skyriding at 200 feet.

Ron Grasso, 29, popped the question to his amazed beloved Kirsten Cyr, 27, after a banner was unveiled on the boat with the words: "Kirsten will U Marry Me?'' Despite their two-and-half-year romance Miss Cyr said she had not been expecting the proposal, particularly while floating high above Dockyard in a chair suspended from a parachute.

She said: "I said yes of course but I was so surprised. I don't think it will sink in 'til tomorrow.'' Mr. Grasso said: "I pointed out the banner and then told her how beautiful she was. How much I loved her, and that I would like to spend the rest of my life with her.'' However, planning to tie the knot while traveling at a great deal of knots is not easy. Mr. Grasso said: "I was so scared when I took the ring out my pocket that I was going to drop it.'' And the sky-high proposal was not the only surprise romantic Mr. Grasso had planned that day.

He said: "We work together at a brokerage firm and we were driving in today as usual when I suddenly took the turning to the airport. That was the first time Kirsten knew we were going away.'' However, like all good romantic tales there are always stormy patches, literally in this case.

Mr. Grasso explained: "We came over here recently but there was a hurricane and we had to go home early. When I was planning a weekend away I asked Kirsten where in the world she would like to go and she said she'd like to come back here.'' He added: "I love it here in Bermuda. I've been to 15 islands and this is the best one. It's breathtakingly beautiful and the people are so friendly.'' They are also a bit quicker off the mark. The visiting couple were pipped to the post by a local couple, Timothy Sousa and Daneika Bean, who got engaged a few hours earlier on the same boat in the same way.

Jamie Harvey, part owner of the boat, said: "They were the first couple this season.'' Mr. Harvey hinted that agreeing to get hitched is not necessarily the most unusual thing that his customers do. He said: "Let's just say that we get a lot of unusual requests. We have had naked people up there.'' TOURISM TOU