Faial, Azores 2017

working on our mural

Faial

An overnight passage took us to Horta, Faial.  Approximately 13 x 18 km.  It is the usually stop for most cruisers. A large, well protected harbor.  Repairs to yachts can be secured, refusing for boats and bodies.  Provisions accessible and very affordable.  It is a busy and popular stop for cruisers, the marina although large, not large enough.  most boats have to raft off each other, the drew climbing on and over each otter's boats to get to the sea wall.  When one boat wants to leave, they notify (hopely) the other boat(s) and make a plan for departure.  The remaining crew / boats reposition to best suit them so as now to have to jockey the boats more than necessary.  Or, anchor in the harbor and dinghy in… 

Here we would meet up with the cruising flotilla from St. Martin.  All having tales to tell of woe and wonder.  All boats made it safely across.  Passage times varied from 18 days to nearly 4 weeks.  One boat had to sit out the front, hove to, in 40+ knot winds for a day.  They deployed a drogue (sea anchor), a kind of parachute net, used to keep the boat steady in heavy wind and seas.  After the blow, it took over 2 hours of heavy pulling to retrieve it… Another boat ran from the front, 500 miles south.  They successfully avoided the winds but added many miles and days to the trip.  We gathered at one of the fine restaurants for drinks and dinner, sea food and steaks with local wine.  As the evening and stories came to a close we were entertained by a trio playing traditional music known as Fado, emotional and mournful in style.  

Horta is a fairly modern city.  The marina, famous for it’s wall murals painted by the crews of boats calling to port before continuing on north and east.  A decades long tradition, sailors select a spot on the wall to leave their image, boat / name, year of passage.   Some very elaborate and colorful, some simple and to the point. 

 We found our “Blue Star’ image painted in 2004 still clinging to the wall… just barely.  Our own Inishnee image found a suitable spot and will stay until time wears it away or another crew commandeer it’s space.  

'Blue Star" mural from 2004
lower right corner

Alex had only a few days left before returning to his much missed family so we toured the island putting in a full day.  The weather was damp and cloudy, lower altitudes providing limited visibility, mountain tops shouldered in fog and rain.  Circling the island counter clockwise we visited many sea side villages all with a ‘port’ of some sort.   The terrain being very rough forced the inhabitants to be inventive, the port  of at the bottom long steep roads.  A a hoist at the sea shore for lifting boats in and out daily, many harbors too rough for long term storage afloat.  Often these jetties were around the lava flows which created natural pools…swimming / bathing made safe from the surge.  Often these areas were altered with concrete and steel to form large, more protected swimming  pools for the few short summer months where the water is at best, tolerable.

We had a long stop at the volcano Cabeco Verde.  In 1957 the volcano began erupting forcing the inhabitants of the area, lighthouse and whaling station to evacuate.  Today the upper story of the lighthouse and its tower are all that remain, the rest buried beneath many acres of new earth… Alex though it was quite funny he could say that his dad was actually older than dirt… Small traces of roof tile and stone are visible scattered about the area where the whaling station community was.  Some excavation has taken place.  A new museum has been built into and under the volcanic sediment, a short video with footage of the eruption and the history of the area are featured.   

Da Caldera e Capelinhos

Lunch was spent at the sea side resort ton of Ponta do Varadururo.  Sea views, good food and wine.  

Next we drove the the top of Da Caldeira e Capelinhos, an extinct volcano.  The views completely lost in the clouds.  Fortunately we would get another chance in a few days…

Alex left for home and we began the task of laundry and general cleaning. enjoying a break in the weather as it slowly creeping into summer weather and sunshine.  

