Around again

.The 16th is a significant date.......16th May, Dads birthday, 16th August, Julia's birthday and 16th December, Lily's Birthday........and I have just remembered, 16th February, my birthday.

We left to cross the Atlantic on the 16 th December, 2013, relaunched after the hurricane season on the 16th December 2014. Tristan won second place in the single handed race in Antiqua Classics on the 16 th March, 2015, and we left St Martin to cross back to the Azores on the 16th May, 2015.

We set sail south again on the 16 th August, 2015, Julia's 30 th Birthday. Although we have seen all our family and some some friends, I felt heavy hearted. I really missed my kids and grandkids and want to share the beauty in the world with them. 

It's hard to achieve and I hope they find their own beauty. I don't think by any stretch of the imagination I've raised sailors. 

Biscay held fear for me, having been caught in a gale the last time we crossed in August 2012. Looking at grib  files, light winds held some attraction. I would sooner motor than spend more nights with boats rafted against us whilst haemorrhaging Marina fees in Falmouth.

The warmth of the setting sun and darkness heralded my retreat to my bunk. The port side bank with it's lee cloth, narrow seat and sleeping bags cocooned me for four hours. Where does time go...you just fall asleep when it's watch change. This time apart from the cold, I was happy to be outside.

Oily seas, ribbons of turquoise phosphorescence and reflections, a complete surreal experience, uncapturable  by a photograph. The bow wave created a glowing ribbon which occasionally had squid dancing through it. It's times like this I really wish I could paint.

So I sat in the cockpit and slapped the water with a knotted rope. Kept me amused for hours in between chart fixes, AIS spotting and good old DeLorme InReach text messaging. Sad to part with tradition, but a fun sign of the times where media reaches the people we love and care about. 

As the lights of Cornwall faded into the distance, we went on into to black night. Sky and sea were indistinguishable apart from the green ribbons off our bow wave. 

I never though the words would utter from my lips, but I really enjoyed the Biscay crossing!  My daughter, Lucy and our friend Linda, texted us weather updates. There was a  gale brewing in the Atlantic.......fortunately we were closing the Spanish coast. We decided to pay off and make the coast as soon as possible. So we steered away from A Coruña to hide up a Ria off Ceideria.

The harbour was full of fishing boats, no diesel or water for yachties but plenty of space to drop the hook. Setting the anchor was different....we drifted with the tide while Tristan took the angle grinder to the shackle. We dropped a danforth instead of the cqr as the holding was soft, then slept, and slept. It's a special sleep when you arrive somewhere, safely tucked in harbour. Stress flows away with the tide.

We had only spent four days at sea so water was no problem. Food stores were left over from an overstocked Atlantic crossing and would see us through weeks at anchor.  We could stop, enjoy the sunshine and inhale the ecucalyptus trees wafting on the shoreline. 

This storm seemed miles away....the weather was still, sunny, warm but we knew the air had been sucked into something big. The calm before the storm, beautiful to be in but scary when you are a sailor. 

Then it hit.....for three days we waved to a French sailor on a catamaran as we popped our head out occasionally to empty the pots collecting water....inside the boat eating our way through overstocked supplies. We had spent three years in the tropics and heavy rain seeped in the dried seams. It's a wooden boat she will always leak, somewhere! At least Tristan had successfully solved the leaking hull and top sides, our leaks were paltry compared to previous......a mere gentle incontinence of the cabin top.

As soon as the weather calmed down we headed for Sada to water and fuel up.

Sada has a beautiful old tram station cafe which is now a bar covered in kiwi fruits.

The marina was close to a supermarket so we stocked up on essentials but not sardines. I wonder how long our surplus supplies will last for? 

It was the first time for four years we had been able to buy MARINEROS  biscuits......long lasting ships biscuits that never go soggy! 

We left Sada to anchor opposite A Coruña for an early start, but Meriva had other ideas. Unfortunately for Tristan he had a cool dip at low water to unhook the anchor which had got stuck on an old mooring chain.  Eventually we headed off to Caraminas and anchored off.   Again we were boat bound for a couple of days until the wind and waves died down, then braved it ashore.......determined to change our dingy at the first opportunity. Getting wet in the Caribbean is fine but not in these northern climates! The walk around the headland was  beautiful, reminded me of Cornwall.

