yachts.

A spokesman at the St. George's Yacht Reporting Centre said the number of vessels this year was slightly behind 1992 -- 342 to 345 -- although "they're a lot bigger''.

The white-hulled giants have been stopping at the East End during re-positioning cruises for their owners.

This week five big vessels were berthed or at anchor in the harbour. The largest was the 155-foot Azzura which arrived on Saturday from Savannah and left on Tuesday.

Built in 1988 by a Florida-based entrepreneur, the steel-hulled ship is now owned by a Japanese businessman. She was ranked in 1992 as the 92nd largest yacht in the world.

Meyer Agencies represented three visiting yachts.

The first, the Bahamas-flagged Bonheur II , steamed in from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to her Penno's Wharf berth on Wednesday. The 130-foot vessel sailed on to the Azores on Sunday.

The 141-foot, Cayman-registered Easy to Love arrived on Sunday from Miami. She is scheduled to sail to Gibraltar.

Another Azores-bound yacht is the Battered Bull , a 120-foot craft that arrived last Thursday.

St. George's yesterday played host to the arrival of a sail cruise ship with 67 passengers aboard.

The 250-foot Le Ponant is en route to Guadeloupe to France where she will be dry-docked for regular maintenance and repairs. The ship is owned by a French company and sails regularly between the Leeward and Windward Islands.

In other shipping news, Bermuda's cruise ships continued to bring in bumper loads of visitors this week.

More than 5,500 passengers arrived aboard five vessels including the Regent Sun , on her second and last voyage to the Island this year.

Meyer Agencies represented the lion's share of ships. Chandris's Horizon arrived on Monday with 1,318 passengers followed by Kloster's Dreamward with 1,266. On Tuesday, Chandris's Meridian berthed at Dockyard with 985.

The Regent Sun was due to anchor yesterday morning at Grassy Bay. However, no passenger count was available at press time for the 816-passenger vessel.

John S. Darrell reported the Tuesday arrival of the Song of America with 1,409 passengers.

Bermuda's commercial docks were also busy this week. The Cyprus-flagged tanker Actinia discharged fuel at the Esso Pier at Ferry Reach on the weekend. The 577-foot vessel sailed back to Aruba on Monday.

Meyer Agencies also reported the Bermuda Islander in port on Monday with 55 dry containers and eight refrigerator containers. She sailed on Tuesday.

Container Ship Management said the Oleander was in port on Sunday with 143 dry containers, 45 refrigerator containers, four 40-foot platforms of cargo, two cars and a boat.

John S. Darrell was expecting the arrival of the cement carrier Espartana at Dockyard today. The ship is from Pertigalete, Venezuela.

Two US Navy cargo ships were at Murray's Anchorage yesterday preparing for berthing at the US Naval Air Station.

The Sgt. Matej Kocak and the Pfc. Eugene Obregon , both 821-feet, were in port to give their crews rest and relaxation.

EASY TO GET USED TO -- The 141-foot Cayman-registered yacht Easy to Love was in St. George's this week, one of five large private yachts to visit the East End.