BAHAMAS POKER RUN

from Powerboating In Paradise Vol22#3

CONCEPT OWNERS KEY WEST RUN

BIMINI

and BEYOND!

While many recreational boaters add the BAHAMAS to their boating bucket list, the reality for some of these explorers is that they rarely get any further than Bimini, a small island chain that lies just 50 miles east of Miami. For the 31st running of the FPC Bahamas Poker Run, Bimini was just a warmup, as an extended agenda took teams to Chub Cay, Paradise Island and Spanish Wells for the ultimate Bahamas adventure!

Story by Stu Jones

Florida Powerboat Club celebrated its 31st running of the annual Bahamas Poker Run with a colorful fleet of over twenty powerboats from all over the United States, including a European entry, a 38' Donzi team from Germany! The weather was as good as could ever be expected for the gulf stream crossing, as the boats made a 7am early start from Haulover Marine Center, a practice that generally assures calm seas for the first leg to Bimini. Indeed, with the light winds the ocean was tame, giving all the boats a smooth ride through the colorful blue waters of the gulf stream.

Arriving in Bimini, most teams settled in at the landmark Bimini Big Game Club to clear customs and immigration, a process that seems to have improved for this 2022 excursion, now that the Bahamas government has initiated an online portal called Click2Clear, which allows boat owners to electronically initiate their Bahamas cruising permit with boat and crew registration details. Upon arrivals, Captains are required to visit the traditional government offices with crew documents and immigration cards, but the over processing time for each crew appears to have decreased substantially.

Once cleared and settled, teams eventually made their way out onto the waterways for local attractions including snorkeling at the Sapona shipwreck, followed by the controlled stingray feeding at Honeymoon Harbour, a crowd favorite, especially for the younger kids attending!

The Bimini visit was headquartered at the landmark Resorts World Bimini Resort, which features upscale lodging, a large marina, refreshing pools, a handful of onsite dining options, and a casino for the players and gamblers in the group. On the second day, the boats rendezvoused at the North Beach, where participants enjoyed a relaxing day of sand and surf.

By Sunday, it was time for the next adventure, as about 17 boats made their way 90 miles eastbound across the Bahama Bank to Chub Cay, located in the Berry Island chain. This stopover offered fueling, lunch in the Chub Cay clubhouse,

Photos by: Jerry Wyszatycki & Stu Jones

and time for most to cool off in the spacious resort pool. Later that day, the teams made their way across the 40mile bumpy stretch, crossing the Northwest Channel into Nassau/Paradise Island, settling in at Atlantis Marina.

Day four of the run was a non-boating day, as participants enjoyed the amenities of the magnificent Atlantis Resort & Marina, including its countless pools, beachfront, waterpark attractions, marine life aquariums, dining options, along with a world- renowned casino. Even with all this to offer on the grounds of Atlantis, it was still fun to venture out that evening, as several attendees escaped from Paradise Island to dine at the historic Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant in old Nassau.

For day number five, the adventure returned to the pristine waters east of Paradise Island, as a local tour guide Captain Jordan escorted the poker run fleet on a 100-mile roundtrip excursion to Spanish Wells, in the Eleuthera chain of islands. Over the next seven hours, participants visited the local pig beach, dined at the area's hot spot called Wreckers Bar, and finished the afternoon with a playful raft- up at a secluded sandbar in paradise, near Royal Island.

Concluding the six-day adventure, poker run teams departed Tuesday morning for the 200 mile return trip to Miami, only to discover that both Bimini and Chub Cay had exhausted their fuel supply due to the beautiful weather and large volume of boating travelers passing through the Bahamas. Others managed to drive their big thirsty machines in a more conservative fashion, soon discovering they had far more range than expected, just by backing down on the throttles. Another small group were fortunate to try a small fuel dock in a quaint village on Andros Island, taking on enough $8.00 per gallon fuel to get back to the mainland safely. After all, what's an adventure without a few little challenges along the way!

Stu & Jackie Jones Karsten Melcher | Germany | Team GERMANY1 | 38' Donzi