We toured the Scrimshaw Museum, part of the Peter’s Cafe Sport complex… Hundreds of whale bones and teeth on display.  Grouped by genre: sailing, whaling, famous persons, religious, and family images.  The earlier pieces were unmarketable, made by the whalers who were passing the time and learning the art using crude tools such as jackknives and nails.  As more supplies became available and tools refined the art works became increasingly complex.  Images were carved into nearly any hard surface the whale could provide including the inner ear  bones…  Cafe Sport is known to any and ALL sailors who pass through Faila.  The owner, Jose, was a friend to all and enjoyed hosting the passing sailors while in port.  The bar providing food and drink as well as a place to share a few sea tales. 

interior Cafe Sport

The name Peter Cafe Sport came about when someone mistakenly called Jose Peter… because he looked like his son of that name… the mistake was repeated often and the name stuck. today, the entire block appeared to be owned /operated by the Cafe Sport Company: bar and restaurant with outdoor patio, a gift store (of course), a travel, tour and whale watching company too.  And the scrimshaw museum.  

Rob and Joisen

Our friends Rob and Joisen aboard s/v Inish asked us to tour the island with them.  The day was warm and sunny making for great vistas at all altitudes including the caldera and many miradoruro’s atop the mountains.  Several of the areas windmills have been restored for historical purposes though non functioning.  We found some new bays and interesting side roads leading to ports and villages.  

Pico 

picture curtesy of crew Inish

As we ventured about our paths crossed with rally race course drivers.  The souped up Ford Fiesta type cars converge several times a summer to compete in off road racing.  A local dirt track or remote gravel roads, temporarily closed to the public. 

Many fine meals were eaten including Cafe Sport (really good octopus salad) and Canto do Doca… the hot rocks place.  Your oder is taken, seafood or carne or a combination.  Wine or another beverage served while you wait for your rock… you personal, very hot (500’ F) volcanic lava stone placed infant of you and your meat selection on the side… following instructs (NO oil, butter or salt on the HOT stone! your skin will not like you after being scalded) you grill your own meal at your leisure.  

the finished mural

Horta from the waterfront

a diver recovering Jim's glasses

Sipping and chatting and enjoying the heat from the stone on a cold evening… or sweating it out on a hot day.  Jim and Kathy choose the combo tuna, swordfish and squid, chicken, beef and pork.  French fries and salad for sides, prepared prior to serving. 

swing pool
Azorean style 

(former) whale boat
practicing for an up coming race

Pico
Steve Job's boat
mural wall of Horta

Passage: St. Martin -Flores, Azores 2017

May 20 - June 7

St Marin, Caribbean to Flores, Azores

3 Crew, Jim, Kathy and Alex

2,468 miles in a straight line, over a curved globe, which of course is impossible to accomplish in a sailing vessel.

ETA: Hope for 3 (weeks), plan for 4

The morning of departure sent Jim and Alex to the customs office to check out while Kathy posted the blog unsuccessfully… 

All paperwork in place and back on board, the final preparations were underway.  Stow the motor on the aft rail, hoist and secure the dinghy to the fore deck.  Secure possible projectiles in the cabin and wait for the 10:30 am bridge opening.  With a bit of Jameson, we christened the voyage, Poseidon and Neptune and of course Inishnnee.  

We had plenty of company for our exodus; a 3 masted classic sailing yacht, several sailing vessels in our size category and one beamy trimaran (Anastrada) that grazed the sides of the bridge retaining walls as it squeezed its way through through.  We could hear their fenders groaning under the pressure from the hull and the cement embankment as it forced its way out.  

one of the 18 sunrises 

Once in the open waters of Simpson Bay, we turned into the wind and hauled the sails up, came about and headed around the island to our projected rhumb line.  Dolphins sprang up in our bow wake as we pass through the last of the island chain.  Alex was quick to make it to the bow with his new GoPro, unfortunately the camera recorded nothing in the sleep mode… Later a large turtle was spotted, possibly a hawksbill.  

