Adventure Travel Blog

Log entry for Friday May 5th, 2006
A Slice of Life Aboard “Sophisticated Lady” At Sea!
By: Rick Moore & Terri Trickett aboard S/V “Sophisticated Lady”

Current Position at 12pm: 28° 25.6N 64° 27.8W

Cumulative Miles since Tortola: 795. 5

Distance to Bermuda: Approx 240nm

He Said:

You guys are spectacular! I must say we feel privileged to have so many great people on our list sending so many supportive emails. We really appreciate it, especially Terri who’s starting to feel a little “land-sick” the last day or so… your emails really help pick up her spirits… and I like them too!

We’ve been making great progress… the wind finally filled in and so far it’s been 15-20K just forward of the beam… good job everyone! “Sophisticated Lady” has become like a freight train, just plowing through the waves and smoothly gliding us towards Bermuda at a speedy 8 knots on average. The sun has been out every day, we had a little sprinkle of rain Wednesday afternoon, just enough to wash the sails and deck for us, and on we go!

The weather has been great… definitely cooled off a little with the temp now in the mid-70’s… we’re not in the Caribbean anymore! Our trend of great meals at sea has continued and everyone is in very good spirits… even Ashley! ‘Lucky’, the parrot, is still swinging away in her cage and still calls out for her share of whatever we happen to be eating at the time… no seasickness there! Lol

Last night the wind really picked up for us… we had 20-25 knots on the beam, straight out of the West! We thought “Sophisticated Lady” was a freight train yesterday… you should’ve seen her last night! Anyone who thinks sailing is boring hasn’t been on the ocean in a 50 footer doing 11 knots! Lol “Sophisticated Lady” definitely likes her wind and it was really helping us pick up our place in the Rally.

The weather dropped off around midnight and we slowed down to about 5 knots… that feels awful slow after the speeds we’ve been getting! It was a nice quiet night, everyone had a shift and Terri & I were on watch for the sunrise. Terri took some fantastic shots of the sunrise this morning… I think she has a sample for you later on! ;o)

Today started off fairly calmly with “Sophisticated Lady” still slicing along at about 5-6 knots and then the wind started to pick up again. It was only about 16-18 knots, but of course it was right on our nose so we were trimmed in real tight to try and stay on course for Bermuda. It wasn’t long after, in fact just before roll call with the Rally, that we heard an unnervingly loud “BANG” and then the telltale sound of sail cloth rustling loosely in the wind… this is a sound that no one likes to hear on a sailboat EVER!

Within seconds we were all hanging out of the cockpit looking up trying to see what had happened. Very clearly we could see that the jib had detached from the masthead and the top of the sail was now flogging madly in the wind. Talk about Deja Vu… this exact same thing had happened on the trip down in November! That time the shackle that fastens the halyard to the head of the sail had let go, but it was completely missing so we never established if it broke or just unscrewed. I remembered immediately from the last time that we had only a few minutes before the entire sail slid down the track and into the ocean, so I quickly asked John to man the furler and wind it in a few turns. This at least bought us some time while we figured out our options. I couldn’t believe we experienced the same failure twice in a row as I had gone out of my way to make sure to replace the shackle with an oversized one and seized it so it couldn’t come undone on it’s own.

John & Dwight went up on deck and prepared everything to drop the sail while I manned the helm to slow us down and head upwind and then the guys pulled it down. We quickly realized that the shackle wasn’t the problem at all… the shackle was still at the masthead with the halyard. We had a new problem… the nylon webbing that takes the load at the head of the sail had completely sheared… not good, I think I would have preferred the shackle problem, at least then we could have replaced it and hoisted the sail with the spare halyard. Now we had no way of attaching the sail, thus no way to hoist the sail, thus no sail… not looking good for keeping up in the Rally at this point!

We all put our heads together and starting coming up with options we could manage with spare parts I had onboard. We decided the best fix would be to drill through the head of the sail and install a couple of carabineer hooks that we could attach the halyard to. It took us a while, but with a little drilling, tapping, filing and a bit of brute force, we got the assembly together and it looked like it may actually work!

With everyone on deck, we had the sail ready to hoist… John was threading it into the track and Dwight was on the halyard pulling it up. My job was back at the helm taking us slowly upwind while not drowning John on the foredeck in the big swells coming at as head-on.

