It’s been nearly a month since I made landfall in Horta with the Salty Dawg Azores rally. As I write this, Brenda and I are now in a marina in San Miquel, our last stop before she flies to Scotland on the 16th giving us more a week to tour the island together before she departs.
Over the next few days my crew, Steve and Peter will arrive with their partners who will also tour the island before everyone flies out and the guys move aboard to prepare for our run to the Med.
As I write this It is not completely clear to me where our first landfall will be, perhaps in Lagos, on the southern coast of Portugal, Morocco or maybe Gibraltar, at the mouth of the Med itself.
I say that as so much has to do with the orca “situation” and the uncertainty about how well the “Pinger” i have ordered from a company in Germany, will be at deterring attacks on our rudder. Some suggest that making a beeline for Logos in Portugal and then hugging the coastline until Gibraltar is best or going toward Tangier and pass on the southern coastline into the Med. I suppose I will have to decide on what course we will take, but not yet.
After a very nice few days in Sao Jeorge, Brenda and I left mid-day on Monday to make the 140nm run from there to San Miguel, a run that was somewhat spoiled by a very large number of squalls that hit us.
I suspect that had I used a Chris Parker, our weather router, he would have cautioned me on this but I didn’t so he didn’t. I got very little sleep so I was pretty beat when we arrived and while I rallied to have a very nice lunch out I was in bed by 19:00 and slept for 11 hours.
Our good by view of Sao Jeorge.
And, of course, one last photo of Pico, our constant companion since arriving.
Unlike many of the squalls on prior voyages, these did not bring increased winds, but killed the wind totally from the gradient winds of 15-18kts that were powering us along. The wind died to perhaps 5kts, and stayed that way for an hour or more but the seas were still up with a one meter chop, so the boat wallowed terribly until the wind returned. Pandora’s uneven and sometimes violent motion did not sit well with Brenda and once she was sick it was clear that nothing was going to solve the problem except “sitting under an apple tree,” which was not an option.
That was very unfortunate as the near dozen squalls that we had overnight was a lot in comparison with a single squall during my nearly two week passage to Horta from Bermuda. Brenda has all the luck.
As the biggest island in the Azores, San Miquel is very cosmopolitan, with the historic areas mixed with modern offices and hotels.
The marina is huge. And while I wasn’t able to book a slip in advance, as I approached the marina I was told “there are a number of open slips, just pick one and tie up”. After weeks of being told that the marina in Horta was packed and we’d have to raft to someone, this was a welcome change.
And for less than $200/week you get a slip on a very nice floating dock with free water and electric. The marina has a lot of boats that look like they have not moved in years so clearly living here is a very economical option for the “house or income deprived”.
This view represents perhaps 50% of the marina. And, there is Pandora in the slip at the end on the left.
Of course, what post is complete without a photo of Pandora up close?
Can’t sail here and yet want to be in the marina? Rent a house boat.
They are pretty neat and in a terrific location to tour the city. However, you won’t be alone as there is a whole row of them.
But, just like Pandora, you will have easy access to the city and the beautiful promenade along the waterfront.
And so begins the second day of our last visit in the Azores before we head our separate ways, Brenda and me, until she flies to Almeria Spain on August 1st where we will meet up again.
I will be giving a number of talks about our trip in the Azores and my passage there from the Caribbean so I thought it fitting to fly a few burgees, just in case I need them to illustrate the point…
I guess that’s about enough for now. On with our day. Lunch and dinner out and a bit of exploring.
Hopefully I will be able to stay awake long enough to have dinner out.
A few days ago we departed Horta, bound for Sao Jorge, a mere 21 miles away. Sadly, the wind was not cooperative and making that “mere” 21 miles felt like 40. We had to tack and sail hard on the wind for the entire way, making for an unpleasant day.
And here we are a few days later and that run felt good compared to the rolling anchorage that we were in for the first few says. Most of these tiny harbors are nothing more than a breakwater with an even smaller marina behind yet another breakwater.
We were told that most of the time these marinas, as small as they are, can accommodate the limited number of cruising boats that head there way. However, with all of the festivals that happen in June traffic was busier than normal and all the slips were filled.
The wind has been light but from a variety of directions and for a good amount of time, blowing into the mouth of the harbor. As a result, for several days we were rolling all night long, a full 20 degrees, ten degrees in each direction. This is enough to cause things to bang around in the cabinets and for dishes to slide across the counters. Fortunately, for the last two days, it’s been much nicer and today, our last day, it’s flat calm.
Our friend Bill on Kalunamoo has a “scale” to measure rolling that goes from 0-7 and I would say that conditions were a solid 6.
In a tiny harbor it is often tough to drop the anchor with enough room to avoid banging into another boat, especially when the depth is 40′ or more as so much scope is needed. On our first night, as the wind died, but not the waves, and a light breeze swung us around, we “T boned” another boat, banging into her on a 90 degree angle. The sound was deafening and woke us to the call of “Pandora, Pandora” from our unlucky neighbor.
We shortened up our scope, anchor chain, and pulled away a bit. The next morning I stopped by to check to see what sort of damage we had caused and fortunately it was a very minor scratch on their rubrail. Fortunately, their rail was at the exact height of our bow sprit. Lucky us. No harm done.
Fortunately for me, Brenda loves the island so much that rolling or not, we are happy to be here and a few days ago we rented a car to tour the island and see the sights.
Everyone has told us that each island has its one characteristics which I see now that we are visiting the third island.
For sure, Horta is the most cosmopolitan when compared to Pico and Sao Jorge and as witnessed by a few rolly days, Horta has the only decent harbor. Sao Jorge is largely an agrarian island with only about 7,500 people in spite of being roughly the same size as Antigua that has 90,000. I expect that there are way more cows and goats here than people. It’s a nice mix and as you’d expect, cheese is their biggest product.
Pico has a more traditional atmosphere when it comes to homes, with many built of rough volcanic stone. That is not to say that Sao Jorge is not traditional, as it is, but the rough stone homes are not the dominant style, with more with smooth cement walls very common. As is the case everywhere, the roofs are clay tiles, which gives each island a wonderful feel.
And, Pico, the mountain, dominates the skyline pretty much wherever you go. This view of Pico from Pandora this morning was particularly iconic and a wonderful way to start the day.
The fact that the rolling had pretty much stopped, didn’t hurt.