The clocks were reset to UTC time zone, which coincides with the Azores.  Watches were assigned: Jim 1200-0400, Alex 04000- 0800, Kathy 0800- 1200.  Our personal weather router, Dave Witford from Grand Rapids (GR), MI would help us along the way. In another life, Dave was the TV weather man for GR.  We sent him daily position reports while on passage, he would plot our course and give suggestions to find the wind or in some cases avoid it… We communicate through our newly purchased IridiumGo; using satellites, it becomes a hot spot for our devices and allows communication via email, messaging and if you are very patient (it’s a slow connection) even phone calls.  We used it primarily to download weather forecasts.  

The first few days of the trip were warm and pleasant and only a few mishaps, the shower took a good hit of sea water through an open hatch being used for ventilation, once discovered it was closed.  

The water maker refused to work for more than 2 minutes without tripping the breaker.  Jim and Alex spent a day scratching their collective heads for a solution.  The very sensitive breaker was bypassed routing it directly to the fuse.  Problem solved.  

“Chris’, the steering mechanism began to squeak, then groan. Jim crawled down in its compartment and tighten the cable.  Fingers crossed it continues to work.

plotting our course

Daily call-in to the ‘net’,  organized prior to departing St. Martin.  6 boats participating.  Ally of Sv Blue Heeler the net controller.  Several boats departed 6-7 dos prier to us, we left with 2 others.  The purpose of the net is to record vessel positions and assist if possible.  Because each boat and crew are vastly different; size, age and temperament, the course taken broadens with each mile.  Within a day were had all lost sight of each other and would  not meet up again till landfall.  

We settled into routines as more and more water passed under the keel.  Winds steady at 15 knots, with one 2 hour lull where the engine was employed.  Daily visits from dolphins. Dinners together, usually lunches too.  Breakfast on our own.   Naps as needed.  Plucking seaweed from the fishing line.  Staying hydrated and out of the sun.  Tweaking sails, monitoring our progress, making water, cooking eating, 

Night watches alone with your thoughts.   Lifejackets and tethers for safety.  Staring our to sea, gazing at stars.  A few flying fish made it on board, always discovered too late for rescue.  A remarkably small amount of trash was spotted; in general all plastic.  

As week one drew to a close, night time watches required increasingly more layers.  Kathy the first to bring out the hat and sweaters.  

Berd

Berd (with and e) stayed with us for over a week.  Swooping down and soaring by.  Sometimes landing abeam of the bow and resting till we would get nearly out of sight then with a stretch of his winds he would lift off and repeat the swooping, soaring and resting… then one day, no more  Berd.  

Time was marked by opening new bags of food, having been package with one week menus.  The weeks worth of new snack ratios filled the bin by the companionway, easy, quick pick me ups.  Half way day was celebrated twice.  May 28 and mile 1,234… we had a quick toast but the boat motion was too uncomfortable so our celebration dinner would have to wait.  For nearly 24 hours, the boat took on the worst motion we have experienced in our 2 years of cruising.  No storm just very confused seas following the wind shift.  The wind and waves at odds with each other.  The stern of the boat made an exaggerated sideways figure 8.  It went from port to starboard circling the figure 8. Granola bars and hot beverages would have to suffice.  

First light brought our first squall along with some lightening.  Halfway day part 2: 1,111 miles to go.  Conditions better, the swell and waves much diminished.  Dinner: Conard con fit (duck), mashed potatoes, gravy and creme de’ pot.  and a sip of wine.

Turducken was served the following day… Duck, with turkey gravy and chicken stuffing.   

May 10… Still making good time we continued east and north.  Daily weather reports coming in.   The winds increased, the seas relatively flat.  Our GPS recored a steady 9 knots of boat speed for over 8 hours!  Any faster and we would need helmets.  We were now 130 miles ahead of the nearest boat that left with us… Jim’s invaluable sailing skills, dumb luck and good routing! 

Dolphins and pilot whales spotted on watches.  Temps in the 70’s, Alex in shorts, Jim in long pants and Kathy hiding below deck shivering when not on watch (the wind chill is numbing at over 9 knots of boat speed).  

