Check me out! I'm in Horta!!

Well, what a night. SE wind dropped off as I came into the lee of the island about 2am. The smell was truly awesome, like herbs and spices, wild flowers and marzipan all rolled into one, it occurred to me that for a month I'd smelt nothing, it was delicious! I motored the last 15miles round dark headlands and the sodium glow of civilisation to the marina, by 0530 the boat was rafted up against a rather tired looking 50ft beneteau, felt most odd stepping onto the dock for the first time. I had 1.5hrs sleep before rising at 9am (local time) to check in, go through customs and immigration and be allocated a berth.

The arrivals dock is also the fuel dock, so took advantage to fill the tanks and Jerry's. 190ltrs and a 185euros later I slipped the dock and drifted down into the marina proper, where I have a rather rustic berth against the Harbour wall.

Pleasantly surprised to find that the dues are only 9eurs60 per night. This is good news. Once tied up I set out to do what I've been wanting to do for a good while, a shower.

Oh.......MY......GOD! - you cannot know how good that felt.

After it was time to stretch my legs. Onwards and upwards in this beautifully little town. You may remember if you have read any of the Bahama blogins, that I was somewhat disturbed by the advertising board that stated 'The Green Parrot Bar - the best cheeseburger in paradise!' some irony there I felt. Well, if Nassau is paradise, then Horta is surly heaven itself. It's a bit tumbledown in that south European way that I find so delightful, very very old with little public squares, the roads are cobbled and the pavements mosaic. It's great. Today, being Sunday, everything was shut. All of the little boutique stores have a charming habit of displaying their goods in the doorways on the floor, obviously laid out at closing on Sat'. I did my usual trick of walking against the flow of carrier bags and soon came upon the local supermarket, unfortunately I got there just in time to see it close. I'll go tomorrow and get some fresh food, coffee and Oh yes, T-bags! Joy.

Instead I found a petrol station, rather unfortunately named 'Glap' which I felt sounded like some venereal disease. I bought a 1.5ltr bottle of coke, a double caramel Magnum icecream and 2, yes count them, 2 Mars bars. 

I really am a bit tired, so going to get an early night and be up early for the super market. I also found 'Mid Atlantic Yacht Services' with a giant peace symbol outside (ex hippy patts?) so will check that out tomorrow as I need a new furling line, mine has chaffed almost through and I'd like some sheets for the Spinika so I can fly that sort of properly.

Had a tidy and a bit of a clean this afternoon, my other deck shoes and flip flops have all gone moldy. I've made the bed in the aft cabin and rebuilt the wardrobe which threw it's contents and bits of itself, inc scuba cylinder, across the cabin during the storm in Bermuda. I hadn't got round to fixing it all up again. No sleeping in the saloon bunks fully clothed, fully wet weather geared indeed (I've often slept with even my wellies on) just going to sleep like a normal person in a normal bed tonight.

Every inch of concrete on the dock is covered with little painted plaques of the boats that have visited here over the years, all over, every square foot painted, some really quite artfully done. In many places oil cans, buckets and bit's of rope mark out cordons where old plaques are being touched up by the current residents or new plaques are being painted over old faded ones, you could spend a week just looking at them all, all the boats that have come and gone through the years, great fun.

I've made a little montage movie file to quite appropriate music, including the plaques. Should you wish, follow this link, and download the file, it'll play in iTunes. You have to wait a little while for it to come up, be patient. http://www.2shared.com/file/3406247/5d76bcb9/Bahamas_-_Azores_-_Medium.html 

Will blog again in a few days. Thanks to everyone who's shown their support by reading and emailing me throughout my trip, it has meant a great deal to me.

Statts

Days/ Hrs 26days 22.5hrs

Miles Covered 2854nm

Miles Per Day 105.95nm

Miles Per Hour 4.4kts

Miles Per Gallon 67.95mpg