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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.
John & Dwight on deck at first light
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.
'Sophisticated Lady' proudly at anchor in Bermuda
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.
Breakfast at the White Horse Restaurant in George Town
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.
Overlooking St George's Harbor
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!!
Beautiful flowers of Bermuda in full bloom
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.
Lush foliage present everywhere on Bermuda
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.
Tropical colored houses everywhere
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.
St George's Harbor from our masthead
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' |
