Azores 2. Sao Jorge and Terceira

Peter's Sports Bar, Horta

We had good news from Hydrovane. They sent email information and videos that enabled Jeremy to make a temporary repair that, hopefully, will last until we are in the UK. It is much easier, quicker and cheaper to source parts in the UK.

 

Model made from the pith of the fig tree

We checked out of Horta on Tuesday 22^nd June. The wind was gusting to 30 knots in the Canal do Faial, a narrow stretch of water that flows between Faial and Pico. I expect the mountain on Pico has an effect as well. Anyway, it was a good test for the Hydrovane and it performed well.

Jeremy at Vila das Velas

We headed for the main town of Vila das Velas on Sao Jorge, 22nm from Horta. It was much calmer once we were in the lee of Pico. We called the marina manager, Jose, on VHF 09 to ask if a berth was available for two nights. Yes, there was a berth available. Jose met us on the pontoon and took our lines as we entered the berth. The marina and harbour area are very clean and tidy and the showers are the best we have come across in the Azores.

Original entrance to Vila das Velas

Vila das Velas is lovely with plenty of restaurants and cafes and a well-stocked supermarket. We had dinner at Tasca and lunch on Wednesday at Club Naval. Plate of the day, which was three courses, cost only 7 euros each. Jeremy had a repair to do on the stern navigation light. The fitting and wires had corroded, probably helped by sea water, sun and rain. Jeremy was expecting a 10 minute job. It took 3 hours!

Arco Natural, Vila das Velas

We thought our plans for departure from Vila das Velas and for the rest of our time in the Azores were thrown into disarray when Jeremy went to the marina office on Saturday morning and found it closed. The opening times in the window said, “Closed on Saturday and Sunday.” Why had we not seen this before? Then we saw someone inside the office. Jeremy ran over and Jose apologised for the winter opening times in the window. We checked out and left the marina much relieved.

Yacht behind and Pico in the distance

 It was calm with very little swell. We motored the 11nm to Calheta, also on Sao Jorge. The harbour was smaller than it looked in our cruising guide. There was a long quay for the sole use of the ferry and an old quay. We decided to tie to the old quay. What a nightmare! Sal Darago swung like a pendulum backwards and forwards along the
concrete quay. Jeremy protected the shore lines with pipes but they were not long enough and a new line was wearing as we watched. A local boatman told us it was safer to anchor. 

 

Approach to Calheta

Taking the lines off and leaving the quay was as hard as tying up with me steering and Jeremy retrieving the lines. I dropped the anchor as fast as I could and it held. Our heart rates returned to normal and we felt we could leave Sal Darago and go and have lunch in Restaurant Amigos. Here we met the crew from S/V Titiania, who were berthed next to us in Vila das Velas. They had come by hire car! We also met a Portugese family that we were next to in Tascas restaurant. Small world. After a visit to the church and museum we returned to Sal Darago to prepare for our trip to Terceira. The ferry came in during the evening and needed to turn round. Fortunately, this was done expertly and although it was disconcerting to see its stern pass so close, all was well. Later, Jeremy lost a filling as he flossed his teeth.

 

The ferry at Calheta

We left Calheta on Sunday and motored all of the 40nm to Angra do Heroismo on Terceira. It was calm. The barometer read 1030. We caught a mackeral on the way and a second one jumped off the hook. We shared the fish as our starter for lunch on board. 

 

Sal Darago anchored in Calheta Harbour

 

We arrived at the Reception pontoon at Angra Marina at 1600 and tied up. Some swell enters the marina, especially at the Reception berth, but nowhere near as bad as at Calheta. An Irish yacht called Tam O’Shanter bumped us gently as they tried to berth in front of us. No damage done, thankfully.

 

Decorated street for the festival at Angra

There is a festival taking place in Angra. Unfortunately, we have missed the dancing in the streets but the decorations are up, music is playing and there is a party atmosphere. The women’s showers in the marina are cold and all the plumbers are on holiday. Looks like I’ll have to shower in the men’s (in a private cubicle, of course).

