Bermuda

We knew that Bermuda was nothing like the Bahamas before we even got there. As you approach the coast by boat, about thirty miles or so off, you are expected to radio in to Bermuda Radio. They take information about your boat - type, size, equipment, number of people, expected time of arrival outside St. George’s Harbour. And they follow up - if you do not radio that you are at the entrance to the harbour at the time estimated, they call to ask for your current position and a new ETA. We were beating up the coast when they called to find out why we were not requesting permission to enter the harbour yet. If you do not radio in, they will call you - with a description of your vessel and your position. From their position on top of the hill overlooking St. George's they watch the coasts and monitor vessels arriving and departing by radar and radio. Immigration and customs are businesslike and pleasant, and you begin to learn about Bermuda as they fill out the paperwork and give you official permission to stay for three weeks.

By the time we leave we will have spent close to three weeks in Bermuda. They have been weeks of contrast - with weather ranging from rain and wind gusting up to thirty-five knots to sunny days with wind between five and ten knots - but far fewer of the latter. The island is lush and green - but water is a scarce commodity. Many of the islands’ houses are built over water tanks, which collect the water when it rains and stores it for their occupants’ use. Lack of rain means that they have to buy water, and they are not encouraged to buy too much. There are boats all over the place - moored in little bays and inlets, docked at marinas and clubs - and many Bermudans spend a lot of their time on, in and around the water, but boat parts are very expensive in the local marine stores and must add considerably to the cost of owning a boat. But then, many other things are more expensive here than we have been accustomed to - the Bermudan dollar may equal the U.S. dollar, but you spend them at twice the rate for basic food and transportation. In spite of that we plan to come back, to sample more of all the things there are to see and do here.

And we have managed to enjoy seeing and doing a variety of things. We went to a cricket match at the St. George’s Cricket Club, and enjoyed not just the match but the hospitality of the club members. For those of you who understand cricket: the match was 48 overs a side, and after a slow start the batsmen went after runs aggressively, hitting singles and fours and a few sixes. The home side won, but not until the last over of the 48, and then by three - because the batsman hit a four. It was a real family event, and both sides were fielding their young teams which meant that we saw a very good thirteen year old bowler and a couple more who were probably not much older. One of the younger players scored 108 before he was out - he would have been happier if he had not been clean bowled. It looks as if cricket is alive and well in Bermuda.

We happened to read about the Fitted Dinghy races, which are held every summer. Different clubs campaign boats in the event, and it is sailboat racing not quite like you’ve seen it before. For one thing, the boats do not have to end the race with the same number of crew they start with, and once you’ve seen the boats and talked to those involved you understand why. This is a one-design class - and what a design. Picture a small boat with low sides, a plumb bow (almost straight up) and a long bowsprit designed to carry lots of sail. Then think about the fact that because its sides are so low it has to be sailed level, or as near level as possible. This explains why there are five crew plus the skipper on this small boat - and why they have to be agile to get their weight wherever it is needed very quickly. All that, and bail like crazy whenever the boat encounters a wave or wake from a passing boat. Every now and then things get a bit hairy - as they are trying to fly the spinnaker, the boat starts rocking in a gust - then the mast hits the water, the hull fills with water, and over she goes. The crew stays with the boat and waits until their powerboat comes alongside and pulls the boat up. Then they bail like mad, and climb back on board for the next race. In the races we watched two boats sank in different races - including one from the Sandys Boat Club, where we were watching the races, just after it had taken the lead. And as far as ending with fewer crew than they start with - we did not see that, since there were good winds on the day we were watching. But we were told that on light wind days, especially if the racing is close, the crew will dive off the back of the boat one by one, pushing it with their feet as they go. If they do it right, there will be small enough distance to the finish line after the last crew member has dived off that the dinghy will make it across the line before it sinks...

Bermuda is a country full of forts, built by the British to defend their possession of it. Fort St. Catherine near St. George has been restored and has dioramas illustrating parts of Bermuda’s history, a self-guided tour through parts of the fort and videos. We walked there past beaches and houses and a very hilly golf course; the beaches are pinkish, but the tourists on them were mostly even pinker. Other days we went into Hamilton, and visited the Bermuda National Gallery and the Crisson and Hind Fine Art Gallery - the first had a good juried exhibition of local artists as well as some historical pieces; the second specialises in beautiful carvings by the Shona Master Fine Artists of Zimbabwe, done in very hard stones using hand tools. There we were lucky enough to spend some time with Dusty Hind, who is passionate about the works he sells and the artists who create them. Unfortunately (or fortunately, there being no space for carvings) we had to spend our money at the marine stores, also in Hamilton, instead. Talk about sticker shock - prices are twice to three or four times what they are in the United States.

Our bus trips took us on narrow, hilly, winding roads past colourful houses and rocky shores cut into by small coves and bays, some with beaches. The cars here are small, and there are scooters everywhere ridden by Bermudans of different ages, sizes and shapes. You can easily tell the Bermudan from the tourist on a scooter - the Bermudans look very comfortable. The tourists, on the other hand, tend to look a bit tense, especially as they are overtaken by a pink bus on a narrow road. There are a few bicycle riders on these roads with no shoulders, relying on the civility and kindness of Bermudan drivers in tight situations. There are places where there are no sidewalks either - it looks as if the original road was just too narrow to allow them to be built now.

There are many roads we have not travelled, many interesting places we have not been yet. So we plan to be back, passing through again and pausing long enough to visit and enjoy Bermudan hospitality a little more.