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Bermuda Is Calling

Bermuda is a great place to visit as a sailor.  Everyone you meet in port has arrived after a multi-day passage from far off places. A short Bermuda stop can break up the long passage into two shorter segments, and can allow for reprovisioning, refueling, rest and crew changes. There is a lot to explore and enjoy, so many end up staying longer than they expected. Vessels intending to stop in Bermuda will also benefit from a transit permit waiver by being part of the SDSA Caribbean Rally.  In Bermuda we plan to have several welcome social events, duty free fuel availability and a Captains briefing by Chris Parker.

We want to inform boats that choose Bermuda as a stopover of the following policies and precautions:

  1. For continued inclusion in the Rally; if you decide to stop in Bermuda, you will need to (i) have departed Hampton or Newport during the first favorable weather window (as determined by Chris Parker) after the Rally start date and (ii) depart Bermuda during the first favorable weather window (as determined by Chris Parker) after a 3-day stay in Bermuda. Of course you can depart earlier.  Please remember that our Shoreside Tracking and Emergency Support crews are all volunteers and thus a limited resource, so we strongly encourage the Bermuda boats to depart together.  Please understand that these policies are necessary to keep the fleet from spreading out too thinly, which makes fleet weather routing and shoreside tracking extremely difficult.   If you plan on an extended stay to enjoy more of the beauty of Bermuda, please understand that shoreside support, tracking and weather services may not be available to you.  In that, case we strongly encourage you to subscribe to Chris Parker's weather services on your own.

  1. Historically, during November, weather windows from Bermuda to Antigua may be sparse so you will need to prepare for that possibility.  Spring is actually a more favorable time, weather wise, to visit the Island and the Salty Dawgs include Bermuda as a stop on the Homeward Bound Rally as well as offer a separate Hampton to Bermuda rally in May.

  1. Consequences of an extended delay can include crew availability and arriving late in Antigua, after many of the welcome events.

  1. If you stop in Bermuda, you will fall short of the miles needed to qualify for the OCC and SDSA Ocean Class Status.