s/v Gemini Dreams: Checking In at Bimini

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Checking In at Bimini

Checking in with Customs, immigration, contacting home and meeting new people..

Bimini Blue Water Marina (BBWM)

Bimini Blue Water Marina is reminiscent of the '50s and '60s motels found all over Florida beaches waiting for the condo to tear them down. Flat one story sun bleached buildings in perpetual need of repair. This is where we met JR. He is the deck hand all around guy. Awesome attitude and always busy. Problem is that there is only one of him and you may be on the wait for his attention. But great attention when you get it. He pulled us around to a different slip, gave us the paperwork for check in, was there for any information and on and on.

Bimini Blue Water Marina: $30 a night for showers, restrooms, pool well worth it.

The other cruisers quickly pointed us to FREE internet at the craft market. Their review of BBWM internet was unfavorable and at $10 bucks not a great deal. That is a $10 one time access fee covering your whole stay. I do not know if it would still work on your return trip. Also the signal is weak compared to the neighboring two marinas. We also found out that while we were trapped in Nixon Bay for the week other cruisers were trapped at the marinas for the same time. Their misery wasn't as bad but not as cheap either. Marianne and Matt on the Catalina (above pic) arrived a several hours before us as they left Rodriguez Key shortly after midnight. They have been here for a week and looks like about 3 more days left for them. A huge catamaran finally got out while we were in customs.

Main Street Bimin,i Allen Town

Customs and Immigration are only a couple of buildings down and a short walk. They were polite and after giving up the $150 cruising fee we got 100 days on our check in from immigration and 5 months from customs. This is awesome as there is so much buzz on the net about people only getting 30 days and having to revisit another office during their cruise or maybe several more. Now to manage the boat stores till June!

Out with the BRAND NEW tattered and torn "Q" flag from Misery Bay

It is official we are no longer Quarantined!

When you are here for your one day check in or so get lunch on the top of the hill at CJ's Cracked Conch and Conch Fritters but beware my Diet Coke was dated 2011. I was wondering where things that didn't sell at Go-Grocery went. As stated above free internet at the craft market near the Customs office. Veggies come on Thursdays down at the corner. A $0.89 can from Winn-Dixie was repriced to $3.29 at another shop Bread is $4 a loaf at the bakery.

CJ's

Conch Fritters, Cracked Conch and Ch(f)ries, yes I know that was just stupid.

We are now stuck here as we can not get to the next destination before more 30 knot winds come through. Hopefully in two days we can move on. We are no longer stir crazy but are chipping away at the cruising kitty.