Bermuda Departure

The crew enjoyed a final meal, on land, and are preparing for our ocean crossing. The GPS indicates 1,793 nautical miles to the harbour entrance for Horta on Maial Island in the Azore Islands of Portugal. The winds are currently northeast and our direction is east northeast.
*******
We have decided to conduct a contest among our followers. If you list yourself as a follower and log in to the comments section.
*******
You should list your first and last name as well as your home address. You may guess the estimated time of arrival at our waypoint. We will publish the finish time and date. We will list the winner and the crew will award a prize. Anyone can get involved. You have until Midnight May 22nd eastern daylight time. The entry should be in the comments section of this blog posting. We hope you can follow along and be the prize winner. The prize will be announced after our arrival.
********
It is currently 1pm, eastern daylight time and we anticipate leaving harbour within the next 2 hours. You can follow us on SPOT in the track us section. We purchased new batteries for the SPOT just in case. We must complete final loading and clear customs for departure.
*********
A clue for you. We left our slip in Conch Inn Harbour at 11:30am Wednesday for the 738 nautical mile trip to the Bermuda waypoint. We arrived at 5:30pm Monday.
*********
Good luck from the crew and best wishes to all

Bermuda day 7

The decision has been made. We leave tomorrow Monday May 18 for the Azores. We expect the trip of 1750 nautical miles to require 18 to 24 days. You will be able to watch our progress. We are excited about the next step. A very big step for us all. Young Ian turned 27 at midnight last night he is on the moped in Hamilton with Rose a Young lady form a nearby sailboat.*****I promised pictures of St George and these simply do not do it justice.***We all enjoy having John along. His experience and agility make him a valuable asset for the trip. His even disposition, joyful mood and willingness to do whatever is asked of him are respected by us all. He surprised Ian when during his down time a sail change was made. Johm popped up and began the work before Ian had walked to the bow. John enjoys telling us stories about his service in Vietnam and his sailing adventures on the great lakes.*******Tomorrow will be cast off day and although we have no planned departure time there are always a number of projects to be completed. Our course is about 60degrees on the compass but with winds coming from 20 to 40 degrees we will begin with a beat or windward path.****Best wishes to all The Crew of Evergreen:
Captain Brad Faber
Crewmen Ian Faber , John DeWyse, Suzanne Bickel, And Lisle Conly
Best wishes to you all

Bermuda Day 6

At last the wind shows signs of moving to the north. It appears the low is beginning to move. If it moves enough we will likely leave port on Monday. Time will tell.***Ian and Suzanne went diving off one of the Bermuda Reefs to a shipwreck. The wind however caused the wave action to stir the silt and sand limiting visibility. They enjoyed themselves but did not see as much as they had hoped. The local yacht club invited us to join them this evening for a grilled fresh fish dinner with dance and live music to follow. It begins at 6:30pm western Atlantic time or 5:30 eastern daylight savings time. We were told the fish is excellent and well worth the admission.***We are all anxious to leave for Horta soon and hope the weather will cooperate.***The picture is of St George Harbour from the south. Evergreen is parked against the sea wall to the left most side of the picture. It may require a maginifying glass. Hope you can pick us out.***Brad has been very diligent about keeping the boat in top condition with careful checks of the equipment on a regular basis. He truly enjoys sailing and wants us all to enjoy the trip and return safely. We have 4 EPIRB's aboard that send emergency radio signals, Single Side Band Radio and VHF Marine radio's as well as a 10 man life raft. Brad added both an electric and manual water maker as well as sufficient stores to carry us for a few days. He has both paper and electronic charts of the Islands of the Azores and its harbors. He has planned long and well for this trip.*** We have filled the water tanks with over 160 gallons and are carrying 80 gallons of fuel. We hope to make it to Horta within 18 to 21 days of departure.***Tomorrow I will send pictures of the town square in St George the former capital of Bermuda.***Best wishes to all from the Evergreen crew.

Bermuda Day 5

Once again we wake to clear skies and warm weather. The Island is surrounded by reefs that have taken many ships to their graves. The British heavily defended these Islands from the Americans,Spanish and Portuguese. The were used to assisted the south with a naval blockade during the civil war. The US aided their defense during the first and second world wars. Coal was shipped here to supply the British Navy as well as food and armaments. Not log ago a building destroyed by a hurricane was cleared away and coal from that civil war era was unearthed. There are several forts with cannon saved as historic sites throughout the island.***Local residents have gardens and grow vegetables and fruits for local consumption.***The Island is described by the museum director as a glorified sand dune. The limestone rock (calcium carbonate) and sandstone predominate.*** John DeWyse and Suzanne celebrated with the locals our second day here and now everywhere we go people call to them and ask how they are doing. They apparently celebrated long and hard at three different locations. John has been strangely quiet the last couple days.***The winds continue form the Northeast a most unusual and unfavorable situation.***There are over 30 boats waiting to travel from here to the Azores. The group is called ARC for Atlantic Rally Cruisers. They will leave Bermuda on Wednesday. Brad has decided we will leave with this group. We will be in communication with them as we cross. So Evergreen will have quite a bit of company.

