The visit that never really was
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Sun 17 May 2009 21:15
Mother Nature takes a
hand
or
The visit that never
was
38:32N 28:37.5W
17th May 2009
Horta, Faial.
Azores
After the process of checking in was accomplished,
a matter of ten minutes of forms done on the bonnet of the police car, we were
checked in. Later in the afternoon we went for a walk into the
village. A trip to get fresh food from the supermarket and a visit to the
church plus a good wander round this small community. An overall
impression of cleanliness and great civic pride was gained. Walking back
down the step hill we noticed that the sea had changed. White horses were
evident and to our horror the wind was from the NE. This was not due for
at least 24 hours and then only weakly. We were to learn later that the
French forecast had predicted NE force 5/6 for later in the period.
We had used the American forecast. Anyway it was obvious that Nordlys
could not be left. She was bows on to 3 feet waves and the stern was only
about 50 metres off the breakwater. We found a friendly local who came out
to her with us and took the dinghy back. The latter belonged to our German
friends who were ashore with a German family. We upped the anchor and
circled the harbour for an hour thinking that our friends would return at any
minute to do the same to Noa as we had done with Nordlys. Well they did
not come so we decided to set sail and hope that they would see us and
realise all was not well in the harbour. The harbour itself being
invisible from the village.
We hated leaving like this but what else
could we do. Later we learnt that they were up the mountain in a car
with their friends when the weather changed. In the end they were only 12
miles behind us when they left the harbour. A cold night of close reaching
into 18 knots of wind saw the miles roll under us. Dawn brought the sight
of Faial and beyond it the magnificent old volcanic peak of Pico in front
of us. The latter is over 2,300 metres high and was unusually clear of
cloud. By eleven we were in Horta signed in and berthed in the
marina. Noa whose heels are not quite as fast as ours was in by three
o'clock in the afternoon and eventually tied up just near us. This marina
has more transit yachts per year than any other in the world. It
averages nearly 1500 per annum and is always nearly full. We are three
abreast alongside the famous wall with its paintings by generations of visiting
yachts. We will do our bit and show you in a later blog. After
sorting ourselves out and giving the boat a really good fresh water wash we
enjoyed a lovely meal in the luxury of the local Posada. An upmarket hotel
that has been constructed in an old fort in the middle of town. Then back
for ten hours sleep in a boat that did not move!
Our intention is to remain here for at least a week
and travel around the island of Faial and probably take a ferry across to Pico
and do the same there. We might even stay a night in a Pension over
there. Pico has no good harbours for yachts. We have no news of
the dismasted catamaran behind us and our friends in the Halberg Rassy who
had a serious rudder problem came in this morning and are alongside us on
the wall. They left Bermuda one hour behind us and came directly here due
to their problems. They will be hauled and hopefully will find that the
news is not too bad. Their rudder stock had been leaking and moving for
the last 1000nm. Other friends who we have put them in touch with lost
their rudder 100nm short of New Zealand in a similar boat. Halberg paid
for all repairs. As our friend said 'if it was a car they would have had
to recall all the boats but instead they just repair when necessary and bad luck
to those who are miles from land...' So far good old Nordlys who has by
now racked up over 60,000 miles in our ownership has suffered form nothing
structural. Long may this continue.
Happy times
David
The church in Lajes.
The inside is very 'Iberian Peninsular Catholic'.
Lages harbout taken as we walked into town. Nordlys and
Noa whose anchors are
well apart seek each others company in the calm. To the
right of the picture can be
seen a leaving yacht. We passed them about midnight but
a tthis stage little did we
realise this was to be the case.
Pico taken into the dawn sunshine
Nordlys alongside the Horta check in dock. The vessel
outside us is a Contessa 35
now owned by a Brit but flagged in Canada for some
reason. They left Flores about
three hours before we did. Small world, the owner knows
well the owner of another
Swan 47 which was one of the ones we were in Whangerai, NZ
with.