26/28 May
After our long and tedious “flat” spot, we have sailed
180nm in the last 24hours without the use of the engine. All the signs had been
there from dusk the previous day, with gathering grey clouds heaped up on the
horizon astern of us. But everything comes at a price and it was the rain, our
first of the entire passage. I realise that David has something in common with
Herb. He has always done his utmost to steer us away from bad weather, very
successfully too, and one of the reasons I am happy to sail with him. In over
60,000nm he has kept me safe and there have been very few times when I have been
fearful. But Voyageur too has played her part. As I have said before she is one
great boat.
Another spell of motor sailing on and off all afternoon
but by the early hours, our tenth day at sea, the engine was silenced for the
last time. According to the latest
Grib file it looks as if we may have enough wind to sail the rest of the way but
it was worth putting in the motoring miles to arrive at our destination sooner
than later. It is not looking good Tuesday into Wednesday.
Sunday 27th and our last day at sea. The
ocean is absolutely beautiful. King Neptune has rewarded us well, although
unbeknownst to David I did toss him a Werthers’ the other night just for good
measure. Ok, I probably overdid it a bit, the seas have been just a little too
kind but I always think less is more. Friends know us as cautious sailors but in
over 60,000 nm we have had only one sail repair. We do not have unlimited funds.
We are true Scots! The ocean is running high today after the latest frontal
trough blew through. Huge waves roll underneath Voyageur’s stern. I look up
through our “skylight” window, the sky, the bluest of blue. As the day wears on
more and more birds appear around the boat, a sure sign of approaching land. It
has not been nearly the difficult passage that I had anticipated. Far from it.
In fact, the opposite. We did not expect to be in such light wind conditions
quite so much. But truth to tell Voyageur feels weary now and I think that we
are too......
HERB, and
salmon fish cakes!
A generous helping of Herb with homemade salmon fish
cakes was on the dinner menu tonight, a salad of coleslaw using my last carrot
and leftover cabbage to accompany it. And we have just enough fruit for our last
passage breakfast, two bananas, oranges and apples. Listening intently to Herb,
now almost impossible to hear, we gleaned enough from his broadcast to confirm
that we absolutely must reach our landfall by Monday so it is all haste to get
to Horta.
The home
straight to Horta
How is it that the last 100nm always seems to take
forever? Having spent the previous day in a brisk force six under poled out
genoa and goose winged mizzen, as night closed in the winds abated, and we paid
the ultimate price of a big blow enduring a night of crashing and banging in too
light winds, the left over swell coming from two different directions, northwest
and southwest. We took turns to doze in the cockpit. As one would expect,
several other rally yachts were now closing in towards the finish line and we
picked up five different AIS targets plotted on our computer chart but there was
another target, only seen on radar less than two nm away and we could just not
pick up his lights. As it turned out it was not an ARC Europe yacht but for any
yacht to sail without navigation lights is not only unfair but it is against
maritime law. We find it wholly unacceptable. As soon as we had enough light I
woke David to jibe for the final time to take us along Faial’s south coast. With
less than three hours sleep we were really rather fatigued but the end was in
sight literally, for the great island of Faial appeared, only to be completely
obliterated as another heavy squall swept over and away from us passing from
south to north. Within an hour the island reappeared once more through the gloom
and as we gently ghosted along its southern shores, tiny rectangles of rich
green fields came cascading down, carpeting the southern slopes all the way to
the sea, the towering peaks of neighbouring Pico, providing an impressive
landmark in the background. A dawn of muted colours, an artists’ palette of
greys and greens gave atmosphere to the stage setting, the island, Faial,
exuding powerfulness in its grandeur. The dreaded knot and a half of adverse
current returned and might have held us back physically but emotionally there
was nothing to stop us now. We were elated to have completed this crossing in
twelve days, (exactly David’s predicted time) and in safety. We rounded the
great headland, Monte da Guia and into the welcoming arms of Horta with Kieran
on the VHF with instructions clear and precise directing us straight into our
berth, fourth out on a raft up. This place is absolutely choc a bloc with boats,
the forecast of the approaching bad weather having kept people from moving on.
We took a nap after lunch but strangely sleep would not come so we hot footed it
for happy hour following dinner in the legendary Cafe Sport and a reunion with
Stephen, Denis and Vera of ‘A lady’. Their news, Stephen and Aileen have just
had a new grandson so we wet the baby’s head with Buck’s Fizz back aboard A
Lady. A fitting finish for our arrival in Faial......
Susan
Mackay