I had spent the winter in Bermuda. That was not part of the plan. It just happened,
I first went to Bermuda for repairs and a little rest. At the end of December, I departed Bermuda. I was headed for the Caribbean. However, on my second day, I had traveled a little over 110 miles, the helm (steering wheel) locked up. After investigating I discovered Distant Horizon had a broken propellor shaft. So, I turned around back to Bermuda for the repair.
That took longer than expected. As time slipped by, winter passed and spring had sprung.
Now it is mid-April. A nice weather window is developing. Let me define “nice weather window”. I look for good weather and fair winds for my departure day and the next day. The third day should not have a high probability of foul weather. In short, three days of nice weather. After that, I have to be prepared for whatever mother nature decides to send my way.
It was looking like a had four nice days. The only catch is that I had to prepare quickly. It was Friday, April 11th. I had just returned to St. George from a week-long cruise in Castle Harbor. To catch this weather window, I would have to depart on Wednesday. That means being fully provisioned and ready to go on Tuesday. I had Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to do a lot of work. So, I got to it!
To accomplish this, I chose to tie up on the wall in front of Bermuda Yacht Services. From here, it would be an easy walk for all my shoreside tasks. … far more efficient than anchoring out and then rowing ashore.
Distant Horizon on the wall in front of Bermuda Yacht Services
Preparations
In the photo above, the tender is alongside Distant Horizon. One of the pre-departure tasks was to put the tender on the cabin top under the boom where it would be secured for the ocean passage.
Other tasks included provisioning fresh foods and ensuring I had enough canned goods and dry goods for the voyage. Also, Everything inside the boat had to be stowed properly and secured. I didn’t want a mess or anything flying around the inside of the boat in rough weather.
I surprised myself. By Tuesday evening, I was going around saying my goodbyes to friends I had made during my stay in Bermuda. Distant Horizon was ready for the next leg of the journey; crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Departure
The winds were forecasted to be light. So, initially, I wanted an early start. Several other boats had the same idea.
There was a line at Customs where everyone was clearing out. I did not want to stand in that line.
In Bermuda, once you clear Customs, you have one hour to depart. I did not want to be on the clock. Instead, I made one last visit to Frequency Cafe. I had my matcha latte and a chat with Rolisa as she made me a breakfast sandwich to go.
The winds were lighter than I wanted. I was not in a hurry. The boats that were in a hurry, would be much faster than Distant Horizon. In part because they will use their engine all day to maintain a reasonable speed. I do not run the engine on the ocean.
I decided to wait for a little more wind, which should be here before noon. So, good enough for me.
I sat in the cockpit of the boat and enjoyed my breakfast as I watched for hints of more wind.