With the sail back up we all gathered back in the cockpit to trim the lines and get back on course. Everything looked good so we were back underway, and back in the Rally! We had lost a couple hours, but such is life. We were all congratulating each other on a job well done when John asked if we should put a reef in the main since the wind had increased again. I was just looking up at the sails to see how everything was handling our course when there was another loud “BANG” and then more sail luffing again…

We couldn’t believe it, all our jaws hit the floor… the clew at the back of the mainsail had just let go and now that sail was just flogging in the wind. I looked at John and said, “yeah, now might be a good time for that reef!” Lol Upon closer examination, it turned out to be the exact same problem… a piece of 1″ nylon webbing that is clearly not strong enough to handle the forces exerted on an offshore sail by a 50 foot boat! It’s amazing how you can take a boat worth several hundred thousand dollars and stop it dead in its tracks when a 50 cent piece of nylon shreds! Needless to say, there will be some replacements on both sails happening when we arrive in Bermuda!

Oh well… like they say… all in a days work! For now, we’re still making way, babying our modified headsail and running on a reefed mainsail in 14-15 knots of wind out of the NW and it’s forecast to drop to 5 knots tomorrow. Will make for a bit longer trip, but we’re still making 6-7 knots of boatspeed and hope to arrive in Bermuda sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning… touch wood! A lot of the fleet behind us spent too much of their diesel fuel reserves motoring the first few days, now they’re all sitting back there in light airs waiting for the wind to come to them because they don’t have enough fuel to be motor the rest of the way. Luckily we chose to sail early on, even though it wasn’t directly on course it still got us here… now we just have to finish! Never a dull moment!!

Cheers, Rick

She Said:

Since our last email things have been going well. Up until today that is! (more on this shortly). We were all settling into a trance-like routine of eating, sleeping, reading, staring into the wild blue yonder and watching for things that go bump in the night ( or day actually). People often ask what we do “on watch” and what is a watch anyway??. Well, let me fill you in. As we travel non stop on an offshore passage we need to have extra crew to work in shifts around the clock. Who ever is on watch stays in the cockpit manning the helm and constantly searching all horizons for signs of other boats, freighters, tankers, lost floating containers, anything that we might hit or might hit us. This is a vital and very important job as anything light that appears on the horizon could potentially be upon us in less then 15 minutes. This is not a lot of time to determine if you are on a collision path or not! We try to vary the watches and have them go for 2-3 hours so in the wee hours of the night you are not too exhausted to function. It is a different existence and you tend to get a bit wonky because of it.

I guess you are wondering what happened this morning. I knew this was eventually coming, Rick kept saying “relax, we are having an easy sail” but I knew. Actually since Rick goes before me you know what happened already! We were all in the cockpit together and it was about 8am when it happened. Me and Rick were nicely napping in the early morning light, John was on the helm and Dwight was watching the horizon. I had earlier been thinking what a great day as I snapped pictures of a fiery sunrise and the winds were good.

We had been going along amazingly fast and stood a good chance to place in this rally. We heard a strange sound and John said “I think we just blew the foresail!” Rick and I leapt up shouting “what , what , there is no way!!”. We all lurched over to the side of the boat peering up front. Sure enough the front sail was starting to fall down and sag from the head or top of the sail. Rick and I looked at each other is sheer disbelief , this is exactly what happened on our way down and we had seconds before the whole sail fell straight into the ocean!! John and Rick quickly furled in the sail till it seemed secure and we got out the binoculars and looked at the top. It was definitely off.

I seriously couldn’t believe this was happening to us again. And just when everything was going so well. That’s the thing about sailing, its great till the **** hits the fan. Which it always does. And tell me again why we like this?! The men folk were in their glory I must say. There was something to save, a battle of the elements, a mission to accomplish. They all strung into action and scrambled out on deck ( in full safety gear of course). Ashley, Lucky and I manned the helm and took tons of pictures. They managed to pull the sail down with no mishaps and then the tedious and tricky job of trying to “McIver” a new shackle and webbing began. It took a lot longer then we thought but with all three guys lending a hand it was done and the jib was hoisted again!! We have no way of furling the Genoa any more because the turny thing is still stuck at the top of the mast but we have a working sail again. We all sat in the cockpit smiling and celebrating with Zucchini bread. Ashley and Lucky are both happily chewing stuff and oblivious to all problems! Oh to be a dog!! Or a parrot.