The marina is so tiny it’s clear that only a government would go to the trouble to build one here as the cost is so high that it would never turn a profit. And the prices they charge, dirt cheap, would never begin to cover even the upkeep. While there is a small airport, most of the movement from nearby islands is by ferry and they show up completely full several times a day, mostly from Horta.
This photo does not begin to show the small scale of the marina. In fact, one of the reasons that Pandora isn’t able to get a slip is that we are too big for all but a few slips. That is in very sharp contrast to the Caribbean where Pandora is on the tiny side.
The entrance is very narrow and I can only imagine what it would be like to enter it with a sea running. The scale of the wall is apparent here. Big waves in the winter, I’ll bet.
The road out of town is a series of switchbacks as the mountain is quite steep.
The harbor viewed from an overlook a short distance outside of town.
The big dock is for supply ships that bring in everything that is needed on the island. In the short time that we have been here two have come and gone.
The harbor doesn’t look particularly tight but there are a lot more boats now than when this photo was taken. And, with nearly 50′ of water it takes over 150′ of chain to anchor and that makes for a huge swing when the wind changes direction. Boats have to be quite far apart so as to avoid bumping, like we did on the first night.
Pandora close up.
The waterfront is very charming, and as is the case in most harbor side towns, the local churches dominate.
As in Horta, the sidewalks are mosaic and streets cobblestone.
The entire island is well kept and unlike much of rural America, no junk cars or old stuff littering the landscape. This civic garden is particularly lovely. Flowers in abundance and not a single spec of litter.
One of Brenda’s goals in visiting these islands is to see handwork so we drove to the other end of the island, a 45 minute drive to go about 17km on windy roads, and visited a weaving studio. Of course, she bought a few pieces. I, on the other hand, was more interested, and she was as well, in what we learned was the only operating coffee plantation in the Azores.
It is a very tiny operation, tended by one family very close to the coastline. There was a cafe, serving their own coffee, a weaving studio on the second level and the coffee growing out back.
The studio was so clean I wondered how much weaving was actually going on.
When we toured the coffee plantation, actually more like a garden, Peter of Pete’s Cafe Sport in Horta, showed up with his family. It seems that he takes “vacations” to Sao George. Who knew?
The beans were ripening on the trees. I was told that the leaves come off and new ones grow but at this point the trees looked half dead compared to the lushness all around. I was assured that this was normal.
Each bean is picked as it turns red. Very labor intensive. Picked one bean at a time.
And put on a cement slab to dry. Their entire yearly production is only about 400 kilos. A tiny business at best, I’d say.
Like nearly every home on the island, wine grapes growing over a patio.
Like on the other islands, the government takes pains in making sure that there are lots of fun places to hang out. This is a grilling station. I thought it was a bus stop.
It was adjacent to this beautiful picnic area.
Which happened to be right near the ruins of an old water mill. Two actually, as one was behind trees up a series of stone steps. The “river” was dry and I expect that is only runs when it’s particularly rainy and then they would jump to and grind stuff with the mill. The site was complete with a post displaying a QR code which was the only reason that I knew it was a mill.
We went to the very end of the island to see the old lighthouse, down an endless dirt road.
The lighthouse is decommissioned in 1964 after damage from an earthquake. It operated for less than ten years. It’s a huge complex but is now in ruins. We viewed it from a lookout station high up on the hill.
We viewed it from a lookout station high up on the hill.
There were a number of steep steps getting there.
But what a view.
And a lone stand of trees on the ridge.
Along the way, lots of livestock. Of course, cows.
Cows and flowers.
And goats. Cute goats in no particular rush.
Of course, a hydrangea lined roadway. The iconic view of the Azores.
One “must see” sight is a forest preserve in the middle of the island. We came upon it without actually trying as it is on one of the few roads through the middle of the island. It is a dense stand of trees, flowers and ferns. Note the lichen growing on the trunks of these cedars.
There are lovely paths that wind through the woods.
While hydrangea grow everywhere along the road, they also grow in the shade.
And beautiful tree ferns.
These emerging fronds are as thick as a wrist.
The ferns grow to great heights.
This area used to be near a village as witnessed by these old washing basins. They would have been fed by a spring. Each square basin has it’s own spillway to feed water where women washed clothes.
As dense as the forest is, the boundaries are abrupt, ending with pasture. I am guessing that this area was once dense forest everywhere but cut down for construction and to make room for livestock.
Yesterday we stayed local and spent a good deal of the afternoon aboard. Fortunate for us, Sunday was the annual bull fight. Actually, this isn’t much of a fight, more of a “bull taunting” by 20 somethings that tease the bulls.
I say “aboard Pandora” as the entire spectacle, and it is very popular, takes place on the commercial pier on the waterfront. It’s quite something to see the crowds line the tops of 40′ shipping containers that are lined up against the breakwater. This image is just a very small part of the waterfront.
Bulls were brought in and released on the pier to chase the “taunters”. No bulls were harmed in the making of this spectacle, just really annoyed.
This went on for several hours, with a succession of bulls employed, and was so much fun to watch. Pandora was anchored nearby so Brenda and I sat on deck with a glass of wine, cheering them on.
As the bulls run back and forth, some of the participants had to jump in the water to avoid getting hit by the very pissed off bull. I have to say that it is more show and danger, but great fun. I was trying to imagine something like this happening in the US as there were mothers with strollers on top of the huge containers with every opportunity to drop 20′ to a cement pier.
In the US there would be an army of police keeping everyone in place and an equally aggressive group of lawyers hoping for someone to be hurt so they could sue the city or whomever they could blame.
Alas, I only saw two police and a single ambulance. No loss of life or even an injury it seems. Nice to see good old fashioned fun for all ages, something that is scarce in the US with such a massive concern about placing blame if things go badly.
Within moments of the crowd dispersing the machinery came out to clear the “bleachers” and get the port back in shape to accept the next ship.
In less than an hour, the last of dozens of containers were moved and the port was ready for business.
A great fun day for the citizens, and a few pissed off bulls, on Sao Jeorge and we were there.
All the while, Mount Pico kept watch over the crowd.
This afternoon we head out to San Miquel, a 140nm run. We should arrive early tomorrow morning. It’s been a while since Brenda has done an overnight. Details to come.
