Anyone ever make a run to Bimini?
 

Just for winter discussion has anyone ever run a V 20 to Bimini? I know there is a member on THT that has run his 23' Wellcraft over many times.

Would you do it given the chance?

This is on my bucket list. Not sure if I would do it on a V 20 but I will do it.

freind of mine had a V20 over in the islands years ago, don't know how he got it there, Id assume he ran it over

Me and my dad have ran over there out of port everglades with a 248 sportsman. it was a good run exactly 48 miles from the port. We would go every few months for a weekend, but havent been in about 5 years.

I'd love to try, but it's a hella run for me... first aprox 1400 mile trailer, then the 48 mile run etc. But in my younger days I've been out to the Sunken Texas tower in my first V, and that's about 63 miles off the coast of Long Island, so a run of 48 miles certainly seems feasible. The overriding concern of course would be the weather and sea conditions. I would not even consider a run like that unless the sea was calm and the weather for the next week was forecast to be mild with no storms on the horizon.

Didn't we have a member from Miami/lauderdale area that talked about making that run.

Interesting comments from everyone.
Thanks for every members comments
I think I would feel safe with twins running that far.
However I thought i read that Tow boat US was extending coverage to Bimini.

I worked at fort jefferson in the dry tortugas in the mid 80's. that was a 70 mile run one way due west of key west. we did it in shrimp boats and aluminum crew boats. boss's son brought a 17 ft chapparal out there. he took off from key west, but knew we were behind him in a back up boat. Water was usually flat calm and only about 25-50 foot deep most of the way.

Lesterus has run to Bimini as well as to Cuba I believe.

One of the biggest concerns on the Bimini run is wind direction against the Stream. A lot of cruisers will hole up for weeks sometimes waiting to cross.

Some good square grouper drops near Fort Jefferson.

thanks B, couldn't remember his name. used to enjoy his post.

I wouldn't hesitate to take my V20 over, weather conditions being right.

That's the problem. You might get there and not get back. Wing against the stream makes ugly fast. My brother has taken his 29 Aquasport from Pompano to the Bahamas for overnighters many times and there have been a few white knuckle returns.

Theyv'e made daytrips in 24 CCs in good weather. You need a boat with some weight that can run 40+ mph.

Its kind of like here in NJ running my V20 60 miles to Chicken Canyon...you gotta know 99.9% positive that the afternoon wind will not kickup.

If I had my V in Pompano I wouldn't run it to Bahamas. There is so much great fishing 3 to 15 miles from the inlet. And if you want you to change it up, you can trailer down to the Keys.

I'm with Skunk. I would do it in a heartbeat without a second thought if I didn't mind staying until weather permitted a safe return. That equates to being retired and rich. Neither of which I am.....and if I were the latter I wouldn't be in a 20ft boat I'd be in a Freeman cat running 60 mph so in the end it is a moot point. :fam:

Not in these sized boats

It is possible to do. That's a given. It is also not really practical to do. That is also a given. :head:

My Dad's cousin had a friend who did it in a 15 ft Whaler.

offshore
 

A better/safer in the v20 run than Bimini from Florida might be the suggestion to trailer to key west and do some stuff from there. If I had my v20 in California the run from Huntington Beach out to Catalina is not bad at all...what, maybe 25 miles and you can plan around weather for that pretty easily. Anything longer than that and you could end up with weather preventing a safe return trip in a lot of places where wind and currents kick up a real mess. As a lifelong sailor I've been on 35 and 40' boats where the seas were rough and coming over the bow and don't want to see that in a v20.

Another place I'd think about if I were there was Louisiana out of Venice, La or other places. You could run the passes down to the gulf and go redfishing or go out and around the oil towers, etc. and know the weather well enough to pick your spot. The passes are easy running, just watch out for the ocean ships!

We are going to west end bahamas in july if you want to tag along. Gonna bring the v20 and a 27 regulator

Sweet!

