@@JacobFisher Great! I’ll be excited to see a video from your adventure. I would suggest taking the Bimini crossing first. Twenty miles difference doesn’t seem like a lot on land, but if it gets bumpy, that extra hour will seem like a lifetime plowing through ten foot rollers. 🥴
@@johnhiggs325 I'll be sure to get a good one out when I do it! That's fair, you can only take 10 foot rollers for so long. We went 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey in 4-6 foot rollers and that got rough near the end
The problem with taking a rental boat to the Bahamas, is that weather has to be your schedule maker. You don't want to try and cross over with north wind against the gulf stream. Or come back when it's like that. I've sat waiting two weeks in Miami waiting for a good weather window to cross over in our boat. And, you can get stuck in Bimini doing the same thing when it's time to come back. Not many people are going to want to rent a boat to you to take to the Bahamas for that very reason. Best bet is to charter a boat with a captain and take that over if you aren't experience and don't have a boat already.
Experienced captain here with 30+ crossings from SE FL to Bimini, Grand, Walkers, Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera and of course Abacos including Treasure and Elbow. I like to see young people dream. Don't ever stop. Aim high but understand that the bullet will drop a bit in flight. Here are a few things your video overlooked: - Nobody is going to let someone without an extensive boating resume drive their 37' Boston Whaler with triple mercs around the bay, much less to the Bahamas. - That boat is probably worth somewhere in the range of $350 to $400k. Damage to a boat is EASY to occur and EXPENSIVE to repair. - You understood the need for having a pilot if using an airplane but you understated the importance of training and experience in captaining a boat. - Boating is 99% pure fun and 1% pure terror. Nobody escapes the pure terror part. Eventually it comes for you. You have to know what you are doing else you will lose the boat, someone will get hurt or killed. - It costs $300 to check that whaler in at Bahamian customs. - No way is it worth your time and money to do this for 1 day. By the time you get there and check in (which can take 1+ hours!!!) and go out fishing for an hour, you would then have to go check out (or face a $5000 fine now) and then drive back. All you would be doing is driving all day long. There would be little time for much else. - You have to know something about navigation! If the boat has a chart plotter then it is a lot easier than it used to be, but still you better know what you are doing. - You need to be able to read the weather and know what to do. - You need to know how do do emergency repairs on engines and hull. Treating this like a sunday drive in your car down to the seashore works right up until it doesn't and then boy doesn't it. - You need to know how to use a VHF radio. - You need to know customs and immigration protocol both entering the Bahamas and returning to the US. Governments demand to know who is coming in and out of their territorial waters. - You need to know about customs clearance flags in the Bahamas. - You need to know how to work the ground tackle. That means the anchor, windlass, etc. - You need to be with people who don't panic easily or have tantrums. If things go south, everyone on board must work together to avoid a bad outcome. There is a reason that boating is considered a high end activity and that boating to the bahamas is not done every day. You can go in a smaller boat than 37' but you need twin engines (and reliable ones at that). One nice way to go is to buy a reasonable shape jetski and then go over on a flat day in June. There are groups in the SE FL area who will agree to cross as a group and not leave anyone whose equipment fails behind. They even put rod holders on their skis. Checking into the bahamas in a small boat like this is much cheaper, like $150 (which includes a fishing license). Few things are as fun as a jet ski in the islands and the gas mileage is between 6 and 8 mpg. They have no prop to get dinged, no rudders or tranny foot to get clipped off on the coral heads, and can be beached easily. They are very flexible and very fast. The main down side is that they will beat you to death unless the seas are 1' or less. But that is pretty common in May, June, July and 1st half of August. Have fun!
I purchased a used 32 Ft yacht near Ft Lauderdale 3 years ago traveled to Bimini Bahamas for the week. Before heading back to the US I listed the boat for sale and had it sold when I returned back to Ft Lauderdale. I sold it for enough to cover my original purchase price and the expenses of my trip. It was the first time I had ever driven a boat in the ocean. It was a blast and one of the best vacation experiences that I have ever had..... If I can do anyone can.....
It doesn't hurt to dream big once in awhile! Travel and Finance isn't too hard when you can break it down into bite sized pieces. You are most certainly welcome!
