Speedwell of Hong Kong

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Archive for the ‘Bermuda’ Category

Back in Bermuda

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

Tuesday, 15th December, 2015

When I reached the little town of Oriental in North Carolina it was wonderful to see old friends again. I was able to find a good anchorage in the harbour for a few days, but when the wind picked up strongly from the south-east it was time to get Speedwell snugly moored in a marina. I had been invited to spend some time with Dale in Bermuda and needed to be sure that the boat would be safe while I was away. The timing was perfect as I needed to leave the states before the end of December when my 6 months allowed time would expire. And what a treat to be spirited away from the approaching icy weather for a while. I was advised to leave a small fan heater running in the boat while I was away to stop things freezing up.

FrostySail

Frosty Sail

The morning I left there was a frosting of tiny ice crystals on the sail and a thin layer of ice on deck.

It was wonderful to be welcomed back into Dale’s beautiful house overlooking the south coast of Bermuda. A careful dash across the 3rd green of the Mid Ocean Club golf course, watching for fast-moving golf balls, reveals a small beach with the famous pink sands of Bermuda.

Sitting Pretty

Sitting Pretty

Last week the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was hosting an International Moth Regatta and, as Dale was on the race committee boat, I was allowed to join her and be her backup for raising and lowering the signal flags. All had to be very professionally done and was a startling contrast to my usual laid-back sailing style. I had never seen anything like the little moth boats skittering about on hydrofoils. Have a look at Bermuda Moths. On the days when the wind was gusting to 30+ knots the fleet sometimes looked like a swarm of mosquitoes being vigorously swatted down. Dale was also providing accommodation for Kalle and Eelco who had flown over from Holland to sail in the regatta and we were all royally cared for.

Moths racing

Moths racing

On the second day of the regatta sailing was cancelled due to lack of wind and we were given a fascinating tour of the Oracle teams base, where they are preparing for the 2017 America’s Cup, at the Royal Naval Dockyard. They have taken over one of the old North Basin buildings which had fallen into a state of disrepair. It has been restored and now has a state-of-the-art gym on the ground level. The team undergoes rigorous fitness training and I watched with awful fascination as one of the men did pushups with a 35 lb weight on his back. The upper level has been converted into a technical centre for analysing the performance of the daily test sails. A massive array of flat screens shows visuals of the boats sailing and graphs and spreadsheets provide data comparing the effects of experimental changes to the hydrofoils. Different foils can be used on each hull to give a dynamic comparison. The foils are the only component of the one-design wing-sail foiling catamarans which can be modified to try to improve performance.

Visiting the Oracle base

Visiting the Oracle base

The actual race will be sailed by the AC50’s while all the training and optimisation is being done on AC45’s. These are stored in a massive hangar close to the water. The hulls and wing sections are taken apart for storage and each time they sail, have to be reassembled and then lifted into the water by a giant crane. No room for amateurs here!

For more technical background on hydrofoils I found this site – Fastest Boats

Posted in Bermuda | 2 Comments »

Bermuda to Chesapeake Bay

Friday, July 3rd, 2015

I had only planned to spend about 10 days in Bermuda before hurrying on to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, but it was not to be. The problem was that my SA passport was coming up for renewal and I found out, from talking to other South Africans, that it could take up to 6 months to get this done.

Near the customs dock

Near the customs dock

Still pondering over this problem I met up with Dale Howe whom I had been urged to get in touch with by an old school friend, Michael Best and his wife Margaret. Margaret is a well known botanical artist who regularly gives courses in Bermuda. Have a look at www.bestbotanical.com to see some of her exquisite work.

With Dale in DC

With Dale in DC

Dale and I became good friends and I was wonderfully pampered and looked after by her at her beautiful house overlooking the sea. When I told her about my passport dilemma she came up with the astonishing suggestion that we could make a quick trip to Washington, DC together and put in the application in person at the SA embassy there. This would greatly simplify and speed up the whole process. I was a little overwhelmed at this amazingly generous offer but it seemed just too good to refuse and a day or two later we were winging our way to DC, first class. We checked into the Grand Hyatt and got the passport application done very easily with plenty of time for a whirlwind tour of the famous Washington sights. Our last night was spent enjoying a performance of ‘Carmen’ by the Royal Ballet at the Kennedy Centre

Before leaving, I had moved Speedwell across the harbour to a very secure anchorage at Elsie’s Bay on the St Davids side and Bermuda Yacht Services undertook to keep an eye on her while I was away. It’s a lovely secluded little cove away from the busy main anchorage and I was happy to stay there after getting back.

