Lat: 38:43.6. N : Long: 035:47.8 W.

Tuesday, 17^th June, 2014 – Noon Position (UTC -3) 218 nm to Lajes Marina, Flores in the Azores, North Atlantic.

Dear All,

We have had some of the best, most comfortable sailing of the whole trip last night and this morning, rain and  drizzle notwithstanding, as we close the Azores to within a day and a half's sail. We are in smooth seas, broad reaching under full sail at 8.0 + knots in the right direction, i.e. going fast very, very easily.

The waves died right down yesterday morning, with the calm period and, by the time the wind started to rebuild late yesterday afternoon, the seas were flat and speed was easy to come by. We dropped the Cruising Chute in readiness for the night just after tea time (in case the wind got squally or built up later on). The speed did not drop at all under regular cutter rig, as the wind picked up to around 13-15 knots from the SSW, in fact we started going faster as we got 15knots of wind regularly. This has been the pattern pretty much ever since. 

So last night was a very cosy, fast sail in better temperatures. Not too much heel angle and no big waves to throw one around, so it was great for all to be able to eat in the cockpit properly, as Will produced a lovely pork loin casserole using some of our last fresh potatoes and onions.

This morning the rain started up and a litle more wind has given us the extra speed we need to maintain in order to make our required anchorage off Lajes, Flores, before nightfall  tomorrow. We need to keep up at least 8 knots in order to be able to do this, so it will be tight, once again. But the alternative of hovering around, standing off all night doesn't bear thinking about!

The only problem is we now have a foul current running against us, which is taking about 0.75 kt off our SOG. We hope this will turn in our favour when the tide turns, which, according to the Atlantic Islands Pilot book it might do even out here.

We received an email yesterday afternoon from our friends, Roberta and Stephan, of the Oyster 62, "Luna of London", who were then 3 days out of Terceira, on their way home to Sardinia. They suggested they were lonely (Ahhh!) and missing their regular Oyster Rally SSB chats, and would we like to rejoin their chat net? Unfortunately for them and us, because of our late pick-up of their mail, we missed the time they suggested for the first attempt to link up. It would be amazing if they are also able to link up, as they had also suggested, with Jim and Lorraine on board "Stiarna" who are on their way to Scotland from Ireland right now, apparently!

We tried hard to call "Luna", both on DSC and at the later time on the higher frequency channel they had proposed, but all to no avail....? We will try again this afternoon and hope they can hear us, and/or leave their SSB on DSC Watch (which we hear they do not often do?), so we can call them direct.

Our two morning fishermen on board, Nelius and Jason, are not proving to be quite as skilled as they had hoped. Now we are reaching the waters in proximity to the Azores we are getting good bites on our lure. This morning we had two occasions with fish on the hook, but on each occasion they managed to let them off the hook at the last minute! One could have been a nice, big Tuna I am told.. Pity.

At least the fish are still out there, though, so there is still ti8me to get us soime fresh supper.

We are hoping to be in late tomorrow evening, so keep your fingers crossed for us the wind doesn't die off too early out here before we get close enough to motor in the rest of the way, otherwise it will be another long night. There are no refuelling points in Flores, so we have to keep enough left in the tank to keep our generator running and also to enable us to get to Horta in a few days time, even if it means motoring the 133 miles in a flat calm in the middle of the Azores High. The local Santa Cruz harbour Festival is on in Flores next week, and we are hoping to be able to attend that!

Tata for now - (or TTFN, as Terry Wogan might once have said)

Alan and the "Sulana" crew.