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The World Cruise of Veleda IV |
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More tales of Bermuda, June 1, 1999 I wanted to get off this extra log before leaving tomorrow morning. The weather has settled down and the heavy weather predicted did not really materialize. Oh well, we should have a good crossing. We plan to go the northern route (ie. up to 40 north then across) as the winds are supposed to be better at this time with a marginally better chance, though, of gales and icebergs. We could actually leave today, but there is a "potluck supper" planned for tonight across on Hen Island. So we will stay for it. We plan to clear customs tonight, and when we get back from the potluck we will bring the dinghy on board, lash everything down, and be prepared for sea so we can leave first thing in the morning. There will be several boats leaving around the same time, though some are leaving today. Yesterday we went up to the "Bermuda Harbour Radio" station high up on a hill overlooking St. George's. It is a modern communications and rescue centre facility built on old Fort George, complete with two large 11 inch Rifled Muzzle Loader cannon, outside a 50-foot deep dry, rectangular moat. The station was atop the "keep" overlooking St George's, with only a narrow walkway crossing the moat for access. We enjoyed the visit. The station had sophisticated radars, radios, satellite communications and other modern technology. The radars could track vessels approaching Bermuda and when noted would automatically calculate range, bearing, course, speed, and latitude and longitude. Any radio transmissions could also be triangulated from two other receivers and the latitude and longitude immediately determined as well. These technologies enabled Bermuda Harbour Radio to hail approaching vessels on VHF channel 16 and then saying, "Vessel approaching Bermuda at Latitude such and such, Longitude such and such, x miles southwest on a course of such and such with a speed of such and such, please contact Bermuda Harbour Radio." When we were approaching, we heard them calling a vessel, using the above identifying information, then adding, "If you keep on your present course and speed you will be up on the reefs in two hours time." - No response from the vessel. Then an hour later, "...If you keep on your present course and speed you will be on the reefs in one hour." - No response. Then later still, "...If you keep on your present course and speed you will be on the reefs in 15 minutes." Still no response. Then about a half hour later we heard the station talking to a French sailboat that was on the reef and asking for assistance. We could not hear the sailboat's transmission as it was on the opposite side of Bermuda from us, but Judy was highly impressed by the professionalism of Bermuda Harbour Radio as it assisted without saying something to the effect of "Of course you are aground you idiot, we have been trying to warn you of it for the past two hours." Apparently the French boat was either asleep or had their radio turned off. No one was injured, but a grounding on a reef can ruin your whole day! Thank you Bermuda Harbour Radio for the opportunity to visit your facility and for the quality and courtesy of your communications. We have been very favourably impressed with Bermuda, and St. George's in particular. The facilities here in St. George's are excellent. Godett and Young is a well equipped marine hardware store, Robertson's a well stocked drug store with stationery supplies, and Ocean Sails an excellent sail loft as well as providing fax and E-mail, downtown and providing courteous assistance. Outerbridge's Machine Shop was very helpful in fixing our self steering mechanism. A post office is centrally located and has fax and photocopying available. At the dock is the Customs House that processes all the customs and immigration forms and also has a good notice board of crew needed, crew available, yachting services, for sale notices, and one, two, three and four day weather fax maps and forecasts. Also at the dock is the town square with an ancient Town Hall, excellent Information Centre, public washrooms, banks (including a bank machine giving Bermudian dollars from our Canadian CIBC Visa card), and several pubs and tourist shops. An affable, but for show time at noon hours irascible, Town Crier conducts a public humiliation of local tourists and a public dunking of a local "wench" (Allison Outerbridge) accused of drunkenness, gossiping, and nagging. However, nobody is clapped into the stocks located on the other side of the square. Several excellent forts are within walking distance. We were most impressed with the deep fortifications of Fort St. Catherine. Incidentally, small world department, - Veleda is registered out of St. Catherines, Ontario and is so indicated on her stern. We had two local boats and another Canadian boat come over saying they were from St. Catherines before settling here in Bermuda. We enjoyed the Heritage Museum which gave information about the black population of Bermuda. The Bermuda National Trust Museum in the old (1700) Globe Hotel had an excellent video on Bermuda's geography and history; but we found the information on the "Blockade Runners" during the American Civil War of particular interest. Gillian Outerbridge, the local Seven Seas Cruising Association representative, was most hospitable and helpful, organizing two successful "potluck" barbeques on Hen Island. We also made contact with a local farm producer who brought a van loaded with fresh produce, including unrefrigerated eggs, down to the docks for all the boats at anchor. Other than his being an hour later than arranged it worked out well. People referred to the delay as "Island Time". We enjoyed the time we spent with the Lancaster family, friends of Judy's mother. We have Veleda ready for sea except for the final stowing and lashing of the dinghy tonight. Judy just made a canvas bucket, as the original one we had got lost somewhere. The main winches have been cleaned and greased. The fuel tanks and fenders have been lashed on deck. I did an underwater hull inspection to verify all is O.K. We have some sea weed growing at the waterline, on the port side mostly. Our Zincs are O.K. until Europe. The brass flanges around some of our through hull openings are badly corroded, as is our grounding plate. We are not sure what is causing the corrosion of our grounding plate. There is still over 3/4 's of it intact, but we will have to check it again in Europe. We will have to have Veleda hauled out some time in the next six months to put on more bottom paint and fix the grounding plate and replace the zincs as well as the cutlass bearing. We have topped up with water and will be making a final run in this afternoon to get this E-mail off and to do our final grocery shopping, and to clear customs. We enjoyed Bermuda! Now off to the Azores. |
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