Less then 5 minutes later we all heard a very loud “pop” and the main sail started to flap and crumple. A picture of all our faces at this point would be priceless. What now, can we not have a small window to enjoy our victory?! Apparently the webbing on the clew, the little cloth piece that attaches the bottom of the sail to the lines ripped in half. We were going to have put in our first reef. This is were you pull the sail down, shortening it so when the winds are strong you have less sail out. This again sounds straight forward but involves going out on deck with big waves crashing, the boat is heeled over to one side and lines always seem to become tangled at these moments. The sail was fixed but we are severely hampered in our progress and going much slower. None of us are happy about that. It means losing our place in the race and worst of all could mean 3 more days out here!!! Yikes. I may lose my mind.

We all ate some well deserved lunch and napped and now the repairs to the sails continue. We are still hoping to pick up speed but the winds are dying earlier then predicted. Never, never trust the weather forecasts, they are always wrong. As I sit here typing the men are pulling on their life vests and heading out on deck to continue fixing the main sail and nursing us along. Their enthusiasm is waning but still there in spirit. Way to go guys, you all did an amazing job. I am so impressed by how well they worked together, their ingenuity, skill and sheer drive to make it work.

I will leave you with the most amazing photo of the million I took of the morning sunrise. Enjoy and think of us and send healing energy to our poor sails!

Cheers, Terri

PS… thanks again for all the great emails, feel free to keep them coming, just remember to delete our original message from your reply. Thanks!

Sophisticated Lady Sailing Charter

There is always something special about shared family time. A few years ago, my husband and I decided to take our niece (then 8 ) and nephew (then 10 ) on a seven day sailing vacation to the British Virgin Islands. Living in Florida, we wanted to provide them with an experience other than Disney. Although I was excited to share a sailing vacation experience with them, I had three main concerns.

First, would they be bored without their television, GameBoys and Playstations? Second, would the normal sibling spats escalate being in a relatively confined space 24/7? And finally, how would they handle different foods when they primarily subsisted on pizza and buttered noodles? I did not need to worry.

Melody at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. made the arrangements through the Moorings to charter a 47’ Catamaran for our sailing vacation. The squeals of delight from Tori and Kacey when we met them at the Redhook, St. Thomas ferry dock, with our dingy, were quickly surpassed by the exclamation, “SWEET!” as we pulled up alongside the anchored Cat. This was the first time they had ever been on a catamaran. After a quick tour of the boat and a head lesson, we all retired early so that we could begin our BVI sailing vacation first thing in the morning.

When I went to check on the kids, Tori inquired, “How can you sleep on this thing?” But, I assured Tori that the gentle rocking of the Cat would soon have both children soundly snoring. We cleared the kids through customs in West End, Tortola, and then began island hopping through the BVI.

“I’m bored” was simply not a factor on this trip and my initial concern was a non-issue. Prior to leaving on our sailing vacation, I made journals for Tori and Kacey filled with maps and photos of the BVI.

Each morning we would discuss various topics including the history of the BVI, the culture, music and language. The kids had an opportunity to write down their thoughts and the journals later proved to be wonderful keepsakes for Show and Tell.

The kids loved exploring pirate caves on Norman Island, jumping off the Willie T at the Bight, and snorkeling for hours around the Indians.
They enjoyed the “main drag” on Jost Van Dyke. They decorated and hung a pair of underwear at Foxy’s; Tori had her hair braided and beaded at the beauty shop; Kacey was introduced to Ting ( a carbonated grapefruit drink) at Abe’s By The Sea; and played with Annie’s new puppy.

Both kids became fast friends with Anna’s children and are still pen pals. The crossing to Marina Cay was occupied by learning to man the helm, plotting a course on a chart, and playing hide and seek on the Cat.

The Baths on Virgin Gorda was one of their favorite spots. Climbing through, up and around the boulders without adult supervision was a highlight of their sailing vacation.

I thought Tori and Kacey might appreciate the Bitter End, mainly because I figured they would need a fix at the outdoor big screen television. To the contrary, they wanted to leave because the resort was, “too fancy” and “not islandy enough.” (I think that meant they had to wear shoes and shorts to go into eat, rather than be in swimsuits and barefoot!)

