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the preventer on the boom, sheeted the main in and<br />
started the engine to motor sail for a while. It rained<br />
heavily, I mean RAINED HEAVILY. Visibility closed<br />
right down to a few metres, the rain all but<br />
smoothed the sea and the wind disappeared<br />
completely. That’s the way it stayed for the rest<br />
of the day.<br />
LANDFALL IN THE AZORES<br />
Land-trace on the radar on the 48 mile range, at 0045<br />
on Saturday 7th of June, at about 35 miles. The first real<br />
sight of Faial was at dawn. A welcoming sight after two<br />
weeks at sea. Three hours later we had rounded Peninsula<br />
da Guia with Pico’s 2351 metre peak to the east. At 1100 local<br />
time (UTC), tied up at the fuel dock in Horta. Log, 9113.7, making<br />
our passage from Antigua 2623.7 miles in almost exactly 14 days<br />
(Average 7.8 knots). Customs, immigration and port police are all in the<br />
marina office. All the officials were friendly and helpful, making it easier to<br />
wade through the otherwise impossible Portuguese bureaucracy.<br />
After checking in and finding our berth we spotted Evricka, the Swan 65 which had left<br />
Antigua a few days before we had. Darren Thompson, the skipper, and Jerry Ratcliffe are<br />
well-known Tot Club members. Excellent. Mike, Darren, Jerry, Jo and myself, makes five,<br />
enough, with one to spare, for a Tot on Tour. The Tot was duly held at 1800 sharp, with<br />
various guests. After the Tot, all retired to Café Sport, famous amongst transatlantic<br />
yachtsmen and women for it’s hospitality and accommodating owner. Café Sport also has<br />
one of the most stunning collections of scrimshaw and whaling memorabilia I have ever<br />
seen, in a museum above the café. After a couple of cleansing ales to clear the vision, an<br />
<strong>Oyster</strong> burgee (from the 66, Sarita) and a Tot Club pennant were spotted among the<br />
hundreds of flag and pennants adorning the walls and ceiling.<br />
Horta is a very popular stopover for yachts. It is a tradition to paint your yacht’s name on<br />
the wall before you leave. Departing without doing so will surely bring bad luck. Hundreds<br />
of paintings adorn the walls surrounding the marina. We spotted a few familiar names<br />
among them. Ocean Drive (<strong>Oyster</strong> 45), Celere (<strong>Oyster</strong> Lightwave), Sarita (<strong>Oyster</strong> 66),<br />
Thriller (<strong>Oyster</strong> 68), Harmony (<strong>Oyster</strong> 56), to name a few. Jo worked feverishly between<br />
rain showers the day we left to paint Crackerjack’s name on the wall.<br />
After the routine checks, cleaning, laundry and provisioning, a tour of the island in our hire<br />
car seemed in order. The countryside around most of the island is green and lush. The<br />
hydrangea hedges were just starting to bloom at the beginning of June. Because of the<br />
height of the island, there is a wide range of fauna, from sub tropical to Alpine, though I<br />
was surprised to see tree ferns and bamboo. We drove to a little restaurant Mike knew<br />
about to book dinner. Nick’s Hideaway or O Escnderijo. A very picturesque place with<br />
excellent food and hospitality.<br />
www.oystermarine.com<br />
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