Day 7 Powder Hole Bermuda 81nm Part day

We eventually arrived in Bermuda at about 3am. The pilotage went very smoothly with Jim plotting our position on the chart and cross checking with the depth contours while I spotted for buoys and helmed. Justin got up to help us drop anchor, but after her 9-12 watch Louise had decided she'd prefer just to wake up in the morning in harbour.

We were woken by a large group of mad French people on a sail training boat who were diving and jumping into the water about 50 yards away to the cheers and jeers of their peers depending on the complexity and execution of their dive. I don't blame them as this is the nicest harbour water I have ever seen - very clear and lots of Sgt. Majors and other fish.

At about half past 8 we headed over to customs to check in and fill out the normal paperwork. We expected to pay $15 per head for entry but were told there had been a small increase of 166% and it was now $40. On leaving customs we ran into an old but apparently still current Bermudian custom which had attracted a crowd of tourists. They had a loud and angry woman tied in a chair suspended from a long wooden lever and four men were dunking her into the harbour on a regular basis spurred on by chanting from the tourists. It wasn't immediately apparent what she'd done but she was being encouraged to repent and seemed reluctant to do so. Next to this they had the stocks and whipping post so we will try to remain on our best behaviour while here.

We had a perfectly OK salad/sandwich lunch in the White Horse pub but we all agreed we have been eating better on board. We will try to find something a bit different tonight.

This afternoon we've been using the Yacht club facilities to do our email and laundry (and get a beer in the bar). In the last half hour or so Justin has made good enough friends with a pretty local girl here that she's let him go for a swim off her boat. I can't imagine why he got laid off from his job as he is one of the fastest workers I have ever seen. I've just discovered that Kim is putting this on the blog site each day and I've added some pictures.

Jim and I have been looking at the weather forecast and simply put it is very windy North and very calm South. Hopefully we can wend our way through the middle and get enough wind to sail without getting too knocked about. This leg is pretty critical as it is going to take us nearly two weeks and we can't forecast for the whole trip before leaving. Current conditions en-route are pretty nasty with 20ft seas and 50knot winds in places - not being a masochist I am planning to stay as far from this as we can and I use the en-route weather information we get every day from a professional forecaster and experienced round-the-world racing skipper via sat phone to do so. Fortunately the system is moving and there is nothing of this magnitude as yet forecast to follow it.

It will be great to have clean and completely dry sheets and clothes tonight. In the morning we are going to visit the maritime museum, pick up some provisions and then get ready to leave in the afternoon.