Bermuda day 4

Well today was payoff for the time of arrival. The picture was taken by our waiter after dinner. The shirt, as you can see, is being worn proudly.******Ian had a great first night in port. He found someone his age and they went to the opposite end of the island for a party with employees of the cruise ships. He returned at 4:30 in the morning full of excitement about the nights events. He is much younger than the rest of the crew and manages well with all the older folks. He is agile and handles sail changes and the spinnaker very well. It is clear that he loves sailing and the adventure of going across the Atlantic. He told me about a sail change he was making when a wave took the boat from behind and the bow dropped 8 feet. He was suspended in the air momentarily then dropped to the deck. He landed on his feet and continued working however it was a heart in your throat experience. This happened on the trip down from Pensacola.*****We look forward to our departure next week, but the island is beautiful and worthy of the time to see it.***Ian and I visited some caves. The picture does not do it justice. Every where you go the ocean views are spectacular.***The roads are paved and the streets are clean. It is a very beautiful place with a great deal of history. Best wishes to you all

Bermuda May 13 day 3

Hello to all
We all rented mopeds to travel this British colony. The colony of Bermuda was established in 1609 and is thus over 400 years old. It is about 30 miles long with St George at the east end and the Royal Navy dock yard near the town of Somerset at the west end. In between is the largest city Hampton. Cruise ships dock at all three ports. One of the pictures with the mopeds was taken at the fort by the Royal Navy dock yard. One of the pictures show part of the crew looking at the Hampton Harbour. The third picture is of some of the homes on the island. The homes are brightly colored it was traditional to paint them with whale blood and red clay but today they use all the colors of the rainbow. The roofs are made of limestone and slate. They are painted white and all the rainwater runs to catch basins and cisterns in the homes. There are no potable wells or natural springs on the island. Rainwater is the principal source of drinking water for each home. The entire island is clean and well maintained. It is a stark contrast to the Bahamas. ****** Winds are still blowing from the east at 15+ thus holding off a bit is still a good idea.*****Both in the Bahamas and on Bermuda the money is equivalent to the US dollar. It is an even exchange.***Best wishes to our followers.

Bermuda Day 2

We woke to the sound of rain as the low pressure system is having its effects on Bermuda weather. We are on hold for the Azores trip until this low moves off a bit. One of the pleasant surprises on our Bahama to Bermuda trip were the evening meals prepared by Suzanne. She takes pride in her preparations and seasonings. The conditions for the meal preparation are less than ideal. You look at a tall pot on the stove and see it tilted in at 25 to 35 degrees and automatically reach out to stop it from falling however it is level the boat is heeling but your eyes deceive you. Suzanne would slide across the deck holding 3 things at once and manage to season and prepare excellent meals. Chicken, pasta, rice, beans and hearty meals for all with bread and vegetables hot off the stove. She does this while holding her required helm duties. Brad makes omelets that make a hearty breakfast and sandwiches, cheese and various foodstuffs are available thought the day. Today's picture is simply a view of what we saw for the last few days.

Bermuda

We have reached Bermuda and cleared customs. The crew is pleased to stop for a few days before setting off to Horta in the Azores. We did well with food supplies and water. As we neared the eastern end of Bermuda we were greeted by a school of porpoise. They ran alongside the boat and hovered near the bow for a few minutes. We are now staying at Pennows Wharf, St Georges Super Yacht Terminal, St Georges Harbour. The attached picture gives you the view from Evergreen. The crew each submitted the anticipated arrival time and it was placed in a sealed envelope. This Idea came from John DeWyse. The winner would receive a dinner and t-shirt from the others at trips end. We started at a bit after 11:30 on Wednesday and ended our journey at 5:30 pm on Monday. Lisle won within 90 minutes. You can also see the view from aboard for the last few days. Each day 1 or more flying fish landed on the deck. The sizes ranged from 2 to 8 inches in length. They can soar several feet above the waves and change direction in flight.
We tried fishing in 16,000 feet deep water and were greeted with a catch to big to haul in. The 50 pound test line snapped. Perhaps that was for the best. Will add more after a good days rest.

It has been a great day for warm weather and clear skies. The wind is steady from the southeast and that bodes well for our start tomorrow. Postings to this blog can only be done when we have a good internet connection. The spot device is turned on when we start moving and turned off when we stop. It is not however an internet connection. **** We are here for the third night tonight with Bermuda in our sites 7 to 10 days away. Ian and Suzanne went scuba diving on Monday with captain Keith scuba dive master. Keith grew up in Toronto and moved to Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island at the age of 17. He informed his divers that Abaco Island Reef was one of the most beautiful in the world with caves and fish of many sorts. Ian had such a good time that he signed on for a second dive today. We were lucky enough to locate Mr Burroughs who as a skilled technician made the repairs and allowed us to look forward to cold food. JD spent the day riding around the island on a rented bike while Brad and Lisle worked under the noonday sun. Suzanne and Lisle had a wonderful time shopping at the grocery to provide some since of quality in our food selection. We invited Captain Keith for dinner last night and he enjoyed the Mahi-Mahi salad. Her pronounced it excellent. We are staying at the Conch Inn and Marina where both Sun Sail and Moorings have rental desks. Hope these pictures let you know things are going well. We had the boat pumped dry and filled the water tanks. The cubbyholes are full of food and we have just enough room to get around. The weather looks promising so we wish you all well and look forward to contacts again in a few days.

What a beautiful day in paradise. We spent the last two nights here in Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island with plans to leave for Bermuda on Wednesday.

On Saturday May 2nd we left Nassau, New Providence Island, at 5:00am the wind was at 15 knots form the east and we were able to make 6 knots for the first 7 hours. The wind began to fall off and so we turned on the diesel. Suzanne suggested we begin to fish and set out a floating lure. As we approached Little Harbour, Abaco Island, the depth went form 12,900ft to 70ft and the line began to sing. JD pulled in the second line and we landed a 51 inch Mahi-Mahi. We had no weigh scale but guess the weight at 35 pounds.

We spent a pleasant evening anchored near Little Harbour. May 3rd we traveled north to Hope Town and then elected to go on to Marsh Harbour. We needed to replace the refrigerant in the cooler as it has no pressure and is keeping things cool but not cold. Marsh Harbour has an expert who is supposed to be here tomorrow morning and make things right. Hope you enjoy the attached picture we enjoyed the steaks.