Grahame, me, Dale and Monica at the Mid Ocean Club

Grahame, me, Dale and Monica at the Mid Ocean Club

I also had a chance to see Grahame and Monica Rendell again and catch up with their news. Grahame has recently been made the Foreign Representative in Bermuda for the Royal Cruising Club and must surely be the perfect person for the rôle with his cruising experience and friendly helpfulness.

Bermuda itself, of course, is one if my favourite places and after the harsh super highways and traffic of Florida it was an enchanting feeling to wander through the quaint and narrow lanes of St Georges, admiring the old buildings and pretty English-style gardens in the historical town.

Flatts Village

Flatts Village

I also spent a few days ambling along the Railway Trail which follows the remnants of the old railway line. After a few years of grand success during the first half of last century, it proved too expensive to maintain and had to be abandoned. The trail runs along the north coast giving magnificent views of the cliffs and clear, shallow reef waters. Long tailed Tropic Birds make their nests in the limestone cliffs and it is breathtaking to watch them swooping and turning with their strikingly marked wings and beautiful tails highlighted against the turquoise water.

Following the Railway Trail

Following the Railway Trail

But time was running on and not only did I hope to finish the crossing back to the US before the end of June, while hurricanes were still unlikely, but I now had the additional consideration of entering the states before my passport was reissued in Pretoria making the one I still carried invalid. In their inscrutable wisdom, SA no longer issues temporary passports so during the time between it being approved in Pretoria and actually reaching me in Washington, I would effectively be without a passport.

I cleared out on Saturday, 13 June and set off for the Chesapeake Bay. 3 days out and only just over 100nm from Bermuda, I decided to try to pick up a weather fax from Boston. Oh dear! The second ‘named’ storm of the season was being warned of and could move up the coast of the southern states. It looked as though our paths might cross and after the second warning, 6 hours later, I reluctantly made the decision to turn back to Bermuda to wait it out.

Rough days at sea

Rough days at sea

I got back, cleared in again, and learned that it was no longer a danger. Oh well. It’s always easy with hindsight. So after refuelling and a quick reunion with Dale, I set off again. The wind was light for the first few days but we were just about able to lay the course with the junk sail managing quite respectably to windward. As we approached the Gulf Stream the wind picked up and for a few days we were forced hopelessly too far north being relentlessly pushed by 30 knot winds and 3 knots of current. Massive and confused waves did not make it any easier. Reefed right down we doggedly clawed our way at what I hoped was almost right angles to the stream and after a few days it released us and marvellously we were moving in the same direction that we were pointing. A few calm days followed which allowed me to replace 3 parrels that had almost chafed through at the mast. Apart from that, the rig had survived the heavy weather remarkably well and I once again blessed the ability to reef so easily in difficult conditions.

With about 60 nm still to go the wind died completely and I used the engine to help us along. We entered the bay in the early morning and spent the rest of the day motoring along, following the markers and trying to avoid a fleet of battleships doing manoeuvres in the bay. Turning into the Elizabeth River the tidal current was strongly against us and we were down to just over a knot, being buffeted by the wakes of enormous container ships, fast moving tugs and the occasional battleship. Quite an adjustment to make after 10 days alone at sea.

At last, at 4 in the afternoon, I anchored in the small boat anchorage on the Portsmouth side of the River opposite downtown Norfolk. Next morning I was able to get ashore and cleared in at the beautiful old customs building nearby. To my relief, the passport was still valid and everything went smoothly.

Posted in Bermuda, Cruising | 2 Comments »

On to Bermuda

Monday, May 25th, 2015

My departure for Bermuda was delayed by the need for some emergency dental work, giving me a chance to explore the town of Stuart. I enjoyed regular strolls along the river walk and the faces of some of the other early morning walkers and their dogs were becoming familiar.