 

Kathy at the bottom of Jardin Publico

Today, we’ve dropped off laundry to be washed and dried, Jeremy has had his filling fixed at a dentist’s, we’ve had lunch in town, walked round the lovely gardens and visited two supermarkets.

 

The monument at the top of Jardin Publico

 

The weather forecast is a mixed bag again, but we hope to check out on Wednesday and start our 1500nm ocean passage to the UK.

Can you spot SD in Angra Marina?

 

The Azores - Horta

Riding big waves

The unsettled weather we’d experienced on our way to Bermuda continued. The Azores high was “uncharacteristic” according to the weather forecasters. Perhaps they should have said “non-existent”! As for the westerly winds we needed to cross the North Atlantic to the Azores, they were a long way north and easterly winds persisted. 

Big, following sea

 So, why didn’t we wait in Bermuda until the weather changed? The official start of the hurricane season is 1^st June and Bermuda is in the hurricane belt. Did we want to risk a hurricane by leaving later or face strong winds to gale force by leaving sooner? We checked and double checked the weather and decided on the northern route. We would sail east when we could and go north when the easterlies blew. 

 

Gale force winds

We checked out with Customs and Immigration on Thursday 1^st June and left Bermuda. The winds were light or moderate for the first two days, but the barometer was dropping slowly. Heavy rain pelted down and water came into the saloon through an unknown leak around the seal of an air vent. The ceiling panel had to be taken down in the saloon and the sliding companionway hatch cover removed. Jeremy struggled to take off the vent in such a confined space. All the time the wind and waves increased. I started to take Stugeron. About two hours later, with new sealant applied, Jeremy replaced the vent, hatch cover and ceiling. No rain or waves came in afterwards.

Nauticat overtook us in big seas

We continued to sail north in strong to gale force winds with big seas, breaking waves and many squalls. At long last the low pressure area passed us by and more moderate westerly winds began to blow. It was 5^th June. 

A rare, calm sunrise

Two days later sailing vessel Vagabond called us on VHF. They were about two miles away and heading for Horta in the Azores. We could expect calm weather in five days’ time and moderate to fresh SW winds in the meantime.

Delicious lunch at Athletico

We did have to motor for about 5 hours, then we were back to squalls, heavy rain, strong winds with gale force gusts and big, breaking seas. A few ships passed by in the distance. I called one on the VHF radio for a weather update. How to spoil my day! SW force 7, he said and a 3m swell. We made some bread.

The marina, Horta

On 14^th June a catamaran called Nauticat overtook us and called us on the VHF. Did we need anything? I asked how long this awful weather was going to continue. They said the wind would ease after 1800 and leave a good sailing wind all the way to the Azores. Hurray! 

Boat names painted on the harbour wall

Gradually, the barometer started to rise, the sun shone and the sea began to calm. Just as the wind died away, the Hydrovane stopped working. We started the engine and steered with our electronic pilot, Neco. We had 127nm to go. The gas ran out in the middle of the night. Jeremy changed the bottle. On our last day at sea, the engine salt water pump started leaking and had to be replaced.

Can you see Sal Darago?

 It was going to be a night entry into Horta. The lights of the island of Faial shone as we approached. We entered the harbour, avoided many anchored yachts and found the Reception berth we were supposed to tie to. There was no room and yachts were rafted up four abreast. We anchored off. We had arrived. It was Saturday 17^th June. We’d been at sea for 16 days and the passage had been one of the roughest we’d had in our two circumnavigations of the world.

Sewing the no.2 jib

We went ashore in the dinghy in the morning and checked in with the marina office, Immigration and Customs. The marina was full with boats rafted up, so we stayed at anchor. 

Lovely fish lunch at Genuino's

Horta has many facilities for visiting yachts. We ate out at Athletico, shopped at a big supermarket nearby and bought SIM cards for our phones. Then there was laundry to do and hot showers ashore. The Hydrovane company has been emailed and we hope we can have a new part sent to us.

Jeremy at Port Sim, Horta