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Bahamas Chatter: “Changes in Bimini Entrance Buoys”
Changes in Bimini Entrance Buoys

Posted: 03 Feb 2018 07:20 AM PST

The 2017 hurricanes brought changes to the entrance buoys of the channel to Bimini. The waypoint in Explorer Chartbook Near Bahamas 8th edition remains the same, but some of the buoys are off station as originally plotted on the chart.

* The first red buoy on the chart is now off station, having moved northward off the southern tip of North Bimini right in the middle of a very shallow sandbar. Don’t go there!

* The first red buoy you see approaching South Bimini is actually the second one on the chart. It is in the correct position.

* There is a green buoy beyond that and it is off station near the entrance to Bimini Sands Marina on South Bimini.

* There are four small buoys along the shore of South Bimini leading into North Bimini. They are in correct position. The lighted pole at the entrance also remains.

Another note on Bimini: The marinas no longer furnish Customs papers for you to fill out on your boat. Here’s a link: https://forms.bahamas.gov.bs/dp_form.asp?fid=263.
You have to either go to Customs to get the forms and fill them out there or download them and print them out so you can fill them ahead of time.

The Customs office is still at the Big Game Marina, while Immigration is a little farther north at the Administration Building (both shown on the chart).