Azores opening to visiting yachts - with virus testing rules.

[capnsensible]

For discussion?

Does weather routing software help or hinder sometimes? Ive made a few ocean passages with and a lot without. Personally I trend to getting a bit too fixated on the screen! I prefer doing without it. But thats just me.

I wonder, for example, how many of yachts that have not lingered in Horta but pressed on, didnt have gizmos? Pretty sure my friend who pit stopped there didnt and may well be over halfway to uk now.

Obviously its comfort zone too. Trouble with deliveries is that time costs. So challenges are taken up. Why do that when cruising?

When we have been trundling around on our own yacht, a few days hand written notes from passageweather has done the trick. Not having routing software or even wind instruments is, for me, far more relaxing!

Regarding Horta, im ok with it. A taxi tour round the island is brill. The airport is cool. MAYS for me have always provided great service. But I prefer Punta del garda. Each to their own.

Good luck to all those homeward bounders!

 

[geem]

For discussion?

Does weather routing software help or hinder sometimes? Ive made a few ocean passages with and a lot without. Personally I trend to getting a bit too fixated on the screen! I prefer doing without it. But thats just me.

I wonder, for example, how many of yachts that have not lingered in Horta but pressed on, didnt have gizmos? Pretty sure my friend who pit stopped there didnt and may well be over halfway to uk now.

Obviously its comfort zone too. Trouble with deliveries is that time costs. So challenges are taken up. Why do that when cruising?

When we have been trundling around on our own yacht, a few days hand written notes from passageweather has done the trick. Not having routing software or even wind instruments is, for me, far more relaxing!

Regarding Horta, im ok with it. A taxi tour round the island is brill. The airport is cool. MAYS for me have always provided great service. But I prefer Punta del garda. Each to their own.

Good luck to all those homeward bounders!

I also dont have passage planing software. The group of sailors we have met here do. We came to the same conclusions on weather. If we were a delivery crew we may well have left but we are doing this for fun. With the possibility of getting ashore always seeming to be around the corner, we have all hung on saying we would take the shore option or a good weather window, which ever came first. As it turns out, we are likely to be leaving Thursday. We will still see gust to 40kts but from behind so not a problem?

 

[capnsensible]

Just heard from a friend of mine who arrived in Horta on Tuesday. Not allowed ashore. In bound from Antigua.
So they victualled via Peter Sport and left yesterday evening for Ramsgate.

They are passing just south of St Catherines Point IOW now so not bad, nine days.

 

[Bajansailor]

I recently was in communication with Glenn from Boatwatch (www.boatwatch.org) about a friend of a friend who was sailing singlehanded from Jamaica to Horta on his S & S sloop 'Cap du Gard'.
Glenn later advised that Yann had arrived safely in Horta a few days ago - and then sent me the note below yesterday, with the accompanying video. The video is to large to attach on it's own here, so I have saved it to YouTube.
---------------
Glenn said :
I’m sad to tell you that Yann Guerin was injured in a fire and explosion aboard his boat at Marina Horta. This was a post from the OCC Atlantic Crossing West to East Facebook Group:

Yesterday accident in Horta Marina. A French solo sailor while trying to change gas bottles down below, caused an explosion on board followed by fire. He had bad burns all over his body but taken away by ambulance to be flown to Lisboa for treatment right after. Hopefully the fellow sailor will recover shortly. This is a remainder to all, just how dangerous Gas on board can be.
-------------------------

My pal David is currently in Horta, and sent me this photo this morning of Cap du Gard hauled out.

 

[Graham376]

Sorry to hear of his accident and hope he recovers but, can't understand why anyone would have their gas bottles below decks, unless just a small camping light or similar with cartridge.

 

[Gryphon2]

Our experience has been totally different to Geem. We arrived here Thursday 11 July and had no trouble finding an anchorage. We were checked in quickly and efficiently by the marina and the Policia Maritima visited us shortly afterwards. The guys from cafe Sport then appeared and did a mound of shopping for us, hiked 40 gallons of water over and filled our gas .....all for free and with a smile and a laugh.
We were given a free covid test on the following Tuesday and then were allowed to move into the marina, which unsurprisingly is a bit tight. We have been very impressed with how the marina and Cafe Sport have gone out of their way to be considerate to some tired sailors aand have dealt with a myriad of problems as an unending stream of sailors arrive.
The Azores had no need to open themselves to cruisers and every reason tokeep themselves to themselves like so many other countries. We should applaud their kindness and generosity to us all. We have visited the Azores twice before and knew the people to be friendly and the scenery wonderful.We did not know just how considerate they are.