Saturday 0730 Setting Sail for the AZORES 1800nm

Rosie flew out to join me for a week and we had a lovely time exploring the Island, or rather the many islands joined by many bridges that are Bermuda - a volcanic seamount. The town of St George, the old Capital, has been kept as it was over 400 years ago. Quaint and quite British-looking with whitewashed and pastel cottages, narrow lanes and a main square fronting the Town Hall, which houses a spare set of Crown Jewels!  It could be a smuggling village in the West Country, the main difference being the blanket of white roofs built specifically to catch the rainwater, which is still the only source of fresh water for Bermudian residents.

We swim and snorkel in the turquoise waters of the bays and coves and were entertained by an agile Heron picking small fish out of the rocky pools (see pic below); we hear the history of Bermuda from a local Story-teller, Jill Outerbridge, who offers tours of St George on behalf of the local Trust; visited the unfinished Victorian Gothic Church, the Perfumery ‘Lili Bermuda’, various museums and Forts; ride the Ferry to The Royal Naval Dockyard; visit the capital Hamilton by bus etc etc.

Bermudians are the most warm-hearted and welcoming people that we have ever met…. no-one passes by without wishing you well, or asking how you are, and with such a genuine interest and sunny smile that the visitor soon feels part of the Bermudan family.

Barada anchored off the Dinghy Club in St George’s Bay for most of the time. We used the dock at the Dinghy Club to get ashore and watched the England match in the Club Restaurant, The Polaris – where we enjoyed a delicious meal of local fare on the evening before we left on our separate routes.  The last 2 nights were spent moored alongside the Quay on Ordnance Is. in St George’s, near Immigration and in front of the replica of the Deliverance (built of local Cedarwood in 1610 she carried the settlers and survivors of the shipwrecked Sea Venture on toVirginia). 

The weather has been lovely hot and sunny, tho the wind turned SW and the climate became very humid for the last 36hrs.  However by the time Barada set sail at 0730 this morning the wind had backed NW again, which is not what the Skipper ordered! Hopefully the winds will soon blow SW again to aide Barada on her way east.

Thanks to Rob off ‘Dream’ for assisting with warps on departure – see you in Horta-Faial, Azores.