With winter in the Northeast fast approaching, Blue Pearl departed Oxford Maryland on a brisk but dying northwest wind.

The captain, Steve Stelmaszyk and crew of Dan Hoyt, Jerry Skoll and Selwyn Levitt were in good spirits, looking forward to a fast and safe passage to Bermuda albeit with a forecast of light winds for three days. They arrived in St. Georges, Bermuda on Tuesday night November 12th at approximately 2145 local time, with the northeast wind a steady 25 plus knots.

I, on the other hand, arrived on Thursday, after endless provisioning and driving back and forth for crew and supplies, aboard the 1545 Continental Airlines flight out of Newark. Yes, I took the easy route, but will be onboard for the Bermuda Antigua run, in early December hopefully without the equipment failure we suffered last year.

After an interesting summer in the North Country (Lake Placid, NY), it is exciting to begin a new cruising season with the local knowledge gained last year. Customs will be so much less challenging, unless of course the rules have changed, as they sometimes do in the Caribbean.

The weather here in Bermuda has been spectacular, 80s and sunny, a taste of the glorious Caribbean weather we will enjoy all winter.