Sailing to Bermuda

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Glossary of Terms

Phrase or Term	Definition or Explanation
00Z Weather Chart	These charts were obtained from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) web.  Each chart displays the NWS surface weather analysis for the area of the cruise.  00Z is the time of the chart data or midnight Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) also known as Universal Coordinated Time (UCT).  The "Z" or "Zulu" designation is a throw back to my time as a weather forecaster in the USAF (1965-1971).  The eastern time zone of our departure point is five hours behind GMT, four hours when allowing for day light savings time.  Therefore 00Z on June 26 corresponds to 8:00 PM or 20:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on June 25.  Therefore the 00Z charts each depict the weather conditions we were encountering shortly before sunset on date prior to that of the chart.  Bermuda is in a different time zone than the east of coast of the US and local time in Bermuda is one hour ahead of EDT.
Rhumb Line	The Rhumb Line is a course between two points of constant true heading.  When you sail the Rhumb Line between two points you set your compass course at the departure point steer straight to the destination.  Assuming you have accurately determined the magnetic deviation of your compass, the magnet variation of your cruise area (and assuming it doesn't change significantly the between the departure and the destination), the boat does not make significant leeway, and the ocean currents do not set you to one side or the other of your intended course you can set the autopilot on the Rhumb Line course and eventually your destination will appear over the bow.  Of course none of those assumptions are ever valid for an extended cruise, therefore the course will have to be periodically adjusted based on the conditions encountered.  However the Rhumb Line is still the preferred course for most small vessel navigators on trips of less than 1,000 nm.  It is not the shortest course to the destination (the Great Circle is the shortest), but it is easiest to determine and navigate.  One the conveniences of the Rhumb Line is that it can be drawn as a straight line between two points on a Mercator Projection chart.  The Rhumb Line course depicted on the weather charts is not accurate as these are not Mercator Projections, but it's close enough for web work.
SSB Radio	The Single Side Band (SSB) radio has become the standard for long distance communications for voyagers as well as shore-bound HAM Radio enthusiasts.  You don't need a HAM License to use a SSB Radio, but you do to use the HAM frequencies available on SSB.  We used both the HAM and non-HAM frequencies on our trip.  We used the HAM frequencies for email and for placing non-commercial telephone calls to the US and Bermuda.  We used the non-HAM frequencies to maintain contact with the various cruiser nets and organizations (e.g., Bermuda Harbor Radio) who were monitoring our voyage.
Dark and Stormy	The preferred tourist drink on Bermuda.  A mixture of Gosling's Dark Bermuda Rum and Ginger Beer.  It's sweet and potent (at least the way I pour one).  The rum improves your disposition and the ginger beer keeps your stomach settled (remember your mother giving you ginger ale when you were sick as a child?).  The combination makes for boisterous, but short party.

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