They delighted in playing in the sand at the Beach Club of Cooper Island, chasing goats on Peter Island and swimming with the sea turtles in Great Harbour.

Days were spent snorkeling, swimming, jumping on the trampoline of the Cat, cannon-balling off the aft, telling pirate stories and making up pirate names for each of us. Playing boule and singing with the donkey at Dick’s Last Resort, searching for iguanas, and exploring various coves while learning to steer a dingy were also a great hit.

They learned how to raise a sail and participated in the daily chores of living aboard. Both kids were provided with disposable water cameras and Caribbean fish guides so they could identify what they saw while snorkeling. By nightfall, they were exhausted and often barely made it through dinner.

My second concern regarding sibling fighting was also a non-issue. We were pleasantly surprised to see how well Tori and Kacey got along. The only argument in seven days was a brief spat having something to do with “backwash” in a shared can of Ting.

Overall, the sailing vacation seemed to bring them closer together. My last concern regarding taking the children on a sailing vacation had to do with what would Tori and Kacey eat since their main diet was pizza and buttered noodles. Since this was my vacation too, other than breakfast, I did not cook aboard.

Fortunately, almost everywhere we went had BBQ chicken or ribs, which the kids ate. They tried and liked rice and beans, fried plantains, and a variety of new fruits like mangoes.

We were shocked because they even actually ate triggerfish sandwiches at Foxy’s. Tori did get her buttered noodles on Cooper Island, while Kacey unfortunately developed a taste for fresh Anegada lobster (sorry, Sis!).

Both kids slurped nightly virgin Pina Coladas or Daiquiris – better than any state side slurpee. They thought it was pretty cool to mix their own drink concoctions at Sidney’s Peace & Love. Neither child starved. With all the activity and fresh air, they had good appetites at meal time.

Tori and Kacey were very sorry to see their sailing vacation end. My husband and I have spent many vacations with them, but this was definitely the best. The “BVI” has become as much a normal part of their vocabulary as “pepperoni pizza” and “iPods.”

Recently, my nephew had to write a paper for his sixth grade language arts class about his idea of the most perfect vacation. He did not need to fantasize – he already knew. A sailing vacation on a 47’ Catamaran in the BVI, of course! Since then, we have had several more opportunities to take a BVI sailing vacation with the family.

Luckily for all of us, we are going back again this summer.

For yacht charters and more articles on Caribbean Sailing click here.

Written By Donna Wolfson
Photographs By Donna Wolfson

There is a reason cruisers refer to the British Virgin Islands as, “Nature’s Little Secrets.” The BVI chain contains a stunning variety of islands ranging from the coral atoll of Anegada with its endless white sand beaches to the main island of Tortola with its emerald green mountains. There are the spectacular boulders of Virgin Gorda and the friendly quaint village on Jost Van Dyke, along with the diversity and seclusion of the other islands and cays. Each island has its unique charm and attractions, offering the visitor on a sailing charter an infinite range of experiences, but an amazing world of color and flourishing life lies just below the surface of the turquoise waters surrounding these islands.

One of the easiest ways to explore this warm underwater paradise, with its outstanding visibility, healthy coral, vibrant reefs and abundant fish populations, is by snorkeling. What is most wonderful about snorkeling is that it is easy. There is no heavy gear; no need for special lessons and it is suitable for all ages- from school children to grandparents. Whether swimming from shore, slipping over the side of your dinghy, or simply jumping off the transom of your sailing charter, grab a mask, snorkel and a pair of fins and explore the underwater world of the BVI. If you do not bring your own equipment, many sailing charter bases can provide it to you for a nominal fee.

The British Virgin Islands are known as one of the best sailing and cruising areas in the world. They are also recognized as one of the top dive and snorkel destinations. With so many options, it is nearly impossible to explore the plethora of underwater sites in a typical 1 to 2 week sailing charter. Therefore, following are twelve of my favorite snorkeling spots. All are suitable for the entire family, from novice to experienced snorkeler. In order to protect the coral beds, each of these sites have mooring buoys available from either the National Parks Trust or Moor Seacure.

