At 4am EST (5am Atlantic Time) today, I had a nice chat with Bermuda Radio. It was just after their regular weather broadcast.
They hailed Resolute on VHF 16, confirmed that I did not plan to stop in Bermuda (a good thing, since Im west of the islands, where there are no safe passages through the surrounding reef), then asked for my voyage details (port of departure, number of persons on board, next port of call and expected arrival date). All very cheerful and professional. Then, noticing that Resolute was already in a database they maintain, they asked me to confirm my safety equipment details. After updating my sat phone number, they wished me a happy Christmas in Antigua and encouraged me to stop in to Bermuda in the future. I told them that I might do so in the spring and would almost certainly do so in June.
As those of you whove dealt with Bermuda Radio will hopefully agree, they are invariably professional, cheerful, caring and safety-conscious. Their check-ins and vessel databases may seem unnecessary but, in the event of an issue, the information they track could be critical to locating or identifying a vessel in distress. So I have a lot of timeand respectfor them and their service to the seafaring community.
Always great that they are there…
glad that all is well. The sail into Antigua I would say should be no problem, especially since you can anchor and have Bravo deliver you to customs.
Best wishes, Gust