Tavernier to Bimini

Pictures: 1. Approaching the channel between North and South Bimini. 2. Ibis. 3. Morgan with dinghy full of provisions in Key Largo.

After leaving Fiesta Key, having waited an entire week for the weather to calm down, we were ready to continue on our seemingly endless quest for the Bahamas and all they have to offer (we’ve been reading about them for a year!). However, as we learned in the beginning of our journey, Mother Nature decides when and where a sailboat goes. We made it as far as Tavernier where we anchored near Toilet Seat Pass (see previous blog). I have to admit that the Pass was one of the more interesting sights we’ve seen along the way! After Tavernier we made our way to Key Largo. The water got clearer and clearer as we went, which is very reassuring when the water depth is only 4-7 feet. We anchored in Tarpon Basin and took the dinghy to shore behind the old Howard Johnson’s. (However, after two landings, an employee came out and explained that we would not be doing that again. However, there is a new municipal building next door with a park and docks.) The first night we walked to Paradise Pub where they claim Jimmy got his inspiration for “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” I don’t know if that’s true, but they certainly lived up to the description. While there we decided we would try to rent a car the next day to do laundry, final provisioning and other errands. Morgan called a number out of the phone book and reached Art who said he was only 50 yards down the road. Morgan came back with a pickup, no contract and a price of $28/day cash! Gotta love the Keys! The next day Morgan dropped me at Publix and surprised me by doing all the laundry during his errands. What a guy! Considering our groceries, wine, beer and other purchases filled the back of the pickup, we were sure we would have to make two trips in the dinghy. This trip was when we were still getting away with tying up behind the old Howard Johnson’s and we had to climb/descend a fairly steep embankment. However, as one of the pictures above shows, we did manage it in one trip. It’s absolutely amazing how much a dinghy will hold. After all, we didn’t want leave something valuable (like our box wine) behind while making two trips. We sat pretty low in the water but made it back without losing anything. The next day, we took the dinghy to a marina, then took a cab to finish our shopping. We found a dive shop and got good quality masks, fins and snorkels. From our interactions with other cruisers and our research, these are not simply items to have fun with in the beautiful Bahama waters. Boaters use them to dive down to check and set anchors, scrub the hulls and catch the evening’s meal. Chris at Silentworld Dive Center (103200 Overseas Highway, Key Largo) was extremely helpful, showing us how to test the fit of a mask and what to look for in a fin depending on the intended use. He can also take you on a dive trip. We were quite a sight walking around the store in our fins and seeing if we could get a mask to stick to our face without the strap. (You put it up to your face and inhale, then check for any loose areas around the edges. It should create a suction and make a rude sound when you remove it.) After a trip to West Marine for Morgan (we should own some serious stock there) and a haircut for me, we took the dinghy to a waterfront restaurant and tied up at the dock. After getting on the dock, we looked down and saw a fish at least 5 feet long right under a sign that said “No fishing. It’s not sport to catch a hand fed fish.” I guess the diners there prefer to feed fish rather than gulls who express their thanks in a less than appetizing way. We watched a spectacular sunset as we enjoyed drinks and dinner outside.

The next day we motored a short way to Gilbert’s Marina to try to finish repairing the head. It took most of the afternoon and a lot of swearing, but we finally finished the project (which Morgan had started in Tarpon Basin) and continued a short way to Thursday Cove for the night. It was a very quiet anchorage with only one other boat. The next morning as we were leaving, Morgan noticed that our neighbors were up also. They were not only up, but a lady was having a bath in the buff on the transom steps. I think that woke him up more than his Red Bull! We had intended to anchor at Pumpkin Key, then head through Angelfish Creek to cross the Gulf Stream. Instead, we ended up a side canal off the Creek for the night. We got there in the late afternoon and were amazed we could still see the bottom in 15 feet of water. One final rebuild on the head pump was needed, but seemed to do the job. After just relaxing and enjoying the quiet (when water skiers weren’t zooming by), we had a nice Valentine’s dinner of BBQ ribs, potatoes and broccoli, and then hit the sack early.

The next morning we pulled anchor and were on our way by 7:30 (incredibly early for us!). I was standing at the bow as lookout as it was low tide and the channel was very narrow. I scared Morgan when I got excited and kept pointing at the water. I was trying to tell him that a huge spotted ray had just gone across our bow, but he couldn’t hear me in the wind and thought for sure we were about to hit something. Oops. I stayed at the bow till we were well into the Atlantic and was fortunate enough to see another beautiful spotted ray. From what I understand, these rays cannot sting you and can be playful, letting you swim along side them. We didn’t see much else in the way of wildlife on the way over, other than a huge man-o-war floating along, but we were able to see the bottom until we were nearly in 75 feet of water. The blue in this part of the Atlantic is unlike anything we’ve ever seen; it’s almost a purple blue. When it got too deep to see the bottom, we could still see the sun’s rays penetrating deep in the water. Amazing. We couldn’t have asked for smoother conditions, though a little more wind would have been nice. As we approached the Biminis, the depth went abruptly from 2700 to 400 to 100 to 10, with no gradual sloping. With each depth change, the color of the water changed. I’ve never seen so many different shades of blue in the water. We entered the small channel between North and South Bimini about 4:00 and were tied up at Weech’s Marina by 4:30.

There is so much to say about the Bimini’s that they deserve their own entry, so I’ll close this novella and hope you enjoy the pictures.