Bermuda

Customs House and Dock, St George

We left Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda, at 1105 on Wednesday 17^th May. The weather forecast on Windy showed light winds at first as long as we kept east of our rhumb line (the direct course as drawn on the chart from one place to another). Normally, we sail close to our rhumb line. This time we headed up to 30nm east to make the most of the wind. Once we were clear of the Virgin Islands we were able to switch off the engine and sail gently with a full mainsail and a full genoa.. We were on a beam reach in hot and sunny weather with relatively calm seas. The seaweed that we’d encountered since the South Atlantic was still abundant, wrapping itself around the Hydrovane’s rudder.

 

The anchorage at St George

By the end of day 2 the wind had freshened and we were close hauled with one reef in the mainsail and the genoa furled to one third. Passing squalls brought more wind or took it away as we alternated between sailing and motoring. Soon we had big seas with breaking waves. More squalls followed with flashes of lightning. Jeremy fell in the saloon and cut his elbow on a locker fastening.

 

Kathy has a freshwater bath in the dinhy

I downloaded a weather forecast from our Garmin inReach. Over the next two days we could expect strong SE to SSE winds gusting to 30 knots; that’s a Force 7 on the Beaufort Scale. We made good speeds and mileage of up to 140nm a day. Time to reef down. With some difficulty we took down the mainsail. As the wind went behind us, Jeremy poled out the genoa. We sped along, but now we could reef down more easily by furling the genoa as required.

 

Gazebo city

As the weather was worsening, we decided to make for St George, Bermuda, and enter at night rather than staying out at sea until it was light. Jeremy contacted Bermuda Radio on VHF16 to let them know of our likely arrival in four hours’ time. “Sal Darago,” the Operator said. “Green hull, 36ft Westerly sloop.” We were astonished. Our details had been recorded from our previous visit nine years ago.

 

Musical procession

We had about 12nm to go when I picked up the weather forecast from Bermuda Radio. “Small craft warning. S-SE winds 20-30knots, gusting 35-45knots” (Gale force 8 to severe gale force 9). The mizzling rain that had started in the morning was now lashing down. We took refuge in the saloon with the companionway boards in place, popping out to check the course and adjust Hydrovane. As we approached Bermuda, we put the engine on, and furled the genoa. Jeremy went out on the deck to take down the pole. I helped from the cockpit. We had radar and our chart plotter on. I called Bermuda Radio on VHF 27 and was told we were clear to enter with no outgoing traffic. I steered using Neco, our autopilot situated below decks. Jeremy watched from the cockpit. I was in the saloon, eyes glued to the chart plotter and adjusting Neco when instructed. 

 

Golden girls dancing

The rain stopped and the effect of the wind eased as we turned into the Town Cut to St George. Bermuda Radio told us to tie up at the Customs Dock. First we had to find it; then we had to put on lines and fenders; then we had to motor through the anchorage in the dark. The spotlight I was going to use would not work and the indoor torch was useless outside. We avoided all the anchored yachts and tied to the Customs Dock at midnight. The local time was 1.00am. Customs checked us in, Immigration stamped our passports and we paid 70.91 USD. 

 

Majorettes in the rain

There was a space on a concrete wharf opposite, which we moved to for the night. Unfortunately, the strong to gale force wind pinned us to the concrete and Sal Darago suffered a nasty scrape on her port side. It was Wednesday 24^th May (Happy Birthday, Eileen). We dropped into our bunks at 0300 hours.

 

Jeremy joins the dancers

The next morning in much kinder weather, at 0630, we left the concrete wharf before breakfast and anchored in St George’s Harbour. We took two bags of laundry ashore and walked to the Front Line Laundrette. The machines would only work if a money card was purchased for 5 Bermudian dollars. Then it had to be topped up with the cost of the washing machine and tumble drier. We had no Bermudian dollars. Fortunately, the ATM was not too far away but it only gave 50BD denominations. We changed 100BD for 10’s and 5’s in the bank. Now we could do our laundry at a cost of 20BD.

 

Our water tanks are full

Jeremy returned to the dinghy dock and found that another yachtie had padlocked their dinghy with a wire through our dinghy’s painter. The only way to release the dinghy was to untie our painter from the underwater rings. A rather angry Jeremy returned to Sal Darago and stripped down the outboard engine once more. After the fourth attempt to repair the outboard, he changed the petrol. Lo and behold, the outboard worked perfectly once more. The local garage charged 1BD to dispose of the bad petrol.

