I’ll soon be crossing from West Palm to the West End and eventually to the Abacos. It’s close enough, that I’m looking at the weather more closely. First thing I notice is that generally every day over the next 10 days, there is a prediction of rain or “scattered thunderstorms”. Not having been to the Bahamas before I’m wondering if this is just the standard late day 15-30 minute storms that typically roll through FL in the Summer. Or is this really a rainy time in the area.

I’d love to hear other insights or general knowledge about this so we can plan for it appropriately.

Thanks so much!

The Bimini power station caught on fire.

See the article in the Nasssau Guardian. https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/05/29/bimini-power-situation-still-unreliable/

According to Big Game, they have power, I would call before going over.

Since our stop last year here at Big Farmers Cay, four 2’x4′ red with white lettering “NO TRESPASSING” signs have been placed along the west shore of the cay.

All cruisers please be aware, Chub Cay Marina no longer allows “transients” from the anchorage to go ashore! This includes the Ship Store and the restaurants!
It was in listed in this seasons explorer charts on page 62, that cruisers could buy an “Adventure” debut card for $100 and use it in the shop and restaurants. (We would of course be spending more!) Friends who were here a short time ago suggested we come here because they had so much fun at The Nauti Rooster, we were hoping to go.
They no longer are providing this service as of about a week ago.
Now they stop all dingy’s a the fuel dock and won’t let you go to the dingy dock.
(We even had a local friend try to pick us up and take us to dinner and they still wouldn’t let us.)
So now we are stuck here, low on beer, wine and some basic groceries with no access to the store.

Heads up if you need anything or want to go to the restaurant, you can’t anymore!

You can still get a slip at the marina for $4.25 a foot.

A new fuel and Dockage Survey has been posted on https://www.explorercharts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=53  Most fuel prices were up since last month and many dockage rates as well. A number of marinas could not be contacted and some were too busy to give any information. The prices shown in red are old and should not be trusted.

The date of last months survey was in error. It was posted on March 6, 2019; not 2018. We will attempt to contact the marinas with old prices and if we cannot, they will be removed from the list. Collecting the information for the survey is as frustrating as herding cats.

Update… Exuma Yacht Club has had diesel for a couple of weeks now. $4.78 a gallon. I took a few samples in a glass jar along the way, looks clean. But the pump is VERY slow. About 5GPM… fueling now… not sure if I ll have the patience to pump the 1000 gallons I wanted.

They said they ll have has in a few weeks

Mr. Adderley’s obituary is at http://www.bethelbrothersmorticians.com/_m1725/Funeral-Notices/Lawerence-Adderley

The sand bar that extends south from North Bimini Entrance Point continues to move south, encroaching on the dredged channel east of the Bimini Waypoint shown on Explorer Chart BIM 3. That problem is made worse by the lack of any effort by the Bahamas Government to move and maintain the buoys previously placed at the channel entrance. The deepest water into Bimini Sands Marina or the North Bimini Harbour is currently along a straight line from the Bimini Waypoint to the jettied entrance of the Bimini Sands Marina. The minimum SLW depth along this line is currently 2.4 meters. Just inside the jetties the depth drops to 1.5 meters for a very short distance then deepens to 3 meters at the marina basin. The straight line course between the waypoint and the jetties passes close and on the wrong side of a red buoy which was previously the second buoy on the channel entrance. The first buoy along this approach was moved by a hurricane over a year and a half ago and now rests on the Entrance Point shoal in very shallow water. This buoy should be avoided.

For vessels headed to North Bimini Harbour, a turn to the north should be made along longitude 79° 18.2′. A green buoy marking the area of this turn has been last seen on the beach near the Bimini Sands jetties. There may be several buoys marking the channel between the Entrance Point shoal and South Bimini. Depths along this part of the channel range between 2.3 and 4.5 meters.

Mariners should be alert for moved or missing aids to navigation and expect shifting sand and the possibility of future shoaling. Government maintenance of aids to navigation has been casual in the past. We have been unable to find any local contacts that can advise of changes in the existence of buoys and their accurate positions in the Bimini Channel.

We just spoke with the Dockmaster at Old Bahama Bay, West End, Grand Bahama.
Here is their current status:
The marina is 95% closed. That means there are 6-7 slips available in the marina. They are also making available room for 4-5 boats in the canal along a concrete dock tied to cleats.
They take NO reservations.
Call no sooner than 2-3 days ahead for availability.

Dockmaster: 242-602-5172.

Monty Lewis

Exuma Yacht Club is open under somewhat new management. Dockage is $2 a foot limited power but water available

Still no fuel although they say it should be another month…

New restaurant upstairs replacing Blu. Very disappointing experience