Bahamas Summer Blast

July 16-21, 2024

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LOCATION : Best of Both Worlds!

This once-popular Bahamas event format returns to the FPC lineup after several years, and features a much shorter course than the June and August Bahamas events. Using our popular launching point at Bahia Mar Resort & Marina in Fort Lauderdale, the Summer Fling focuses on a shorter, 4-day format which visits two of the closest island destinations to the Florida coastline, which are most popular with boaters. In a triangle -shaped course, the group will first cross the gulfstream 57-miles to Bimini and enjoy all of the local attractions including stingray feeding and the famous Sapona concrete ship for snorkeling, with the luxurious Resorts World Hilton as our headquarters for two days. Guests can enjoy the amenities of the resort and venture off on golf-cart rides to mingle with the charming locals, known as Biminites! On Friday, as the wave of South Florida weekend warriors begins to arrive and take over the island, our FPC group will be headed on a 70-mile cruise to West End, on Grand Bahama Island, completing the 2^nd leg of the triangle. In sharp contrast to Bimini, this smaller and much quieter Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina, provides a chillout vibe, where guests will certainly enjoy relaxing on the sandy beach or riding a bicycle around the village.

The next day provides an optional fun-run format around the west end of Grand Bahama Island, visiting Port Lucaya Marina and touring the Grand Lucayan Waterway. The ride back on Sunday is just 72 miles to Fort Lauderdale for the third leg of the triangle-shaped course, making this a very manageable format with lower total mileage, for those who don’t have several days for a weeklong boating getaway.

EVENT VENUES :

Fort Lauderdale: The staging location at Bahia Mar Resort & Yachting Center provides perfect launch pad, with floating dock marina and low-priced lodging. For truck and trailer parking and boat ramps, all facilities are nearby at the 15^th St Boat Ramp in Fort Lauderdale, and there is adequate safe parking for truck-trailer rigs at HarbourTowne Marina in Dania.

Bimini remains as the most popular Bahamas destination for boaters seeking a quick getaway from Florida, due to its close proximity and wide variety of activities. Clearing customs is easy at the Bimini Big Game Club, and when completed, teams often venture to Honeymoon Harbour for the controlled stingray feeding. Just a few miles away, the famous concrete ship Sapona offers an exciting snorkeling site and the younger more adventurous participants may attempt a daring jump from the upper deck! A vibrant Resorts World Bimini Hilton offers floating dock facilities and luxurious lodging at reasonable prices, with plenty of dining options on site and a casino that always has a festive fun vibe.

West End-Grand Bahama Island: Our final destination is Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina, which is peaceful and relaxing, offering a large 72-slip marina, customs and Immigration on site, and two dining options. A variety of lodging choices are available, including multi-room villas, and most visitors find these to be very reasonably priced. The chill vibe provides an atmosphere where guests can enjoy the company of their fellow FPC members, fostering friendships that last a lifetime.

THE AGENDA- Five Days/ Four Nights

The itinerary for the Bahamas Summer Fling provides the best of both worlds to attendees. With early morning departure from Fort Lauderdale, guests typically clear customs and immigration by late morning, giving them a full day to explore the water attractions around Bimini, before heading to the resort for check-in. FPC organizers always try to offer the maximum amount of enjoyment to all attendees by planning boating daytrips to popular spots, and providing all the necessary tools to enjoy the activities. For the stingray feeding , FPC staff will acquire all the necessary bait and tools for everyone to experience safe, yet adventurous stingray encounter, and capture plenty of great photos and video of the experience. Additionally, FPC staff will always plan activities the keep the club members coming together whenever possible, including group happy hour parties and planned daily activities.

After two days in Bimini, the group will head on a northeast cruise of 70 miles to West End, on Grand Bahama Island. The first arrival day will offer a casual beach vibe with no boating events, and the second day provides an optional daytrip along the southern shore of Grand Bahama Island, with view of Freeport Harbour, and Port Lucaya Marketplace, where the group will seek out a lunch destination. The return trip tours the Grand Lucayan waterway, with its carved canals and unbuilt waterfront lots, which document a very troubling trend that evolved in the late 1970’s, as international developers fled the post-Bahamas independence era, taking its economic toll on the area.

General Itinerary:

Tues 7/16: Boat Launching & hotel arrival- Bahia Mar Resort -Fort Lauderdale Captains meeting and customs document workshop
Wed 7/17: 7am Early departure to Bimini- Full day of activities on arrival
Thurs 7/18: Afternoon boating activities around Bimini
Fri 7/19: 12 Noon- Depart for West End ( approx. 70 miles)
Sat 7/20: Optional Fun Run to Port Lucaya & Grand Lucayan Waterway
Sun 7/21: 12 Noon- return to Fort Lauderdale, ( approx. 72 miles)