Bermuda

The passage to Bermuda took 8 days and was mixed as regards the weather. The first two days were good sailing in sunny weather, with the occasional squall passing over. The wind gradually decreased once we reached the Tropic of Cancer and we motored for the next 5 days. We used all but our emergency reserves of diesel getting through the Horse Latitudes. There was still no wind. The Atlantic Ocean was glassy, reflecting the stars, and our wake was a phosphorescent trail. Almost as soon as the emergency reserves of diesel went into the tank, the wind came back. We heard the forecast and the small craft warning 60 miles away from Bermuda. In the end we had a tiny bit of genoa flying as we slowed down so that we would pass through the extensive reefs surrounding Bermuda in the light. The sea was soon whipped up into an uncomfortable state, which I called rough and Jeremy said was moderate. It was much colder too. Naked sailing had been replaced with woolly hats, socks, at least two layers of clothes and a jacket.

North Atlantic sunset

One advantage of calm seas was being able to take a dip in the ocean. This attracted the sea birds. As many as 7 boobies sat and watched this peculiar human behaviour! The AIS showed us 9 vessels over the duration of the passage. Three of them were going to pass within a mile of us. One was a yacht, the other two were ships. We called them on the VHF radio. Two altered course and the other kept to his course and passed just a mile in front of our bows. It seemed so close in the dark! Jeremy saw the tail of a whale disappearing below the surface ahead and there were a few tropic birds. That was all, except for fiery sunsets, beautiful dawns and amazing displays of stars.

Flat calm sea in the horse latitudes

So, what went wrong? First to go down was Navtex, our weather receiver. Jeremy took it to bits and found the circuits inside had corroded. We searched through our cruising guide and found the SSB frequency for the US Goastguard. We picked up their weather transmissions, but often missed our sea area, as they broadcast so many. Next, one of our three batteries overheated. I was very hot and sweaty in my bunk above the battery compartment one night. No wonder – I was cooking. Jeremy moved me to his bunk while he set up a fan to keep the batteries cool. He was able to isolate the offending battery and switch it off. Then, the heads started leaking. Water of unknown origin (would you want to taste it?) leaked out from under the pedestal. Fortunately, only a little water was leaking but it was going to be another job for later. Last, but not least, Jeremy noticed the stern fibre glass was flexing as Hydrovane steered the boat. We had put larger plates on the bolts on the inside some time ago. Now we would need a larger wooden backing plate to strengthen the stern. Yet another job for the harbour. Oh, the joys of sailing!

The Customs dock, Ordnance Island, St Georges

We arrived at the Customs dock in St Georges Harbour, Bermuda at 7.30am our time on 23^rd May. We soon learned that Bermuda was one hour ahead, due to daylight saving time. As Customs opened at 8.00am, this suited us fine. A very friendly, football fan officer told Jeremy the good news that Sunderland had survived relegation, once he learned of Jeremy’s home town. We filled in the forms, paid 35USD each and we could stay for 90 days, although we’ll probably only stay for a week. 

The anchorage at St Georges

St Georges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, like the Taj Mahal. Once anchored, we slept for 2 hours then went ashore to Tourist Information. The plywood was sourced straight away from a carpenter’s shop just up the road. No charge. The battery took a little longer. Today was Friday and it was a holiday weekend, with many businesses closing until Tuesday. We met many helpful people, but it was clear that we would have to go to the capital, Hamilton, to find the battery we wanted. The next day we caught the bus and 50 minutes later we were looking for chandleries. After much frustration, we bought a battery we could top up, which isn’t exactly what we want but it will have to do. It cost 210USD. We had a look around Hamilton, which is very like any Western city, and just had to go into Marks and Spencers! We took a taxi back to St Georges, collecting the battery on the way. This cost 40USD. Bermuda is proving expensive for us.

Bermuda Day procession

Jeremy has worked hard doing the jobs. The leak in the heads has been fixed with a new jubilee clip on a hose. A new wooden backing plate has been shaped and fitted. The new battery has been wired in. A lubrication oil and filters change has been done and the diesel fuel filters, with the pipes checked for rust particles. I’ve fed the mechanic and written blogs. Navtex is beyond repair.

Colourful costumes on Bermuda Day

We went to Hamilton again on holiday Monday and watched the parade to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday and Bermuda Day. Bermuda is British Overseas Territory with strong links to the USA. The Bermudan dollar is equal to the USA dollar and just about everything is imported from America. It’s a lovely place, steeped in history with much of its heritage preserved. We wanted to stay longer but a weather window opened up on Tuesday, which we would have been fools to miss.

This costume is so heavy it needs wheels

We rushed round like headless chickens on Tuesday doing laundry, shopping, checking emails and preparing Sal Darago for her next voyage. We cleared out on Wednesday 28^th May leaving Bermuda at 2.00pm for anything from 18-25 days at sea. Our next landfall should be Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores.

Dancing in the street