Five months ago, the Spirit of Bermuda made a detour through Two Rock Passage into Hamilton Harbour so that Bermuda artist Lisa Rego could paint the ship for the first time.

On Saturday, the ship returned to Hamilton Harbour from Tenerife, Spain, and the painting is finished, and on its way back to Bermuda from New York.

"I had a friend who had a boat, so we were there waiting," said Ms Rego. "As soon as I saw it come out from behind the island, I began to see the incredible beauty of the reflection on the water.

"I had previously painted a Bermuda sloop boat, and I was looking for a secondary painting to pair with it. Something depicting the natural beauty of Bermuda."

After a few false starts, the painting was finished, and while the original is being transported back from New York where it was scanned for the purpose of creating replicas for sale, one of the replicas is on display at the Lisa-Anne Rego Gallery, in the Clocktower Mall in Dockyard.

The original, along with a limited number of anniversary edition replicas, should be arriving in about a week. A bit too late to catch the return of its inspiration, but according to Ms Rego, quality was more important than timeliness.

"I managed to get it on the wall only three days ago," said Ms. Rego. "I think it conveys this feeling of arrival. We've arrived, we've made it."