It’s hard to believe that it has been three weeks since I made landfall in Horta, and as the days flew by, not a lot of posting going on from my end. Forgive me but we have been so busy that somehow “life got in the way”.
It’s hard to know where to start except that the Salty Dawg Azores Rally was a terrific success with all but one boat making a fast passage. The one boat that arrived a lot later and that is a long story for another time…
The Dawgs had a wonderful time celebrating the arrival of the fleet at Peter’s Café Sport, the iconic waterfront bar that has catered to the blue water cruising community for more than 100 years.
I presented the current senior “Peter”, not his real name, but he plays the part well, with an SDSA rally flag. Peter donated a bottle of his signature gin which went to one of our members in a raffle. I always carry raffle tickets aboard Pandora for events like this 🙂
Peter proudly displayed our flag.
The gang posed for a group shot with the harbor in the background.
I also presented Peter with an Essex Yacht Club burgee that was given to me years ago by my friend Ken. This flag, from our home club, belonged to Ken’s dad, a member for many years. Years ago I took Ken and others from his family out on Pandora to spread their parent’s ashes on the waters between Stonington CT and Block Island, a path that they had taken many times over the years, so often that they joked that they had “worn a groove in Block Island Sound.” I wrote about that emotional day in this post.
Somehow presenting the “Appleton family burgee” from Essex to Pete’s Café seemed like a fitting gesture.
There are thousands of burgees on display, in some cases, multiple burgees deep covering the walls.
There was so much to do in the Azores it’s hard to know where to begin…
Years ago, during our first few seasons in the Bahamas, we spent time with friends on a boat called Nati, a small catamaran owned by Anne and Dick. We went everywhere with them and had a wonderful time.
They sold Nati a few years later and now live in Florida and when we were talking with them last year about our plan to visit the Azores, they told us about friends that they had also cruised with, Lynn and Ian, and about their home in the Azores on Pico, an island that is very close to Horta. They were adamant that we reach out to them and arrange to meet.
Brenda and I contacted them and immediately hit it off. They invited us to visit and we made plans.
We arranged to put Pandora on a dock and hired a company to keep an eye on here while we were gone.
So, last weekend we met Lynn at the ferry dock in Pico and began a whirlwind multi-day tour of the island and a wonderful stay as guests at their amazing cliff side home.
The coastlines in the Azores are very rough and the “harbors” are basically walled in “teacup” basins, just big enough for a commercial dock. The walls are huge and speak to the power of waves when the seas are rough. Note the diminutive size of the car compared to the wall. Nobody builds walls like these unless there is a very good reason.
I could not believe their place as we walked down from their steep driveway carved into the hillside.
The view from their patio down the coast is amazing.
The colors and light change by the moment.
One moment better than the last.
Can you imagine a more beautiful spot to share a meal? I can’t…
It gets better… They have an amazing window that looks out on the ocean. To me it looks like some sort of big screen TV screen-saver like you get on YouTube. An hours long movie with clouds slowly streaming by.
Every day we toured a different part of the island. At the end of one day we returned home to discover that someone had, anonymously, left a large selection of limpets, a sort of clam or snail that sticks to the side of rocks. Ian broiled them with olive oil, salt and garlic. This selection wasn’t even half of what was gifted to them. Yum…
The next morning Ian delivered kitchen scraps to a neighbor’s chickens who he greeted with a “good morning girls”. They were thrilled to see him and new what was coming.
And speaking of “neighborly generosity”, we were invited to a celebration in their village where there were huge potluck tables heaped with food, wine and some alarmingly strong home made local spirits along with “spirited” dancing. It was a magical evening on so many levels. This sort of “community” is sadly lacking in the suburban area where we live. Sure, we socialize at the yacht club and other “membership” groups that we are involved with, but a sense of community in the neighborhoods, where we have lived over the years, is sadly lacking.
This celebration reminded me of our neighborhood in Jackson NJ, decades ago, where most of our neighbors were from Brooklyn and Staten Island, a place where their neighborhoods had a distinctly old world feel, which they brought with them to our community. There were lots of big parties back then where many neighbors joined in the celebration.
The architecture is so beautiful in these villages with everything built out of volcanic stone. Even the “ruins” are beautiful.
We also visited another couple who had moved from California and renovated an ancient stone cottage. The couple entertains a lot and there are so many tables on their patio that some passersby think they are running a restaurant. Sorry… You have to be a friend.
All over Pico, and elsewhere in the Azores, a common building material, is lava stones with the mortar meticulously painted in white. This church is certainly represents the pinnacle of this tradition sporting a breakwater to top all breakwaters with every joint painted white.
Whaling was a big part of these islands until it was banned in 1984 when the “save the whale” movement was in full swing. It does seem sad that so many of these magnificent creatures met an untimely end, nearly 2,000 in Horta alone. Fortunately, stocks are improving but their ultimate survival still face major threats with commercial shipping, fishing and other environmental threats.
In the Azores, where whales were close to shore, they were captured with small boats. These open rowing/sailing boats, are still a big part of the culture here. Nice to see Pandora in the background.
I was fortunate to be able to see a few of these beautiful boats sailing in Horta.
I am not certain what this means but the boats in Horta have pink interiors and those in Pico, red.
When they were hunting whales, fisherman would row out to harpoon the whale and these powerful motorboats would tow the whale back for processing on shore. These boats were made on Pico and have huge Caterpillar engines in them. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of horsepower to tow a 50′ whale.
To attach the whale to the boat required a hefty bridle which attached to the stout towing bit that crosses the cockpit.
After the hunt the whale was towed to a processing factory and hauled up a stone ramp.
And then cut into pieces for processing into various products. These gentle creatures were enormous and no match for the hunters.
This brief documentary movie is part of a whaling exhibit that we visited in Pico. It gives a good feel for what it was like in the day when whaling was an important part of the local community. Not so good for the whale though.
Beyond remnants of the whaling industry, Lynn and Ian took us round and round the island and saw many of their favorite places.
Commercial fishing is still a big business here in the islands with tuna fishing particularly important. The local fishing boats look like they are designed for rugged conditions.
Some bigger than others but all brightly painted.
The bulk of harbors are nothing more than small inlets with a breakwater and a big crane. Nearly all of the boats are pulled out of the water after every trip. These simple cranes have a capacity of 40,000 pounds and are operated by boat owners so there is no hauling fee. A lot different than in the US where to “dry sail” a boat is a very expensive proposition. In the US, if so it yourself cranes like this existed at all, would require extensive training sessions and waiver after waiver, just to get near a crane like this.
