“When something goes wrong in your life, just yell ‘Plot Twist’ and move on…” Anonymous
After 5 days at sea in challenging weather, the sight of land peering at us across a misty, wave strewn horizon, was a welcome sight. The stormy entrance to this island perched in the middle of the sea was foreshadowing to a rocky visit, in more ways than one. However, if we have learned anothing in the span of this voyage, our adventure into the unknown, it is to yell PLOT TWIST quite frequently, make the best of the situation, and move forward.
We arrived safely in Bermuda and felt fortunate. We checked into customs quickly and easily and breathed a sigh of relief. Other boats from the rally had greater difficulties, broken forestays, engines problems, yet our only major failure was our 25 year old refrigeration system. This was unfortunate timing as I had just provisioned with several hundred dollars worth of food in my fridge and freezer, and my kids were flying in for Thanksgiving. I resigned myself that our food would be a loss and I would have to start over with limited choices and expensive food from the island. That’s when the boat angels stepped in.
Our new friends from the Salty Dawg Rally, Maryann and Gary, aboard Whatever She Wants, came to our rescue. These delightful, kind, fun and adventurous sailing couple have been a true gift along our path. They had room in their fridge and freezer for all our food – which allowed us to get the system repaired and save our provisions. Thanksgiving was saved, food-wise. We scheduled the repair guys to come fix our system and waited for the arrival of daughter, Katie, and son-in-law, Sean. We met the repairman on the dock then headed out to anchor in the harbor of St. Georges next to Whatever She Wants.
Our first night at anchor, strong winds buffeted our boat all night. First thing in the morning, a call came over the VHF from our neighbors…
“Hey Equus. Is your dinghy still attached to your boat? We just saw one float by that looked a lot like yours.”
Not a good way to start the morning. The brass shackle on our brand-new dinghy line had failed, releasing our dinghy for her walkabout. Gary came to the rescue and brought Dan over to the shore where our dinghy was washed up and bouncing against the rocks. Dan had to manhandle the engine into the boat and get towed back to Equus. No major damage, again, we felt lucky. What we didn’t know, was that the tropical system we were experiencing in Bermuda was the result of a front from the US that was wreaking havoc in New England – right where Katie and Sean had to fly through to meet us.
That day, reports came in from our kids in the Philly area that a freakishly early snowstorm had the entire area shut down. By the time Katie and Sean arrived in NYC for their connecting flight to Bermuda, all the New England flights were cancelled. It would be at least 24 hours before they could get another flight out through Miami. Meanwhile, our weather began to deteriorate as well. Heavy winds and rains set in with a vengeance.
There are no Ubers in Bermuda. Expensive taxis and buses are the only choices to get visitors from the airport – but then, you still have to get them to the boat. With all the delays, Katie and Sean were not arriving until almost midnight on November 16th. Our boat was anchored less than a mile from the airport as the crow flies. However, getting them to the boat in the stormy weather was going to be a challenge. They could take a 30 minute taxi ride all the way around the harbor and pick them up in the town of St. Georges. Then, we would have to traverse the harbor in the dinghy in 30 knot winds, swells, and heavy rain to pick them up. Plan B. Have the taxi driver drop them off a few miles from the airport at a point we could meet them on land with the dinghy, and have a much shorter ride back to the boat in horrendous conditions.
The problem with plan B is that we had no way to communicate with our passengers as neither of us would have cell phone service, and the meeting point was an abandoned building near a bridge we hoped the taxi driver would be able to recognize in the dark and the rain. It was sketchy at best. At 10:00 we donned our foul weather gear, packed trash bags to keep luggage dry, and grabbed spare rain coats and umbrellas. As we stepped into our dinghy, bucking wildly against our boat, the driving rain pelting us, I began to question the sanity of our lifestyle.
After a 10 minute motor, we secured the dinghy to an abandoned cement dock near the swing bridge and rendezvous point. An hour later, Dan standing by the road with a flashlight, me huddled in the shelter of the building in the torrential rain, a car slowed down and turned into the tiny lot. Despite the cold, heavy rain, the black inkiness of the night, the howling wind, the warm hugs and smiles made every second worth every bit of discomfort. I thought to myself, how much more special is this reunion knowing everything we overcame to make this moment happen? In twenty minutes, we were back on Equus wrapped in warm towels, our mugs filled with hot toddies.
Katie and Sean would be with us for 10 days. We had imagined swimming in tropical water, scuba diving, fishing, and sunning on the pink sand beaches. Boy were we wrong…
We did have amazing experiences, just not the kind we expected. Our PLOT TWIST motto took over when we realized one very important misconception we all had about Bermuda. It’s cold and windy by November and all water sports are basically shut down. For the next ten days, we experienced the island in many ways, had a wonderful time, and got together for most of our meals with Whatever She Wants, including an amazing Thanksgiving feast – the day after TG. To sum up all that we did and learned about this island, I decided to create a list of do’s and don’ts, hopefully making future visits to Bermuda in the off-season easier for other visitors. Our info was gathered by trial and error, talking to the natives, and by a few tips from Google.