The iridium was used to place a few calls to the States, over a 1000 miles from land… Amazing technology!

an unfortunate hitchhiker
Portuguese Man O' War

Day 13… 

June 1 

Several whales spotted.  Humpbacks we think.  All hands made quick on deck.  More whale spouts later, then one surfaced beside the boat, maybe 100 feet abeam!  A rasping expulsion of air / mist, a gentle throaty, rumble.  (Hard to describe its sound).  Easily identified as a humpback.   A very humbling experience.  Massive creature. 

June 3, two weeks out.  

A rough night for Jim.  Many sail changes requiring his help.  Little wind so we motor sailed then dropped sails all together.  We crossed the rhumb line (our imaginary road) for the first time since leaving making a more easterly course now.  Daylight brought light wind so the spinnaker was hoisted.  It pulled  like  a freight train.  The decision was made to keep it up through the night, wind expected to be light to moderate… At 3:30 am (of course) the winds had increased significantly… the spinnaker had to be snuffed out.  All hands ready, life jackets and tethers on.  The plan reviewed and put in action.  But according to ‘Murpheys Law’… if it can go wrong … it will.  


The line that is used to control the spinnaker sock for deployment and snuffing had accidentally been cleated to the bow… Alex literally had his hands full trying to free the line and control the flogging sail.  Jim turned over cockpit controls to Kathy and he made his way forward to assist.  With brut strength the 2 men were able to free the line and bring the spinnaker and sock safely to the deck.  It was made secure to the the mast pulpit and two very tense deck hands returned to the safety of the cockpit.  Alex claims to have a new respect for the sailing gloves…

With the new day some rest and much appreciated sunshine, the crew settled back into living aboard.  

Turtle spotting

Dolphins riding the bow

Gun metal grey seas

Spindrift

Foam trailing in our wake

Tarnished silver seas

Skies full of ribbon clouds

Whale watching

Golden peach sunrises peaking through a blank of moisture laden cloud

Less than 200 miles to go…

June 6 

damp, wet cold.  we took a wave in the cockpit last night.  all ports and opening dogged down.  some of our traveling companions have diverted to Horta, Faila hoping to out run the front heading our way possibly expected to bringing 40 knots of wind.  Flores is just over the horizon for us… we should make it by daybreak.  fingers crossed.  A fishing boat spotted at 11:30 pm. 

Land Ho!

June 7

We sailed through the night, bundled up in foulies, with a reefed main and gib.  At 2:30 am 2 lights are spotted… one off port one to starboard.  Not on AIS?…  we keep a close watch. After an hour of speculation, the paper charts are consulted.  Land Ho!  The lights are the Lighthouses on Flores.  It would be many more hours before the actual land mass is spotted due to stormy skies; but we have done it!  

We logged over 2,468 nautical miles.  Avoided any significant mishaps and skirted the ‘front’ that was bearing done on us.  

The anchor was dropped in the outer harbor of Lajes, Flores at 7:30 am local time.  

Two Years out… almost

Our journey afloat has taken us from the sandy shores of Saugatuck, MI through several of the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal to New York State / City continuing south through the intercostal waterway (ICW) to Beaufort, NC.  From there we went east then south off shore to Jost Van Dyke, BVIs (10 days).  We continued south through the islands our first season, hauling out in Trinidad for the summer of ’16.  While on the hard, major work done on Inishnee by Power Boats Boat Yard: Teak decks removed, the entire boat repainted and a few repairs to interior woodwork.  Hurricane season safely over, we headed to Guyana were we spent nearly 6 weeks before heading up island again.  We cruised north through the island chain to Puerto Rico were we took a slip and welcomed friends and family.  Then turned around and returned to St. Martin to prepare for our next journey… crossing the Atlantic via the Azores’ island chain and on to Portugal and eventually the Mediterranean.   