In spite of the water being chilly, swimming in the islands is hugely popular and the local government has established many “swimming holes” for the locals. Each spot has stainless steel steps with cement and tile walkways leading to down to a sheltered cove. Some are very elaborate and all have fancy bath houses, all free of charge.
Many hang out to enjoy the warm sun if not the warm water.
Some swimming spots are more elaborate than others.
I am told that on some islands there are hot springs that feed into them allowing for warm water swimming year round.
The picnic areas at some are very elaborate and we stopped and had a lovely meal of fruit, bread, cheese and cured meats as well as locally canned tuna, at one. It overlooked the ocean and had a number of very nice tables.
It came complete with a community of resident lizards. These guys live in the stone walls and are everywhere. This one scampered up onto our table, looking for scraps.
I assumed that they ate bugs or something but not bread, cheese and fruit. I tossed scraps to them, to the horror of our hosts, of course. As you can see, it was a big hit. Sort of like a Raiders of the Lost Arc movie clip. It seems that it is “every lizard for himself” as not a lot of sharing seems to be going on. “Oh I will wait my turn, you go first, I insist!”
Of course, many scenes were not quite so visceral.
I did not expect to see tree ferns. And, unlike the Caribbean islands, where they only grow higher up the mountains where it is cooler. Here about a 1,000 feet of elevation is cool enough. Like Brenda, they prefer “sweater weather” and the Azores has that in abundance.
And vines that look a lot like morning glories are quite invasive.
You don’t get the full picture of these stands of blue unless you step back a bit.
And speaking of flowers, the Azores are known for their extensive hedges of hydrangea. Unfortunately, we were a bit too early to see them at their height of bloom but they line both sides of most roads. Pretty amazing.
The islands are also known for cheese and where there is cheese there are cows. They are everywhere and look like very happy cows.
I wonder if the quality of the view has a bearing on how good the cheese is? I can say that the cheeses are awesome…
And Pico is also known for wine. With the constant wind and cool temperatures, to keep the grape vines as happy as the cows, they build miles of lava rock stone walls to keep the vines warm. These vineyards are within a few hundred yards of the ocean and it is hard to believe that salt spray doesn’t kill them.
The area is impossibly scenic, with windmills that were once used to grind grain. Not sure why one is in the middle of grape fields but it looks great.
Unlike in the US, where individual vines are meticulously groomed and sprayed with weed killer, these vines, some hundreds of years old, are pretty much left to fend for themselves.
And every row of vines has it’s own private stone wall to keep it happy and a bit warmer during the cool evenings. And happy they appear to be. Of course, why not sprinkle a bit of pineapple in the mix?
Land use in Pico, and elsewhere in the Azores, is carefully managed with no space unused. Much of the island is pasture and the villages are clustered along the coastline. The views are amazing.
Our friends Lynn and Ian, and we didn’t even know that they would be our friends for more than ten years after spending time with Anne and Dick, cruising in the Bahamas.
Lynn and Ian only had to visit Pico once when they decided to purchase a home there, now more than a decade ago. They continue to split their time between Pico and the Bahamas, summers here and winters aboard and after spending a few days on Pico I can see how they decided that they wanted to make a home here.
When we spent time with Anne and Dick so many years ago who would have ever expected that we were destined to be friends in Lynn and Ian, a decade before we had even met them.
It took many years but it finally happened and we finally met the friends we didn’t even know we were destined to have. And we are so glad that we did.
Someone once told me that life is “all about what you decide to spend your time on”. So true, and who’d have imagined the chain of events that took me and Brenda to Pico to meet Lynn and Ian.
Now we have to figure out a way to stage a reunion of sorts at our home. Anne and Dick? Lynn and Ian?
Yesterday morning I sat on deck, enjoying a cup of coffee and the view of Horta, here in the Azores.
It was the first time that it was calm, and warm enough to sit on deck since I arrived nearly two weeks ago. Most days it has been fairly windy and always a bit to chilly, especially in the mornings.
The view of the town is really wonderful, especially when the harbor is calm.
I had been warned that Horta can be very busy this time of year, with many migrating from winters in the Caribbean or from the US, heading to the Med or northern Europe. They weren’t lyin…
The harbor was packed and I had to re-anchor three times the first day to avoid bumping into someone when the wind shifted.
Boats were rafted three deep on the docks and there was a waiting list to tie up.
Today things look a lot different with open spots available. The harbor is also nowhere near as busy.
We have been happy to remain on anchor as it’s easy to get on and off the boat. However, with a planned trip to visit friends on the nearby island of Pico for a few days, I have to identify a way to keep Pandora safe for the few days that we are away as I am not comfortable leaving her on anchor unattended.
To that point, the holding isn’t all that great with a very fine volcanic sand that is quite soft. Yesterday we had a brief squall and Pandora started to drag. We moved and reset the anchor so all is well now with a bit more scope out.
It seems that this is easier said than done to put Pandora on a dock as someone has to be aboard at all times in case it needs to be moved. No unattended boats allowed! I am told that there is an outfit that will, for a fee, take responsibility for your boat while you are away.
As we want to visit friends on nearby Pico Island for a few days, we need to find a way to have Pandora secure and looked after while we are gone.
It has been nice just hanging out here for days on end after being on the move for so long. It’s hard to believe that the process of getting to Horta began in early May when I arrived in Trinidad to retrieve Pandora where I had arranged to have her hull painted following a major refit the summer before.
I can still recall, way back in the fall of 2012, when Brenda and I first took Pandora down the ICW to Florida and onto the Bahamas, that it took me several months to get relax and enter “cruiser mode” as opposed to being on vacation and needing to get as much done in the short time away before going back to work.
After more than a dozen years afloat, I am getting used to underachieving. As Brenda likes to say, “nothing happens aboard Pandora until noon.”
Along with watching the boats come and go in the harbor, nearby Pico mountain is always a treat to watch as the clouds come and go.
Yesterday, we were treated to a particularly nice veiw of the mountain. Note the “cap” cloud. That is a unique feature caused when moist air runs up the side of the mountain and condenses into a cloud that hangs, like a cap, above and to the lee of the island summit.