The next stop was Muros and seeing as though we're were into the swing of anchoring we continued.....big mistake. The holding was poor and we spent four hours on fours hours off and several attempts to reset the anchor in 25 knots of wind, not  a lot but we constantly dragged. The next day was beautifully calm but the peace was shattered by artillery fire.....that woke us up. It sounded like  we were in the middle of a war zone. 

We left not sure whether to hop around the corner but being indecisive we carried on and anchored off  Corrubedo. We awoke to fishing boats  hauling nets around us and fog. We decided to leave the anchorage and head for Bayona. Although we didn't go into all the Spanish rias it does mean  next time we can go somewhere new. We met up with our friends Ralph and Henrika on Dolphin in Bayona.

After a few walks and pot luck meals together, we set sail in convoy down the Spanish and Portugese coast. 

It was fun sailing with friends and  I'm sure neither captains had a competive sail! I seem to remember a long discussion of hull speed, closeness to the wind and tacks over a few drinks later.

Porto was a place we missed last time we sailed this coast so we went into the marina at Lexious and bused  into the city. The city is full of character and the port warehouses add a bonus.

This year we had calm seas but too much sea fog which made sailing a different challenge.

We couldn't sail the Portugese coast without stopping at Peniche, one of our favourites. This time we made time to walk  all around the peninsula with its fortresses and stunning geology. 

From Peniche we picked the weather, did an overnighter and  headed around cape St  Vincent to anchor off Sagres in beautiful conditions while Tristan gave up cigars (again).

Still no fish........but a kind cruiser passed a spare tuna like a rugby ball on board!

We decided to avoid Lagos  but fuelled up and headed for Ferragudo, opposite Portimao. We anchored for a few days then decided to sail to Isle Culatra.   For the first time in a couple of years, we had excellent conditions, eventually got the spinnaker to set  and had a brilliant sail, Tristan landed a tuna and life was good.

Too good to stop, so we kept going through the night until we reached Rota, near Cadiz. We stopped here for a couple of months while I flew back to the UK.

It was easy to get to Cadiz from Rota as the ferry port is at the head of the marina. 

A new museum in the walls has opened ....bit creepy with horrendous collection of ships medical toolsand a plankton display.

We also did a bit of Christmas shopping.......

We were quite happy in Rota and would have stayed longer but we were 'visited' by officials who reminded us that we couldn't live aboard our boat for more than six months in eighteen or we would have to pay matriculation tax, 20% the value of the boat! We left a few days later and sailed to Portugal.

Here we remain. Tristan busied himself combining two outboards to make one, I varnished but then the cold northerly winds set in and we hibernated for the winter.

We were not adapted to this cooler climate having been in the tropics, so spent most of the winter cuddling hot water bottles and using every duvet and sleeping bag on board to keep walm.

It was however an incentive to connect the diesel heater which had been in situ since 2012. Temperatures still haven't risen above 18 degrees on the coast and much cooler at night. We use to get cold going into Simply supermarket in St. Martin and that was 25 degrees. Still it is warmer and drier than the UK, so I will stop!

Being on the Guardiana river which divides Spain from Portugal, you have the option of visiting both countries. Being an hours difference between the two, it made for an interesting New Year......which ever year it is.

There is a fantastic salt marsh and woodland in Villa Real backing the beach and although not a huge diversity of Spring flowers , it's beautiful to walk through and inhale the fragrance of broom and pine.

And now we have the beautiful heady fragrance of orange blossom and mimosa. When the winds in a northerly direction, you also smell eucalyptus tree.  Intoxicating, unless you suffer from hay fever. 

Our intention was to build a dingy and move on but unfortunately Tristan has a  back problem so we will remain here until he gets better. This wobble board and back pain don't go together! 

Flowers in the Atlanntic

We made landfall in Flores. Approaching  Lajes marina was a nerve wracking experience , especially standing on the bow. The swell was up and we had the head towards the cliffs but not to close as the rocks protruded. It was tight as we swung into the entrance.  We were lucky, our friends Linda  and Andy off SV Coromandal had arrived a few days earlier, so they were able to take our lines. 