 

Rainy anchorage

Friday 25^th May was Bermuda Day, a public holiday. We took the bus to Hamilton to watch the carnival like procession. The forecast of isolated showers was totally wrong. The rain lashed down and bounced off the tarmac. Spectators turned their sunshade gazebos into rain shelters. The Robinson family kindly let us shelter in their old one. The procession continued. We felt so sorry for the beautifully turned out dancers and their floats. Everyone cheered them on.

 

Lunch in the Frog and Onion

The following evening, having spent too long on the laptop, I developed a really bad headache with a shooting pain behind my ear. I had to take alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen, which fortunately sorted me out. Just as well, because we wanted to visit the National Museum of Bermuda in Docklands on Sunday.

 

Docklands from the Commissioner's House

It took about an hour and a half and two bus rides to reach the opposite end of the islands of Bermuda. We had lunch in the historic Frog and Onion brewery pub and restaurant, housed in the old cooperage building of the former Royal Naval Dockyard. The museum entrance was opposite and comprised a 16 acre site with 7 gun emplacements, various exhibitions in the old victualling hall, a boat loft and the stunning Commissioner’s House. We tried to ignore the two cruise ships towering over the ramparts. After a pleasant and educational afternoon, we returned to SD via ferry from Docklands to Hamilton and bus to St George.

 

Pass the salt please!

Today, we’ve had cottage pie in the White Horse pub. Our route to the Azores has been planned and we’re waiting for suitable weather to start the passage of either 1797nm or 1824nm depending on which route we choose.

 

Commissioner's House

British Virgin Islands

 

Don't try this at home!

While waiting in Simpson Bay Lagoon for our new, long shrouds to be ready, Jeremy replaced the exit pipe on the heads (toilet). It’s probably the most unpleasant job on the boat and it hadn’t been done for a while. Better to do it while in the safety of the lagoon than bouncing around in the waves and swell out at sea. The flange connecting the pipe to the holding tank broke and we didn’t have a spare. Well, it’s amazing what you can do with a vacuum cleaner extension pipe when you have to! It was the only tube on board of the same diameter. We had working heads once more. Quite a relief!

 

The bridge to French St Martin

There were a few hitches when Jeremy went up the mast to fix the new, long shrouds in place. The two new clevis pins were too wide to go through the fitting at the top of the mast. The next day, we went to Budget Marine and bought new clevis pins. Once more Jeremy went up the mast. While he was there he changed the spinnaker halyard block.

 

Simpson Bay Yacht Club, Sint Maarten

All that was left to do was to replace the caps and covers on the ends of the cross trees. Jeremy could reach the end of the cross tree on his right and secure the cap fitting with one hand. In order to fix the opposite cap, he had to secure himself to a halyard and ease himself away from the mast. He was wearing a harness as well and this was tethered to the mast. By leaning out as far as he could, he replaced the cap and shroud cover. He wasn’t amused when I asked him when he was going to join a circus! Finally, all was fixed and the canvas mast steps could come down. 

 

Sunset on the way to the BVI's

Having filled up with diesel and water at the fuel berth, we weighed anchor and exited Simpson Bay lagoon on Thursday 11^th May. We anchored outside of the lagoon and took the dinghy to the Customs dock to clear out and pay $7 to the Port Authority. Back on Sal Darago, we prepared for our night passage to the British Virgin Islands, just over 90 miles away. A Dutch couple from S/V Avalon wished us good luck and safe passage.

 

The Pub, Tortola, BVI's

We motored for four hours and sailed the rest until we were approaching the BVI’s. A yacht and some fishing vessels caused us some concern as they closed in on us until they eventually passed us or turned away. We anchored off the Customs/ferry dock at Tortola, BVI’s, at 1130 on Friday 12^th May. We went ashore in the dinghy. The dock was exposed to the prevailing winds making conditions very bouncy. Checking in on the computer took a long time. Unfortunately, the system used in the BVI’s was different from the system used in Antigua. We were helped by a very patient Customs Officer. Jeremy paid $26 to Immigration and $36 to the Port Authority. Lunch at Pusser’s Rum Shop and Restaurant afterwards was most welcome.

Can you see Sal Darago?

On Saturday, 13^th May we stocked up at a local supermarket and had lunch in The Pub at Conch Charters dock. We had lunch in the same place on the same date nine years ago. The first floor balcony, where we sat, overlooked the dinghy dock and the marina below. In the afternoon, we motored in strong winds up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda. The first anchorage, near The Baths, was not viable as we had coral beneath us. The second anchorage off the main town called Spanish Town or Village was fine and only a mile from The Baths, where I wanted to spend my birthday morning.

 

Jeremy at The Baths

The only drawback was getting up at 0530. Such an early start meant we were the first to arrive at the National Park mooring buoys off The Baths. Anchoring is not allowed and dinghies may not be left on the beach. 

