Boating to Bimini
Boating to Bimini from Florida covers about 50 miles (45 nautical miles) across the Gulf Stream, from the nearest Florida shore to Alice Town on North Bimini. Once you're across, there are marinas on North and South Bimini, and Bahamas Customs lists eleven places at Bimini as ports of entry.
Please note: BiminiIslands.com is a privately owned visitor information site. It is not affiliated with the Government of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Resorts World Bimini, or any ferry operator, airline, cruise line or marina, and it is not a NOAA or National Weather Service product.
How far it is
Every distance here is a straight line across open water, the Straits of Florida, from Alice Town on North Bimini.
The nearest piece of Florida is the ocean beach at Miami Beach, about 52 miles (45 nautical miles) away. That's the figure this site rounds to "about 50 miles". From downtown Miami it's about 56 miles (49 nautical miles). From Port Everglades, the port in Fort Lauderdale, it's about 58 miles (50 nautical miles), and from Fort Lauderdale itself about 59 miles (52 nautical miles).
Distances are computed from OpenStreetMap data, © OpenStreetMap contributors.
The Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream flows north between Florida and Bimini, up through the Straits of Florida, and a boat bound for Bimini crosses it. NOAA's National Ocean Service sums up where the current comes from and where it goes: it "originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastline of the United States and Newfoundland."
How long the crossing takes comes down to your boat's speed and the day's sea. What the sea and the weather are doing on a given day is the forecasters' to say: the Bahamas Department of Meteorology publishes the official Bahamas Marine Forecast and Bahamas Public Forecast, and the National Hurricane Center covers tropical storms and hurricanes.
Where to tie up
OpenStreetMap shows four marinas at Alice Town on North Bimini: Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina, Bimini Blue Water Marina, Sea Crest Marina and Browns Marina.
The Resorts World Bimini marina sits near Fisherman's Village on Bimini Bay, where the ferry from Fort Lauderdale lands. OpenStreetMap names it Resorts World Bimini Mega Marina.
Across the harbor entrance from Alice Town, on South Bimini, Bimini Sands Marina is near the settlement of Buccaneer.
The map stops at names and places. Ask the marina about room for your boat before you count on a slip.
Ports of entry
A port of entry is a place Bahamas Customs lists for receiving arrivals from abroad. The Customs list of ports of entry names eleven at Bimini: eight marinas, the airport, a seaplane entry and the public dock. Here they are in the list's order, under its names:
- South Bimini Airport
- Bimini Sands Marina
- South Bimini Marina
- Big Game Marina
- Blue Waters Marina
- Brown Marina
- Resort World Marina
- Sea Crest Marina
- Weech's Marina
- Resort World Sea Plane
- Bimini Public Dock
Customs writes some names its own way. Its Brown Marina and Blue Waters Marina are the Browns Marina and Bimini Blue Water Marina in the section above.
The paperwork for a visiting boat is Bahamas Customs' to set, and its page for pleasure vessels is the current source.
Leaving the boat at home? The ferry and the flights each have a page of their own.
The Bimini ferry
Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale to Bimini Bay: the terminal, the landing, and where the days and fares are published.
Flights and seaplanes
The airlines that fly to South Bimini, the seaplane to North Bimini, and the boat ride from the airport to Alice Town.
Questions and answers
How far is Bimini from Miami by boat?
About 56 miles (49 nautical miles) from downtown Miami to Alice Town in a straight line, and about 52 miles (45 nautical miles) from the nearest piece of Florida, the ocean beach at Miami Beach.
How far is Bimini from Fort Lauderdale by boat?
About 59 miles (52 nautical miles) from Fort Lauderdale to Alice Town, in a straight line, and about 58 miles (50 nautical miles) from Port Everglades.
How long does it take to get from Miami to Bimini by boat?
It comes down to your boat's speed and the day's sea, and the Bahamas Department of Meteorology publishes the official marine forecast at met.gov.bs. The fixed part is the distance: about 56 miles (49 nautical miles) from downtown Miami, or about 52 miles (45 nautical miles) from the ocean beach at Miami Beach.
Which way does the Gulf Stream flow between Florida and Bimini?
North, up through the Straits of Florida, and a boat going from Florida to Bimini crosses it. For the sea and the weather on a given day, the Bahamas Department of Meteorology publishes the official forecasts at met.gov.bs.
Where can you dock a boat in Bimini?
At Alice Town on North Bimini, OpenStreetMap shows four marinas: Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina, Bimini Blue Water Marina, Sea Crest Marina and Browns Marina. There's also the Resorts World Bimini marina near Fisherman's Village on Bimini Bay, and Bimini Sands Marina on South Bimini.
Which Bimini marinas are ports of entry?
Bahamas Customs lists eight, under its own names: Bimini Sands Marina, South Bimini Marina, Big Game Marina, Blue Waters Marina, Brown Marina, Resort World Marina, Sea Crest Marina and Weech's Marina. The rest of its Bimini list is South Bimini Airport, Resort World Sea Plane and Bimini Public Dock.