Earlier this month, I made my first gulf stream crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini in the Bahamas. I am the event planner for my new company, OneWater Yacht Group and we took eleven yachts to the Bahamas. The trip took eight days, visiting five islands and traveling almost 500 nautical miles.
We left Roscioli Yachting Center (where I work) around 5:30am on a Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht. This will be our mode of transportation for the rest of the journey. The trip down the New River took us about an hour and it was a very cool experience. I didn’t realize how long this portion of the trip actually was.
By the time we arrive at the inlet, dawn was starting to break. Our captain hit the throttle and we were now headed due east for Bimini, about 45 nm.
Watching the sunrise while you are at sea, is such an incredible experience. I’ve been told that the gulf stream can be flat as glass. It’s not unusual for small runabouts to make the trek. On this day, we had winds around 10knots and the seas were 1-2′ high. It was a very pleasant trip.
Arriving to Fisherman’s Village on Bimini
It’s a little eerie losing sight of land in all directions. Fortunately. for this crossing you are only out of sight for less an an hour. I think I was more excited to be in the Bahamas than I was seeing land. The color of the water was so incredible and this was no match to what I would encounter in the Exumas.
The water is also very shallow and you cruise in about 10′ to 18′ of water most of the time. As you arrive into Bimini, you will follow a channel to Resort World. They actually dug a channel out of the coral to allow boats to pass thru here.
We stayed just one night at Fisherman’s Village in Resort World Bimini. The marina was nice and offered the usual facilities ranging from wi-fi, laundry, showers and a few small shops. Our captain checked us all in at Customs and Immigration and the entire process took us about 15 minutes. Only the captain actually slept on the yacht. The rest of us checked into accommodations on each island, which did make the trip a bit more difficult as the week wore on. I stayed in VRBO as the Hilton was sold out. I didn’t bother to do a video or photo shoot of it as it wasn’t that great.
OneWater Yacht Group was hosting a cocktail party for our guests at a private estate on Rockwell Island on the beach. It was a beautiful setting and a great ending for the day.
Off to Chub Cay
The following morning our crew headed to Chub Cay, 84nm from Bimini. The Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht was very comfortable. Sometimes it got a bit warm, so I would have to go into the salon to cool off. Oh the luxuries of traveling by yacht!
The trip to Chub Cay took us just under three hours. We hailed the dockmaster on the VHF radio and he instructed us where to go.
As we arrived to our slip, the staff was waiting to assist us. Chub Cay Resort and Marina is very new and beautiful. A few words of caution would be, that the marina office is part of the hotel and it’s a very long walk. Had I known, I would have taken my bags with me so I didn’t have to make two trips.
The marina does have a fuel dock, but customers were saying it was very very slow. One yacht only took on 300 gallons and it took almost 2 hours!
Chub Cay Resort
This was one of the most beautiful resorts I have stayed at. My room was nicely appointed and overlooked the pool and the ocean. The staff was fantastic and I wish I would have had more time to spend here. At this point, the Bahamas did not disappoint.
That evening some of the crew had dinner at the bar. I had the mushroom ravioli and it was amazing!
Time to head to Staniel Cay
Our trip on Chub Cay in the Bahamas was far too short. This is a place I would love to come back for a long weekend with Scott and just unwind. The following morning our crew headed to Staniel Cay, which was about 121nm journey. Unfortunately, I also threw my back out that evening, so trying to get back to the boat was a major chore. Along the way, I couldn’t help but add our sticker to the “sticker board”.
Be sure to tune in next week, as I take you to Staniel Cay. The Exumas were stunning and I don’t know how I can possibly describe them. As always, thank you for following our journey. Subscribe to our boating blog at YouTube Channel (link below) for future updates and trips. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Cheers, Scott and Ally