Marco!

 

Visit with Marco Dutra, our single side band radio link in Faial. We communicated with Marco everyday at 2200 UTC. He gave us weather information as well as news from Faial and relayed information to family back home via email. Every day we looked forward to speaking with him.
All aboard are very appreciative of the service he provided....Thank you Marco and Claudia!

Dinner Parade

Dinner at Canto Da Doca

Dinner at Clube Naval Da Horta

Lunch with Jose Carlos and Bella and Joao

 Lunch at Arvore

Dinner with Maria and Zezinha

Burgee Exchange

Exchanging burgees with Jose Azevedo, owner of Peter's Café Sport.

We all got some exercise yesterday in a hike around the "Caldeira". An 8km hike around the crater of a 730,000  year old volcano crater in the center of Faial. The views from the top are spectacular and the site looking into the crater is mesmerizing...awesome....like into thru the pages of a National Geographic Magazine...except it's real!

All looking forward to  a reception dinner at the Yacht Club (CNH) tonight.

Cheers

Upon arriving in Horta, it is customary (as well as good luck) to paint a mural along the waterfront.  Today we completed our mural.  What do you think?

Arrival!

What a reception!

Wow...we were escorted in by a flotilla of boats from the CNH (clube naval da Horta) from Castello Branco all the way in to Horta. As we came around the tip of the breakwater the horns started sounding. Once tied to the pier we were greeted by the Mayor (Presidente da Camara) Leandro amidst a group of "Chamarita Dancers" and traditional music over the loud speakers. I was handed bouquets of flowers by two young ladies and many kisses and hugs were exchanged. To say we were a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement! After enjoying this moment off to Peter's we went for a well deserved Gin & Tonic.

Day 12   Saturday, May 31, 2014

As predicted the winds got really light as we approached the Azores High which had settled over Faial. So at about 0530 we fired up the diesel and began motoring the las 80 miles. At this point the Island of Flores is abeam to port, however, 50 miles away so we could only imagine how it must appear. The sun is out in force and the seas are a beautiful blue and calm. With about 40 miles left to go off the starboard bow the silhouette of a mountain peak begins to rise above the horizon…It is Pico! About 15 miles later another silhouette off the port bow…it is Faial!

The reality that we've made it sets in.

 

 

Only 331 miles to go. We are just about to enter Portuguese National Waters. At present we are moving really well at 9kts towards Horta. We expect landfall late Saturday or early Sunday. Tomorro night we will pass within 50 miles of the Island of Flores, the western most Azorean Island. The weather these last few days has been great….sunny, warm, and favorable southwest winds. We also had another great dolphin show…in and out of our bow wake and then leaping straight up in to the air…absolutley amazing creatures. Ryan has been video taping many of thes events so we can share them with you when we return. Great dinner tonight…Chourico w/green peppers & onions along with oven baked potato fries and green beens…fresh pineapple for desert!

 

Special shout out to the Roosevelt MIddle School sixth students who have been following along. We've enjoyed your notes and snicker's bars and we are looking forward to showing you all of our pictures