Bermuda
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Mon 4 May 2009 14:33
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A few days rest in
Bermuda
32:22.8N
64:40.4W
Sy Georges Harbour
Bermuda
3rd May 2009
In the early hours of 28th April we dropped our
hook in the customs anchorage of St Georges Harbour Bermuda. The
'anchor dram' went down very well and sleep followed. Next morning we
motored over to the customs dock and completed the formalities. It could
not have been easier although they did relieve us of $70 US which in some ways
set the tone for our visit. Bermuda is lovely, neat, clean and organised
but it is expensive. The average supermarket visit will leave you at least
50% worse off than a vist to Waitrose. The rest is pro rata.
A few days in St Georges and we motored the 15
miles round to Hamilton the capital. Here we anchored off an island and
through some contacts of friends were made guest members of the Royal
Bermudan Yacht Club. A very fine club indeed. However after two
days we decided that with a potential weather window opening and also due to the
fact that cruising friends were arriving in St Georges we would leave Hamilton
and go back to the company of fellow cruisers.
Thus it was that we motored back in through the cut
into St Georges and found Aquila anchored off the town. Ken and Janet can
be seen if you go back to the blog of our trip to the battle fields of the
Zulu war and also to the trip we made to Namibia. The last time we
had been in the company of Aquila was in Tobago after we had both made
the passage from St Helena. Drinks, a meal ashore and this afternoon
a walk through the charming old town of St Georges and out to the headland and
back to the boats were undertaken together.
So while all this was going on we were watching the weather
and as I type here at 2200hrs on Sunday it looks as if tomorrow will be a
good time to leave. Our new found Bermudan friend who helped us into the
club is a keen sailor and has sent us a routing maximisation course based on the
predicted GRIB files for the next few days. As he says the big proviso is
'garbage in garbage out'! All we can do is take a mixture of the
information that is available nowadays and hope for the best. If the
weather gods do what the meteorologists say they will we will have light beam
winds followed by a good run. WATCH THIS SPACE!!
I end up with a few photos. As before we will try and
send position blogs so that those who are interested can watch our
progress.
 A rather blurred picture showing our crossing of the
tropic of cancer.
 All houses in Bermuda have white roofs by law. All roofs
have rain catchers on them
which can be seen about the level of the painter's feet.
All houses have rain water cisterns
to catch the product. This sight is a common one as all
houses are required to regularly paint the roofs
and keep them clean.
 On the right the customs and immigration building for all
arriving yachts in Bermuda. Nordlys is anchored on
the left hand side of the picture. Now a few days after
this picture was taken she is not isolated but surrounded
by other yachts.
 View from the church yard shows the graves of white families
in the foreground, blacks were buried the other side of the wall.
in the background is a typical original 18th century house
from the days when St Georges was the capital of the island.
 This typifies the town. where else would you find such a
spic and span fuel dock. We lunched
at the restaurant on the right of the picture under a red
awning. Very good it was too.
Happy times
David and Annette
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