 

Kathy at The Baths

Jeremy was able to drop me off on the beach, but he had to tie the dinghy up outside of the swimming area and swim 100 metres back to the beach. 

 

Beautiful Devil's Bay

We wandered along a trail through some stunning, giant boulders and caves to Devil’s Bay. It was fabulous to have all of this to ourselves.

 

 We had a snack and as we were leaving, we saw a fully laden tourist boat approaching. We walked back to The Baths beach. Jeremy swam out to the dinghy and I was to meet him at Devil’s Bay. 

 

Candlelit birthday supper

Unfortunately, a one-way system had been put in place and I soon found I was going the wrong way. Returning to Devil’s Bay was difficult as long lines of tourists descended the ladders in one of the caves. After a long wait, a member of staff let me through and I met up with Jeremy. He had been trying to avoid sunburn, while waiting for me by going into the sea and hiding under the dinghy.

 

Hurricane damaged house

 I had a memorable birthday. Back at the anchorage, we went ashore and had a Caribbean lunch at the Mermaid and Pirate. We were looking for the Mermaid Dockside and found out later that it had been destroyed in a recent hurricane. Later, back on SD, Jeremy made a delicious smoked salmon supper, which we ate in our candlelit cockpit.

 

Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda

Now we are making preparations for an 837nm ocean passage to Bermuda.

Fixing the outboard

Antigua and Sint Maarten

The main reason for going to Antigua was for Jeremy to see a dentist. His crown came out again and he had another broken tooth. It’s 152 nautical miles from St Pierre, Martinique to Jolly Harbour, Antigua. We weighed anchor at 0550, soon after first light, on Friday 28^th April. There was a great deal of weed to go through. We’re told it’s called sargasm (not sure about the spelling!). Anyway, we had to reverse many times to shake it off the propeller. We sailed for only four and a half hours; the rest of the time we motorsailed in light winds.

Ti Punch in St Pierre's Market

As we approached Antigua in the afternoon of Saturday 29^th April, there were many yachts, catamarans and power boats to avoid, some enjoying day trips, others resting at anchor. After taking down our sails, we identified the buoys leading into Jolly Harbour. There was no response to our VHF call to the Port Authority on channel 16. Jolly Harbour Marina answered our call straight away on channel 68. We asked permission to enter the harbour and clear in with Customs. We were told to continue straight in and tie up at the Customs dock in front of a yellow building. Unfortunately, there was a yacht tied up at the dock, so we had to gill about for about 45 minutes until it departed.

 

Jolly Harbour Customs Dock

At the Customs building, which also houses Immigration and the Port Authority, we had to wash our hands and wear face masks, even though most of the form filling was completed outside. Then we had to set up a new account on an outdoor computer. Our details had been kept from our last visit in 2014, but our home address, passport numbers and boat registration all had to be updated. We saw all the officials and Jeremy paid 31USD to the Port Authority.

 

We anchored in quite shallow water outside Jolly Harbour. After a swim and a hairwash, we took the dinghy into the harbour and enjoyed dinner at Al Porto restaurant, which was located next door to the Customs building. We found out that Monday 1^st May was a public holiday for Labour Day; no chance of contacting a dentist until Tuesday.

Dinner at Al Porto, Jolly Harbour

Budget Marine have a number of chandlery stores throughout the Caribbean. There was one in Jolly Harbour which we thought might be open the next day, Sunday. It wasn’t. Fortunately, the large supermarket was open and we were able to buy a whole roast chicken and other provisions. Back on Sal Darago, we weighed anchor and motored north to Deep Bay, where clearer water meant we could snorkel. It felt like a day off to us, so we made the most of it. Next to us there was a catamaran registered in Santa Cruz, California. We stopped by in our dinghy for a chat on our return from snorkelling. In the evening, Jeremy and I had a candlelit supper in our cockpit and watched the sun set and the moon rise. We still pinch ourselves to make sure we are really experiencing these rare moments.

Deep Bay, Antigua

On Labour Day, we motored round to St John’s, the capital of Antigua and the home of many dentists. It had been difficult to choose one, as our phones no longer worked for calls or data. We had spent 45 Euros plus tax each on SIM cards in Martinique with the assurance that they would work in all the islands. What they meant was all the FRENCH islands! The first dentist we tried the next day, called Island Smile, which had good reviews, very kindly accepted Jeremy and dealt with his dental problems efficiently. The dentist’s husband, Mr Foster, chatted to us for quite a while, making us feel at ease. Thank you, Island Smile, for treating Jeremy even though your list was full for the day.

