tow in hopes of recovery.

 

[robert843]

It's funny when I think back about it @Andy S and I did the trifecta in one year in a Bimini crossing. We stayed with a swamped boat while their passengers were loaded in another boat and until Sea Tow and The Coast Guard arrived, We stayed behind with some vessels that were traveling a little slower then the rest of the group to assist them and we each towed a boat that had become disabled (two boats ran out of fuel) in to Bimini to finish the crossing off. Pretty impressive crossing for us @Andy S lol.

 

[Julian]

This is one of the reasons I've stuck with the State Farm policy I have.....because it covers all of the bahamas.

 

[swatski]

This is one of the reasons I've stuck with the State Farm policy I have.....because it covers all of the bahamas.

I have Boat US and no cigar. It's written funny, though.
It "includes" Bahamas:

But really doesn't:


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[JROD]

Not only Sea

Yamahas can sink too! Quoting the obvious, or just about any watercraft that gets capsized and totally swamped. I was the happy owner, at least for some years, of Yamaha GP 1200 I sank twice riding hurricanes surf on NC coast. Definitely a very significant emotional event! But I was only about a mile from shore, and was able to do the olimpic swim behind it as very strong swells pushed it to shore. Loose handle bars, and few scratches, but a bottle of starting fluid direct into pistons and carbs and new set of plugs was riding it home about an hour after I got it to shore. Whole different ball game out at sea, and an experience I rather pass on!

 

[Lakeboy]

I think I forgot to post we are in 19f and 20f at Bimini Sands

 

[blacksapphirez]

prepped for the trip!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

prepped for the trip!

I'm not sure where you are buying that distilled water but you may want to get yer money back

 

[Rob9550]

Do you have a waiver for Bimini?

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I am covered up to 75 miles off the coast. I am with Progressive/USAA. I called and spoke to them Friday.

 

[Andy S]

I am covered up to 75 miles off the coast. I am with Progressive/USAA. I called and spoke to them Friday.

When I had progressive/USAA to go along with the 75 miles there was language that said only in the USA territorial waters. Even though Bimini is only 60 miles away it is outside of USA waters and not covered. I would read the language yourself and make sure you are comfortable with the coverage.

 

[2nazt]

@Andy S that is what I had also with Progressive. Didn't cover the territorial waters I asked when I had my policy. I think they require at least 25' and possibly also 2 motors and a minimum horsepower for the other coverage.

 

[Rob9550]

Should I look at a different company since Progressive won't cover? Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Andy S]

Should I look at a different company since Progressive won't cover? Anyone have any suggestions?

I went with AllState and at the time they covered Bimini. I'm now with Traveler's but they don't cover outside the US territorial waters but I'm ok with that.

 

[ACrews]

I had BoatUS last yr. The only thing I had to do was let them know the estimated travel dates & they issued a kicker policy to cover the Bahamas. If I remember correctly, it was only around $75-$100. I could have cancelled as soon as I returned.

 

[Valerie]

21 days 21 days 21 days!!!!!