Leinster Bay

Although located on the north coast of St. John, USVI, this bay is an easy sail from Tortola, however, make sure to check in with Customs if you are coming from the BVI. This well protected, picturesque bay has Watermelon Cay on one end and the Annaberg Sugar Mill ruins on the southwest corner. Land your dingy on the sandy beach, and after making sure it is well secured, snorkel along the shore and out toward Watermelon Cay. The grass flats right off shore are home to sea horses and a variety of hamlets. Follow the rocky shore towards the Cay. Schools of grunts, trunkfish, flounder and parrotfish call the reef home.

On one occasion, we came across a field of about 100 rusty orange sea stars. On another trip, we had the joy of snorkeling alongside sea turtles and rays, as well as coming face to face with a moray eel. The bay is very calm and thus perfect for the novice snorkeler on a sailing charter.

The Bight
The main anchorage on Norman Island is the Bight, an exceptionally well-sheltered anchorage popular with many sailing charterers. Excellent snorkeling exists on the reef at the eastern end of the harbor, just south of the beach. Tie up at the Pirates’ dinghy dock and walk a short distance down the beach just past the gift shop. The reef along the rocky outcrop is incredibly healthy and it extends several hundred yards. Floating peacefully over this garden of sea fans, sponges, parrotfish, wrasse, elk horn and brain corals is a delightful introduction to the BVI’s underwater community. We recently spend nearly 20 minutes hovering over a school of reef squid totally intrigued by their prehistoric appearance.

The Norman Island Caves
Norman Island is famed for its tales of buried treasure, but the caves off Treasure Point offer a different type of booty for snorkelers. A short ride from the Bight, you can tie up your dinghy to the line strung between two small round floats or you may also move your sailing charter and pick up a National Parks mooring during the day. Schools of friendly yellow tails, blue tangs and sergeant majors will follow you into the caves. Bring a flashlight to truly experience the Caves, which shimmer with a pastel coating of orange cup coral and red covering sponge.
Look hard – you may just find some of that buried pirate treasure!

“The Indians”
Considered a daytime stop only, the Indians, a series of tall jagged rocks off Norman Island, are well worth the effort of trying to find a mooring buoy. As part of the National Parks Trust, this area is protected and thus offers spectacular reef snorkeling.

Arrive early – this snorkeling spot is popular and cruisers tend to spend several hours exploring. Four cone-shaped rocks rise from a depth of 40 feet to about 30 feet above the surface. Three rocks stand together while the fourth is separated by a narrow channel. Near the bottom, a myriad of fish fill the narrow passages. Expect to see almost every variety of reef fish and crustacean, as well as schools of harmless jelly fish in the summer. Sea fans and corals of every hue dot the walls. When the sun’s rays spotlight the vibrant colors of this reef, you will know why this site is considered to be one of the best spots for snorkeling in the BVI. It is truly a spectacular site not to be missed on your sailing charter.

Buttonwood Bay Located on the western end of Great Harbour, Peter Island, this bay offers private seclusion as both an anchorage and snorkeling spot. A shallow coral reef begins about 20 yards offshore, beginning in 8 feet of water, slopes gently to approximately 18 feet, and then drops vertically to a depth of 40 feet. There is a marvelous array of small marine life. In fact, swimming through literally thousands of small fish felt somewhat like a sci-fi experience. What is particularly special about this site is the large variety of coral and huge, deep purple sea fans.

The Wreck of the RMS Rhone
Before she was sunk off Salt Island during an 1867 hurricane, the Rhone had been the pride of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. During the storm, she hit Black Rock, broke in two, and promptly sunk. Today, she sits in three well preserved sections on a sandy bottom and her steel wreckage has become home to many species of fish and is gilded with colorful sponges and flourishing corals. The Rhone is now a marine park that is part of the BVI National Parks Trust.

Although preferred as a dive site, snorkelers can still enjoy this spot since much of her decking, rigging, steam engine and propeller are still visible in the section closest to shore. The Rhone is perhaps the most impressive shipwreck in the entire Caribbean.