 

Lunch at Hemingways, St John's, Antigua

After a delicious lunch in Hemingways (apparently Ernest H. visited here), we returned to SD. We were about to weigh anchor when a large RIB approached from Dawn, a big ship tied up in the harbour. On board was Morgan from Hesketh Bank. He remembered Sal Darago leaving Douglas Marine at Hesketh Bank, Lancashire, in 2008, when he was a teenager. We chatted for a while about our old boatyard and caught up with each other’s news. We were amazed and astonished that we should be recognised in Antigua by someone from Hesketh Bank, but we’re so glad Morgan stopped by.

 

At our anchorage, we shared with cruise ships and...

...a very sad looking "Born Free" yacht

We returned to Deep Bay for the night. Quite early on Wednesday morning, Jeremy hoisted our canvas mast steps up and climbed up to check all the rigging. To his dismay, he found the three starboard side shrouds (stainless steel wires that hold the mast in place) had broken or loose wires in them. They would need to be replaced. (Later we decided all the shrouds should be replaced.) A search of our cruising guide told us the best rigging company was FKG Rigging in Sint Maarten. We had planned to miss Sint Maarten and sail direct to the British Virgin Islands. Often, plans have to change. A course was plotted to Sint Maarten, 97 miles away.

First, we had to return to Jolly Harbour to the fuel dock to fill up with diesel and water. Then we anchored outside the harbour and took the dinghy to the marina office to swap our books. Next we went to Joseph’s for a local lunch, bought a few items in the supermarket, and cleared Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority. Jeremy paid a departure fee of 8USD. He used the Wifi from the restaurant next door, to send an email to FKG rigging.

We returned to SD, hoisted the dinghy on to the roof, made sandwiches and weighed anchor. It was 1725 and sunset was at 1811. We motorsailed all night arriving at Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten, at 1055 on Thursday 4^th May. We anchored close to the channel that leads to a lifting bridge. Beyond the bridge is the large Simpson Bay lagoon. We launched the dinghy and went ashore to check in with the usual officials. The Port Authority charged 27USD. This included one week’s anchorage in Simpson Bay lagoon and bridge opening fees. MacDonalds was next door to Customs and an obvious place for lunch and free WiFi. I managed to download a Kindle book, which I had been trying to do for nearly a month. Afterwards, we took the dinghy across the lagoon to FKG Rigging. Veronika was very helpful. Although the riggers were very busy, they could make up new shrouds for us, if we took down the damaged ones and brought them to the company. We were relieved and thankful.

 

The south, Dutch end of Simpson Lagoon, Sint Maarten

Back at SD outside in the anchorage, we had time for a cooling swim and wash before the bridge opened at 1700. Once in the lagoon, we anchored where we had been advised to go by FKG. The depth was only 1.2m below our keels. Jeremy hoisted the mast steps and removed two lower shrouds after supporting the mast with lines. We had late sundowners in our cockpit followed by a sandwich supper in our hot saloon.

 

Jeremy at the masthead

Yesterday, we had a lie in until 0630. We took the dinghy to FKG and left the two shrouds with them. Some of the parts had to be machined to fit SD, but we were told the new ones would probably be ready by the end of the day. Wonderful! Off we went to the dinghy dock outside Island Water World chandlery, stopping at the fuel berth for 5 litres of petrol for the outboard. We walked a mile to Carrefour supermarket for fresh fruit, Camembert and ham. Jeremy bought several items for SD in Island Water World.

Dinghying back from "France"

 

After a short stop at SD to unload, we took the dinghy across the lagoon to “France” to have lunch. (The island is half Dutch and half French.) Jeremy’s phone worked in St Martin. Veronika emailed to say the new shrouds were ready. Brilliant! After lunch, we went to the Digicel shop, where my phone was supposedly fixed. However, it doesn’t work in Sint Maarten. Jeremy’s does. We returned to SD (a half hour trip in the dinghy), collected some items to exchange in Island Water World and set off for their dinghy dock. Afterwards, we went to FKG and collected two new shrouds. The cost for the four lower shrouds was 895 USD. 

 

Dinghy Dock sailors' bar

After a quick, cooling swim, Jeremy went up the mast steps and fitted the two new starboard lower shrouds. I helped “on the ground”, so to speak, but actually, on the roof of SD. It was dark when we finished. Today, Jeremy fitted the remaining two lower shrouds on the port side. He has removed the long starboard shroud with a little bit of
help from me. We were up at 0530 before the wind began to blow. After a morning of Blog for me and fitting new gear for Jeremy, we had a pub lunch at the Dinghy Dock.