Our last Day in Bermuda
LIBERTAD
Paul Huntley
Tue 19 May 2009 22:04
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As you can immagine things are very busy on
Libertad with just twenty four hours to go before the start. Yesterday we had a
visit in the afternoon to the coast radio station (Bermuda Radio located
in an old victorian citadel on the highest hill above St Georges 125 ft
above sea level. We arrived as a cruise liner was entering through
the Town Cut, into St Georges harbour. The visit was very interesting
with one of the on duty operators showing us the equipment and it's operation.
They cover an area of 200miles around Bermuda and interact with the U.S.Coast
guard in Norfolk ,Virginia and the Potuguese authorities in the Azores, He told
us that the have in the region of 1200 visiting yachts a year and 10,000 other
shipping movements.After two serious groundings of oil tankers in 2005/6 the
have an exclusion zone of 30 nm around the island.
Last night we went to the yacht club for a
Goselings rum tasting follwed by the prize giving for the first leg, Libertad
was not listed for any honours, we are not here to win prizes. The buffet dinner
that followed was excellent and the crew had their fill! Guy Lucien and I
returned to the boat for some sleep but Mordecai (Yes he has returned from his
weekend at home sorting out a few business issues) and Drew stay out later the
last returning home at 02:30 am The shipper was a little grumpy this morning
having been kept up so late !!
Today Guy an I took the bus towards Hamilton to the
supermarket for our final shop purchasing all the fresh fruit and
vegetables for the next two to three week for five people.
Loaded with armfulls of bags we waited for the
return bus to St George to get the perishable food in the fridge as soon as
possible. Lucien an Drew have been busy cleaning Libertad so she is spick and
span for her departure.Guy was busy doing a momouth wash in the laundromat,
taking advantage of the faclities at at the marina.
The skippers briefing at four gave us the first met
forecast of this leg ,unfortunately it is East or North East for the next few
days which is just the way we want to go. atleast it seems settled with a gentle
4/5 15/20 kts. We shall see.
What are our lasting memories of this beautiful
island, These gentle people are warm and very friendly, they have a
respect for each other especially visitors, they respect and cherish
the environment they live in. The profusion of lowers lining the
roads reflct the colurful nature of the Bermudian people. Hibiscus with
vibrant yellow and orange, covolvulus bloom in deep puple trumpets
stangling their host in a proffusion of colour. Oleanders grow wild in
every hedgerow,their pink flowers blooming throughot the summer. The
evidence of modern horticulture is rare but you can stumble on small pockets of
sweet corn or a mixture of vegetables. Most of the islands needs are now
imported from the U.S.
Well I have to go and clear the boat ot with
immigration and customs before a curry dinner in the restaurant below the yacht
club.
Will be blogging away via the iridium satelitte
phone for the next couple of weeks.
Regards fro the crew of Libertad and
Paul.
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