Walking on land was not a pleasant experience after so many days at sea but it was a fantastic feeling to be safe with the prospect of fresh food!

After a welcome coffee, our first port of call was a cafe and  fresh meat, salad and chips. That ticked the boxes for us having eaten far to many tins and we ran our of fresh produces after 10 days.

Flores is beautiful and oozes tranquility.

 

Hydrangeas and agapanthus dominate with various shades of cobalt blue. Walls were adorn with  nasturtiums ........which also make good eating (tried to convince Amy). Being deprived of fresh produce for weeks.....I was on a mission for a snack.

It reminded me of Cornwall, but since being back in Cornwall it was very different.....the sun shone!

We spent a few days getting our legs working again and had a tour of the island with Linda and Andy. 

Evidence of the islands volcanic origins provided stunning scenery and the transformation of an island which derived income from whaling, into a tourist destination was commendable.

The beach adjacent to the marina has BBQs and picnic tables ....so we joined fellow cruisers for a few social events. Everyone had endured the Atlantic for many days and it was interesting to compare notes on the weather patterns. It was a bit of a 'how to avoid the gale session'. I  was all ears!

The one good thing about the marinas in the Azores. Is they are cheap and water and electricity are included. Our boat cushions had 'absorbed' moisture and salt  so we spent several days washing. From now on everything gets covered in thick plastic for  an ocean crossing!

 We sailed from Flores to Faial as we needed a few boats bits. Well it was more of a gentle motor!

The oily seas were back. Considering we had a few rigging issues it was just as well and it was also perfect whale watching weather. 

The approaches to Horta were stunning... Volcanic craters, columns basalt and a lighthouse inland buried by an eruption in 1957.

We thought we would anchor in Horta....which we did, only the dingy just got us to the shore before it deflated. You had to pay to anchor and marinas are cheap, so on balance we decided to go into the marina. Water was included  so  it was an opportunity to wash all the boat cushions. 

We had a wonderful couple of weeks, not venturing very far but enjoying Horta. We had considered flying back to the UK to sort things out and see our family, but in the end we decided to sail.

It was bright and sunny and downwind to start but then...

The layers went on, the fleeces came out and it wasn't long before we wore clothes day and night.

Being on watch was a challenge especially as we approached lands end. The number of ships awaiting to go up the channel was phenomenal, combine that with fishing boats, and a four hour watch became hard work.

Although it was still downwind sailing....it was rough . We had written in the log, force 4 but in reality it was force 6 and rough. The biggest issue was the lack of light and everything became grey, full and very very cold.

 We safely arrived in Falmouth and tied up in the marina. Our friend Peter arrived a few hours later. We introduced him to the finer delights of this county and Peter  lost his pasty virginity. 

Bring back in Cornwall after three years was weird.......we have not acclimatised and will be heading south ASAP. 

 It has been fantastic to catch up with friends and family. 

We decided to have a happy birthday for everyone and Lucy made us a beautiful cake.

 

We weren't the only ones that were cold!

To the Azores

After buying food, more food and even more food just in case, we finally left St Martin on Dad's birthday, 16th May. It was easy motoring up the Anegada passage, past Tintemare and around Dead Man's Cay off Anguilla. Our friends on Coromandel had an earlier start and although we were in radio contact it would be a few days before our paths crossed again. 

We left in light winds and it was a battle to make East. We avoided using the engine this early in the trip as we had over 2000 miles to go to Flores. We were glad of the monitor which Tristan had serviced before we set out but unfortunately close to the Caribbean, the amount of sargassum weed was extensive. This caught in the monitor blade and knocked it off, so we spent a lot of on watch time clearing weed.

The first few days were northeasterly 15 knots and Meriva sailed beautifully  often reaching over 6 knots, but alas it was not to last!   We tacked to SE to try and make East but it was very lumpy and the tack wasn't paying so we headed north again on a starboard tack. This was more comfortable and after a couple of days we had a long chat with Coromandel who were also finding it frustrating in contrary winds and struggling to make anything but North.