Actually, and it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see this, but to me it looks a bit like a presidential comb over, if perhaps the wrong color.
So, here I am, fairly inert and enjoying Horta. Soon we will have to turn our sights to San Miguel, an island about 150 miles east of here where Brenda will be flying out in mid July for Scotland and my crew will arrive so we can begin our 1,000 mile run to Spain.
All I can say is that I still can’t believe that we are here and that I sailed Pandora across the Atlantic Ocean, well almost all the way. Spain awaits…
There is a long history of sailors visiting Horta doing a personalized painting on the docks to commemorate their visit. What I did not know is that this tradition grows out of a long held superstition and a fear of shipwreck.
The marina and harbor here in Horta consist of a large horseshoe shaped stone bulkhead to protect the harbor from storms. Additionally, there are two massive bulkheads that face the sea and keep things from getting dangerous in the harbor when the weather gets rough.
I have put a white mark to show where Pandora is anchored.
You can see how busy it is in the harbor and this is nothing like it was when we arrived a week ago. Again, Pandora marked with an arrow. We are very close to the docks, which is very convenient.
The harbor is very busy, especially when boats are migrating from the Caribbean and the US east coast for summering in Europe and the Med.
It is amazing how many yachts are crammed into the harbor, seemingly thousands, well hundreds for sure, rafted three deep on the bulkhead and the anchorage is way too tight in the harbor.
On the walls of the marina are thousands of paintings, commemorating those yachts that have made Horta a port of call as they crossed the Atlantic on their way to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Legend has it that by doing a painting on the dock, commemorating their visit that they will have good luck on their next voyage and to not do so should be done at your own peril.
It is said that to ignore this tradition would be done at great risk to boat and crew. Ok, I am not taking any chances so paint we did.
Ted, Jason and I had a hand in the finished product.
Sadly, later that day someone slid down the piece, smearing the paint all over the place. Today I went back and restored it to near glory. Sorry, to cheap to purchase three more cans of paint but fixed the white. Painting in place will insure, I hope, Pandora’s safety to the next port.
The shear variety of these carefully painted pictures is remarkable, with some clearly new and others faded to the weather and history. Pandora’s neighbors…
It is said that these paintings are the largest collection of marine painting in the world, with examples on a nearly every space you can imagine, vertical on bulkheads and on the sidewalks.
A friend of mine, and fellow Salty Dawg, left this one in 2019. It looks new…
Another Salty Dawg family from the rally, the good ship Spring.
No end to the places that are covered with paintings. Even the garbage crib is fair game.
Very creative and clearly international pieces.
This clearly tells a story that is meaningful to the artists.
Some are pretty creative and artistic. I watched this one being painted a few days ago.
Many years represented on a single wall.
Horta harbor is most popular marina in the Azores where the bulk of yachts clear in and out of the archipelago. They say that with1,500 yachts making landfall in Horta that it is the 4th busiest marina in the world. And no, I have no idea what the three are that have more traffic. Having said that, I doubt that any have a greater number of blue water cruisers making landfall than Horta.
It is said that the yacht, “Cleopatra’s Barge,” the first American pleasure craft to sail across the Atlantic, tied up at Horta in 1817. She was built in MA in 1816 and was wrecked, under different ownership in Hawaii in 1824. It is unclear if there was a painting on a wall here commemorating her visit to Horta. Unlikely…
Well, the crew of Pandora isn’t taking any chances so our painting is completed.
Interestingly, a few hours after we completed the painting, someone slid down the wall and smeared a lot of the paint. So, I spent an hour yesterday touching up the smears. Within a few hours there was yet another “smearer” nearby, a small boy, sliding down the wall, again and again.
I waved him off but doubt that he was going to stay gone for long. I went back to the boat and got some tape and skewers to build a protective tent while the paint dried.
Not pretty… I’ll know if it kept the “smearers” at bay long enough to dry…
Smeared or not, there will be a piece of Pandora here in Horta for years to come.
Brenda arrived a few days ago after what turned out to be challenging Uber ride to JFK and a way-delayed flight to the Azores. She had booked the car days in advance only to have it canceled one hour before her pickup time. Anxious? You bet.
Oddly, the exact same driver re-booked less than an hour later and ended up arriving nearly an hour after that. Well, at least he arrived. The good news is that Brenda had allowed several extra hours, just in case. Smart girl…
Her driver, pleasant enough, spent much of the ride (four hours worth) sharing his life story, including his ongoing battle with schizophrenia, how he was doing well off of his meds (yikes!), his difficulties with ADHD, PTSD and his long and turbulent “history” with his mother. She came close to saying “ok, drop me at the next corner” but persevered and arrived at JFK without incident. The bad news is that the run from CT to JFK took twice as long as expected.
Her plane was then delayed by four hours, departing for the Azores at midnight and then, to add insult to injury, they lost one of her bags, the one with her “vitals”. Anyway, here we are two days later, her bag arrived and she has, mostly, recovered.
I say “mostly” as she picked up a bug on the plane. As Rosanne Rosannadanna often said, “It’s always something”
But she is here, only a little worse for wear, and I am thrilled.
We moved into a hotel for a few days and it is beautiful. Our room is the top floor center on the right, the double windows.
Our view of the nearby park from our room.
On Saturday there will be a festival in the park. Lots of booths going up and it will be fun to see what it’s all about.
Last evening we had our Salty Dawg Azores Rally arrival dinner at Pete’s Sport Bar, the iconic sailor bar that is usually the very first stop for anyone arriving by boat in Horta.
Every wall and the ceiling are totally crammed with burgees from every imaginable yacht and sailing club. Burgees on burgees…
We had a very nice event with about 18 attending, representing all but one of the 11 boats in the rally.
Boat number 11 has suffered a lot of delays and is not expected to arrive until the middle of next week. I feel for them as their trip, beginning in Florida, with a brief stop in Bermuda may end up totaling nearly a month underway.
I did a free raffle for several SDSA shirts and a bottle of Pete’s special gin which was enthusiastically received. Pete was a good sport about the whole thing. I presented him with a rally flag.
Which he promptly displayed on the wall.
Pete’s has been in business now for 4 generations and is always packed with many sailors, some so look the part as a “vagabond of the sea” and extensive tattoos are the norm. The bar, and it’s not a very big space, is so crowded on most evenings that they have a large tented pavilion outside to handle overflow patrons. I expect that the 3 euro beer, pints, have something to do with the popularity of the place.
