With a handful of close friends waving them farewell and a safe journey the Russian Bondarenko family sailed through Town Cut yesterday afternoon to resume their 14-year odyssey on the high seas.

They are now heading for the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

In the end the family-of-four met a departure date which had been agreed a week ago between Vitaly Bondarenko and Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton.

There was an expectation the family would stay until today before setting sail as Minister Horton had shown further flexibility to allow the Bondorenkos to wait until the weather had cleared to assure a safe journey.

But in calm conditions the family sailed their 37ft long yacht through St. George?s harbour Town Cut at around 2.45 p.m. and bade farewell to their friends and the people of Bermuda who had given them support during their seven month stay on the Island. The Bondarenkos arrived on the Island last summer while awaiting the outcome of an immigration issue to settle permanently in Canada. When their visas were granted in October it was too dangerous for them to sail to their new home in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia during the final fling of 2005?s record-breaking North Atlantic hurricane season. Subsequent bad weather has prevented them heading north ever since.

Although the family would have preferred to sail directly to their new home in Canada, where they have accommodation and work lined up and many friends and supporters, they decided against attempting a perilous mid-winter six-day passage to Nova Scotia and are now aiming to reach the Turks and Caicos Islands with the assistance of a high pressure system to the south of Bermuda.

It is expected the journey will take five-and-a-half days and the family will see out the remainder of the winter there before finally sailing north to Canada in April.

The Bondarenkos may visit Bermuda briefly on their eventual trek to Lunenburg.

One of those who watched the family depart through Town Cut was Mayor E. Michael Jones, who said: ?I spoke to them before they left and they said they would like me to pass on to the people of Bermuda, the Government and the Governor their appreciation for everything that we have done for them. They said Bermuda has been one of the friendliest places that they have visited during the past 14 years.?

Mr. Jones said the family had also expressed a wish that people would respect their right to privacy and allow them to quietly continue with their lives. He added: ?The family would have preferred to have stayed but felt the time had come to move on and they have left on friendly terms.?