Touring Bermuda

St George's

The roads in Bermuda are narrow, you cannot hire a motor car and the only alternative is to rent a motorscooter. Dicing with death by renting a strange machine and driving on unfamiliar busy roads seems daft to us. Madder still if you place a beloved one on the back.

Better by far to hire a taxi and since the authorities strictly govern advertised rates, you cannot get ripped off. Cruise ship passengers beware, this safeguard does not apply to you if you buy your taxi tour on board the ship.

It pays to do your research before you spend $40 an hour. If like us, you find a guide who not only enjoys his job, but is himself a local historian then you are in for a treat.

Don’t just take our advice. Duke our guide for the day, comes highly recommended by users of the Web site Cruise Critic folks who seldom mince their words!

Duke took us all around the island visiting all nine parishes. Without him we would never have found the tiny chapel dating from before 1620 that is tucked away inside a park guarded by a property trust. Nor would we have known where to see spotted eagle rays and turtles.

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, a fort or two, the smallest drawbridge in the world and the picturesque village of Flats were all the subject of Duke’s informative tour. We drove through Tuckers Town and the pretty harbour of Castle Point and down into St George’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was here that we visited St Peters Church, an edifice that dates back to 1619. The oldest Anglican church outside the British Isles and the oldest Protestant church in continuous use in the new world.

St George’s is also a place to linger with museums, gift shops and historical artefacts on display throughout the town.

To get hold of Duke e mail him at bdashortz@hotmail.com or call his cell phone: +1-441-535-3465.

Four New SuperYacht Marinas for Bermuda

Front Street, Hamilton

Bermuda is just twenty-one square miles of land set some 700 miles off the East Coast of the USA. It has been a quick place for yachts to stop, take fuel, fill up with fresh provisions and the crew to enjoy the occasional Dark ‘n Stormy drink.

In the short time we have been here in Bermuda researching for an article for SuperYacht Business, we can see things are changing. We have uncovered information about several new marina developments, which could, in years to come, change the way sailors view these Sommers Isles.

No less than four new dockage schemes for Superyachts have been drawn to our attention.

The first, the subject of our previous blog, is a new enhancement to the existing facilities at St Georges run by Captain Mark Soares of Bermuda Yacht Services.

The second we heard about is an ambitious plan conceived by the Corporation of Hamilton. They have grand plans that involve reclamation of land and a new marina and superyacht dock in the heart of the capital.

The scheme could breath new life into the once vibrant city's waterfront where cruise liners used to dock. The new generation of huge passenger ships calling at Bermuda need the deeper water found off the West End of the island.

Their departure has not only left the docks seldom unused but has contributed to the slow decline of the shops on Front Street. Gone is Trimminghams that quintessentially Bermudan department store; gone are the horse drawn carriages; and gone are the policeman dressed in Bermuda shorts on point duty.

The city streets are comparatively quiet now that the click of the tourist camera has been transferred elsewhere. News that super yachts could soon take to the now desolate docks is going to be welcome news.

Visiting the West End and the dockyard at Somerset we learned they are also enthusiastic about welcoming large yachts. They too have a planned development that will see Superyachts being offered berths. A soon to be constructed dock will potentially have 15 spaces for yachts up to 70 metres.

After our conversations with local marina representatives had been reported in the Bermuda daily newspapers another group contacted us. They are planning a fourth SuperYacht marina. We will write more about Morgan’s Point Marina when we have visited the proposed site and met with the developers.

Stay tuned.

New Developments in St Georges, Bermuda

Mid ocean stopover it may be, catering solely to the needs of the transient yachts but there are now signs that Bermuda has set it's sights on becoming a SuperYacht destination in it's own right.

In St Georges, the official port of entry for all yachts entering and clearing Bermuda, Captain Mark Soares is leading the way, spearheading his mission of turning what was a sleepy backwater into a SuperYacht haven.

Having created Bermuda Yacht Services, he has set about turning what was a passenger ship terminal into private dockage for Superyachts. Facilities now permit the stern to docking of between four and five Superyachts there his friendly staff have created a crew lounge with free Internet services and a help desk that can assist any visiting yacht find what they need while they stay.

If they stay longer than it takes to bunker, then Soares and his team are delighted. Their enthusiasm is infectious and with minutes of talking to this local seafarer who has chosen to return home after years of sailing as Captain aboard yachts, you simple crave to take his advice and drop anchor in some of the islands more secretive coves.

Passionate about Bermuda, he has gone a stage further and has recently persuaded a team of developers to consider creating a purpose built SuperYacht marina inside St Georges. The project unveiled by the Mayor while we are visiting the island, will incorporate a small Boutique Hotel and also dockage for up to 100 smaller yachts.

At Tucker Point Hotel

Flying in a British Airways Boeing 777 that must be on the point of drawing it's pension we left Gatwick and landed on time in Bermuda.

If Superyachts were this old they would have been through several major refits. Cabin crew try and tell us it is just twelve years old but twenty might be nearer the mark.

A quaint video screen the size of a cigarette box and no winglets on the wings all point to an aircraft well past it's sell by date. It's even got ash trays in the armrests!

Anoraks can look it up, it's registration letters are G-VIIA! Still the important stuff, like the engines, all seemed in perfect order and that after all is what is really important.

From the airport in Bermuda were transferred by limousine to the Tucker Point Hotel, our hosts for the next two days. The hotel resort and residence complex is great deal more stylish and a lot cleaner than the battered 777. It is the height of luxury set in 200 acres of waterfront land, offering breathtaking views of Castle Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. Not that we play but it comes complete with it's own championship golf course.

Our room is superb, the view magnificent and the welcome warm. The huge bath cried out for a refreshing wallow and the bed definitely beckoned.

Tomorrow we begin work interviewing those in Bermuda involved in the SuperYacht industry. Our report will be published in issue 19 of SuperYacht Business magazine

Transport to and from the island from the has been graciously provided by Prestige Holidays on our press trip organised by Rooster PR the consultants to the Bermuda Tourist Authority who are our hosts

Bermuda Beckons

As part of our ongoing series of articles in which we feature the Flag States of the British Red Ensign Group we are off to Bermuda. We arrive tomorrow and will stay until the end of the week. Hotel Internet willing (and hopefully free) we plan to update our blog as we move around this superyacht hub in the Atlantic Ocean

While we are there, we will conduct in depth interviews with:

Bermuda Department of Tourism

Bermuda Radio

Bermuda Yacht Services

Department of Maritime Administration

Fairmont Southampton Hotel

Fairmont Hamilton Princess Marina

Meyer Agencies

Ocean Sails

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

Tucker’s Point Hotel and Spa

West End Development Corporation

Our report will be published in a future edition of SuperYacht Business magazine

In order that you get every issue please allow us to offer, completely free of charge your very own subscription: To get this go online and register at: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/syb/index.htm

Free Train Tickets from the Airport

We just received an email from METS, the Marine Equipment Trade Show at Amsterdam RAI. The exhibition centre is offering a free NS single return ticket between Schiphol Station and Amsterdam RAI Station.

It is also offering visitors a single NS [Dutch Railways] return ticket for only € 9.50, valid from any train station in the Netherlands.

The aim is to stimulate the use of public transport during tradeshows as part of the exhibition centre’s corporate social responsibility programme.

Why does this never happen in the UK?

ExCel London, NEC Birmingham and rail companies please note.