Historical downtown Stuart

Historical downtown Stuart

At last I was ready to leave but the weather had other ideas. An early ‘named’ tropical storm, Anna, was moving towards the coast of North Carolina and strong onshore easterly winds kept me aboard, safely anchored in the St Lucie River.

7 May, 2015

Today I motored up the ICW to anchor at Fort Pierce where there is a grade A inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. As always, it felt good to be close to the open sea again. My cruising permit had to be canceled so that a new one can be issued when I plan to return later in the year. This entailed a 4 mile walk out to the airport where the customs office is to be found. No busses on this route. A kind motorist stopped and gave me a lift on the way back.

Trailer-park village on the way to the airport

Trailer-park village on the way to the airport

Harbortown Marina, close to where I was anchored, allowed me to use their dinghy dock and free WiFi. They also had a convenient fuel dock.

May 9, 2015

The anchor and chain came up cleanly, not covered with sticky black mud as in the St Lucie river and very soon we were approaching the start of the channel to the sea. It was a lovely sunny day and the weekenders were out in force.

Even the dogs were out there

Even the dogs were out there

The wide channel was alive with small fishing boats, inflatable dinghies, kayaks, monster gin-palace stinkpot boats and anything else that floats. Just ahead of me a powerful Coastguard vessel, with blue lights flashing, stopped and boarded an incoming fishing boat. Someone’s unlucky day.

May 16, 2015

A week at sea and half way to Bermuda. The first two days were easy and fast with the Gulfstream helping us along. Then the wind died and we flopped helplessly about for a day until a strong NE wind set in and stirred up an evil sea. I was reminded as to why not everyone goes to sea in small boats and wondered what I was doing here. Nothing to do but reef down and hope that nothing breaks. The Navik managed valiantly and I retired to my bunk with leecloth securely fastened.

Just rolling along

Just rolling along

Over the next couple of days the wind moderated but took up a firm position directly against our heading. So we are currently way north of our ideal course and hoping that the winds forecast by the weather fax will materialize and get us going in the right direction again. A gracefully curious tropic bird circled the boat a few times but retreated when I aimed my binoculars at him.

Sunday, 17 May 2015

This morning I found a small squid had expired on the leeward side deck. I cleaned him up and had a delicious brunch of calamari rings pan-fried in garlic butter tossed with spicy couscous.
Yesterday it was a fair-sized flying fish which cooked up well with rice. Maybe I should start a collection of ocean roadkill recipes.

Still waiting for the wind to change.

Monday, 18 May 2015 – day 11

After a long dark night of steady motoring in a flat calm and rolling sea, we were rewarded with a gentle breeze on the aft quarter. Just enough to hold the sail out and keep us moving at almost 2 knots. Now the junk rig shows its stars. A small group of storm petrels fluttered about gathering their breakfast.

Banana cake heeling to starboard

Banana cake heeling to starboard

The wind strengthened as the day progressed and soon we were running smoothly along at a comfortable 4 kts. I took advantage of the easy conditions and made a big pot of vegetable stew in the pressure cooker to last a few days. Then I found that the last banana had become rather overripe. Ideal for making banana cake. It turned out well despite being a little lopsided as my stove isn’t very successfully gimballed.

The wind increased steadily.
Big seas, strong wind, moving at hull speed reefed right down and a pitch black moonless night. Time for all those irrational fears and terrors to surface.

Another view of the sail

Another view of the sail

By morning it was already moderating and everything seems easier in daylight. Once again I was glad that I had made the change back to a flat sail with strong, rigid battens and no added complications to go wrong in rough conditions.

Friday, 22 May 2015

After a few days of a good following wind, I arrived at Bermuda early this morning.

St Georges anchorage, Bermuda

St Georges anchorage, Bermuda

Three other yachts arrived at about the same time, one of which had to be towed in. Much to and fro from Bermuda radio, constantly giving instructions as to what to do and where to go. On previous occasions I have not had the radio switched on when I arrived as it can be very distracting. The anchorage was quite crowded but I was able to find a good spot and rowed ashore to clear in.

Tags: Bermuda
Posted in Bermuda, Cruising, United States | 1 Comment »

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