Another day of wind and rain here (the noise of rain is drowning out the music of the radio), with promises of it abating tomorrow. However, the weather is still the big issue here, as Tropical Storm Paloma is interfering with the plans of many who look for a window to the Caribbean and as the storm could possibly head towards Bermuda itself. We have decided that the short 300 metres to the dock isn't worth the soaking, and we'll have another day aboard.
Tuesday, Dawn and I hiked up the tallest hill in St. George, to Fort George, now rebuilt with Bermuda Radio as it's tenant. The view was spectacular, and it boasted two 11" bore canon in the best shape on the island. The view assists the people of Bermuda Radio to control traffic to, from, and around the island and its reef system. The promontory is covered with antennae and radar systems. We often turn on our VHF just to hear traffic information. They quizz boats coming to Bermuda about their
safety gear, ports of call, etc., and also quizz any boat that comes within ~50 miles of the island and reef, even if they do not intend to stop in.
Our reason for being there was not just the hike nor was it limited to that and the view. We were asked by the Mississauga Maritime Ham Net (MMN)to investigate the disappearance of a single-hander. Jakob Fenger, an Icelandic man of 56 years of age, was last heard from near Bermuda on an Iridium phone on June 3rd of this year. He was sailing his 35' white sloop "Dyscotia" supposedly towards Newfoundland, when all knowledge of him ended. Even the phone service provider said all contact with the
phone ended soon after that last call. His family has been communicating with the cruising community and its service groups since then, attempting to track him down. My inquiry proved fruitless, and Bermuda Radio said that Canadian officials had already made the appropriate inquiries with them. What happened? I have no idea. At present, I have no information on his last port of call, on his last location, or the weather in the area at the time of the disappearance. A theory suggested by a member
of the MMN is that he could have hit a containor recently knocked off the many ships in the Atlantic, and went down before he could save himself or respond.
Could that happen to us? Less likely, as Cat Tales would stay afloat after such a collision, and we should be able to set off our EPIRB and arrange a rescue. Even if the boat became uninhabitable, we could sit in the liferaft (not the dinghy) with the EPIRB continuing to direct rescue efforts to our location. I still intend to get to Customs and Immigration, and ask if the boat had recently been in the vicinity.
Another mystery is intriguing us, as well, and we hope to investigate it when we get some internet service ashore. Bermuda Radio broadcast to mariners that there was an abandoned trimaran between here and the New England area, and provided the last known lat. and long. No information has been provided regarding the fate of the passengers, or the final fate of the trimaran. Anybody want to do a search? The calamity must have happened within the last 7 days.
Well, I ought to do some wiring - I can stay dry doing that, and the bouncing no longer affects my stomach.
Laurie (& Dawn)