After dinner, we assembled outside for a “photo opp” with the iconic Mt Pico in the distance. Pico is the tallest mountain, at nearly 8,000′ in the Atlantic basin. Note: It is WAY bigger than it appears…
Assuming that Brenda has sufficiently recovered from her bug, we plan to rent a car to tour the island in the next few days. Lots to share, I am sure.
One way or the other, we are settling into life here in Horta as many of the Dawgs move on.
And, speaking of “moving on” there is a tradition, here in Horta, of the crew of visiting yachts to paint a mural on the dock which is supposed to give good luck and ensure that they make it safely to their next landfall and the crew of Pandora are happy to oblige.
There are thousands of paintings and Pandora’s crew will be adding our own piece to the collection. To learn more and see our “art” check back soon. If you want to be “warned” when I post, sign up at the top of this page.
And speaking of “getting there safely”, I am pretty concerned about being attacked by an Orca as I make my way to Spain in July so I am painting away… I want to get there safely and am not taking any chances.
But, for now, I am happy to celebrate with the Dawgs and the successful completion of what I hope is the first of many Salty Dawg Rallies to the Azores.
I have been here in Horta for a few days trying to decide what I say about this place.
The problem is that it is just so amazing that I really don’t know where to start.
No wait, I’ll start with a view of Mt Pico, across the way on the island of Pico. The mountain, nearly 8,000 tall is the highest of any mountain in the Atlantic basin. Until today it has been shrouded in clouds since we arrived. Not this morning. It last erupted in 1562. A bit about the history of this remarkable island.
Perhaps not as dramatic as Pico, but Pandora looks great juxtaposed against the Horta waterfront. This may be the most beautiful place that I have ever anchored.
There are plenty of harbors that are full of boats, cruising, racing, fishing and others. However, unlike most, for someone to be here means that they have crossed an ocean. No day sailors here or charter boats. The closest place to this harbor is nearly 1,000 miles and that’s Portugal. The rest of the world…farther.
And, this passage was the first I have ever had where I crossed more than a single time zone. Here we are four hours ahead of the US East Coast. In the ocean there is a question of were to change the clock. Well, the answer is that the iPad knows… Of course…
About 1,500 boats pass through Horta every year, basically most of the cruising boats that cross the Atlantic. Compare those that cross the ocean with the number of midsize cruising boats in the US which probably number in the hundreds of thousands. As we all know, most boats in marinas never go anywhere except perhaps a two week trip and a few weekends each season. To sail thousands of miles, that’s a big deal.
Random fact: The number of small boats that cross the Atlantic every year is about the same number that attempt to scale Mt Everest.
All I am saying is that crossing the Atlantic seems like a big deal to me and I did it. I won’t think about the fact that there is still another 900 miles to go to Gibraltar and I am not there yet.
Pandora is anchored at the head of the harbor. It was remarkably busy when we came in but is now a lot more open with a decent amount of space around us. For the first two days I had to move three times because as the wind shifted I ended up on top of someone.
When I say “move” it was just about 15′ so that when the wind shifted I had at least a boat length from anyone. Note the fenders in case we bump into someone when the wind shifts, which is does regularly.
Somehow it looks open, but the boats are closer than they seem. When the breeze is about 180 degrees from what this photo shows, I am a bit more than a boat length from the boats tied up on the dock.
How about this view of shore from Pandora this morning.
Of course, the boats… From all over. Tied up four deep at the docks.
All the buildings on shore have beautiful tile roofs and are painted all sorts of pastel colors. It’s amazing.
And so green… With parks and lovely spots to just sit and watch the world go by.
The view down the harbor. Note the massive breakwater on the right that protects the harbor from the ocean. Just beyond the old fort is another breakwater so the opening to the ocean is a few hundred yards wide.
And all along the waterfront is a wide promenade, all intricately tiled. In fact, all the sidewalks also sport mosaic tiles, mostly in white and black. It is worth noting that I had to wait several days until I was able to take a photo in the sunshine as there is often a light mist falling.
I don’t know any details about the local fishing but there are a lot of small commercial boats that look very seaworthy. Most sport the colorful orange tops.
Of course, with all these boats, visiting and otherwise, comes a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed. There are a number of mobile repair shops. I like this one in particular, as it is similar to my own little micro truck. My truck, a small Suzuki Carry, wants to grow up to be this truck.
The interior of one of these mobile workshops. Pretty neat setup.
Today I spent time doing laundry in a laundromat that was so clean that you would feel fine folding your sheets on the floor. It was quite modern with a volcanic rock arch and super clean machines.
Back in the day this harbor was a stopping place for flying boats that had to refuel during transatlantic flights. I saw this photo in the laundromat, of all places.
This was the view out from the front door of the laundromat.
A close up of one of the two beautiful bronze bells on each side at the top of the building.
And the long “living wall” that goes in front of the building, part of a lovely flower lined park.
This island, and all of the others in the Azores, are volcanic and some of the peaks rise very abruptly from the sea. Near the harbor is a 850′ tall “hill?” and Ted, Jason and I hiked up and over it yesterday. Trust me, it’s bigger than it looks.
This is the back side, with the harbor on the other end. You can see the trail that comes down the back.
A closeup of some hikers, in the photo above, to give it scale.
The views from the top were quite impressive. A lovely old fort adjacent to a residential area.
And the old whaling station, now an aquarium and place to get a snack. This place immediately adjacent to a sloping beach where whales were dragged up to be rendered into oil.
The coastline is very rugged and the visibility amazing.
This image is of the largest documented wave to hit Horta, in February 1986, during a major storm. Local photographer Jose Henrique took this photo of a wave nearly 60 meters high.
As big as that wave was, these pansy like flowers are tiny, on a stone wall. From these tiny pansies on the top of a stone wall.
To a riot of nasturtiums, growing everywhere.
Cascading over walls. They do love it here.
And wild lilies that look like they belong at a funeral pop up in the middle of a meadow.
No need to get fennel at the market here. It grows everywhere and is huge.
Perhaps I will close with the sunrise today.
It has been a remarkable day. Lots of chores and we are beginning to design and paint a small mural on the marina wall to commemorate Pandora and her arrival in Horta. It is a tradition that thousands of boats celebrate every year.
