After 5 days in Bermuda, and
an unorthodox reverse (stern-first) motoring start, we are making excellent
headway to our next destination: Horta, on the Azorean island of Faial.
We are perhaps the
Northern-most boat in the fleet of the ARC, with our skipper choosing to not
follow the herd and head Northeast out of Bermuda, rather than Southeast, as
the rest of the fleet has done. So far, the gamble has paid off, with fine
(15-18 knot winds), roughly on the beam, allowing for comfortably close-hauled
sails and a course that currently puts us right on track to Faial.
This is, of course, more
than likely to change at any given moment, as the winds and seas are
notoriously fickle in this part of the Atlantic and at this time of year.
Nonetheless, for now we are consistently cruising at 7-9 knots and right on
course, in moderate seas, and comfortable (i.e., a bit chillier), dry weather.
It’s lovely to wear pants and a jumper, rather than sweating it out in shorts
and a t-shirt.
We picked up a new crewmember
in Bermuda. John is a Canadian lake sailor from Toronto. He immediately
informed us of the famous line from Moby Dick: “The Great Lakes sailor is
wild-ocean nurtured, as audacious a mariner as any.” John has quickly gotten
his sea legs and been swept into the fold by the rest of the crew, so it may
yet turn out that Melville was right and the Atlantic is just a very large lake
after all.
We were all taken by Bermuda’s
charms. St. George’s where we stayed, was replete with gorgeous beaches with
turquoise waters, an abundance of historical forts built by the Brits, lovingly
maintained houses on crooked pedestrian alleyways, and polite, hospitable and
friendly locals.
The trip has been a blast so
far, and though we were a bit sad to leave such a lovely place as Bermuda, we
are very excited by the excellent progress we are currently making on this leg,
the longest one of the journey.
Upwards and onwards.
Photo caption: it was the
pirate spirit that took us North while the rest of the ARC Europe fleet went
South.
Ensign and the Bones blog