Position 32:23N 64:39W
PASSEPARTOUT
Christopher & Nirit Slaney
Sun 8 May 2011 19:57
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It's great to be able to go for a voyage like the one we
just made from Tortola. Nirit and I love being out on the ocean. But it's oh so
lovely, that moment of arrival. St George's Habour, Bermuda was one of those
arrivals which I just know will stay with me forever. The final day had a little
bit of everything; glorious sailing in the morning, calm afternoon, new breeze
from an ideal direction just before nightfall and then thunderstorms, 40 knot
gusts and wild seas at the end. Neither of us slept.
We were aiming for the lighthouse on St
David's and arrived just before dawn. Bermuda Radio told us a cruise ship, Dawn
Princess, was expected at the same position and would be transferring a hospital
case to the pilot's launch. Together with three other yachts we were
told to stand off and wait for further instructions. We were wet, it was cold
and the yacht didn't want to stand off, a lively sea was
constantly pushing us downwind. We watched the pilot's launch head back to
shore and were then told to proceed.
Lyall from World Cruising Club was waiting at the
customs dock and shepherded us through a quick and painless border
check. I love some of the forms we fill out when arriving by sea. Questions
like, "Was there an unusually high mortality rate among the rats on board
which might indicate plague?", really make me feel I'm carrying on a sea
faring tradition. In some Turkish ports they also have the questions, "How many
passengers died on voyage?", "How many burials at sea?" and "How many dead
bodies on board?" Now where did I put that list...
Our friend Karel from TEHANI-LI appeared at the customs
dock and there was a rush of hugs and comparing of notes from the intervening
six weeks since we last met. We soon spotted Rorie Dean whose husband David
had to turn back to Tortola after a rigging failure, she anyway had the tickets
and was treating her mother to a weekend on Bermuda.
After tying up alongside an American yacht just arrived
from St. Maarten and a quick celebratory G&T, we hit the sack and fell into
a deep, dreamless coma. Bermuda looks fantastic - lighthouses, stone built
churches and lots of prosperity. Tomorrow we shall explore.
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