The sea went oily, it was amazing that we were in the Atlantic Ocean, flat seas and tranquility. I wouldn't have believed it if someone had told me. 

The sunsets were amazing, it looked like it was setting behind a forest.... Not that we would see one of them for a while. 

Every evening and every morning we were joined by a pair of shearwaters who were totally stupid. How on earth has a bird evolved to land feet first on the sea using its neck as a brake is beyond me.  It was fun watching their antics though trying to keep up with the boat. 

A few days out I saw an enormous blow in the distant horizon. I have never seen anything so powerful and so high. Looking at the field guides, I think it was the blow of a blue whale which do pass from winter breeding grounds to summer feeding grounds in the north. This was a one off so I cannot be 100% certain and it could have been wishful thinking on my part!

It was the first time we have  both crossed this part of the northern Atlantic. After a few day you settle into a routine and the  four hour watches become much easier.

 We were very grateful to my daughter, Lucy who texted regularly the weather systems. Tristan had skyped Lucy and trained her to use grib files before we left. She was brilliant and when the grib file didn't work she immediately checked other sites to keep us updated. Her weather reporting was spot on, accurate and when Ugrib was down she didn't hesitate to go to other websites to keep us informed. We bought a delorme InReach tracker and had the service plan of unlimited texts. It was fantastic. We had daily weather and were able to keep in contact with family and friends throughout the trip. Everyone has been encouraging and it's a brilliant bit of kit. Really easy to use and inexpensive for what it does. 

Our biggest concern was when Lucy announced  we were due to get purple rain!  Tristan was on watch at sunset and the sun had a halo around it, we knew were in for something nasty.

The weather pattern across the northern Atlantic was unusual. The Azores high spread all the way across and we constantly had contrary NE winds. This made it difficult to push East and we made too much North. When the gale hit, we were being pushed even further west and it looked like we'd end up in Greenland rather than warmer destinations. 

We were able to reef everything down and Meriva handled the weather brilliantly although she wouldn't hove to and we ended up running away from the huge seas and strong winds. 

After things had settled down and we were able to get back into our watch routine and sleep. We decided to throw in a SE tack to try and make East rather than head too far north. This put us on a heading for landfall in Antarctica! This was frustrating as we never made any progress to the Azores for a few days. 

We finally decided to tack north and see how much East we could get in.  At least we both felt we were making progress as the negative VMG and the prospect of at least another few weeks was frustrating. We knew we had plenty of food and water, but if we got stuck in the Azores high we only had enough fuel for a few days motoring.

It didn't take long....the seas turned to glass and went oily again. No wind so we motored slowly direct to the Azores. 

We saw six turtles drifting across the Atlantic.  At first they looked dead. Very sun bleached but they moved there flippers as if we had disturbed their sleep. They were going backwards!

Portuguese men of war were abundant and at one point the sea was sparkling from the salps. Green/ brown jellyfish, moon jellyfish and compass jellyfish were common. We saw three whales in the distance but not sure which species. The amount of marine litter was surprisingly low. Mainly plastic, rope and a few planks.

Interestingly with no wind and still seas we had a very strong smell of sulphur. At this time we were in 5000 metres of ocean.  We passed several oceanic monitoring buoys.

The light was surreal. Very bright, ghostly and gentle. It was something we have never experienced before and even if the trip has taken an age, it is the most wonderful experience we have had.

Tristan has been fishing since we left......four lines out and absolutely nothing!  To make matters worse in the flat calm sea you can see all the fish jumping around the boat but no bites! Glad I packed the sardines and tins of tuna!

The evening have been spectacular. As the sun set the moon rose in the east. The reflected light from the planets, moonlight and nautical twilight meant that this part of the trip, 700 miles from the Azores , was never dark. This was in complete contrast to when we set out and the sky's were pitch black  but starry. 