Manchioneel Bay
Located on the northwest shore of Cooper Island, this anchorage is home of the Cooper Island Beach Club. There is a good sandy beach fringed with palm trees with views of many of the islands to the west. Using the dinghy dock, snorkel along the shoreline heading southwest, just past the guest cottages. This shallow, u-shaped reef has plenty of fish action because of the swiftly flowing currents in the nearby channel between Cooper and Salt Islands and the close proximity to the open sea. You will see large schools of blue tang, clownfish, blueheads, butterfly fish and snapper, several varieties of parrot fish and grunts, and an occasional octopus. Along the sandy bottom, closer to the beach, expect to see sea stars, sea horses, and rays.

Cistern Point
For some excellent snorkeling, take your dingy to the south of Manchioneel Bay to Cistern Point – a large rock rising above the surface. You can tie your dinghy to the line attached to two buoys and snorkel around the rock. The reef is home to hordes of reef fish, crabs, a nurse shark or two, large barracuda, and according to my husband, the largest spiny lobster he has ever seen.

Alice’s Backside
Although Ginger Island is uninhabited and no overnight anchorage is allowed, Alice’s Backside is a good snorkel stop on your way to either Cooper Island or Virgin Gorda. Located on the northwestern tip of Ginger Island, there are only two mooring buoys and they are often occupied by commercial dive operators. If you can find an open buoy, it is worth the stop on your sailing charter. What makes this site unique is that it is a huge sand patch dotted with enormous brain coral and mushroom coral heads. Although our group did not see a lot of fish life other than an occasional ray, the size and beauty of the coral is nonetheless spectacular.

The Baths
When planning a sailing charter around the BVI, it is essential to include the Baths, a spectacular boulder formation on Virgin Gorda’s northwest shore. An extraordinary natural landscape awaits – grottoes created by huge boulders that were scattered by ancient volcanic activity. The sea washes between the huge granite rocks, creating large pools of water that are dramatically lit by shafts of light. A fabulous trail between and over the boulders leads between The Baths and Devil’s Bay – the white sandy beach adjacent to The Baths.
Although the trail is really fun, especially for kids, snorkeling is also good. A myriad of tropical fish live amongst the tunnels and crevices formed be these enormous granite boulders as they meet the sea. For an ambitious adventure, snorkel from Devil’s Bay along the rocks all the way to The Baths. National Park moorings are the only mode of securing your vessel in order to protect the coral. In addition, dinghies cannot be left on the beach. Thus, in order to experience this snorkeling spot, someone will have to drop everyone ashore or you will have to swim ashore from your boat. Either way, prepare to be awe-struck at this marvel of nature!

Great Dog

The Dogs make a good stopping off point for cruisers on their way from North Sound to Jost Van Dyke. The snorkeling is excellent and one of the more common anchorages is on the south side of Great Dog. This area is also part of the National park Mooring System. The reef runs parallel to the island going east-west for approximately 100 yards and drops from 10 feet down to 60 feet. Its rock ledges, overhangs, and cathedral-shaped tunnels and grottoes are home to crabs, lobsters, beautiful fan corals and hordes of reef fish.
Snorkelers will be delighted with the kaleidoscope of colors created by encrusting corals and sponges.

Monkey Point
At the southern tip of Guana Island is a beautiful rocky outcrop known as Monkey Point. After hooking a National Park mooring buoy, your vessel will be surrounded by hordes of bluestriped grunt and yellowtail snapper. As you snorkel towards shore, friendly yellow jacks are very curious and appear to adopt you as part of their school. What is most special about this snorkeling spot is the several sea turtles that make this day anchorage home. It is truly indescribable to gently swim behind one of these creatures as they glide ever so peacefully through the water.

Visitors come to the BVI to enjoy the magnificence of the area’s natural resources – the steady, warm trade winds, glorious sunshine, sandy white beaches, and clear turquoise waters. There is also much to explore with just a snorkel, mask and a pair of fins. A marine park system and mooring buoying program administered by the National Parks Trust is dedicated to the preservation of reefs and marine life. The result is vibrant reefs and abundant fish populations. Accessing this extraordinary undersea world is easy. Contact Melody or Gail at www.visailing.com to arrange your sailing charter and experience “Nature’s Little Secrets” for yourself.

