29/03/12 - Tenacious

Aft Starboard Blog

The adventure continued as The Tenacious anchored off the Bimini Islands on Wednesday morning. Both inflatable boats were lowered to the surface of the turquoise-coloured sea and the voyage crew, including those in wheelchairs, took their seats to be ferried ashore. The boats were piloted skilfully though the shallow inlet separating the north and south islands and a series of successful landings were made at the edge of the marina.

There was great excitement as we were greeted by a school of barracudas just below the water’s surface.

Once on land, the group sought out food and drink in Alice Town. Made famous by the presence and writing of Ernest Hemingway, the waters off Bimini still boast some of the world’s best game fishing .A Pair of 18-foot blue marlines, mounted on the wall of the Big Game Fishing Club, was testament to what drew Hemingway as well as other anglers to the island.

The voyagers continued their exploration on foot along the island’s two parallel roads, one of which ran along the white sand beach. Many of the Bimini’s residents used golf carts rather than autos for transportation and waves and smiles were traded. As the afternoon drew to a close, few could resist the temptation of a refreshing swim in the sea.

Finally, the group gathered back at the marina to be picked up by the inflatables for the return to the Tenacious. While waiting, Emily drew a lot of laughs by reminding us that "setting the main course" did not refer to a meal. But soon after we were back on board, we were served with a delicious dinner from Graham that featured duck. And for those of us from North America, the pancakes that appeared on our breakfast plate the next morning were a special treat.

At 9AM on Thursday, the anchor was hoisted. We set the four sails above the course on both the main and fore masts as well as the 3 jibs and headed away from Bimini toward our next destination in The Bahamas.