Expert: Nan - 10/10/2007

Question
Hi there,

We will be cruising to Bermuda in early November and would like to snorkel from off shore.  We considered a tour company because we like the personal attention with an uncrowded boat.  But then in doing some internet surfing I read some people recommending renting out a small boat.  They said that this was okay for boating novices.

Do you have an opinion on the safety around the waters of Bermuda and do you have a companies that you would recommend?

Thanks for your time.

sandy

Answer
Hi Sandy!

Boy do I love to rent little Boston Whalers in Bermuda!  I can't recommend this type of fun enough.  And nobody's more of a novice than I am.  Well, maybe that's not true.  I've rented a Boston Whaler about three times in the last 6 years or so of our 20+ years of visiting Bermuda, so maybe I'm not that much of a novice anymore.  But, when we started renting, my only experience as a "captain" was that of a young girl on the Chesapeake Bay tooling around in a duck boat. I can't vouch for the water temperature in November -- a bit chilly -- but it's grand fun and you'll have a wonderful time seeing the islands from your own boat.  I recommend the folks at Robinson's Marina in Somerset where you can experience traveling under the world's smallest drawbridge -- it's only wide enough to let through the mast of a sailboat.  At Robinson's they'll show you everything you'll need to know about taking the boat out.  No worries!  As long as you pay careful attention to the instructions.  As in any water sports, be aware of your surroundings and be mindful of your location.  You'll do just fine.  Enjoy!

Nan