Hurricane Bertha remains a major Category 3 storm, still tracking toward Bermuda.

As of dawn Tuesday, the storm was about 1,000 miles southeast of the island, which is a popular stop for northern mariners headed for more tropical spots. More than 1,000 yachts come through Bermuda each year, according to Bermuda Yacht Services.

April and May see traffic as vessels head north from the Caribbean. The busy season for southbound traffic is the fall. The 2008 Newport-Bermuda Race, a premier regatta, wrapped up on June 25, but plenty of folks like to stick around for a spell.

With maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, mariners need to pay attention. The National Weather Service’s “5-day cone” puts Bertha about 200 miles nearly due east of the island at 2 a.m. Saturday. It is still too early to tell, though the Weather Service expects the storm to weaken over the water during the next few days.

Bertha is the second named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Season, which officially started June 1. Tropical Storm Arthur got a jump on the calendar, though, starting in late May. It slammed into Belize, claiming at least five lives and causing an estimated $78 million in damage.

Check back later for a look at Bermuda’s prior hurricane experiences.