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Sunday 17 July 2011

28th Post. Back sailing

We flew back to Lanzarote on the 15th of June to find Sula snug and well on her marina berth. To celebrate our return we treated ourselves to a meal ashore in an open air restaurant. As the meal commenced, we noticed that something odd was happening to the full moon hanging low in the sky. It turned out we had a grandstand view of a spectacular total eclipse of the moon.

The next two weeks were spent getting Sula ready to sail for the Azores: finding where things were; fixing one or two things that needed fixing; remembering how things worked on board and stowing all manner of food and ships stores.


We should have been sailing. But…


Our Insurance was due for renewal and our insurance company required us to have a new survey done by a qualified marine surveyor. No problem there, we had foreseen this technicality and asked the boat yard to haul Sula out of the water and arrange for a survey in our absence. That all went well, but getting hold of the survey report was another matter. It took days to track the surveyor down, then several more days for him to send us the report. When it did arrive, we had to pay an exorbitant 400 Euros before it could be released to us. It then turned out to be all but useless. It was full of glaring mistakes that we had to get put right. (It said we had an aluminum hull with a fin keel, a steering wheel and two sets of spreaders). It was however full of praise for Sula’s seaworthiness and condition.

Not surprisingly the insurance company wasn’t at all impressed. This, together with Sula’s age, our ocean going intentions, and a reluctance to take on extra crew, caused them to decline to offer us cover.

Eventually, with the assistance of a very helpful lady in the boatyard, we found a reputable Spanish company that offered us third party & rescue cover.


Tim’s photo

We set sail the very next day, but not before being paid a visit from one of our Pembrokeshire friends, Tim Arthur. He was on a business trip to the island and sent us a text to say “Do you fancy a beer?” Of course we did, and had a most pleasant evening in his company.


We sailed in the morning of the 1st of July for a shakedown cruise. First to an overnight anchorage off Playa Blanca in the south of the island then off to Tenerife the next day. Once we were clear of the notorious acceleration zones around the headlands it was plain sailing. We kept the reefs in however. We are after all cruising sailors not ocean racers.


We completed the 125 miles to Tenerife in a very respectable 22 hours and anchored overnight at Punta de Antequera. We were protected from the ocean swell and the prevailing wind. It was therefore rather a disappointment to discover that the anchorage was subject to fierce katabatic winds coming down from the mountains. We jibed around our anchor all night long and got very little sleep, despite the assurance of lying to 40 metres of chain in only five metres of water.

A windy anchorage


First thing after breakfast we motored the short distance to Santa Cruz marina for some rest. After waiting for a second day we got the good weather report we were waiting for and commenced our eight day passage to the Azores.


Azores Ahoy!


The passage turned out to be 763 miles in total, so not a bad time. For most of the time we were sailing at quite some speed.

We didn’t have it all our own way though and we are still learning how to sail. On the 8th of July the wind fell to a zephyr and the sun came out to play. It was well appreciated and allowed us to deal with one or two jobs, such as a leaking fore hatch (a rivet had sheared on one of the securing handles).

In the afternoon the wind piped up to force 5.We were hard on the wind and the best we could do was leave our track and head north. I found all manner of reasons to explain why we were making such bad progress, but in the end discovered much to my consternation that it was all down to the skipper. I was simply pinching the wind. I paid off 20 degrees and immediately we picked up speed and could steer a much better course.

By Friday the 5th we were bounding along in the sunshine doing 5+ knots in a force 5 wind. Just to be sure I wasn’t becoming complacent, the sea played a trick on me that afternoon. I was on deck securing a loose halyard when a large goffer came aboard. I was wearing my foul weather jacket with its high fleece lined collar. The water hit me full on the head and was funneled inside my jacket by the collar and I was drenched to the skin!


Happy birthday old man of the sea


For my birthday on the 9th I received the best present I could wish for. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining fit to bust. The sea was an amazing azure and a shearwater flew close on our starboard beam. We were sailing full and bye, well reefed and bang on course at a good five knots. All was well on board and we were 340 miles from land.

All in all it was a very good passage. Sula outdid herself and on occasion was logged at doing 7 knots and once at a genuine 7.3. Much faster than I thought she could sail.

We arrived at Santa Maria on the 14th of July and anchored overnight in Baia Da Praia. The following morning we moved into the excellent little marina of Villa Do Porto. Everyone was so kind and cheerful and made us most welcome.

The harbour master is a good example. I called him on the radio before entering harbour to ask for a berth in the marina. He wasn’t quite sure why I had called, but without checking with me assumed that I had some mechanical problems and needed assistance. He therefore sent a boat out to help me. Later he came round to inspect our papers. He was very pleasant, smiled easily and apologized for his mistake.

It’s odd you know, but when we stepped ashore we found the land was gently rocking. Sula however was quite still!


Vila Do Porto

The cure was for us to dig our bikes out of their home in a cockpit locker, dust them off, pump up the tyres and explore our surrounds.

I think we will enjoy the Azores.

It is just wonderful to be back sailing.