Island of Flores, Azores July 2009.

We arrived early morning Thursday 23rd to this little pearl of an island in the middle of the Atlantic.
We put down the anchor in the harbour bay at the village of Lajes das Flores in the south east corner of the island of Flores, which is the most north- western of the Azores .There is 138 Miles west of the central group of islands. It is supposed to be the most beautiful, and its people the most friendly. Well, I can believe all that now that we have been there.
The Quay area is small and the swell and the tide would have made it uncomfortable to be lying along side. Three other yachts were also anchoring, one British, one Canadian and one South African yacht. Two French yachts were along the quay but one were later asked to move out as an inter-island ferry were due to arrive. Uppersite the quay is a big cliff, lush in vegetation and full of nesting birds who chirp away all through the night.
We ventured up in the village which stretches itself charmingly up the hillside on the south east side of a mountain. Very pretty whitewashed houses in lush well kempt gardens gave us the impression of prosperity and tidyness. Everywhere beautiful wild flowers grew in abandance. Especially Hotencia, which bordered fields and pastures.
Unfortunately we don’t speak Portuguese but everybody were very friendly and helpful. A little lady, by the name of Florence was happily letting us use her internet from a bench in her very pretty garden. She also gave us tomatoes, couchettes and herbs from her garden .When asked she would take a very nominal fee only. She was just extremely friendly and helpful. She even offered us a lift to a festival in a neighbouring town.
We didn’t take the lift. In stead we took our bikes, which we bought last year, and which normally live in the forepeak of the boat all folded up. The bikes were transported in the dinghy to the pier and we then pushed them up through the town and much further up hill to the top of the mountain along the road, in baking heat (Mad dog an Englishman!). It was very beautiful with the views all over the countryside to the sea. We could see two crater lakes from the top of the road. The water was green and it was very scenic. Every where we found blue Hotencia growing all over the hills. We took hundreds of photos as one view was prettier than the previous one.
Yesterday we lighted ancher at Flores at 10.00 and in light SW winds we sailed to the island of Faial and the capital of Horta. The distance is 138 miles and boat went like a dream doing 6-8 knots all the way so that we arrived in a speedy time of 7.15 this morning. We are in the marina along the quay-side. For the first time since I arrived on the boat about a month ago is the table flat- horisontal without rocking and rolling all over the place. It is a strange but lovely feeling.

Atlantic crossing to the Azores July 2009

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Atlantic Crossing from Rockland ME., USA to the Azores from July 4th to 23rd July 2009.

We have just arrived to the Island of Flores the most western island of the Azores Islands. We have had the most exciting and great sail you could possibly image. We started out from Rockland ME. And have been at sea for 19 days and nights. Most of the time the wind has been very favourable. Every Day David has communicated with the weather-gods via weather fax and single side band (SSB) radio and his labtop and has managed to make the most of the wind patterns of highs and lows of the Atlantic Ocean. We have sailed 2100 Nautical Miles, just the two of us in this little wonderful boat named Aros More, and we are still speaking!

The fog was like pea soup when we left Rockland on Saturday morning of 4th of July, but the weather-forecast was good and we got SW winds as we had been promised. Soon all sails were up and ’Adolf‘, our wind- pilot was happily steering. When leaving the last islands belonging to the US behind we got a quick taste of what was to follow as the wind suddenly gusted to 25 knots. We quickly lowered the mizzan and reefed the genoa. We both put on our lifejackets and David went up on deck hooked on to the lifeline and put two reefs in the main.

During the crossing we have had beautiful sunrises and sunsets and seen beautiful seascapes. We have had visits from schools of dolphins, seen whales, many Portuguese man of war(poisonous jellyfish), birds such as petrols, sherwaters, and tropic birds. We have tried to fish but with no luck.

One day’s entry in my logbook I add to this so that you get some idea of what it was like :
14th of July 11th day at sea.
I was on watch from midnight till 4am, and it was a lovely night. Nice and cool, 27degrees C with light winds force 2-3 giving us 5 knots of boat speed on a broad reach. The moon was in his third quarter and there were millions of sparkling stars in the sky. I slept in between doing the hourly log, and overslept the last one to wake up at five am to a lovely cool morning - the best time of the day. Dolphins were playing around the bow, and as I gave David his early morning cup of tea at 6.00, I saw the back of a whale through a porthole -only 20 feet off to startboard - wow! We both rushed up on deck. I think the whale was sleeping, as he was lying very still giving an occational blow. Another whale blew out water a couple of hundred yards away. How exciting!
If it wasn’t for:
the bilge-pump giving up,
problems with David’s pc and printer to get weather fax,
the boat batteries being drained due to a loose connection,
and last not least the toilet pump was blocked, it was another boring day of 35 degrees C in baking sun in the middle of the Atlantic.
David was working solidly all day. Afterwards he did get his well deserved sundowner.