We have no accurate measure of miles traveled, our GPS chooses to reset at will.  20 countries, and counting.  We’ve made numerous improvements and upgrades to Inishnee both for comfort and safety.  We have had amazing adventures, planned and not.  Met incredible people doing extraordinary things.  Been witness to countless jaw dropping experiences and sights… We have learnt a lot about ourselves, not alway faltering.  A lot about the boat, a Passport 40, which has proved she is more capable than we are.  

The cruising life style… like an erratic heart beat has been calm and relaxing with jolts of reality sparking our anxiety meter.  

And still we crave more…

St. Martin preparations to cross the pond…

April 14 - May 20

Motoring away from Culebra, Puerto Rico with the sun climbing into the sky heading into an overnight passage.  The weather window indicates no wind, desirable since the trades are generally from the east, our heading.  This passage will be fueled by diesel though the clouds on the horizon were teasing us with the possibility of wind.   As the day slipped by the clouds built tossing out a few water spouts to keep us warily.  The motor and Chris the auto pilot kept us on course steadily chugging south and east.  Our dry spell for fish was broken when we hooked a Barracuda, luckily for us (and him, we don't eat them due to Ciguatera poisoning) it threw the hook as we lifted it aboard… planting the barbs just slightly into my calf.  Nothing serious.  By morning we were at anchor off the the entrance to Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Martin waiting for the 9:30 bridge.  It opened on schedule, we found ‘our spot’ between the causeway bridge and La Palapa Marina and deployed the Rocna.  

The next few weeks were spent doing chores and preparing for the crossing, catching up with fellow cruisers as they passed through en route to hurricane season haul outs or anchorages.   Our dear friends Don and Phylis Turberville had contacted us a month prior and were beating a path north to the States where they would compete their 5 year circumnavigation voyage…  We were able to spend several days catching up with them, hearing stories from their travels, imparting their seasoned advice to us ‘newbies’.   Don and Phylis were our dock mates in Michigan prior to their departure for “The Voyage of the Yacht Solstice”.   A weepy (Phylis and I… the guys much too manly) departure left us humbled by their sustained friendship.  We also claimed some booty from them… charts, guides and pilot books for the Pacific… hmmmmm

We found time to take in the Dutch St. Martin Carnival Grand Parade with a number of other cruisers.  We handed out ear plugs assuming the event would impart the usual speaker vibrating rhythms we experienced previously at similar parades.  The floats; semi trucks hauling trailers loaded with dozens of speakers the size of Smart Cars piled high front and back.    DJ”s or bands adorning the beds lubricating themselves with drink from their portable cooler bars, followed by the dance troupes (also lubricated) clad in feathers, glitter, spandex and beads.  The parade slowly maneuvers the city streets, taking hours to complete the route.  A couple of hours of watching we walked the parade route to the end taking in the glam and glitter of the dancers as they strutted and sweated their way past thousands of spectators.  

Another wind event..

This season we have seen tremendous winds while in the Lagoon in St. Martin.  The worst of which came in the middle of the night (of course) with 30 knot suspended winds for 2-3 hours gusting to 40… several boats drug anchor, one calling a pan-pan (emergency) at approximately 12:30 am.  Their anchor had drug for the second time in 3 days, this time placing them squarely on the rocks behind them / us.  Several boats came to their aide.  We heard / saw none of this dealing with our own issue.  Our wind generator was in overload and roaring loudly, the boat pitching and swinging (so glad we purchased a Rocna anchor!) when the chilling smell of hot wires made it’s way forward to the v-berth, our sleeping quarters.  @#!t…. Jim was soon deep in the battery compartment looking for clues.  The control panel for the wind generator appeared to be over heating and we had no way to stop the wind generator from spinning due to the conditions.  A few restless hours; the wind diminishing to a respectable 15 -20 knots, we returned to our bunks.  The morning net (cruisers news vhf) reported on the boats that drug and the safe recovery of the Meinerkinder; the boat that went on the rocks, and subsequent tow to a dock for haul out and inspection.  Our electrical problems were resolved with the help of a fellow cruiser (former electrician) and a call to the wind generator company.  The consensus: the unit is designed to dissipate heat through the unit that we thought was overheating, the smell was from the residual solder used when manufacturing the unit.  In 1.5 years of it’s use we had never had enough sustained winds to put it into ‘dissipate’ mode.  

