We have been docked at Weech's Bimini Dock at North Bimini, Bahamas for almost a week, longer than we had planned. There were some short windows to make some further easting, but we were looking for a little break after making our crossing and chose not to take them. Now a fairly strong cold front (gale in the Atlantic) has brought stronger winds and seas and we will be here at least until Sunday.
Weech's Bimini Dock has been a comfortable, although not very luxurious, place to stay. The Weechs were one of the earliest settlers of Bimini. Hemingway used to dock his boat Pilar at Brown's Marina right down the channel from Weechs and below is a picture of him posing at Weech's with fish he had caught. Although he apparently only spent a few seasons here, he is quite a local legend. One story is that he had a standing offer that if anyone beat him in a boxing match, they would win $100 - there were few takers and no winners. Hemingway at the time was strong, athletic, and an expert boxer.
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| Hemingway (far left) on Weech's Bimini Dock, July 1936 |
We have done a lot of walking around Alice Town (the 'marina' district at the south end of the island) and Bailey Town (where many of the residents live). As with many other 'real' Bahamian towns that we have visited, there is a great deal of poverty here. The recession of the last few years has not done anything to improve this situation. Job opportunities outside the tourism industry and public services are scarce.
At the south end we we visited an old cemetery that included the grave of a member of another old Bimini family - the Saunders. We liked what was written on his grave stone:
W J Saunders
"He fell asleep in Jesus"
Acts 7:59-60
Respected by all
How I loved him no tongue can tell,
Yes dearly, fondly and well;
Christ loved him too, and thought it best,
To take him home to be at rest.
Near the cemetery was the remains of an old cement boat that was wrecked in a hurricane.
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| What not to do in the Bahamas |
Ironically, we also found a red daymark lying on the beach, underscoring the oft repeating admonition that aids to navigation in the Bahamas are often unreliable.
One day this week we rented a golf cart and toured the island from tip to tip. We went to one of the rental places that had around 15-20 carts in a yard. After discussing rates with 'Trev' the attendant, we agreed to a daily rental. While we filled out some brief paperwork, Trev started to go around the yard trying to find a cart for us - cart after cart failed to start (dead battery). After a while I started to get nervous that this was a bad idea and that we would get stuck somewhere with a cart that would not start. Trev was very nice and apologized for the delay and said that he wanted to get us a 'good one', which we think translates to 'will start'. But he finally found a 'good one' and other than some jerky starts it ran fine. Before taking the cart back the next morning, I returned to the cemetery at the south end of island to take a few more pictures and then refueled the cart before returning it. After walking back to the boat I realized that I no longer had my reading glasses. I have found that glasses on my shirt collar and my camera bag strap are a bad combination, but I still make the mistake. I figured that it would be too difficult to retrace my path and unlikely that I would find them anyway so I gave them up for lost. However, a few minutes later there was a knock on the boat and I looked out to see Trev. He had found my glasses and had walked down to return them. Thank you Trev - you are a gentleman! We typically find the Bahamians to be warm, friendly, and helpful if you treat them with respect.
Today we went to the Dolphin House, a museum and rental house built and maintained by Ashley Saunders, a local writer and historian. He has written a two-volume history of Bimini that we bought and are currently reading. The house itself is incredible - it is extensively decorated with mosaics created primary with shells, sea glass and other materials with a dolphin and island water theme. It is definitely worth a visit if you ever get to Bimini. If you Google his name and Bimini you can learn more about this fascinating man.
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| Bimini Sunrise |
When we get some favorable weather, we will crossing the Bahama Bank, then on to New Providence via the West Channel, and then to Highbourne Cay in the northern Exumas
Tom
Docked at Weech's Bimini Dock
North Bimini, Bahamas
2012-13 Cruise
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