Unfortunately it didn't last. We saw a super yacht for the first time for days. He radioed to say 35 knots of wind and 4 metre seas were predicted for our area.  This was consistent with what Lucy had sent us. On Lucy's forecasting, We decided to head off east to avoid the strongest winds, and it payed off. Thanks Lucy! Although the seas were huge often more than 5 metres and confused, the wind didn't get above 25 knots. We had two very uncomfortable days in this Atlantic depression but it was  better than the gale we hit previously.

The biggest problem was getting the boat balanced downwind, we sailed with  a reefed in gib and trisail. Eating was difficult, the gimballed cooker was challenged and standing up became almost impossible.  No bones broken, we were fine and when things calm down, you soon forget the discomfort and focus on getting the boat sailing again.  Whilst in the midst of lumpy seas we were joined by eight Atlantic spotted Dolphins. These species are small, skittish and almost impossible to photograph. They lept in the air and raised their tail fins and disappeared. Some were surfing in the waves, totally immersed. 

We  spent several days being told it was 400 miles to the Azores. It's likely being in a time warp, and you cant seem to sail fast enough to get closer.

The seas eventually calmed down and we at last had and ETE of 90 hours, but then it went again. The sea was grey, the cloud base thick, and it was cold and mizzley. More like a summer in Cornwall.  This gave us time to sort out the mess below and eat a hot meal. My first in two days. I get anxious when I know bad weather is coming so I tend not to eat. The last 300 nautical miles seemed to take forever. We were both tired of being at sea but the constant sail changes, wind shifts, changes in sea state kept us focused. I had kept back some goodies, statistically hidden around the boat so we had treats and good food, essential to keep the skipper happy!  A pod is spotted Dolphins joined us again and storm petrals.  Life is good.

We heard from our friends, Linda and Andy off Coromandal, who had arrived in Flores. We still had 150nm to go. With Lucy's weather forcasting and Linda's sailing experience, we kept plodding in the general direction of Flores. The last 100nm were a struggle. We were tired and even holding on was an effort. Overnight the seas and wind calmed down, it was a relief to feel more vertical but the last of wind was typical of this whole trip. 

The wind picked up the next day and it was a battle to reach Flores before sunset. We didn't make it so we took shelter in the lee of Flores and continued our watch routine. As soon as  it was daylight, we motored into the marina at Lages and were greeted by Linda and Andy who took our lines. That wasn't as easy as it sounds. The surge was unbelievable and Meriva would not go where we wanted her to. Typical, it's almost as if she knows what's good for her. We are snatching and jerking and after the crossing we can't help but feel a gale is preferable to bouncing off other boats or pontoons.

We are glad to be  able to walk on land after 2900 nautical miles and 25 days at sea and tree hugging was mandatory. However the Azores is still in the middle of the Atlantic and our journey is far from over!

St Martin to cooler climates

It seems that our days are full, how  did we ever find time to work?  For those of you who think we sit under an awning drinking gin and tonics watching the sunset.....you are nearly right, we drink  Mount Gay Rum with pineapple juice and coconut milk!

Actually it's hard work. We have to haul water in plastic cans, in a dinghy that is smaller than Lily and Ruby's paddling pool, with an outboard that cuts out every five minutes, avoiding speedboats that can't see us or  ignore us creating tidal waves that mean you constantly have a wet bum!

Provisioning means several trips to the supermarket as it won't fit in the dinghy and if it does it's likely to get wet.....not a problem except when you are stocking crackers and cous cous. 

We serviced the life jackets and interestingly, gas inflation bottles don't last more than a year for the spin lock deck vest. The spares are also out of date and the chandlers sell replacements with a shelf life of 10 months at twice the price of the UK.

Sail repairs were done efficiently and quickly thanks to St Martins sails. The monitor parts took longer to ship in from the states but four star cargo  in Miami and safe cargo in St Martin were very good.

Tristan remade an emergency tiller at Woodcraft, thank you David for being so accommodating!

Last but by no means least, thank you to Paula and Keith at TOBY who make us feel like family and all the friends we have made in St Martin who are just great. We will miss you all but we have had a great time.

Now it's time to sail before our wooden boat grows roots.

So it's back on the wobble board tomorrow, water rationing and a four hour watch system. We don't know how long it will take, but we have enough food for months and I'm hoping Tristan's fish catching skills improve!