Written By Donna Wolfson
Photographs By Donna Wolfson

We made it!! We arrived in Bermuda just before midnight on Saturday night, and under a beautiful clear sky with the help of a bright moon, we guided ‘Sophisticated Lady’ safely through the Town Cut into St George’s Harbor in Bermuda. Our sails held up great with the repairs we had improvised at sea… even the new mainsail clew! The wind had all but died so we ended up motorsailing the last 100 miles or so… once Ashley smelled shore, it was time to go!! It was a perfectly calm night as we made our approach to Bermuda… at about 10 miles out we contacted Bermuda Radio and they were most helpful in assisting us with identifying the navigation aids and making a smooth and safe passage into the harbor in the dark. Once inside we were asked to go into the Powder Hole anchorage, which is the quarantine anchorage where arriving yachts stay until customs opens the next day to clear them in.

We all celebrated with a drink and some zucchini cake as we gazed out at the lights of Georgetown, Bermuda. It was a beautiful sight after only open water for so long. The anchorage was very calm and quiet and we all quickly crawled into our beds. Early next morning we were awakened to a knocking on our hull telling us the customs office was now open. Off we went to check in. Ashley unfortunately was put into boat quarantine until the vet can check her out. She is most unhappy because she has been smelling land for 100 miles and now she can see it and she can’t go ashore. It’s pure torture for her and I feel so bad for her.

After check in we ran into our next crew member Gary, he had been here for a couple days waiting for us to arrive. We all (except poor Ashley) headed to shore for a much deserved breakfast. It feels so good to step onto land and take a walk! We found a little place right down town in the old village square where we had an expensive but yummy breakfast. Bermuda is very beautiful but rather expensive. The downtown area of St George is very quaint with an old fashioned big open town square right in the center. There are scooters everywhere and tiny cars, in models we have never seen before, zipping down the narrow curving streets.

We took a short walk around town to take some pictures and could not stop commenting on how pristine and beautiful Bermuda is. Everything is bright, well kept and beautiful to look at. All the cars seem new and every house has a well tended garden busting with colors and incredible blossoms. As you walk down the street the fragrance from all the flowers wafts down the street and the colors flow all around you and your senses are alive with wonderful delights.

Every house is a different bright pastel color and seem to be almost carved out of clay. They all have perfectly white roofs and rounded edges and it gives them the appearance of delicious wedding cakes decorated with brilliant flowers. Nothing seems out of place or imperfect in Bermuda and it feels like you landed in some idyllic paradise of beautiful yummy houses tucked amongst perfect tropical gardens overlooking the sparkling aqua blue ocean. Every so often a bright and shiny scooter zips by and disappears just as fast. All sorts of tropical birds sing and lend their own touches of sunny yellows and perfect reds to the landscape. You can’t help but feel very happy and content as you walk the streets of Bermuda. Of all the islands we have seen, this one is by far the most gorgeous. It really feels like the perfect reward for all those days at sea!!

We decided to hop on a bus and take a quick tour of the island. It is about 14 miles long and has a bunch of different parishes as you travel along. It was incredible to sit at the back of the bus and stare out the huge windows at the wonderful villages and rainbow of homes as they flowed by. Every corner revealed a more beautiful home or coastline and I couldn’t stop exclaiming with delight at each new sight.

It was a great way to see the island and we ended up in Hamilton, the city of the island. Even this was pretty, shiny and lovely to walk through. This island really has the best of both worlds, you could live on the quiet lush island side and still hop over to a cool and modern city when the urge came up.

When our stomachs started to complain we popped into a traditional English pub called The Hog Penny for a bite. It felt like we stepped back in time and space and suddenly we were in rainy, damp England. The guys had ales and we ordered a typical English fare of Sheppard pie and chicken pot pies. The food was hot, delicious and very filling. We hopped back on the bus with happy hearts, tired feet and full tummies.

Up until this morning it looked like our weather window for our departure was going to be Tuesday morning, which sucked because it gave us no time on land, no time to properly provision, do laundry and get the webbing on our sails replaced. Now it appears that the weather pattern has shifted and we will likely leave Wednesday. That makes us all happier and allows us to relax a little on land and get ourselves and the boat recharged. This last picture was taken yesterday from the top of the mast by John. He gamely volunteered to be hoisted up 65 feet in the air to fix and fluff a few things! Look at that water color!!! All in all I love Bermuda and could spend great amounts of time here happily. But NY is calling!

Cheers,
Terri (& Rick)
‘Sophisticated Lady’