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DO NOT rent bicycles when in Bermuda. While biking around the island seemed like a great idea, and there are bikes available for rent, it is NOT a bike friendly island. Biking past the roads named, Suffering, Pain, and then coming to DEAD END, I knew someone on the island had a sense of humor. There are no shoulders on the roads or bridges, and vehicles will not or can’t move over for you. When we told one of the natives we rode our bikes to the next town over and back she was very taken back and told us that we were crazy and no one rides bikes on this island. Thank you bike renters for the head’s up!
DO take the bus system to visit the island. They are efficient and easy to navigate. We took a trip to the pink sand 
beaches and Crystal Caves. Both of these attractions are great, even in the off season. There is a fee to take the tour of the caves but they are incredible. The back story to their discovery is enthralling, the visual experience unforgettable.
DO NOT expect to find a scuba shop open or willing to fill air tanks after November. While the water temperature is still in the low 70’s, the weather deteriorates by this time of year creating a lot of windy and rainy days. We did snorkel one day in Tobacco Bay, which was gorgeous, but Dan and Katie were shaking uncontrollably after they got out. Wet suits are highly recommended if you are going to be in the water in the winter season. Bermuda is a semi-tropical island so it can get chilly in the evenings.
DO explore the island’s history. You can spend days going from one historical landmark or fort to another. Some are free, some have small admission prices. We had no idea how pivotal this island was in our American history. We never learned that 3 English ships crashed here in the early 1600’s. The survivors built a ship, restocked with supplies, sailed to Jamestown, and saved the colonists from starvation. You can have tea on the replica of that ship, Discovery, in St. George’s harbor. The forts here were used in the Revolutionary, Civil, and World wars. Their histories are fascinating as well. Also, a visit to the Crystal Caves is a must!
DO NOT, if you are staying with a kitchen or provisioning for a boat, buy your meat at the 
markets. While the markets here are very nice and maybe only double the US prices, there is a little known secret where to stock up on meat. In the town of St. David’s, there is a small shop near the harbor that one would not recognize as a shop if you were driving by. It’s name is Southside Discount. There you can buy frozen meats and seafood for very reasonable prices. They carry a huge selection, coconut shrimp, salmon, steaks, chicken, pork, lamb, and more. The best part, is that you get a free beer or mixed drink when you shop! Want a second drink, just put a few bucks in the tip jar. WOW! There are also a few farmer’s markets on the island where you can get fresh and local produce.
Lastly, DO spend early December here if at all possible. We have been blown away by the local island events. We have attended the St. George’s town lighting ceremony, a huge Christmas parade in Hamilton, and there is a lighted boat parade contest and town party Saturday, December 2nd. We received an invitation to the town Mayor’s personal Christmas party in the town hall. The most famous event, however, is happening next Friday, December 7th. There is a huge undercurrent of excitement about this special happening. It’s fun to watch the sparkle in their eyes, and the gleam of anticipation when the natives describe… “The Walkabout”. Only natives of the islands can purchase the historical homes in St. Georges. The deal is, they get a 99 year lease which can be handed down to immediate family members. During The Walkabout, I heard one native comment, “I’m surprised the island doesn’t sink as all the people from Bermuda come flooding to our side of the island!”
The National Trust sponsors this event and the trustees open their historic homes to the public on this one night of the year. Each home, is filled with delectable treats, wines, cheeses, mixed drinks, and available for tour. When we commented we might be leaving before the event, we were told that would be a huge mistake. This is an amazing opportunity to experience history, an amazing culture, and homes built in the 1600 and 1700’s. While the tours are supposed to be open from 5 PM until 8 PM, the partying and celebrations last long after midnight. Since we have made new friends here, we have been invited to share after hours in some of these homes.
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This past week we had excitement with a tropical storm hitting the island. We were essentially trapped for 48 hours in 30 knots of wind, with gusts over 50 miles an hour. Many boats were in distress, losing their anchor holds, losing their anchors all-together, having their dinghies break lose, sails ripping to shreds… We held strong, but didn’t get much sleep with the shrieking wind, bouncing waves, and threat of other boats drifting into us. The most amazing part of all this way how diligent, helpful, and informative Bermuda Radio was through it all. Bermuda Radio is a small station perched on the highest hill in the harbor. It is manned 24 hours a day. Its job is to navigate visiting boats safely into harbor, and monitor all boat activity around the island. These mariners are helpful, courteous, caring, jovial, and a total delight. They respond immediately to any calls and questions, and dispatch help when needed. We have felt so protected and watched-over while we were here.
Yes, our visit to Bermuda was not what we expected. Had we been here in the summer, our experiences would have been completely different. This island has incredible diving which we didn’t get to experience, and our tanning and beach time was very limited. However, the rich culture, historical significance, and natural beauty of this island, integrated with kind and friendly people, made this one of our favorite stops yet. We are headed out next week for BVI – but we will surely miss this magnificent island in the middle of the sea.
Fair winds and following seas,
Alison and Dan
s/v Equus