Cruisers swap

Lagoonies Bar and Bistro hosts a swap meet every Friday, The French side at TOBY’s (Time Out Boat Yard) hosts one monthly.  A great way to acquire or rid the boat of items of use.  Our lockers, bins and lazaretes contained some of these items.  Most of our  ‘treasures of the bilge’ were snatched up quickly, some for sale, some for free, the remaining odd things we donated to 

Shrimpies.  Mike and his wife own Shrimpies.  He  is the net controller (a volunteer position) of St. Martins cruisers net Monday - Saturday, has a laundry service and an inventory of ‘treasures of the bilge’ for buy, sell or trade.  Why the name Shrimpies?  Mike told us that in one of his former lives he and his wife ran a restaurant called Shrimpies … their menu specialty was shrimp… the nickname stuck 

Boat projects and upgrades…

Purchase an Iridium Go!  After talking with Don and Phylis we decided to exercise the credit card and get and Iridium Go… it is a hot spot for computers, iPads etc, the data coming from a satellite enabling the user to download files such as weather.  We will be able to get reports daily for weather routing  as fellas emails to and from family and friends.

A sewing machine!  One of the things I have missed from home has been crafting and or sewing.  With a number of canvas repairs needing done, we purchased a small machine capable of doing small repair work, not for sails, we’ll leave that for the lofts.  The first project was to make covers for all our our jerry jugs on deck, we have 8 now; water, gasoline and diesel.  Lashed to the deck in full sun the plastic deteriorates quickly.  Fabric covers slow the process.  The local sail loft was happy to part with an old bimini (free) and an end cut of Sunbrella fabric for cheap.  I worked out the dimensions and made a pattern then cut the usable pieces of fabric from the old bimini which produced enough fabric for 4 jugs, the remainder from the new.  12 +/- hours later and the jugs are all dressed out with their new clothes.  Other projects include simple repairs to canvas an clothes and a ditty bag for carrying things.

Provision purchasing and organizations… and storage

Having bought most of the provisions for the crossing (canned meats, veggies and fruits,  instant potatoes and quick cook pasta) in Puerto Rico I organized it into 4 one week bags.  And then we got THE call.  Son Alex says he wants to come along on the crossing which was perfect since our 3rd crew member had recently had to cancel.  Time away from family would be significant (5 -6 weeks) and difficult not to mention his job.  He will be welcome crew and we are much appreciative of his wife Nicki for her support for this… she will be a single parent for their young family (ages 1 and 3) while Alex is away.  

An afternoon of shopping and reorganizing followed the bags bulging with their new additions.  Our garage / Alex’s bunk already stuffed with gear will need to be packed into the shower for the passage… 

Jim scaled the mast and gave the rigging a good inspection.  The deck hardware checked out OK too.  Safety equipment in place and checked as well.  

Our energy consumption continues to be one of our biggest issues, mainly the fridge / freezer, which we replaced while in St. Martin in March 2 months ago.  Though new and under warranty it has not worked as well as we hoped.  Our calls and emails to the company have been largely ignored once after the unit was installed and the check deposited… 

Our batteries were nearing the end of their life, not holding a charge, so we decided to replace them before our upcoming departure.  Thankfully Alex was here to help with the heavy lifting.  3 batteries, 130 pounds of dead, lead weight.  Alex (and Nicki) are avid Cross Fit members.  With little space aboard for workouts this may be the best / only heavy lifting he’ll get for the next 6 weeks.  

We are on the eve our our departure, Azores bound.  Passage time; hope for 3 (weeks) plan for 4.   Some 2,40068 +/- miles north and east.  A whole lot of water in-between.  We are ready.  

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