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

Well I hope nobody is up and to monitor @1948Isaac and my crossing tomorrow morning as we're looking to leave around 6ish. In case you are and interested, my tracking link is below. What I do hope is to give some of you ocean front jetboaters a nice drive by as you have your morning coffee.

https://share.garmin.com/BAHAMAS

@1948Isaac and @Ramblin Wreck This is unacceptable you guys go over there repping the Exuma/Abaco crew and you can't get there in under 2 hours I can't even begin to explain the disappointment that @Andy S and I feel right now. Atleast @JROD had an excuse he was in 4-6ft seas and probably didn't have a gps so he had to stay with the boats. J/K I hope you guys have a great time.
 
So no issues with the "s" towers?

I can only speak of the AR versions as that is the kind I have but they are not super robust in design IMO. They look great though lol. I would rather have a different locking mechanism like a solid thick pin(s) and have a better base design with a single backing plate underneath than two small pieces of metal.
 
Swatski's tower is the one that broke (an AR 240), and I honestly have to say it broke because of a very poor design. To think that two threaded bolts are all that is needed to hold up hundreds of pounds of tower when waves are considered is just plain wrong. These towers should be through bolted into solid metal in the base (as the 242X tower is). Swatski's tower stripped out both tower "knobs" and the based threads. If there had been a through bolt this could never have happened. I've been working with him on ways we can gerry rig his tower to return, and honestly there is no way to do this without a drill press and some through bolts. Swatski was not the only one dealing with tower knobs that pulled out....this proves the point....and demonstrates the poor design. Thank God he has a hard head and shoulder....yes it hit him in the head (he called it a glancing blow) and then the shoulder. He is very lucky to be with us still! The tower wires that hold the tower once folded down both snapped like guitar strings at a metal concert....

All that said, @swatski and his wife are handling it very well.
@swatski I have a group that will hopefully be crossing to meet with you guys Friday if weather permits, if not Saturday for sure. Among the group is another AR240. Is there anything we can do to help you out over there. Parts?drill? drill bits? Let us know. Happy to oblige.
 
@swatski I have a group that will hopefully be crossing to meet with you guys Friday if weather permits, if not Saturday for sure. Among the group is another AR240. Is there anything we can do to help you out over there. Parts?drill? drill bits? Let us know. Happy to oblige.
Thanks so much! We are talking to our dealer and Yamaha. Will keep you posted.

--
 
Just want to share our crossing experience…

The morning forecast was pretty favorable. There was no small craft advisory, my group left the Port Everglades last, as agreed at the captains’ meeting the night before departure. With no other advisory from the forward group(s) we followed our departure protocol. The crossing was quite rough and it was no picnic, right off the bat, not surprising as the inlet is known to be rough. Everyone was briefed about what could happen at the captains meeting - unless it is a major storm, small but powerful rain storms off the Florida/Bahamas coast are very hard to predict, and can pop up isolated or in little clusters.

Within less than an hour we got caught in one of the hardest rain and thunderstorms I have ever experienced out in the ocean. I initially strayed off course to the SE trying to stay away from it, but we got the edge of it any way. Seas were somewhere in the 4 to 6 range and nearby lightning strikes were pretty scary, myself and my two young girls on board did not like it. My instruments were intermittently acting up but maintained good overall radio/GPS and chart plotter control of our position.

At that point, several of the boats in our group turned around. With zero visibility I lost sight of my group and in the noise it became difficult to hear the radio, I could see my chart plotter screen. All other groups also got mixed up, I was unable to successfully communicate with anyone who I thought might be forward of our position.

Approximately 10-15 miles out I have experienced several adverse events in my boat which occurred in quick succession (including a collapsed tower, broken windshield, anchor locker flying off, a chair base braking etc.) - leaving us surprised/shaken and in risk of becoming disabled. However, we were able to stay on plane the entire time while dealing with those issues, one way or the other, and managed to regroup quickly.

After ascertaining the boat had the power/navigation/radio capability intact, my daughters and I decided to continue the crossing and plough ahead. We could maintain planning speeds as desired and turning back into the storm we just went through did not seem particularly appealing. After a while the skies ahead were blue for us. We were able to straighten our course and maintained a 15-20 mph speed (~5,000-5,400 RPM) the whole way to save the fuel, albeit at the expense of some comfort.

We made it to Bimini Sands with 10gal in the tank w/no refueling at sea at little under 5 hours.
Despite everything, at no time did I think our lives were in danger.

BUT:

As @Majorsmackdown likes to put it: “The truth is - there are dangers in boating and ocean boating. To stay home is the only way to avoid them all. “

--
 
Never seen someone eat a hot pocket with a fork before :woot:
It's only to vent lol. Ever had hot magma ooze on your fingers when you take one of these suckers out lol? I have and I learned to vent with a fork ever since :D
 
Just want to share our crossing experience…

Approximately 10-15 miles out I have experienced several adverse events in my boat which occurred in quick succession (including a collapsed tower, broken windshield, anchor locker flying off, a chair base braking etc.) - leaving us surprised/shaken and in risk of becoming disabled. However, we were able to stay on plane the entire time while dealing with those issues, one way or the other, and managed to regroup quickly.


--

Wow, just wow!
 
That is some fine dining!
It gets better. My drink was water bottle with koolaid squirt mixer lol. I figured a real plate was a nice touch too :D
 
Does anyone know how to get to north bimini for groceries ?
Or If someone is going that way tomorrow can you give me a lift
My handheld VHF fell and broke during crossing, forum is the only I can communicate
 
Does anyone know how to get to north bimini for groceries ?
Or If someone is going that way tomorrow can you give me a lift
My handheld VHF fell and broke during crossing, forum is the only I can communicate

There is a ferry that runs between north and south Bimini. Its about a mile up the road. Anyone there should be able to point you in the right direction.
 
Does anyone know how to get to north bimini for groceries ?
Or If someone is going that way tomorrow can you give me a lift
My handheld VHF fell and broke during crossing, forum is the only I can communicate

There is a ferry as @DieselCamel mentioned. Ask around I bet someone has an extra handheld you can steal or I bet the office has a radio you could use to quickly reach out to some of the group if needed they used to have a fixed radio there.
 
also to add to this. The "cabs" will run you to the ferry too for a couple bucks. The main office can hail one for you by VHF also.
 
During the crossing to Bimini I lost one of the four bolts that hold up my ski Tower. Does anyone have a spare hand bolt as shown in the picture attached that they can loan me. I will ship it back once we get back to the States.
 

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During the crossing to Bimini I lost one of the four bolts that hold up my ski Tower. Does anyone have a spare hand bolt as shown in the picture attached that they can loan me. I will ship it back once we get back to the States.

I think this qualifies for an [USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP]
maybe also do another post in the general discussion with the topic heading // need help/ loaner / tower bolt for Bimini return needed asap /

maybe they could fedex it to @Ryuc14911 to bring over? is there a Yamaha dealer near ryuc14911 that you could order over the phone, maybe they could borrow one off of a sitting boat
 
During the crossing to Bimini I lost one of the four bolts that hold up my ski Tower. Does anyone have a spare hand bolt as shown in the picture attached that they can loan me. I will ship it back once we get back to the States.

If my local dealer has one, I could go buy it and overnight it to you..

Whats the year make & Model of your boat?

Is it item #14 on this page?

http://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/oemparts/a/yam/5003a26cf870021f60a12505/wakeboard-tower

N/M not in stock, plus UPS and FEDEX both claim earliest they can get it there is next week.
 
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