Atlantic Crossing Part 8

Herby gives you a crash course on how to read the clouds and use old school weather techniques to get you across an ocean safely and without relying on electronics.

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Bermuda Beaches

In case you weren't fully in awe by the beauty of the land on Bermuda, the island chain has one more talent to take your breath away; the beaches.

The beaches in Bermuda are amazing, gorgeous, and wonderful. Brightly colored fish are right at the waters edge as the entire island is surrounded by a barrier reef. All the fish at the beach are actually deep inside the protection of the reef, they are merely in shallower waters at the moment when you get to enjoy them.

The really mind boggling part of the beaches is that just past the colorful fish and beautiful coral is nothing. The closest point of land is around 700 nautical miles away, and that is only if you are looking to the West. If you are looking East, the next point of land is 1800 nautical miles away in the form of the Azores. To the South is the Caribbean, and to the South East is Africa. You are standing at the edge of the land gazing out onto a view normally only seen by blue water sailors. When you gaze off into the distance, there is nothing obscuring your view of the horizon and it is a sight that should be appreciated and respected. 

The beaches at Bermuda are amazing, as well as humbling as you know you will soon be out there for some beach goer to gaze out upon you on the horizon! 

Bermuda

After spending a month in the Bahamas, I kind of formulated what Bermuda would look like before we got there. Boy, was I wrong!

Bermuda is not in the tropics, it is actually located quite north and this is evidenced by the lack of palm trees lining the shores. The bays between the Bermuda Islands are lined with coniferous trees, the kinds you would find in the mountains of New England! 

Our stopover in Bermuda was short but impacting. The sights, sounds, and smells of land are humbling after being at sea for almost a month. You forget what insects sound like, or what dirt smells like! On the ocean, everything looks like a wave, but when you are in Bermuda, everything looks beautiful and unique. 

If you are sailing by Bermuda, it would certainly be worth a few days stopover. Checking in only costs $35 per person on the boat, and it is free to anchor in St. George's Harbor where the holding is more than adequate.

Atlantic Crossing Part 7

The pessimist complains about the change in the wind, the optimist knows the wind will change again, the realists adjusts the sails.

In this episode, you really get the feel of what it's like to be out there in the middle of the Ocean. Daily life is slow, but there are moments of excitement that make it all worth it. Off in the distance, you can see Hurricane Chris and Herby discusses hurricane avoidance as well as old school weather routing methods vs.

Atlantic Crossing Part 6

Bermuda was fun, but the call of the high seas is irresistible!

We restock the fridge before checking out of Bermuda and beginning our solo trip across the Atlantic to the Azores! We find that it is so much more relaxing to sail long-term without crew, but we schedule a bit with the watch schedule.