Want to see more? You will have to come back.
Oh yeah. One more thing. I have to post a photo of this adorable puppy I saw yesterday. Yes, he is a puppy but is already two months old and will not get much bigger. I hear that he is a chihuahua mix. Perhaps there is a bit of pit bull. Couldn’t be…
Tomorrow Brenda arrives. I’m excited.
With her here Horta will be even an even more amazing place, and that’s saying something.
When Brenda and I purchased our SAGA 43, the first boat we did extended cruising on, beginning around 2010, the goal, for me anyway, was to have a boat that could “cross an ocean” and while that boat was certainly capable of such a journey, I can say with certainty, that I NEVER expected that I would ever be able to say, “I am almost to Horta.”
After years of sailing in Long Island Sound and venturing to Maine for summer vacations, the idea that I would someday cross the Atlantic Ocean, seemed to be an unattainable goal.
Who knew?
As I begin this post, we are less than 50nm from Horta and if the story of our cruising life so far tells us anything, there will be a lot more chapters to this story.
I do not really know what is next after I leave Pandora in Spain and fly home with Brenda in August but I have already made it farther than I ever imagined.
Well, here we are…almost.
For much of this passage, we really thought that we might be able to sail nearly the entire way but as we moved into the last part of the run it has been tougher to keep moving as the wind has become lighter and moved aft.
Motoring or not, compared to other runs I have made over the years, we have sailed the bulk of this run, and surely more than any previous passage.
When we are offshore, on a long passage, we can adjust our heading to keep moving, even if it points us in the wrong direction for a while as we can always wait for wind from a different direction and get back on track.
However, once we are near our destination, we have limited ability to adjust our course and still make it into the harbor and today is a good example. If we could just adjust our course by as little as 20 degrees, we would be sailing but to get into Horta before dark today we do not have a lot of flexibility.
For the morning I struggled to sail, as we were dead downwind but now, as we make our final approach, the wind has freshened and veered so we are now on a solid broad reach and moving along nicely.
While we have been able to sail most of the last few hundred miles, the wind has not been terribly cooperative recently and we have had to resort to the engine for a few hours, from time to time.
While we had hoped for a mid-morning arrival, it is now looking like we will not make it until later in the afternoon. Fortunately, it does not get dark until around 9:00 so there is little risk of arriving in the dark.
And, speaking of “time of the day” we made our final adjustment to the clocks earlier today and are now four hours ahead of Brenda in Connecticut. Not a lot of risk of jet lag when you are going so S-L-O-W-L-Y…
There is a lot of boat activity approaching Horta as this is “the” place to make landfall. This shot of AIS on my plotter shows so I can see that we are not the only boat heading that way.
Based on some information from boats that are already in the harbor, we learned that it is very crowded and that there is a wait list to get on a dock or to tie up at the cement wall. Having said that, there is a lot of movement every day as boats depart and spots open quickly.
A shot of the harbor on Marine Traffic, the AIS tracking site, shows just how crowded it is. Oh boy, good luck anchoring.
When we were planning dates for departure from Bermuda we tried to take into account the schedule for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, ARC, to Horta, a large group that has been doing this run for years. As their numbers really strain the local facilities, we wanted to arrive at least a week after they did but given how busy the harbor is, I am wondering if perhaps their passage was not a fast one suggesting that we will have arrived before many of them have moved on.
We probably will not arrive in the harbor in time to clear customs today but I will ask around and see if it is ok to head ashore for a beer and dinner. I am so ready to do that…
I reached out to the sailmaker to arrange to have the mainsail leech cord replaced and a few other minor repairs and was told that they have daily pickup from the waterfront. I hope that the repairs are completed before the guys fly out as it is a handful to get it back on the boom.
When we arrive, the plan is to drop the anchor and put out fenders to protect us from other nearby boats. I have to say that I have never deployed fenders when I am anchored. With so many boats crammed into the harbor, I expect that this will be a whole new experience as “Close” does not begin to describe how tight boats are anchored near one another. I hope that my brand-new paintjob does not get violated immediately.
Fortunately, I have the large inflatable fenders as well as a half dozen smaller ones that should help cushion the blow from nearby boats.
After nearly two weeks on passage from Bermuda I am really looking forward to being at anchor and going ashore.
I can’t believe that I am nearly to Horta, a place that I only imagined that I would one day visit.
To be here… I really wasn’t expecting this…
Editor: While the Salty Dawg rally from Bermuda to the Azores is drawing to an close you can see where Pandora and the other boats are located in real time at the Salty Dawg Azores Rally Map.
Brenda and I will remain in the Azores for a month and we will both be posting regularly while we are here. In mid July I will depart the Azores, heading for Spain and will continue to post along the way.
Five weeks ago, I left home, and Brenda, to join Pandora in Trinidad where I had left her earlier in the spring to have some additional work done to complete the refit that began last summer.
Along the way north I stopped in various islands in the eastern Caribbean. Hung out with friends and said my goodbyes knowing that I would not be back for at least a few years.
As of today, my journey north, and for the most recent leg, from Bermuda to Horta is nearly complete.
We are finally within 200nm of our destination, Horta, in the Azores, a journey that had its’ beginnings more than a year ago when Brenda declared that nine seasons in the Caribbean was just about enough.
She did not say where we were going to head next except it became clear that unless I could find something compelling to do next that I would find myself sailing a 14’ Beetle Cat back and forth on the CT River in front of the Essex Yacht Club, while Brenda waved (Queen style, of course) to me from the deck.
Having sailed with Brenda much of the US East coast from Eastern Maine all the way to Key West, the Bahamas, much of Cuba and just about all the islands from The US Virgins and south to Trinidad since we began seasonal cruising back in 2012, I had run out of cruising grounds to explore on this side of the Atlantic.
After more than a decade I was out of ideas so it seemed that the only real option was to investigate “crossing the pond” and see what we might do there.
Yikes, I knew nothing about that except that my Dad, now gone for over 10 years, once said (and you have heard this before), “Bob, wouldn’t it be great to take Pandora through the Straights of Gibraltar?”
So, I got on the phone and found folks to talk to that had done all that to get their thoughts.
After a few Zoom meetings with fellow cruisers and a number of YouTube travel videos of the Med, Brenda was convinced enough to give a “guarded OK” so that became the plan.
