21/06/2009, 40 37.0'N:27 09.0'W
Max sat his last GCSE on Friday morning; 24 hours later, in Horta, we welcomed him on board; sailing at 1240 for Union Hall on the south coast of Ireland. The wind naturally, was exactly 'on the nose' for Union Hall; by 2040 we were passing the western tip of Graciosa, the last land for the next 1000 miles. Sunday morning at 0845 saw a welcome wind shift to ESE meaning we could lay a decent course under Main & Genoa and give the engine a rest - bliss!
Sadly this afternoon, the wind has backed again; so coupled with a west setting current of 1.1kts (AAARRGH), we are currently on track for Iceland - nice place to visit in June I believe!
Day One Log: 143nm (not quite in the right direction)
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18/06/2009, Horta, Faial
Viente welcomes on board her new Master & Commander Dr Peter O'Gorman, with crew members Shay Downey, Jody Lane. We look forward to Max joining on Saturday morning; when we are planned to make passage for Ireland. See http://www.sailblogs.com/member/myeloma/
We will sail under the banner of the "Mater Myeloma Azores Challenge". Peter, a consultant hematologist at Mater University Hospital, Dublin is making this voyage to raise funds for his Myeloma cancer research team. There can be few whose family & friends have not been touched by cancer; please visit his website; any contribution would be most gratefully received.
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/azab4myeloma/
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15/06/2009, Horta Marina
Message for the joining crew: 'Viente' has escaped the rafts on the breakwater (we were in a four boat raft); now moored C33 at the northern end of the Marina. It will make for a much easier getaway next Saturday.
Photo from the marina of the evening sun on the beautiful Pico Alto volcano (7700').
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12/06/2009, Horta Marina, Faial
Viente arrived at 2000hrs last night (Thursday), completing the passage Lanzarote - Faial in exactly one week. The final 24 hour run was 179nm. So after seven at times lively days, all is suddenly quiet. The marina here has grown some since I was last here 10 years ago; the welcome still very friendly Portugese . Now for a thorough washdown of boat & crew!
The rather hazy photo shows Pico Alto volcano (7700ft), that quite splendid landfall feature 4nm across the Canal do Faial from here.
'Viente' looks forward to introducing her new crew, arriving next week, for a passage to Ireland.
Voyage Summary: Marina Rubicon - Horta distance, rhumb line - 938nm distance, sailed - 1017nm 6 days 22 hours averaging 6.12 knots
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11/06/2009, 10nm south of Ilha do Pico
The past 24 hours has been a tale of two very different halves. First 12 hours saw us reaching with 20+ knots, one point abaft the beam (perfect); Viente, reefed down, powering over lively moonlit seas at 8 knots plus. We were looking at a 190nm run under sail - not quite to be - at 0530 we crossed a trough line with an extraordinary rapid windshift, veering 50deg and decreasing to 5kts. 'Nigel' was appalled and quite lost the plot, I don't blame him. One hour later we had
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10/06/2009, 60nm SW of Santa Maria, Acores
A welcome moment for an ocean sailor; at 1550 today we arrived on Admiralty Chart 1950 (Arquipelago dos Acores), my venerable old approach chart to the Islands. We have 197nm to run to Horta, Faial.
This morning's photo will be familiar to my British sailing friends; 'on the wind again'! Last night was one I'd rather forget; extraordinary confused seas, the result I guess of a big swell from NW, an Beaufort 5 sea from the SW and 1.4kt of SE going current. Imagine trying to sleep in a tumble dryer doing 7 knots whilst inclined at 30deg - not recommended. Having got through the night, dawn revealed a truly 'Channel' scene - cloud base about mast height, visibility less than one mile in rain. But Hey! this afternoon is another day entirely - clear & sunny with a fine topsail breeze from the southwest; Viente clipping along under all plain sail at 7 - 8 knots. God willing, I'll be making the last passage report tomorrow afternoon on 'long finals' for the island of Pico; the 2300m Pico Alto volcano is always a grand landfall for Horta.
Thanks for the mails Helen, Richard & Pat and thanks for the comments from Max, Nick & David which Helen forwarded. NB. Although I can update the Sailblog via SSB radio, I cannot view the site or read comments until I get internet access (in Horta). I am of the 'bandwidth impared' community - which I guess explains a lot! David - thanks for the advice; battery cables are secure; SG's checked, one cell lower than the others but all in the 'green'; snag still there; should be a competent electrical engineer in Horta to check it all out.
24HR Run: 163nm on Log, 142nm on chart (0.9kt foul current)
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