There is always some sort of problem to deal with. A skipper has to know his boat and his stuff. He has be ready in all situations and be prepared to deal with it. I am really pleased that my skipper is just the tops.

Last night we saw the looms from the lights from island of Flores. We were so, so excited. This morning at 05.00am we lying outside the harbour of Vila das Lajes, Azores, at the south point of the island and waiting for daybreak o we could go in. We had done it!
I was really quite relieved. Two days ago the winds and waves were terrifying me. I started worrying that something should happen. Now we are here in this wonderful little island in the middle of the Atlantic. We still had our sea-legs when we ventured out to explore.

Leaving Rockland, Maine USA.

Tomorrow we are leaving Rockland. 3th July 2009.
David and I left Bev and Ted Cowan's house yesterday and are now living afloat again on Aros More. We enjoyed great hospitality from the Cowans and hope to be able to repay them when they one day sail across the Pond in their Schooner or even in their Endurance, which sits under cover in their back yard.
We are now ready to leave. We have done all the shopping we possibly can, includingbuying knitting wool and fishing tackle ( to be used when as the wind demands!) , and filled up with water and diesel. Now we just hope the forcast is correct and the wind will weer to S- SW which is the favourable wind for us. We hope to reach the Azores in 15-21 days time.
We need some sunshine and to get out on the ocean wave!
All the time here in Rockland the fog has been down........a very depressing Summer, so far.

June 2009

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This has been a very busy week for me. I have hardly had time to stop and breath!
Last Friday I left home in Comrie in Scotland flew off to Denmark for three days to celebrate my dad's 87th birthday. The first night I stayed with my sister Kirsten, and the next day we went to Hinneryp to visit my brother Hans Chr. and his wife Birna and they had invited the whole family to celebrate my dad's birthday the 21th June with brunsh and singing by great grand children. In the afternoon we all went into 'Den Gamle By'(Museum of old houses), i Aarhus where Hans Chr were singing in Aarhus Studenter Singers. It was a great event, and a lovely courtyard with bandstand where the celebration took place. Dad enjoyed the singers coming down and singing for him especially.
It was a lovely day and we all enjoyed ourselves.
The next day I flew back to Edinburgh and spent the evening with Pernille. We walked out to Crammond Island as the tide was low. The sunset was beautiful, and we had a lovely time.
Tuesday 23th June I flew out to Boston in the US. and joined David in Rockland, ME. We are getting Davids boat, The Aros More, ready for sailing back across the Atlantic. We are enjoying great hospitality from Bev and Bill Cowan and staying in their lovely old house in Rockland. They own a schooner, which they are working on to ready to sail on long term.

The first photo is of Kirsten and me in Kirstens and Finns boat in Vejle, Denmark.
The next three photos are Fars birthday celebration from Denmark.
Pernille, and the sunset are from Scotland.
The last three are from Rockland in Maine, USA.

2009 Sailing season

Since we came home in September 2008 David and I have been busy doing homely things. David has been busy supporting and canvassing for UKIP, in between cutting hedges, grass and climbing hills. I have taken up Golf and have played most days over the winter. I still work a little for Marie Curie Nursing Service. In the Spring we found time to tie the Knot y getting ourselves married.
David flew back o the US two weeks ago and I shall follow in a couple of days.
Last weekend I managed to get my three children together and have a BBQ in the garden, It was a really nice weekend.

Good Buy from the sailing season of 2008!

We are now getting ready to leave Aros More for this year. Our last preparations are taking place and tomorrow we leave Rockland and the boat at 5.00am to catch a bus to Boston and then fly home. It will be all strange to have dry land under our feet. We have have had a wonderful season, seen lovely places, met friendly people and made lots of new friends.
we have taken more photos than you would like to know!
It has been a most memorable Summer and I am sad to say that the season is over!

Red -Right - Return

Red, Right ,Return! Red to starboard when you go to back to a harbour.... on this side of the Atlantic!
We are now heading home to port! as we are into our last two weeks of sailing for this year. Yesterday we booked our home tickets and fly out form Boston on Tuesday 15th September to arrive in Edinburgh on Wednesday 16th September in the afternoon. We shall leave Aros More in Rockland, ME. all wrapped up in plastic for the winter.
We are still having a wonderful time sailing in lovely surroundings and in good weather. This little town of Camden claims to is the world capital of windjammers ( schooners) .
These beautiful old sailing vessels sail around here with tourists and as sailing schools.
On the photo of the motor yacht you can see a helicopter on the aft-deck. We were anchored next to it last night, and the helicopter kept taking off and landing again after a trip round the bay.
We are expecting very high winds for the week end and have been advised to go to a hurricane hole , which is a small bay, Pulpit Harbour, very protected from winds from all directions. we shall sit out the storm there till Sunday night.