"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:38:00 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

What kind of a boater says he's going to cruise the Abacos and then clears
customs at Bimini?

It turns out that if you are coming from the FL Keys via the Gulf
Stream, Bimini is the closest place to check in. After that you are
on your own time without being concerned about customs closing time or
weekends. Going north from Bimini you still get a small boost from
the current.



But, that boost is always there. What good is stopping at Bimini when West
End is easier, safer, the channel is well marked, the officials friendlier
and it is far less crowded? He could have made it to West End by Friday
morning had he just kept on going. Actually, there is no need to check in if
one is just transiting Bahamas waters to a given port of entry. He could
have gone all the way to Marsh Harbor, for example, and checked in there.
The last time I cruised the Abacos I never checked in at all and was there
for four months. Nobody ever checks papers over there. There's an added
advantage if you don't check in. It makes it unnecessary to check back into
the USA to get that dumb clearance number and silly inspection.

Wilbur Hubbard