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Common Sense - Azores High



38°4.5N 20°5.6W

Well we finally tootled into Horta Marina after seventeen and a half days at
sea, well behind the rest of the ARC fleet but relatively intact – a slight
rip in the mainsail and a shattered windscreen in the dodger to show for our
battle with the elements, plus the replacement of $550 worth of sheets and
furling lines. And a busted gooseneck on the boom. We really appreciated
the warm reception – cheers and greetings all the way in from the
breakwater, and a lovely cold beer from the guys on Miss Carol. We missed
all the Rally festivities on Horta, but made up for it with a few days of
sightseeing, eating and drinking on this lovely island. We took the ferry
over to Pico, and of course Padraig is now determined to return to climb the
volcano. Actually we’re all keen to come back to Azores – there is
obviously a lot more to see and do than we had time for this time around.
Not to mention the great bread, cheese, wine, olives and fish, and the
friendly local people.
The Azores Rally left the day after we came in – we needed a rest and Common
Sense needed a bit of attention, AND we had to paint our bit of the
seawall - so we didn’t go. We thought of joining up again in Sao Miguel, but
in the end decided on a cunning plan to sail straight from Horta to Lagos in
Portugal. We slipped away on the afternoon of Wednesday 6th. After the high
winds off Pico, there was very little wind at all for a day or so, so we
motor-sailed. Today (8th) has been a lovely day, fine with 18 knot winds
from the south west allowing us to make over 6 knots all day. Let’s hope for
more of the same, so we can be in Lagos AHEAD of the fleet. With a bit of
luck this time we’ll be the ones cheering from the breakwater and supporting
the bar at all the parties.
Ate logo!
Carol, Terry and Padraig aboard Common Sense



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