Clearing Customs, or Not

The daylight can still bring some darkness. This Captain and The Kid were worn to fatigue from the all night crossing of the Gulf Stream. We tied off and prepared to clear customs in Bimini.

Douglas from customs approached our sloop with a warm greetings and welcome to the Bahamas. Douglas was very helpful. He checked our lines to be certain we were secure.

"Some come from all night and don' tie so well." He explained.

Douglas assured us we could rest and he would do the leg work for us to clear. He very thoughtfully reminded this Captain to hoist our yellow quarantine flag and that only the captain would be allowed ashore until the boat is cleared. He collected a $15 per person fee to begin our paperwork. He said that this would get all the necessary clearing work done and ready for me when I could make it to the customs office.

"I thought the $15 was for each person over four people?" The Kid inquired.

"It is. Dis jus' be gettin' de entry fees goin'."

Douglas was very courteous and somewhat apologetic for the confusion about fees. Fees are always changing. It is good to check ahead so you know what flags you need, how much clearing and cruising permits are, and any regulations or documentation changes or requirements.

We were very tired. The crossing and the near miss encounter drained us. It was day now. The light of day, however does not always enlighten the weary to be wary. More than an hour went by and Douglas had not returned. I went ashore to the customs office to look for him and to see if there had been a problem with clearing us. What I found is that Douglas did not exist.

"We have no Douglas working here." I was informed.

"What about the 30 bucks we gave him?"

"There is no Douglas. There is no 30 dollars." Replied the uniformed customs officer.

I gave a description of Douglas to the officer. He very slightly smiled for what I took as he knew Douglas' true identity. I also took it as we were out $30. I completed the clearing of our sloop and got back on board so we could get out into the bay, anchor and get some needed sleep. We were here to enjoy the island. It is a small island. We will, eventually, encounter Douglas.

"You won't get the 30 back, ya know."

"I know, but for 30 bucks he owes us something. That I will get."

"You'll never see the guy."

"It's a small place. I'll ask around by his M.O. Someone will know."

I took down the yellow flag and hoisted the Bahamian courtesy flag (cruising pennant). We were here to getaway. Escapes are made up of varied and interesting elements and encounters. Maybe Douglas had earned his 30 bucks after all.

The Captain and The Kid

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Bimini Rising in the East

The island disappeared.

We had come through the night across the Gulf Stream from Key Largo, Florida. When the sun rises on the water it is not only a spectacular display of artistic awe, but also a relief embraced by soul and spirit. The night blends both romance and suspense with a certain measure of tension, depending on the weather. The sunrise over the Atlantic washing across the Gulf Stream is an eraser of uncertainty and a harbinger of a great getaway just ahead.

We had raised Bimini off our starboard bow. An island rising is exciting. It begins slowly with tops. Tops of trees, tops of buildings, and tops of hillsides. Soon more rises from the water and land appears. Many times you can smell land before you can see it. It is a good smell. It is a mix of ground, trees, grasses, sometimes aromas from foods, and life that is of the land, both human and animal. Sometimes you can identify certain smells as earthy and sometimes it is the smell where land and sea meet. The sea can smell differently along the shore than at great depths and has to do with the mixing of salt and sand, seaweed, sea life, and sea-moistened land.

Rising in the east was Bimini. Our Getaway just ahead. Then more suddenly than it rose, it disappeared in a squall. Tropical weather comes quickly. You can see it coming, and you can brace for it, but usually you cannot out run it, especially in a sail boat.

"Where did it go?" The Kid called out, searching for the land that had been just ahead of us.

"Dunno. There was something of a wreck to starboard. The water was breaking over there." I pointed.

This Captain and The Kid have been through squalls before. But during this one we were just coming onto the Bahama Bank. The water depth can change quickly, and thus dangerously shallow. I kept close watch on our depth finder, because we could not see the water in front of us to read any color changes.

"Can you see any break in this?"

The clouds were dropping rain very hard and the winds had stirred the sea and the air together so reading the clouds was impossible. It was best to just hold course. If the squall would pass as quickly as it came upon us we would be OK.

"120 feet" I called to The Kid. " We're a little north. The wind has pushed us out some."

"Hey! It's letting up!"

Just as The Kid spoke those words we had sun and rain; then sun and watched the squall roll toward Florida. Bimini popped up right in front us. The Kid rushed to the bow and began taking visual readings.

"There's the bottom!" The Kid cried out. "What's our depth!"

The bottom came up from the depths very fast. It took me by surprise and at first I was not sure if the depth finder reading was accurate because the bottom was clear like when you are in swimming depth. I tapped at the depth finder.

"It says 50 feet."

As we came into Bimini the depth finder proved accurate as the reading kept showing the depths to be more shallow. We pulled into the pier to clear customs and to begin the Bimini part of our escape. Almost immediately the fun began, but that for next time.

The Captain and The Kid

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