Zoonie - 49:36.91N 06:10.34W Shipping Lanes and land in sight

Day 10 started in a flat, lifeless sea with the residue of fog around us.It really seemed that having lost the volume and depth of the ocean beyond theContinental Shelf it has lost its variety of life and especially the fabulouslapis blue. By afternoon the wind direction was perfect but we could do littlewith only 7 knots.   Signs of modern living;  the Arcadia glides gently by and a big woodencable drum floats by worryingly close. It looks like a bed side on, from whichan old gent in his white cotton nightcap might rise and wave. I am busyfinishing The Lone Star Ranger and my next book will be The Little Coffee Shopin Kabul, about the lives of Afghan women. Ship spotting and PM sights fill ourtime nicely.   Day 11 02.30 am., I am on watch and we are off The Lizard,. read more...

Zoonie - 48:27.34N 11:12.33W Two days to Falmouth

Day 6 starts with trying to gain speed from the passing squalls – sometimesit works. I had two aims for the day, one to bring the blog up to date andsecond to have a shower and hair wash. Until these were achieved no more readingof Zane Grey’s Lone Star Ranger was allowed.   Dolphins played around the bow and there were frequently whales blowing ata distance as I tapped away.  By the evening I was up to date and sitting in the cockpit while Zooniebowled along in 10 knots of wind and warm sunshine, the best time of that day.The constant wind stayed aft of the beam giving a fine sail and level hull foreasy living below. We supped a beer to celebrate turning onto 66’ forhome.   Two pink balls drifted by, a mile or so apart and about a metre indiameter. They appeared to have. read more...

Zoonie - Santa Marina Azores to UK 45:21.92N 19:13.86W

As you can see we have now turned that illusive 45’ corner onto our finalleg home. We altered course at 25 minutes past midnight last night and have justhad a beer over lunch to celebrate.   Going back to last Monday, after the usual pre departure checks we leftSanta Maria with two other yachts who fairly quickly steered a course for theother islands leaving us to head for the east end of St Miguel north ofus.  The wind was perfect at first but as we neared her eastern volcaniccliffs it became necessary to start the engine to clear them. It would have beentoo frustrating to pass by this beautiful island if we had not both alreadyvisited there and were able to recall our many happy memories of a hot, orangeswimming pool, warmed by geysers from within the earth, milking machines. read more...

Zoonie - Aida and the not so Old Man of The Sea

Aida was born on the island but then her parents moved to Boston, USA whereher father learned English at the University and worked in the maintenance dept.before setting up a fish market with a friend.   He returned to the island and started a restaurant in Maia, another ribbonsettlement facing the east Atlantic. His wife hoped they might retire and takeit easy but in fact they ended up working even harder and ran the popularrestaurant on well water and generator electricity.   Aida’s father’s nickname was Il Grota so that is what he called his prideand joy. He loved to create his own dishes and Aida was pleased to serve us twobowls of his famous fish soup. He bought his fish early in the morning, as doesAida today, from the local fishermen who would later come and have their. read more...

Zoonie - Zoonie in Santa Maria - 'car' day 1

The Azores are part of the Atlantic Ridge mountains that extend 10,000miles down from north to south and are twice as wide as the Andes. The centralpart rises 5000 – 10,000 feet above the seafloor with another mile to go abovethe summits to reach sea-level. The peaks that do reach the vision of marinersform island groups including the Azores, the Rocks of St Paul, Ascension Island,Tristan da Cunha, Gough and Bouvet. In places if you stepped more than a fewfeet from the shores you would be lost in a half mile depth of water!   While Pico island, with its same named peak, rises 27,000 feet above theocean floor, its upper 7000-8000 feet showing and is the highest in the group,Santa Maria can boast the oldest town. Only two weeks after its civicinauguration in 1460  privateers from. read more...