@@JacobFisher thanks man, yea i wish they tought more or this stuff in school ss they are kinda life skills we need and use, thats another topic tho lol
Jet skiers and many boats under 30’ make the trip to Bimini every season. The trick is to network with a few social media groups. They can help you to get outfitted and documented for a safe, enjoyable cruise across the Gulf Stream. DO NOT rent a boat for the crossing! If you don’t own a boat that you have coastal experience on and great knowledge of, find an experienced captain to provide you passage on their vessel.
I also didn’t realize it until my friend told me about it! He suggested we take a trip and said it would be about 2 hours. I didn’t believe him, but now I do haha
I know, I did miss out on a ton of the islands! I felt I could give a general overview without making the video too long. In another video I’d like to give a more in depth overview!
People make that trip in 12 ft skiff all the time and allot of 16 ft and 17 ft center consoles or tiller steer skiff just use the search button before you spread misinformation as you do not need a big boat to make the crossing and most small skiff make the crossing using 14 to 20 gallons of fuel so you do the math also don't forget about 6 to 9 ft Jet Ski,s that make the crossing all the time on 7 glaokns of fuel
Number 1. West and is not connected to the whole island of the Bahamas because there is no hole island of the Bahamas. Number 2 there is no company name Bahamas air tours. Number 3 stay off of boats.
Who wants to rent a boat with me to the Bahamas? Check out my travel video for 2020 here! th-cam.com/video/55rgRdnkLgI/w-d-xo.html
Where able to sort out a boat trip to West End or Bimini?
@@johnhiggs325 Not yet! I've got family moving to Florida in a few months with our boat. We should be able to make a boat trip out of it then!
@@JacobFisher
Great! I’ll be excited to see a video from your adventure. I would suggest taking the Bimini crossing first. Twenty miles difference doesn’t seem like a lot on land, but if it gets bumpy, that extra hour will seem like a lifetime plowing through ten foot rollers. 🥴
@@johnhiggs325 I'll be sure to get a good one out when I do it! That's fair, you can only take 10 foot rollers for so long. We went 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey in 4-6 foot rollers and that got rough near the end
The problem with taking a rental boat to the Bahamas, is that weather has to be your schedule maker. You don't want to try and cross over with north wind against the gulf stream. Or come back when it's like that. I've sat waiting two weeks in Miami waiting for a good weather window to cross over in our boat. And, you can get stuck in Bimini doing the same thing when it's time to come back. Not many people are going to want to rent a boat to you to take to the Bahamas for that very reason. Best bet is to charter a boat with a captain and take that over if you aren't experience and don't have a boat already.
Experienced captain here with 30+ crossings from SE FL to Bimini, Grand, Walkers, Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera and of course Abacos including Treasure and Elbow. I like to see young people dream. Don't ever stop. Aim high but understand that the bullet will drop a bit in flight. Here are a few things your video overlooked:
- Nobody is going to let someone without an extensive boating resume drive their 37' Boston Whaler with triple mercs around the bay, much less to the Bahamas.
- That boat is probably worth somewhere in the range of $350 to $400k. Damage to a boat is EASY to occur and EXPENSIVE to repair.
- You understood the need for having a pilot if using an airplane but you understated the importance of training and experience in captaining a boat.
- Boating is 99% pure fun and 1% pure terror. Nobody escapes the pure terror part. Eventually it comes for you. You have to know what you are doing else you will lose the boat, someone will get hurt or killed.
- It costs $300 to check that whaler in at Bahamian customs.
- No way is it worth your time and money to do this for 1 day. By the time you get there and check in (which can take 1+ hours!!!) and go out fishing for an hour, you would then have to go check out (or face a $5000 fine now) and then drive back. All you would be doing is driving all day long. There would be little time for much else.
- You have to know something about navigation! If the boat has a chart plotter then it is a lot easier than it used to be, but still you better know what you are doing.
- You need to be able to read the weather and know what to do.
- You need to know how do do emergency repairs on engines and hull. Treating this like a sunday drive in your car down to the seashore works right up until it doesn't and then boy doesn't it.
- You need to know how to use a VHF radio.
- You need to know customs and immigration protocol both entering the Bahamas and returning to the US. Governments demand to know who is coming in and out of their territorial waters.
