Royal Gazette – September 27th

Spirit of Bermuda enters calmer waters on maiden voyage
By Jannell K. Dill

The Spirit of Bermuda has almost reached the midway point of her maiden voyage with the crew spending most of yesterday crossing the unpredictable waters of the Gulf Stream.

The Spirit of Bermuda has almost reached the midway point of her maiden voyage with the crew spending most of yesterday crossing the unpredictable waters of the Gulf Stream.

Alan Burland, chairman of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation (BFS), said: “The waters in the Gulf Stream were relatively calm, which was a good thing because it can be a rough and unpredictable body of water.”

Mr. Burland said the rough seas that caused hardship for the sailors at the start of the journey had given way to calmer water, light winds and clearer skies.

Crew member, Carola Cooper, said the better conditions gave many crew members a chance to recover from the sea-sickness that affected a large percentage of those onboard. Ms Cooper, who is one of only two women on board the sloop, added: “A lot of people were sea-sick and we had a casualty corner with people hanging out over the side of the boat not feeling well. Most people seem to have bounced back.”

Bermudian Ms Cooper, 30, is no stranger to sailing and has been primarily occupied with responsibility for trimming the sails.

“I’ve also been keeping watch out for other ships, helping to clean the ship and also taking turns in charge of the galley,” she explained.

“Everyone is having a great time together,” said Ms Cooper, a former sailing director at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, which she joined when she was ten years old.
Of her experience she said: “I was not sure what to expect before I came on board. It has been awesome and I have learned so much about traditional sailing and the history of why we do things we do today.”

Chief Officer Sarah Robinson said her job kept her on the go. “You pretty much look after the day-to-day running of the ship - you get the crew up in the morning and you tuck them in at night.”

Other members of the crew have described their experience onboard the ship as “fantastic” and “mind blowing”.

Stuart Krindler, 25, said: “We have one of the finest most diverse crews, old, young, black, white and everything in between. The way in which everyone is so understanding and helpful to each other – especially me – is nothing less than beautiful.

“That’s what this project is about, it is not just a ship but a vehicle for love, teamwork and constructive mentorship.”

Zander Kirkland, 23, speaking about his first night at sea said, “It was a beautiful night out there with the stars and the huge Bermudian flag whipping from the mizzen mast. It was hard not to think about the Bermudians from another era who developed these fast ships.”
Since the weather improved the crew has been treated to the sight of humpback whales breaching the water nearby and the companionship of a pod of dolphins.

Eighteen-year-old Rockal Evans said: “Today we spotted, maybe about five humpback whales. That was an eye opener for a lot of us.”

The Spirit of Bermuda is scheduled to reach the Bermuda area on Thursday and will be welcomed back to the Island on Saturday.