Bimini

We spent the day on Thursday doing laundry, putting the dinghy away and cooling off by taking a dip in the pool. Afterwards we walked to the nearby restaurant, Thirsty Turtle, which is just outside the marina property. As we were walking there we commented that, although this was our third time at the Bimini Sands Marina, this was the first time was had left the property. During our first visit three years ago we stayed just 24 hours and spent the time getting ready for our next passage. George was sick during the next visit two years ago, in fact he never left the boat in two days.

The kitchen at the Thirsty Turtle was closed between lunch and dinner but they agreed to serve us something from the lunch menu anyway. So nice! I enjoyed my lobster salad sandwich and George said his cracked conch melt was delicious.

Yesterday morning we took the ferry to North Bimini. Along the ten minute walk to the ferry landing we saw a few huge piles of sand. We assume they are from dredging, since shoaling is a big issue in Bimini.

Bimini seems to be even more economically depressed than other areas of the Bahamas. Although there were a lot of people and vehicles around, we saw quite a few shuttered businesses and decrepit buildings and cars. We were told that the casino at the northern end of North Bimini hurt the economy of the islands. We walked through Alice Town and Bailey Town on the “low road,” King’s Highway, then back on the “high road,” Queen’s Highway. The views of the water and beaches from Queen’s Highway are beautiful. George said the queen definitely got the better deal.

The cold front we had been expecting arrived shortly after we returned to the marina, bringing strong winds and lots of squalls. There is a tall ship anchored just off of North Bimini but completely exposed to the wind and waves. We have heard that there are a lot of people aboard. We can only imagine how miserable those poor people must be. We are happy to be safely tucked into a protected marina.