Castles Made of Sand

With nine different beaches there is enough sand to build a sand castle as big as you can imagine at 9 Beaches!

Eleven year old Jake Stattel from Coopersberg, PA found this large sand castle on Windward Beach that was built last Wednesday by some other kids.

Jake said, “it is like a Coliseum and also has a walled city with tunnels, a gate and bridges.” He had to repair the outer wall that was washed away when the tide came in.

Jake and his mother and grandmother were at 9 Beaches last Monday when Tropical Storm Bertha passed by, but everyone returned to enjoying the beaches the very next day.

Tropical Storm Bertha Update

Tropical Storm Bertha was a hurricane just a few hours before it passed within 100 miles of Bermuda on Monday but was still packing some pretty serious winds.

Thank you for your calls and emails of concern for us at 9 Beaches. I'm happy to report Bertha left no serious damage!

Our cabanas are made of very strong sail cloth and aluminum and are surprisingly sturdy structures having withstood hurricanes in the past. All of our departments have an excellent preparedness plan, and we have a second generator just in case.

Here is a photo of Paradise Pier on Monday when the storm was here.

Our guests had a great time despite the weather. It certainly made for a vacation they’ll never forget!

If you stayed at 9 Beaches during Tropical Storm Bertha, share you stories with us!

Fantasea Instructors

When you schedule your water sports tours, Snuba or Scuba classes with Fantasea, your instructor will be either Steve (left) or Eric (right).

Both Fantasea instructors are professionally trained and have lovely accents – Steve is from South Africa and Eric is from France.

Fantasea is located next to Dark ‘n Stormy’s Beach Bar and Grill and is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. You can take guided tours on pedal bikes around Somerset, Kayak tours and snorkeling tours directly from the beach. You also can take a Learn to Scuba course (tons of fun!) and earn a certificate, or take a full PADI Open Water Diver course.

Be sure to stop by Fantasea Water Sports when you visit 9 Beaches. Steve and Eric will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

What have your experiences been with Steve and Eric and Fantasea’s water sports? Share them with us!

Newport to Bermuda Sailors Relax at 9 Beaches

Every other year, hundreds of yachts participate in the Newport to Bermuda Yacht Race. The course begins in Newport, Rhode Island and takes sailors 635 miles into the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda.

Navigators must stay alert as they dodge the coral reefs that extend for miles from the north of the main island. The yachts passed right by 9 Beaches as they neared their destination – what a beautiful sight to see.

A J44 sailboat, Resolute, arrived in Bermuda on June 25 with a crew of 10. Crew members were Josh Ledwith, Fred Madeira (owner and skipper), John Madeira (Fred's son), Tim Hussey (navigator), Philip Hussey (Tim's son), Jon Hussey (Tim's brother), Tom Hussey (Tim's cousin), David Williams, Geoff Emmanual and Gary Robinson.

Only David Williams and Geoff Emmanuel had previously participated in the race, 26 years ago! The rest of the crew enjoyed sailing the Newport to Bermuda Race for the first time.

To relax after the long trip, the group of 10 friends and family (many have known each other for 41 years) treated themselves to a vacation at 9 Beaches. Tim said "the nicest thing about this race is ending in Bermuda. We really enjoyed relaxing together after an intense crossing."

Have you ever sailed the Newport to Bermuda race? We’d love to hear your stories.