Bobthebuilder

While the Bahamas is not geographically in the Caribbean, for our purposes we will include it in this section. Many OSO's have had the opportunity to visit the Islands of the Bahamas so feel free to write about your experience and post your favorite pictures on this thread. The waters and beaches are amongst the most beautiful you will find anywhere in the world.

The islands are easily accessed from the south Florida coastline with Bimini being just 55 miles out and Freeport on Grand Bahama just over 90 miles. The Florida Powerboat Club does a run out there every year and is a good way to get an introduction to the Bahamas. Many have done that over the years. As I have time, I will write about some of my experience there and post up some of my favorite pictures.
I am looking forward to seeing and hearing about the experiences of other fellow OSO's in the Bahamas.

Enjoy the thread.

Bob

Bobthebuilder

The Bahamas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States (nearest to the state of Florida). Its total land area is 13,939*km2 (5,382*sq*mi), with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau. Geographically, The Bahamas lie in the same island chain as Cuba, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands; the designation of Bahamas refers normally to the Commonwealth and not the geographic chain.
Originally inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taino people, The Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized The Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1648, when British colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.
The Bahamas became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated Africans form the bulk of The Bahamas's population today.
By the terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is the third richest country in the Americas (following the United States and Canada), the richest one that lies south of the Mexico - US border, as well as the richest one in the world whose population is predominantly of African origin.

Bobthebuilder

1) Chart showing the crossing from Haulover
Speed 65.9 MPH; Distance to go 45.8 miles to Bimini; Heading 110 deg.

2) Gulf stream is flat !

3) Heading out onto the Bahama Bank.

4) The famous wild swimming pigs at Major Cay, Exumas

5) Exumas seascape and pirate cave ( LOL )

Bobthebuilder

1) Highborne Cay, northern Exumas

2 & 3 ) Exumas seascapes

4) Great Bahama bank

4) Stocking Island, southern Exumas

BBB725

Thanks for the thread Bob I'm on the road this week but will post some of my Bimini trip pics next week

Bobthebuilder

Great. We will look forward to seeing them. I will post some more a bit later today and keep this going. Anyone else have some Bahama pics they can post?

Bobthebuilder

1) Nurse sharks at the fish cleaning station at Highborne Cay for their evening meal

2) Ray at Allen Cay

3) Pigs swimming out to meet us at Big Major Cay, Exumas

4) February Point Marina near Georgetown, Great Exuma.

5) The Iguanas at Allen Cay. ( they love eating grapes )

Bobthebuilder

1) Atlantis

2) A few of the yachts in the harbor at Atlantis

3) Had the pleasure of meeting GLH who was there in the "MUT".

4) Fuel dock attendant having a siesta in the sun. LOL ( we checked, he was not dead. )

5) Took this pic for Jay. LOL

Downtown42

Great Pic Bob!

Do you know their names? :cuqui::cuqui:

Bobthebuilder

1) Chat n Chill - has to be the coolest beach bar anywhere !!

2) Hans bumps into his friend, Tony from NY who he has not seen in decades.

3) Dingy's pulled up on the beach at Chat n Chill.

4) The Conch salad bar at Ch & Ch.

5) View from the front porch.

Note: All pics by Jayboat / Naples Image cept for pic 2 by Bob