A British couple said yesterday they were relieved to reach Bermuda this week after 36 hours of bailing water from their boat.Chris and Barbara Fawcett had set out from the Bahamas for the Island on their 44ft sloop Dream or Two six days ago, but a steady leak led to restless nights as the sailors worked to keep the boat afloat.“As fast as we would bail it, it was filling up,” Mr Fawcett said.“We had three days with only one and a half hours of sleep each. We were extremely tired.”A lifelong yachtsman and former sailing teacher, Mr Fawcett said he and his wife were around halfway to the Island when problems struck. The couple said they heard a bump onboard and checked to make sure the rigging was secure.A while later, Mr Fawcett said he went below deck and saw water on the floorboards.“I looked under the floor boards, and it was just full of water. This boat is usually quite dry, so I was a little worried.”The couple began to bail the boat, searching for where the leak was coming from, slowly narrowing down the possible sources. All the while, the ship was passing through strong winds and high waves, taking turns bailing and navigating their course.“We bailed for about half a day. We couldn’t see through the water until it was lower,” he said.“It took me two days to find it, and the whole time we were taking in water. We were bailing every half-hour and taking out 20 buckets of water.“It was taking 20 minutes to empty it and it would fill right back up again.”After checking the hull and the engine, Mr Fawcett realised that the leak was coming through the seal on the ship’s prop.“We had been moving into the wind to get here as soon as possible for obvious reasons,” he said.“As we got nearer to Bermuda the wind altered its direction enough so we could put up the sail and we were able to pick up some speed.”The ship arrived in St George’s on Monday evening, giving the couple a chance to catch a well-deserved rest.He said the incident was not the first time the couple had encountered difficulties crossing the Atlantic. On a previous trip, the boat experienced an engine fire. Luckily, he was able to extinguish the blaze before they were forced to abandon ship.He praised the work of Harbour Radio, who remained in constant contact with him and helped him navigate Bermuda’s reefs.He also thanked Herb Hilgenberg, a Canadian sailing enthusiast who provides ship-routing and weather forecasting service from his home, who not only helped him reach authorities, but steered him away from harsh weather.“I told him about the water coming in, and he contacted Bermuda Radio about our situation,” he said.He said he and his wife had originally intended to spend a week on the Island before leaving for the Azores, but now the duration of his stay will depend on how long it takes to repair his boat.