Land Ho!
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| From Back across the atlantic |
Our last day at sea was remarkably pleasant , going to windward in 10 to 12 knots on a lovely sunny day. With 30 miles to go the wind dropped and once more blew directly from Horta so we reached for the ignition switch and motored in.
Horta is heaving. Last year 1300 boats passed through in this couple of months , and although it looks like the numbers are down somewhat , we are number 650 this year and it seems that most of the boats are still here , with more arriving every day. I would say that we have seen 3/4 of the boats elsewhere during our travels and are friendly with a good percentage of them so the social whirl is intense . In between the parties we spent the first 2 days doing some maintenance jobs and taking the steering apart yet again , although we are none the wiser for the experience! There was a window for a very light weather passage to the UK and for a while we were seriously considering putting to sea again immediately , but sanity returned and we have started to relax and enjoy this charming island.
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| From Back across the atlantic |
There is a tradition that every boat that passes through leaves a painting on the harbour wall. It is actively encouraged and is a fascinating record as well as a tribute to the artistic skills that exist amongst the yachties. The last time I was here we didn’t have time to leave our mark , but as you will see from the picture , Festina has joined the transatlantic club – at least until wind and weather erode the painting and another generation of sailors paint over the top.
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| From Back across the atlantic |
The whaling tradition of the islands continue , but translated into whale watching and we joined one of the small boats for a morning to try and pick up some tips. We learnt that our “fin whale “ sightings were in fact sperm whales , and in fact saw 7 more , enthralled by the iconic sight of their tail flukes pointing skywards as they slid under the waves. The local boats are supported by land based spotters who guided us to the whales , despite them being 5 or more miles from the observation posts. It was difficult enough to spot the spouts from even half a mile away so these guys must be incredibly skilful. It just goes to show that no matter how many books you might have – learning from someone with real experience is the only sure way to learn about anything.
The current plan is to sail to the island of Terceira , fly home briefly for Bryony’s graduation , then back for the last leg . First we have to survive our first attempt on a scooter for 35 years , which is todays adventure – but as long as that goes OK we will set out this evening for an overnight passage. One way or the other we will see you all soon.