My son, Stephen, flew over to Cork from Newquay to join us for a few days in Baltimore - we sailed over to Sherkin Island for the weekend and enjoyed a live-music gig on the Saturday evening. Mick Flannery and band entertained us with his own original songs until past midnight, finishing with two standing ovations.
At 1530 on Sunday 12th September we helped Paul cast off from the Islander's Rest pontoon for his final leg to Milford Haven, south-westerlies helping him on his way. Stephen and I made our way back to Baltimore on the ferry, then made for Cork Airport and our separate destinations.
Skipper will add his account of this solo final-leg shortly.
Rosie
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Well does 21 days from Horta to Baltimore qualify for the wooden spoon!
The first 24hrs after leaving Horta we covered 120nmls. The following day brought calm seas and gentle winds with spotted dolphins swimming and playing around us – the following 5 days were similar and we only made about 100nmls during this time, but sightings of more than 3 groups of Sperm Whales in these calm and sometimes mirror-like conditions were fantastic. We witnessed Sperm Whales shallow-diving, which produced semi-tail-fluking on several occasions.
The best experience was two females, one either side of a tiny new-born, helping him to surface to breathe, with another Sperm Whale spy-hopping (vertical with his head out of the water watching us) about 10 yards from the group of three – maybe watching us to make sure we were not a threat to them or the baby Moby.
An increasingly smoky exhaust, despite repeated repairs by the Skipper, meant that we avoided using the engine except for topping up the batteries, so progress was slow in the calm conditions.
What happened to the south-westerlies, they only blew for us for a day or two?
By the 9th day – 23rd August, NNE winds on the nose make life difficult for us – this lasted for 10 days. At one point we were surrounded by gales, to the north around the UK, to the east off Portugal, behind us in West Altair even Hurricane Danielle was hard on our heels – the ENE wind pushed us further west and we found it hard to hold our ground in the Yachtsmans Gale of F6/F7.
We sailed out of the dark late on Thurs 2nd Sept when the wind changed to SE and we were able to make our way at last towards Baltimore, two very tired sailors and not a few pounds lighter. We were bombing along on Friday and thought we would be into Baltimore by Saturday 4th having had F6 overnight with lightening and rain, but Saturday morning with 50nm to run the winds turned into Westerly light airs… and we were becalmed all day aaagh!
At 2200 a breeze stirrred and we were on our way again, manoeuvring around fishing vessels and a small cruise ship – at sunrise we were passing the Fastnet Lighthouse and then Cape Clear Island to the sound marked by a lighthouse on Sherkin Is and a tall white conical Beacon on the mainland, which is the entrance to Baltimore Harbour. We were moored to the water-barge pontoon by 1015, very happy to make landfall and in such beautiful surroundings….
Same itinerary as before.....
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We are leaving tomorrow, Thursday, and will sail around the Island of Pico looking for Whales and Dolphins before we head NE for Southern Ireland, approx 1200nmls - if there are no further updates then expect to hear from us again on arrival Baltimore or thereabouts........
Filling the extra diesel containers at the Fishermans Quay
Loading into the hold....
Mural added to the Horta wall of Sailing ventures - the harbour walls are covered in this accepted grafitti.
Closeup of Paul's artistic effort
No we didn't take these photos, but our Marine Biologist Guide onboard did.....
Spermx2 Blows synchronised
Sperm Fluke - down he dives....
Barada moored Horta Marine - Pico Is/Volcano in background
Murals by Yachties are everywhere in Horta Marina/Harbour
Our effort in progress....
Porto Pim - the local swimming/snorkelling Bay
DSCF3006 - Colourful plants edge the roads
DSCF3009 - You could be in the West Country!
CIMG0653 - Ponta do Albarnaz NW Flores
CIMG0662 - Volcanic Crater, Caldeira Comprida
CIMG0673
'Barada' is the 3rd yacht offshore at anchor, just before and to the right of the larger yellow-hulled yacht.
A Marina is currently under construction - there is a convenient dinghy-dock - also basic toilets and showers.
Paula's harbour-front bar is a popular haunt for yachts-people and locals alike, with Wi-fi available.
There is also a volcanic-sand beach for swimming and snorkelling, with interesting fishlife, tho the visibility near to shore is not so good with the work-in-progress on the Marina!
Flores is a remote but colourful island that shouldn't be missed, the most westerly of the Archipeligo.
At 0920 with main out 1 reef, we motored towards Faial, about 27 nmls distant (with port and stern lazarette open to dissipate the exhaust fumes away from the crew). At about 1140 Rosie was on the helm when she saw ahead a Whale body vertically pierce through the sea, followed swiftly by a second body, then some 10 minutes later a short angled- blow just 25-50 metres from Barada drew her attention to two Sperm Whales swimming by in the opposite direction to Barada's course... a great sighting. Just after that she also saw what at first looked like a branch floating in the water with one short mangled brown protusion, no bigger in whole than a dolphin it was a mammal, but what we have no idea and will investigate with knowledgeable whale watchers in Horta!
The last few hours the sun was hot, very hot and I couldn't stand in the cockpit in my bare feet. We motored into Horta Harbour, mooring first in front of the white Marina Office and then rafted alongside 'Lucky Loo' a 33' Nauticat, owned by a Belgiun couple from Antwerp, tied-up along the inner harbour wall. It is very busy in the marina with all pontoons full, but then it is the height of the season. We will stay here for a max of 10 days. ]]>
I was accompanied most days by Dolphins and also saw many whales, some just moving along, their blows showing their positions and one fluking some distance away - I even had to change course around them at times.
Will spend approx one week here in Flores and now busy with repair chores until Rosie arrives on Sunday 18th.
Our plan is to spend a few days here and then sail to Horta on Faial over the weekend of 24-25th, some 130nmls.
Weather is sunny and hot with mist sometimes over the extinct volcanic mountain ranges - a beautiful island and well-named due to its covering of blue hydrangeas and red and yellow Cann plants. A small population of 4,000 with little tourism except for 'yachties' returning from the Caribbean and US. ]]>
No report from Paul today, but the forecast looks reasonable until Friday 2nd July, then Sat/Sun 3-4th July it is possible that light winds 0-15 may come from the East for a time, but then Monday/Tuesday turn SE again 5-10knots by which time he may be at 38degN and past 40degW getting nearer to picking up Navtex reports from the Azores.
Fair winds Barada....I will see you in Horta...Rosie signing off.
There may be one further entry tomorrow before Rosie disappears for 2 weeks with ORCA surveying and acting Wildlife Officer onboard the Spirit of Adventure on the Scandinavian Summer Nights trip. She has been my 'weather-router' up til now as originally I was going to take the middle route to the Azores, but changed to the southern route when Rosie found high winds predicted across 38-39 degN. She has also been updating this diary.
This week looks relatively settled as current W-ish winds of up to 23 knots decrease slowly, by then I should soon be within reach of Navtex reports from the Azores. For the record, I anticipate arrival in the Azores at either Flores or Horta on Faial around Thurs 8th July, which will be Day 20 of the sail from Bermuda, 1700+nm.
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Have been sailing along nicely last few days - today the wind has increased 20-23knots SW, so I have just reefed the mainsail and will continue through the night with a conservative sail area as I would prefer not to go on deck at night. Rosie says the wind should not increase any more than this, so we will see how the evening progresses. Approaching half-way in 36hrs or so, currently at 600+nm due to slow pace and light winds at the beginning.
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Brief phone call received by Rosie with position - sailing along nicely 1,000 to the Azores - 23mins left on SatPhone, downloading taking long time so try Text to SatPhone.
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