Bimini Bound

[missnmountains]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Not for boats between 31 and 35 feet, otherwise we would not have this discussion.

Well, what size is your boat...?

Correct, but as I suspected it was a mistake. The customs officials are unfortunately not very informed. This happened a couple of years ago when they implemented the $25.00 fee when there are four our more passengers. We arrived the week they implemented this and they were charging not only the $300, but $25.00 per passenger (all passengers)


My boat is a 58 Sedan. yes it is greater than 31 feet, but we often go over with vessels of that length.

Ken

[CSY Man]

Correct, but as I suspected it was a mistake.

Mistake?

The ministry upped the fee, then 2 weeks later they changed it back to the original.

Guess you could call it a mistake because the economy is still down, but the Custom Officers collected the correct fee as directed by their bosses, no mistakes being made in the local offices.

[Tellie]

Just got back from Bimini myself two days ago. Had a great crossing Saturday. Charged me $320 for the four of us on Sunday. Gotta love the top pocket cash register of those guys.

[Ocean Roads]

I am sailing to Bimini in about two weeks. Been there a bunch via boat, but first time taking my boat.

Whats the latest on the entrance channel?

I am 28', so paying the lower customs fee haha.

If I am anchoring out is the standard practice to tie at the gov dock to clear? Or anchor and dingy in to the gov dock?

[b-rad]

If you head in straight torwards south bimini past the 1 green mark, you make a hard left about 300 ft from the beach, u can easily see the changes in the water color, i never saw less then 9ft on the way in. I stayed at a marina I woulld recommend it its cheap 1.25-1.50 a foot and u dont have to deal with the tidal current through the harbor, it rips through there. When I left they had a dredge in the channel and i had to go around it to the west towards the breakers and i had a pucker moment with 5.0 ft on the depth finder, ( I draw 5-8 ) after that it was 8 feet all the way out.

[sv Winterlude]

We were in Bimini in April -- 5 1/2' draft - went in on a high tide, out on a rising tide, no problem. Watch for the darker water. Like b-rad says -- we'd recommend a marina -- we didn't see anyone anchored out -- Blue Water Marina was $1.00 a foot. By the time we were tied up, they were already whisking David away to clear in and $300 later -- we're 37' -- we were cleared in before I even had the sail cover zipped. Easy and wonderful. We liked Bimini & are surprised it gets such a bad rap. Of course, the wind blowing strong from the SW made an interesting entrance, but nothing our little 30 hp putt putt engine couldn't handle!

[Ocean Roads]

I think I may suck up the $30 and stay at Blue Water Marina.

So looking over my different charts and guide books, my 5th Ed Explore Chart shows Bimini waypoint to be 25 42.60N, 079 18.80W. Aiming like I was going into Bimini Sands, and then head north along the beach into the cut and N. Bimini?

[Waterway Guide]

That's the way to do it...don't cut off the corner. Take it slow and you'll see the deeper water. We always stay in a marina cause it's cheap...makes it easy to check in and get around "town" (what's left of it). We've always had a lot of fun in Bimini, once you get used to the panhandlers. Please let us know if you have any issues with customs...I reported on my site that some cruisers have been charged a "transportation fee" over and above the entry fee upon clearing in, but all the reports from Bimini have had no problems (except when C&I abruptly changed the $150/$300 cutoff to "30 ft", but they have changed it back, for now...of course that won't effect you either way). Have fun!

[youmeandthed]

I cleared through Bimini in March. We had never been there before either.

There are two cans, red and green marking the entrance. Enter between them and head straight for the rock pile. Go till tou are about 100 yards away from the beach (watch the water color). Some of the dredging has filled in a bit, we saw at least 9 ft the whole way. Don't cut the corner.

Lots of people anchored, they have dredged the channel so you will see 12 ft the entire way. There is a sweet little anchorage up by bimini bay marina, at the very end. They dredged it out for future dock space, but none are there. We stayed at the marina one night, got our wrist bands and wifi passwords and then moved to the anchorage. you can sneak in after the marina office closes and get free showers.

Clearing in cost us $300 which is a quite a bit unless you stretch out the time for the max six months. I don't think boat length matters really. It was really easy to do.

Pull in, you can set the hook infront of Alice town, dingy to the govt dock (but tie near the end so the ferry doesn't crush your boat. Customs and immigration are right there to your left on the street. Stamp stamp show me the money and your in.

[waterworldly]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Nah, they changed the fees with no notice.
Official letter from some ministry in the Bahamas hanging on the wall at the Custom office. When guys protest and argue, the Custom officers jsut point to the letter. Boats 30' and under still $150.00, all the rest $300.00.
Got the receipt and crusing permit clearly showing $300.00 paid. Not a scam, unless all the officers in the building are on to it.
The Noonsite are not updated yet, and the Ministry of Tourism have been quiet about it.

Should have gotten a copy of the letter just to post here, but some of you guys are probably good at searching and can find the official Bahamas web page with the fee structure. (If it has been updated)

Believe me, there was no mistake, I protested and argued in a very loud voice as it was really high-way robbery. Been checking in there 25 times over the last 13 years and thought I knew what the fees should be...

As a local Bimini guy, I wonder if you also went back and apologized and groveled in a very loud voice . . . You know, some of us actually LIVE here and enjoy having a good relationship with the local authorities, we don't use Bimini as just an entry point.