- You need to know about customs clearance flags in the Bahamas.
- You need to know how to work the ground tackle. That means the anchor, windlass, etc.
- You need to be with people who don't panic easily or have tantrums. If things go south, everyone on board must work together to avoid a bad outcome.
There is a reason that boating is considered a high end activity and that boating to the bahamas is not done every day.
You can go in a smaller boat than 37' but you need twin engines (and reliable ones at that). One nice way to go is to buy a reasonable shape jetski and then go over on a flat day in June. There are groups in the SE FL area who will agree to cross as a group and not leave anyone whose equipment fails behind. They even put rod holders on their skis. Checking into the bahamas in a small boat like this is much cheaper, like $150 (which includes a fishing license). Few things are as fun as a jet ski in the islands and the gas mileage is between 6 and 8 mpg. They have no prop to get dinged, no rudders or tranny foot to get clipped off on the coral heads, and can be beached easily. They are very flexible and very fast. The main down side is that they will beat you to death unless the seas are 1' or less. But that is pretty common in May, June, July and 1st half of August.
Have fun!
I purchased a used 32 Ft yacht near Ft Lauderdale 3 years ago traveled to Bimini Bahamas for the week. Before heading back to the US I listed the boat for sale and had it sold when I returned back to Ft Lauderdale. I sold it for enough to cover my original purchase price and the expenses of my trip. It was the first time I had ever driven a boat in the ocean. It was a blast and one of the best vacation experiences that I have ever had..... If I can do anyone can.....
Man your videos get me dreaming big! You make travel and finance look so simple, I've been learning a lot watching your content - thank you!
It doesn't hurt to dream big once in awhile! Travel and Finance isn't too hard when you can break it down into bite sized pieces. You are most certainly welcome!
@@JacobFisher thanks man, yea i wish they tought more or this stuff in school ss they are kinda life skills we need and use, thats another topic tho lol
I absolutely agree. Kind of annoyed with my schooling that I heard to learn this all on my own lol
Jet skiers and many boats under 30’ make the trip to Bimini every season. The trick is to network with a few social media groups. They can help you to get outfitted and documented for a safe, enjoyable cruise across the Gulf Stream.
DO NOT rent a boat for the crossing! If you don’t own a boat that you have coastal experience on and great knowledge of, find an experienced captain to provide you passage on their vessel.
People take jet skis there. So no monster boat is required for this trip.
Ah man. If I ever get a lot of monies, you bet we'll try this stuff.
I just need a small loan of one million dollars
Get a ratty 4,000$ sailboat from Craigslist
Didn't realise the Bahamas was that close to the US. Must be some very special pigs in there if people are going there to see them.
I also didn’t realize it until my friend told me about it! He suggested we take a trip and said it would be about 2 hours. I didn’t believe him, but now I do haha
My dream is to do this trip with a seadoo
Grand Bahamas and Bimini are island of the Bahamas not the Bahamas there is so much more islands here than you made known!!
I know, I did miss out on a ton of the islands! I felt I could give a general overview without making the video too long. In another video I’d like to give a more in depth overview!
Pretty sure its a boston whaler outrage not a outage
Yes, you are correct! The 'r' slipped in the video
So is there a place that will take you from Florida to the Bahamas?. Website name?.
People make that trip in 12 ft skiff all the time and allot of 16 ft and 17 ft center consoles or tiller steer skiff just use the search button before you spread misinformation as you do not need a big boat to make the crossing and most small skiff make the crossing using 14 to 20 gallons of fuel so you do the math also don't forget about 6 to 9 ft Jet Ski,s that make the crossing all the time on 7 glaokns of fuel
Do you travel everyday man?
Are you on a boat right now??😳😳😳 Haha
Haha I wish I was on a boat right now! I am traveling a bit now, but not to the water quite yet!
@@JacobFisher Haha alright fair enough!
thats like 20 minutes in a go fast boat
next do marco to the keys
Maybe we should film that one live
@@JacobFisher gonna be a couple years til we have a big enough boat for that
Never know, our boat might be able to make it
Number 1. West and is not connected to the whole island of the Bahamas because there is no hole island of the Bahamas. Number 2 there is no company name Bahamas air tours. Number 3 stay off of boats.
Are you a soy boy?
I wish