We sailed to the Bahamas from Florida. It was a beautiful experience crossing the Gulf Stream but very difficult getting into Bimini because the winds and sea were so strong.
We tried to check into Bimini Sands Marina but couldn't get into the cut so we checked in at Brown's Marina. I'm so glad that we did!
The staff was incredible!!! Wilson and Roster were there to help us tie up the boat and they were so sweet. As soon as we arrived, a guy was there selling lobster so we bought twelve lobster tails for fifty dollars. Not bad and to top it off, Wilson and Roster showed us how to clean and cook lobster them.
As a way to say thank you, we shared our lobster, fresh fish with rice dinner and coconut, pineapple cake, beer and tips with them.
We met several new friends that were staying at Brown's Marina. We enjoyed hanging out and trading sailing stories.
Brown's Marina is walking distance to town, the customs office, post office, shopping, liquor, restaurants, etc.
We did a little more exploring on Bimini, walked Radio Beach, had burgers at CJ's deli as was recommended to us by several people on Bimini. It was yummy and right on the beach.
Some history about Bimini
The Lucayan people, pronounced loo-KY-en, were the original inhabitants of the Bahamas before the arrival of European colonizers. They were a branch of the Tainos who inhabited most of the Caribbean islands at the time. The Lucayans were the first inhabitants of the Americas encountered by Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus's diario is the only source of first-hand observations of the Lucayans. Juan Ponce de León and his search for the Fountain of Youth included references to Bimini.
During the period of Prohibition in the United States, Bimini was a favorite haven and supply point for the rum-running trade. Some claim that the term "the real McCoy" was applied to the rum provided by William S. McCoy, who used Bimini to transport whiskey to America.
Chalk's International Airlines operated seaplane flights between Miami Harbor and the Bahamas from 1917, so the company was an island institution for generations. As goods on the island were expensive because of shipping costs, many locals used Chalk's flights to buy cheaper goods in Florida and take the goods to Bimini.
Ernest Hemingway lived on Bimini from 1935 to 1937, staying at the Compleat Angler Hotel. He worked on To Have and Have Not and he fished aboard his boat Pilar, trolling the deep blue waters for marlin, tuna and swordfish. Hemingway was attracted to Bimini by tales of the incredible fishing available in the Gulf Stream, the legendary “river” of warm water that rushes north past the Bahamas.
On January 13, 2006, one of the most famous establishments in Bimini, the Compleat Angler Hotel, was destroyed by fire. The bar is remembered for the photographs and memorabilia of Ernest Hemingway that lined its walls.
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