Any Recent Info on Entrance at Bimini ?

[janicew13]

We plan on sailing to Bimini in the Bahamas soon and want to check in at Alice Town. We heard some rumors that there are problems with the entrance channel and depths recently. I am looking to find out if anyone has current knowledge of the situation. It will be our first time over and want to get as much local knowledge as possible to see if this plan will work for us. We draw 5'5".

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[mrybas]

I'm planning on heading to Bimini from Miami early Wednesday morning. We also draw 5'5. If I can pick up wireless in Bimini, I'll let you know if we find the bottom

[deep]

Got here to Alice Town last week, entrance channel is pretty well marked, stay close to the "No Wake" sign once you get past the buoys or else you will scrape sand (Watched a Nauticat get stuck a couple of days ago, had to get the fishermen to pull them off). We draw 4', so you might want to take it in on high water. Keep an eye out for the water colours, that'll be your best bet as the sands move around alot.

Good Luck!

[CSY Man]

Don't go in and try to dock when the current is running.

I always anchor of the beach and wait for slack tide after crossing the stream.

The old entrance with the range marker was a shallow and I kissed the bottom many times with 5'5" draft.

The new one is better but not sure it is being maintained...

[mrybas]

We came in yesterday (1/29) mid afternoon, mid tide. The shallowest we saw was about 8', but mostly 10'. I'm not sure if we took the "old" or "new" channel. There are red and green buoys about 700 yrds off the beach. From a distance (heading E) line up with the south end of the red roof condos. There will be a highly visible ship wreck a bit farther south. Once through the first red and green, there is another much smaller green a bit south, about a couple hundred yards. Once past the second green keep heading E towards the beach, as there is a long sand bar that extends from the southern tip of N. Bimini. Don't turn N, toward the entrance to N. Bimini until you are about a couple hundred yards off the beach (visually confirm you are in the "good bluey water"). From here, there is a nice straight shot of good looking water. I was standing just below the lower spreaders, and it was very easy to spot the good water, and call directions to the helm. Good luck, and as others have recommended, I wouldn't attempt this entrance in rough conditions.