Still in Bermuda and Waiting for the Right Weather

The Travels of Running Tide
Mick Norman
Fri 13 Jun 2014 15:15
I can’t think of a nicer place to while away a few days waiting for the
weather to come right. Eventually it becomes frustrating the hanging around but
I don’t think we have reached that stage yet.
Bermuda is a beautiful place albeit expensive. They try to tell us its
expensive because everything is imported. That’s true but that is the case with
most of the Caribbean islands particularly those in the Lesser Antilles and they
are not that expensive. My theory is that Bermuda is stuffed full of some very
rich people so they seem to be able to charge what they like. I do feel sorry
for the locals who have to struggle with the outrageous prices.
One interesting feature of Bermuda is that every roof and I mean every roof
even on bus shelters and dog kennels is the same design and colour. Each roof is
constructed of limestone slate which are then rendered and painted with lime
wash. One reason is to make them hurricane proof and also rain water collection
from roofs and other designated areas is the primary source of water on the
island. The water is purified by the lime wash. Water is stored in underground
tanks associated with each dwelling. There are no rivers, streams or lakes in
Bermuda.
You don’t feel that crime here is a problem. The police are conspicuous by
there absence. However they do have a thing about ‘Loitering’. Everywhere in
every nock and cranny there are notices ‘No Loitering’. As an experiment I got
Norm to do some loitering, nothing happened. I don’t think he was doing it hard
enough.
The other day I went diving, I dived or as they say in this part of the
World dove (the US influence) on the wreck of the Pelinaion. This was an ore
carrier that went down on the reef in 1939. It was quite broken up but the stern
section was intact and propped up against the reef such that you could swim
right under the hull. Next dive was a reef called Cathedral. That had a
cavernous swim through. Very impressive but not so many fish.
Yesterday Norm and I got our bus passes and headed off for the day. Firstly
to St David’s and the lighthouse just overlooking where I had diven! Then
off to Hamilton. Hamilton is now the capital and has a neat and tidy and
business like feel about it. There was no high rise development and it had a
good colonial small town feel about it. Bermuda shorts were much in evidence for
the business man population. This comprises linen shorts of very pastel colours,
long socks usually white or navy and leather shoes, shirt and tie and maybe a
sports jacket. Very smart. I would loved to have worn that outfit for work. We
got our lunch from the deli counter at local supermarket and sat with the locals
in the park having their break from work.
Next it was off to the Royal Naval Dockyard. This has now been developed as
the cruise liner port for Bermuda. Even though there were two liner docked most
of the punters had been bused off around the island. We spent a couple of hours
looking around the National Museum which is housed in the fortifications on the
north western tip of the island. We managed to take in the first half of the
Brazil v Croatia match. Doesn’t Norm go on about the beautiful game, anyone
would reckon it was the work of the devil. Thank goodness we will be at sea for
the next few weeks so I don’t have to listen to him wining on about it. Onwards,
our bus pass allowed us to use the ferries as well so we took the ferry back to
Hamilton and bus to St George. There we heard that Croatia had lost 3 1. Looks
like we could be at sea when Engerland play.
We are back on board RT. Nearly all of our jobs are done and we are only
wait a provisioning shop and the off. We are hoping to make a move on Saturday
but that depends on what the forecast says today. The chart shows three options
for routing to the Azores. The southern line, this is a rhumb line and is the
shortest distance, 1680 nm, the middle route curves north and is 1690 nm and the
northern route which is 1740 nm. The more northerly the route the more likely
you are to get wind in the right direction and in the case of the southern route
any wind. The northern route reaches the southern limits of ice believe it or
not and so there is a possibility, a very small possibility of what are called
growlers, remnants of icebergs. We are planning on being somewherebetwwn the
middle and northern route in order to increase the possibility of fair
winds.
![]() Off Diving, St David’s Lighthouse in the distance
![]() US Research vessel
![]() View from St David’s
![]() Standard Roof Design with collector V, in the background an outdoor rain
water collection area
![]() Endless creeks like this stuffed full of boats, St David’s
![]() Our bus arrives
![]() Assembly House, Hamilton
![]() Norm’s first attempt at Loitering
![]() Doesn’t it make you feel at Home, by the way Hamilton is motorbike City and
Bermuda is motorbike island
![]() At it again
![]() Hamilton Cathedral
![]() You are not trying hard enough Norm
![]() In the Park, note the fellas in their Bermudas in the background
![]() Hamilton City Hall and Arts Centre, interestingly the clock is not a clock
but a wind direction indicator
![]() A few Spare Cannon on the Dockyard Ramparts
![]() Cruise Ships from the
Ramparts |