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After a 2
week layover in Bermuda
with 3 cold fronts whipping through we welcome aboard David, Valerie, Bob and
Sue for this long awaited North Atlantic crossing.
Sure enough, our departure got delayed by a day due to another front coming
through with high winds.
5 Days out from Bermuda
No Wind.... No Wind
and ....we are only 200 miles out from Bermuda
with 1500 miles to go to the Azores
and then another 1000 mi before reaching that magical Rock of Gibraltar
So.....
We went for a swim!
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Now we are 11 days underway and
we have not even hit the halfway mark to the Azores yet .....the sun is
shining, the air is cool but
where is that frrrr....ggg...xx...
WIND!
Day 15
The wind has come in short spurts....but never lasting more than 12hr at
a
time.
Finally ... only now are we just past the halfway mark to the Azores.
Tomorrow we
are going to turn the GPS off. From here on the crew is going to
navigate with sextants only. It will be their landfall.
"Horta or bust"
I am sure the beer in Peter Sport cafe will taste great after such a great
achievement.
 
 
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Day 21
"Yes" Hats of f to the crew!" Horta and the Azores..."on the nose"....the
perfect celestial landfall. Customs and immigration were very, very easy and
pleasant, only 7 euros per night for the marina....great showers and
laundry....food shopping and of course... Peter Sports Cafe beer was very
tasty. Then Sue decided we needed to leave our mark on the wall....according
to Azores maritime tradition.
Out from the bilges came the paint and our masterpiece was in progress!
We set sail from Horta only to encounter more of the
same....
No Wind.....No Wind.....No Wind!
We got to see many calm seas with some spectacular wildlife.
Large schools
of dolphins almost daily, many, many turtles, a Sei whale escorted us for a
thrilling 45 minutes or more, and we were constantly surrounded by beautiful jelly fish. |
Dolphins our brothers
Our daily distances run have been well
under 100m a day, even as low as 42m on one occasion.....patience ...patience.
Day 35
This day the wind finally arrived. From the NE. "Hard on the nose".
For the next three days then we were wet, cold, uncomfortable, seasick and
tired....but..... at least we were sailing!
Day 37
Finally it looked as though we had found a favorable wind.....but....it
turned out to be our last day
at sea. Under full spinnaker, with wind and current in our favor, we
blasted through the Straight of Gibraltar setting a new boat speed record of
11.9 knots with Val at the tiller! Yeah!!
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