Bimini or Bust

We left Boca Chica on May 4th with buddy boat Sand Castle en route to a 6 week cruise to the Bahamas. The first leg took us across the gulf stream on a gorgeous Saturday. The water was so calm that it was hard associate it with the stories of rough and dangerous crossings. Bimini was our first exotic port, our first real cruise destination. Not at all what we had pictured, but interesting. The waters are as blue as reported, the skies as sunny, and the people as friendly. We didn't expect the poverty, the neglected buildings, and the closed businesses. We found the rusting hulk of a shipwreck leaning against its western shore, the crystal water breathing in and out with the waves and an Ernest Hemingway favorite bar, burned to the ground long years ago, only the arched entry remaining. Later we enjoyed a fun dinner reunion with the 3 motor cruisers from Boca Chica, Dan and Karen Schroeder on Iron Jib, Ron and Robin Jung on Back Again, and Dave and Sandy QAuick, on Comfort Zone. Later Chip and Joanne, who spent the past few weeks in Bimini joined us.. we paid our $300 entry fee and walked the island.