Late last summer a few friends and I decided that we would hire a charter boat for a trip out to Western Blue Cut for some snorkelling and plain old good times. We hired the boat that the son of a friend of ours charters for tourists 'The Hat Trick', a 32foot trimaran which is perfect for a sail out to 'The Cut'. The Western Blue Cut is a gap in the barrier reef that surrounds Bermuda and was one of two safe passages through the reef into Bermuda. This Reef has claimed over a hundred boats since the 1500's and is a maze of coral heads just waiting to rip the bottom out of ships that are captained by the unwary.
We started our day by having brunch on the deck of a beautiful 56' canoe hulled ketch 'Great Bear' that our friends Anna and Glenn had built themselves over the course of 6 long years of scrimping, saving and sacrificing to build their dream of a liveaboard boat/home in Bermuda. Anna and Glenn are both photographers by training and boat builders and carpenters out of love of the trade; Anna made a career of shooting pics of rockstars and Glenn was a magazine photohound. Wonderful people and my good fortune to be able to call them friends. My wife Susan and I shared the table with Jill and her son Josh, a Bermudian heiress and her son who is a lawyer in London, England. Jill is a hoot to be around, a rapier wit, a heart of gold, a mouth like a drill seargent and the teller of some of the most hilarious jokes (and perhaps the dirtiest) that you are likely to hear from a millionairess who hob knobs with Royals on the fox-hunting circuit in jolly old England.
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Captain Keith and his lovely wife Beth picked us up from 'Great Bear' and we sailed out of Mangrove Bay and through Hog Fish Cut towards our destination. The sea was at peace as we ghosted along under full sail enjoying the panoramic views and a few frosty beverages, even the prison at Westgate looked pretty today.
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It didn't take long for my Princess to settle into the netting at the bow as we glided through the calm seas, the water was surreal and there was barely a ripple as the triple hulls cut the clear water.
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As we neared The Cut the party was really warming up with the assistance of liberal amounts of Black Seal Rum. Hartley was along and telling tall tales as usual, a real character that lad, 60 years old and never left puberty and I hope he never does. Anna and Glenn (in the foreground) were encouraging Hartley to be outrageous, as usual.
Always a smile and a warm hello from Hartley who like a lot of old family Bermudians is living off of his trust fund, as a recovering workaholic myself I don't know how he does it but it works for him so more power to him.
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Captain Keith who sails professionally guided us into a safe anchorage right in the middle of the cut, while his bellydancer wife (right corner having a ciggy) got the gear ready for our undersea adventure.
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The first fish to greet us were a school of Seargent Majors, looking for a handout, bold as brass, these fish are always a pleasure to see.
[attachment 59721 P9240054.JPG]
We started our day by having brunch on the deck of a beautiful 56' canoe hulled ketch 'Great Bear' that our friends Anna and Glenn had built themselves over the course of 6 long years of scrimping, saving and sacrificing to build their dream of a liveaboard boat/home in Bermuda. Anna and Glenn are both photographers by training and boat builders and carpenters out of love of the trade; Anna made a career of shooting pics of rockstars and Glenn was a magazine photohound. Wonderful people and my good fortune to be able to call them friends. My wife Susan and I shared the table with Jill and her son Josh, a Bermudian heiress and her son who is a lawyer in London, England. Jill is a hoot to be around, a rapier wit, a heart of gold, a mouth like a drill seargent and the teller of some of the most hilarious jokes (and perhaps the dirtiest) that you are likely to hear from a millionairess who hob knobs with Royals on the fox-hunting circuit in jolly old England.
[attachment 59716 P9240001-1.JPG]
Captain Keith and his lovely wife Beth picked us up from 'Great Bear' and we sailed out of Mangrove Bay and through Hog Fish Cut towards our destination. The sea was at peace as we ghosted along under full sail enjoying the panoramic views and a few frosty beverages, even the prison at Westgate looked pretty today.
[attachment 59717 P9240006.JPG]
It didn't take long for my Princess to settle into the netting at the bow as we glided through the calm seas, the water was surreal and there was barely a ripple as the triple hulls cut the clear water.
[attachment 59718 P9240005.JPG]
As we neared The Cut the party was really warming up with the assistance of liberal amounts of Black Seal Rum. Hartley was along and telling tall tales as usual, a real character that lad, 60 years old and never left puberty and I hope he never does. Anna and Glenn (in the foreground) were encouraging Hartley to be outrageous, as usual.
Always a smile and a warm hello from Hartley who like a lot of old family Bermudians is living off of his trust fund, as a recovering workaholic myself I don't know how he does it but it works for him so more power to him.[attachment 59719 P9240012.JPG]
Captain Keith who sails professionally guided us into a safe anchorage right in the middle of the cut, while his bellydancer wife (right corner having a ciggy) got the gear ready for our undersea adventure.
[attachment 59720 P9240067.JPG]
The first fish to greet us were a school of Seargent Majors, looking for a handout, bold as brass, these fish are always a pleasure to see.
[attachment 59721 P9240054.JPG]
So I guess that makes me envious of you because if I come back to Canada to live, I'm headed for the west coast. I really miss the mountains and the ocean.