I was president of The Salty Dawg Sailing Association at that time and asked the board if there was interest in doing a rally to the Azores. Much to my surprise, they liked the idea, very much and several fellow board members even raised their hands, offering to do much of the planning.
So, fast forward a year plus and here I am, about to make landfall after nearly two weeks at sea from Bermuda, in the company of ten boats participating in the first Salty Dawg Rally to the Azores.
I will admit that it is surreal to be doing this and I do wish that Dad was around so I could share the experience. Even being in Bermuda, where we departed on this leg, was a landmark for me as that was where I departed decades ago, on my first offshore passage, helping a friend bring his boat back from the Bermuda Race.
We have been blessed with a swift passage of under two weeks, never seeing winds more than 20-25kts, and usually much less. To do this trip in under two weeks is unusual, I am told, and Chris Parker, our weather router, had warned us months ago to expect to spend perhaps as long as 2½ weeks and to encounter perhaps two gales along the way.
My crew Jason and Ted have been wonderful and their easygoing nature and competence has given me comfort, knowing that Pandora was in good hands while I was down below getting plenty of rest. Of course, the benign conditions, “champagne sailing” as Ted has described it, helped too.
As I write this we are moving along at about 6-7kts with 22-15kts on the beam, healing about 3-5 degrees. It does not get any better than this and a fitting way to end the longest passage I have taken despite sailing more than 25,000 blue water miles over the years.
With such mild conditions, meals have been easy to prepare and with much cooler temperatures, think 70s at night, than the Caribbean, I have even baked muffins and biscuits 4 times.
Here are todays’ biscuits, my third batch, in addition to some muffins, on this trip. No complaints from the crew.
Brenda does not arrive until next Monday and by that time I will have been away from her for six weeks, the longest that we have been separated since we became inseparable in Highschool 53 years ago.
Brenda has booked a hotel for a week when she arrives in downtown Horta and it will be fun to kick back and enjoy the scenery.
Our plan is to hang out in the Azores for a month, perhaps cruising to some of the other islands before I welcome crew in mid-July when we will head east to Gibraltar and onto Almeria, Spain where Pandora will be hauled for the season.
And, for the next several seasons, Brenda and I will spend two months in the spring and two in the fall, cruising the Med.
I really do not know what to expect but based on the many cruisers that we have talked to about these cruising grounds, we should be for quite a treat.
Now, if I can only get past the Orcas as I approach the coast of Portugal. You know, the orcas that bite off the bottoms of boats rudders…
I won’t think about that today, I will think about that WHEN I HAVE TO, and that will not be until sometime in late July when we get close to their “chomping grounds”.
Until then, a bit more champagne sailing and sometime tomorrow we will be in Horta.
This lovely tern landed aboard Pandora earlier today. Perhaps he is here to welcome us to Horta.
And, of course, what is a post without a picture of beautiful clouds?
And next Monday, after six weeks away and over 3,000 miles of sailing, I will be back with Brenda.
I am getting excited!
Editor: As part of the first ever Salty Dawg Rally to the Azores, you can see where Pandora and the other boats are located in real time at the Salty Dawg Azores Rally Map.
If you want to see where Pandora is alone, check out “where in the world is Pandora” at the top of the page or click on this link.
And, as always, you can register to receive a notice when I post, Which I do regularly, at the top of this page.
And, if you want to learn more about Salty Dawg and the rallies and educational programs that we sponsor, and you should, check out www.saltydawgsailing.org. It is a really great group.
After more than a week of sailing and never needing to turn on the motor, yesterday the wind died. And after nearly a day of nursing Pandora along in ever lighter wind…
I finally reached the end of my rope when the log said that we had only gone 11 miles in three hours. ENOUGH! Engine on…
It does not take a lot of wind to sail Pandora at a good clip, pretty much 11kts on the beam and we will do around 6.5 to 7kts with her jib and full main, but with wind, if you could call it that, under 6kts, we were just wallowing along. Not acceptable.
Chris Parker works hard to help us stay in the “sweet spot” on passage, enough wind to avoid motoring and yet not so much, that the passage becomes unpleasant.
Slow sailing or not, both Ted and Jason built a lot of extra time into their schedules so their answer to being nearly becalmed is “we will get there someday”. That is a refreshing position to take but late yesterday afternoon, hoping against hope, for just a little bit more wind, and still more than 400 miles to go, it was time to turn on the motor.
I will admit that the “we want to keep sailing” attitude was refreshing as, on several passages, I had crew that were all about keeping the speed up to make what was seeming like an impossible deadline and sometimes that meant running the engine even though we could probably have sailed. More than once, we dropped the hook in Antigua and I ran crew ashore to catch a flight home that same day. Was it something I said?
Fortunately, after motoring overnight the wind picked up again this morning, and we are making good time again. I’m happy…
Our constant companions have been dolphins, and there are several species that have dropped by for a visit, keeping us entertained for much of the last few days.
I know that I have already posted several photos but indulge me as we have had dozens cavorting at the bow. They arrive in a rush, dozens of them, hang out for about 15-20 minutes only to be on their way in a moment.
My SLR camera has “sports mode” that takes two frames a second and with image stabilization makes it possible to catch their antics.
As in much of life, try hard enough, and in the case of photos, take enough of them, and you will end up with a few good ones.
Jason, on the other hand, was easy to catch in action as he watched the dolphin show. It is hard to say who was having more fun, Jason, or the dolphins.
It is very hard to get a photo that shows the beautiful patterns on their sides. Caught one…
Ted has a favorite spot to watch for whales. “Bob, come quick, I saw a whale.” Quick was not quick enough as the best I could get is a blurry shot of steam on the water, and a crooked horizon. Trust me, it was a whale…
Of course, sunrises are always cooperative.
Motoring? Well, for a while, but at least I can say that I sailed most of the way…
From what I have heard about this passage, “only a little motoring” is saying something.
Two more days to go, I think…
Of course, that depends on the wind.
Editor: As part of the first ever Salty Dawg Rally to the Azores, you can see where Pandora and the other boats are located in real time at the Salty Dawg Azores Rally Map.
If you want to see where Pandora is alone, check out “where in the world is Pandora” at the top of the page or click on this link.
And, as always, you can register to receive a notice when I post, Which I do regularly, at the top of this page.