Kracker Jack,
If you can get some photos and video of the trip. Sounds like a fun time!

We just started planning a month ago. A buddy of ours may back out so i might leave my v20 at home and jump on the regulator. Its on my bucket list. Gonna be a good time

are yall for real? this is a trip ive dreamed about for years. almost did it last year in my 24' chapparall but my buddy boat fell through and i wasnt gonna make the run without one. not with my 10 year old on board. i have seen many videos and threads of people making the run from stuart in bay boats that may have been a foot or two longer but not near as sea worthy as a v, imho.

ive been 50 plus miles out in my v and other comparable boats. but thats ms/la area and a whole nother animal. but trips to chandeleur and other parts of the marsh as well as running the deepwater rigs for red snapper are commonplace in smaller boats around here

but if you guys are serious and wouldnt mind i would love to consider making a buddy boat crossing this summer. just much safer that way in my opinion. this summers plan is already to pull hte dually to the keys and have some fun with my boy and a crossing would be the icing on the cake for us. biggest reason for wanting to do it this way is that im poor. airfare, charter boats... who can afford all that? to throw our dive gear and fishing gear in the boat and pull it down there is about the only way for me. more adventurous and probably more fun.

let me know

I read book about 2 guys who rowed across the Atlantic from NYC about 100 years ago ........so anything's possible.

George Harbo and ......Samuelson if I have the names correct.

Turns out I have a buddy who did it once several years ago in a flats/bay boat when he got pissed off at his old lady's *****ing. Just took off and noticed how smooth the ocean was and set the chart plotter. I know, crazy.

I know two guys that did it on Jet Skis. They planed it out to explore the Northern Islands where its very shallow. They said they went to areas that there were no other boats for miles due to the shallow depths

look on youtube. people do it all the time in much smaller boats

Maybe I'm missing something...but 48 miles? What's the big deal?

That's 1/2 way to the tuna grounds here...

Part of it is the big deal is the entire flow of the Gulf Stream is channeled in that 45 miles and moving at 5-6 miles per hour in a northerly direction.

Not to mention no wifi signal.

and pop-up South Florida thunderstorms

Perfect...should be good fishing.

Bradford...that as too funny...

I want to make that trip one of these days.

When are you going? I am going to BPK in mid June.

dont know for sure, randle. thats gonna depend on a few things. not the least of which is money. especially since i got a letter in the mail yesterday saying that workmans comp is controverting my claim. dont wanna go on a rant but wtf does 1+1 always equal 3 with these retards?

but at some point this summer we gonna pull the v down there, and if there is a buddy boat available and the weather looks right, we gonna run over to the bahamas for a day or two. a father son adventure, on a working mans budget of course

i'll keep ya'll posted and ya'll keep me posted.

All of us are meeting this week to start finalizing some dates. I will keep you updated. We are aiming for the end of june...or 1st week of july

Headed to Pompano Beach for a long weekend. Looks like its going to blow ENE at 15, scattered showers, so I don't think we'll be running to Bimini. East wind should bring in weed lines so maybe dolphin will turn on.

If I lived in South Florida and had the luxury of going when its right to go, I would definitely get my V20 to Alice Town or South Bimini. There is a nice condo rental complex with slips.

hells yea!!!! doc approved me to go back to work on light duty starting monday and if i pass my check up in 4 weeks no surgery so i might be able to make this trip

every time ive looked at this tripped i figured that launching in stuart and running to old bahama bay on west end would be the shortest run. plus rooms can be had there for around $60! decent rooms too. but i really wanna camp out in some secluded spot, if i can get away with it

We'll be going summer 2018 in our '83 V20 so I'll let you know!!!!

Wanting to leave off Palm Coast because it's less of a highway haul from Jacksonville BUT our first trip out will be Ft. Lauderdale / Miami because it's less water to cross our first time in this boat.

Will be documenting the trip with video so you'll be able to see for yourselves

All I have to say is....." weather window"