Arrived in Bermuda

Thanksgiving Dinner

When I arrived in Bermuda, my stress level was very high. In my view, many things failed along the way. I spent a solid two and a half years going through every system on the boat and so many failures… My spirits were low.

I cleared Customs and docked the boat on the Quay (concrete wall) across from the Customs office. Food was first on my agenda. Being Thanksgiving Day, I looked for a turkey dinner. It’s not Thanksgiving in Bermuda, but they get so many American Tourists, I thought… maybe. I did find a “Traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner” special with cranberries, dressing, turkey, potatoes, and veggies.

After my Thanksgiving dinner, I went back to the boat. I quickly climbed into my berth and fell asleep… “before my head hit the pillow”, as they say… 

Someday, will someone introduce me to “they”?

Convict Bay Anchorage

Repairs

Anyway… I woke up in the morning around 11 am and did a thorough assessment of the damage. The result made me laugh at myself… I needed to replace 6 screws, and one bolt. After completing those repairs, the Hydrovane needed to be made fully operational. That’s it! Well, replace the lost anchor as well.

Taking the bimini frame apart first, I found that four of the screws could be replaced with stainless steel rivets. I had those and the appropriate rivet gun on the boat. I had to take more of the frame apart to replace the screws with rivets. In two hours, that work was done! 

I made a good lunch… Feeling a little tired, a nap was in order. I awoke around 6 pm. The rest was needed. It was dark outside. Having already cooked one big meal today, I walked into the town… it was about 200 feet directly in front of Distant Horizon. 

White Horse

Across the street was the White Horse Restaurant and Bar. I was curious whether they had Guinness. I sat at the bar for dinner. They did have a Guinness tap. As my luck would have it, they were out of nitrogen gas. I opted for Sam Adams.

White Horse Restaurant and Bar

Charlie was the bartender… a very polite, friendly, knowledgeable young man about my son’s age. As I ate, I watched the early stages of the World Cup on TV. 

New Anchor

The next morning, I decided to investigate the replacement anchor. Distant Horizon is a 35-foot, heavy displacement, full keel sailboat. She weighs about 31,000 lbs. The lost anchor was a 15lb Spade, which had held the boat in all conditions effortlessly. A 35lb CQR is the spare anchor, which is more typical for a boat the size of Distant Horizon. Some manufacturers believe I need a 40+ lb anchor for my boat. I decided to go with a larger anchor… a 26lb Spade. You see, it’s not the weight of the anchor that holds the boat… it’s the size of the holding surface area.  The aluminum Spade’s tip is weighted with steel. So, the anchor always wants to dig in. Many more famous manufacturers have copied that principle now.

I had to order the Spade anchor from the manufacturer in Florida and have it shipped to Bermuda. The anchor’s arrival took much longer than anticipated. The anchor arrived on December 20th! I was happy to have the anchor on order.

That afternoon, I went back to White Horse to see if they had received the nitrogen gas.

I sat and watched World Cup soccer, talked with Charlie, and drank Sam Adams. I wobbled back to the boat at the end of the evening.

The next morning, I decided to tackle the solar panel frame. That required a walk to the local hardware store for the necessary bolt.

Installing the bolt proved to be surprisingly difficult.  It took much longer than anticipated. I was still able to complete that task in one day.

Hydrovane Repairs

Before going to bed, I sent an email to the Hydrovane support staff. There was a reply the next morning. They said I had made the proper repair and sent photos to show me where there should be a gap for proper alignment. Then, they suggested that I take other areas apart and clean them… this was because they suspected the cause of my original problem was from salt build-up over the years. This caused the mechanism to bind. I spent the day doing as they suggested. The Hydrovane worked like new! The Hydrovane repair required no parts!

All I needed now… was an anchor. As previously mentioned, that did not arrive until December 20th. When the new anchor arrived, it was stowed below. Distant Horizon was on a mooring. So, the anchor was not needed. When I depart, the anchor will not be needed for 10 days or so. I didn’t want to risk losing this one!

Distant Horizon on a Mooring

Christmas in Bermuda

Two days before Christmas, several boats left the anchorage. They departed heading south.

I decided… rather than rushing to make a departure window and spend Christmas somewhere on the ocean, I would spend Christmas in Bermuda! Then, I would leave with the next good weather window.

St. George Alleyway

The next weekend, St. George was holding its Christmas Holiday Festival. They built a stage in King’s Square for live music. Schools showcased their children’s programs with songs and dance performances.

St. George’s Holiday Festival

Christmas came and went, which was alright with me. It’s not my favorite holiday. I did FaceTime with family back home… both my daughter’s family in Colorado and my brother and sister’s families in the Syracuse area. Then, I went to White Horse for dinner and watched the “American Football” game on the big screen.

St. George’s Town Hall in King’s Square

Surprisingly, there were very few people out and about on Boxing Day. Even the shops opened late with shorter hours. 

I sat in King’s Square utilizing the free WiFi to check the weather; looking for a departure window.