St Goerge's Town

The Travels of Running Tide
Mick Norman
Mon 9 Jun 2014 22:16
Sunday was as windy as hell. Large waves and wind force up to 37 kts. Our anchor is still held firm on something or other. We had tried again to shift it  but without success. In the middle of the blow we realised that the dinghy had gone. I have signed up Norm for a knot tying class now. To be fair I had looked at the knot about an hour before it disappeared and it looked OK. This mooring is getting to be a bit of a jinx. First time we’ve had the anchor stuck first time we have lost the dinghy I think we are starting to loose it. Luckily the dinghy ended up against the harbour wall. We contacted Bermuda Radio who control the harbour and they sent the Pilot boat to RT to pick me up and take me ashore. It was just returning from a job at the time.  The pick up was quite alarming. The pilot boat T boned us, no contact. I hung onto the bow which was towering above me and willing hands just hauled me aboard with legs flailing in space. Norm opted to stay on board RT after witnessing this spectacle. Getting the dinghy back to RT was easy with the help of a French man and his RIB.
 
Monday couldn’t be more different. There is no wind, a beautiful day. We have been off to the launderette, had a walk around town and we are now waiting on board for the arrival of a diver who we hope will be able to retrieve our anchor.
 
There is an annual race to Bermuda from Annapolis in Chesapeake Bay, US they set off a few days ago and will be wallowing around not far off at the moment. The first of them should start arriving tomorrow. If we can get the anchor unstuck we are hoping to go alongside before they all arrive.
 
The weather for the next week is indifferent, light airs and variable direction. Such is sailing, so we won’t be going anywhere for a while. I can think of a lot worse places to be incarcerated.
 
This afternoon saw the arrival of the dive team plus film crew. We are going to be famous. It was pleasing to know that we were hooked onto an unmarked rock that had snared many an anchor in the past. As we had been on it for three days and the wind had shifted through 180 degrees in the mean time we weren’t only hooked but wound around it. In the end it was brute force that won the day and the rock was turned over. This was much to the surprise of the dive crew who had previously been under the apprehension that the rock was part of Bermuda and not merely lying on it.
 
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George Town Harbour with Replica of some ship or other
 
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George Town Town Hall
 
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Town Square and Ducking Stool
 
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Dinghy Dock and Harbour George Town
 
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Our Anchorage
 
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George Town Street Scene
 
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The dive team plus film crew
 
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Dive team again