Pic: Comocean headed out to sea (shot by JoAnne from shore)
Author: Toby Hynes

Comocean left the St. George's Dingy and Sports Club at 7:40 A.M. after three-four great days in Bermuda. Yesterday, we bus and boat toured the island in 35 knot breezes and occasional downpours (squalls), we thanked ourselves for pushing our start back one day.

While in Bermuda we all got to know Ed and Mary Roland, staying at Aunt Neas Bed and Breakfast, and Bob Fields, who arrived a day later at the Grotto. We all shared great meals together including a lunch in Hamilton, a dinner at Wahoo's in St. George's, and dinner at Griffins. There were plenty of trips to Dingy Club to party with the other Atlantic Cup boats, and get two skippers meetings to discuss weather and routing through the Gulf Stream. Both have great sailing backgrounds: Ed, USCG, sailing on the USCG training bark Eagle and doing the Newport to Bermuda race. Bob has a Sabre 42, races on the great lakes extensively and with his wife Jacky, even honeymooned on a Tartan 28. (think about that Joanne!).

We got to know the Dingy club folks very well. They served us lunches, a fish fry dinner, plenty of beers, hosted a Gosling Rum Tasting. We met their Commodore Frank, Vice Commodore Chris and Heidi, the Rear Commodore. We went for coffee at the ESSO station below the St. Georges Club we stayed at, and their's Frank, pumping gas. It's his wife station. They were GREAT people to get to know.

We have arranged to sail back with S/V Surprise, a 44 Little Harbor. Their destination, the north tip of Connecticut. Norm will conduct a daily SSB communication with them at 8:00 A.M. and 6:30 PM nightly. Charles and Cathy Hodge are a really great couple we have gotten to know. Cathy was a nurse, but has moved her practice to the engine room. We last saw her when we went on board yesterday, elbows into the engine, replacing the water pump. She proudly showed us the old pump and her diagnosis of the problem. WHAT A WOMAN! Charles skippers and manages the SSB Radio calls. Tony, their crew, teaches sailing and is an Annapolis Nuclear Sub program graduate.

Well, it's 1:30m on this first day as I write this. Ed is learning the finer points of ballet, as he tries to manage his way from the cockpit to the head. Bob, who started his patch a half day too late is showing better signs of life. I plugged him into one of our miracle, electric sea sickness watches. It shoots a small current through your wrist, and distracts you from thinking about seasickness. That, or the patch he put on at 9:00 worked. By the time he had turned the watch up to the 5 scale, he cried uncle and gave the watch up.

As we departed the fuel dock this morning, Joanne, Sue, John, Mary and Joel waved goodbye. Jacky, we are sorry you weren't able to enjoy Bermuda with us. We all pledged to come back in May of next year.