Landfall in Bermuda
After five days at sea, we motored Panda Rosso and her crew towards the small speck of land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at sunset. Coordinating our arrival with Bermuda Radio, basically the friendliest, most helpful and organized harbormaster keeping a watch over the island’s waterways. This was a much calmer arrival compared to the last one we made at night with a surprise 40 knot squall.
There’s nothing quite like a Bermudian landfall!
The smell of earth, cedar trees and flowers hits us as we transit through the cut into Saint George's protected harbor. As usual the anchorage is full of boats ranging from superyachts to old wooden schooners and cruising sailboats, but instead of heading south to the Caribbean, this time everyone is going back to Europe.
Located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda makes the perfect stopover for sailors transiting Europe or the Caribbean.
We are a little early for the wave of boats that will soon stop here on their way to the northeast coast of the States like us, but we enjoy the comradery the environment brings. These are true ocean sailors. We all have many miles ahead of us. We enjoy making new friends and being surrounded by cruisers with eclectic boats again in stark contrast to the numerous cookie cutter charter catamarans in the Virgin Islands.
While we wait for a good weather window for our next passage, we frequent some of our favorite walks, ride the very European bus system around the island and venture to a few new places. This time we even did the tourist thing after a recommendation from our recent crew and visited the famous caves - maybe a little overpriced, but they're stunning with stalactites and stalagmites galore!
It's easy to remember which is which: Stalactites have a "T" for top and stalagmites have a "G" for ground.
Speaking of pricing, Bermuda’s grocery store prices didn't seem as bad as the last time we provisioned here. I think we must have gotten used to island pricing in the Caribbean. And similar to the Caribbean, we find it’s appeal in some of the quirky traditions and fun facts we encounter every time we visit. This time was no different. In the town square of St George’s they were setting up for the Peppercorn Ceremony, an event that occurs every year in April originating from when the Freemasons handed over one peppercorn as annual rent to his Excellency the Governor for the historic State House.
FUN FACT: Bermuda was nicknamed ‘The Onion Patch,’ due to it’s large shipments of the crop to the USA back in the mid-1800s. Although they no longer export onions like they used to, the Newport to Bermuda race is still called The Onion Patch Series and there are a few references around the island, such as the famous Frog & Onion Pub.
A very traditional British dinner at the Frog & Onion Pub, Bermuda
In between rainy days, brought by the weather systems we are avoiding in the Atlantic, and exploring land, we enjoy boat work in perfect temperatures and life aboard with a view of the charming colorful buildings nestled in tropical foliage.
For as long as we transit the Atlantic, we will always make Bermuda a home in between passages. If you have the chance to sail to this delightful island, either with us or on your own boat, DO IT!
Check out our Passages page for your next opportunity to sail Bermuda with us.
Exploring Cooper’s Island Nature Preserve, Bermuda
From Bermuda with love,
Amanda Seltzer