The annual Bimini Boating Fling, a promotion created by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism to encourage more boaters to cruise across the Gulf Stream from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, is underway. This month the Fling has a special meaning, because the nation of The Bahamas celebrates its 50th Anniversary of Independence on July 10.
The Bimini Boating Fling is actually a flotilla of up to 30 boats, under the auspices of an official lead boat, that cruise together 51 nm from the Bahia Mar Marina to Bimini. The idea is that there’s safety in numbers, and that boat owners who might not want to undertake the trip by themselves will feel reassured if they’re among a group.
The flings last through July. They start on Thursday and end on Sunday. The next one starts July 13. A mandatory captain’s meeting is held on the Wednesday before departure. Boats have to be at least 22 feet LOA to participate, and there’s an entry fee of $75.
Whether you go as part of a group, or on your own, Bimini is one of the most inviting boating destinations around. It’s a bit exotic, with white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and world-class fishing and diving.
For exploration, an underwater arrangement of stones half a mile long was discovered off North Bimini in 1968 and it’s baffled scientists ever since. Some say it’s the undersea road to the lost City of Atlantis. It’s certainly a great destination for divers; so is the Second World War wreck of a freighter (pictured).
Bimini has been a fishing destination ever since Ernest Hemingway lived there from 1935 to 1937, where he fished for marlin, tuna and swordfish, while writing To Have and Have Not in his spare time.
The Bimini Big Game Club opened in 1936, and Zane Grey fished there, as did Howard Hughes. After major renovations, it reopened three years ago as a boutique resort and marina within walking distance of just about everything in Alice Town on North Bimini. Its bar and grill are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it has a fresh water swimming pool, and a 60-foot glass-bottom dive boat. The marina has 75 slips for yachts up to 140 feet.
You can sign up for the Bimini Boating Fling here https://www.bahamas.com/boating-fling-registration and see more about it in the video below:
