Azores to Falmouth
Casamara
John & Susan Simpson
Sat 13 Jun 2026 11:30
We made landfall in Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores on 6 June just before 1.00 pm. We’d planned to visit the fuel dock to refill Casamara’s diesel tanks before we went to our mooring, but the fuel dock was about to close for lunch and there was a queue of boats already waiting. So we were welcomed to our mooring by the ARC Europe rally crew instead. John and I would later spend nearly an entire day trying to get diesel. First the fuel dock ran out of fuel, then it was refilled but couldn’t dispense any more until the tank contents had settled, then the fuel dock closed for lunch, and then there was a queue! It reminded us of the old Flanders & Swan song ‘The Gas Man Cometh’! We managed to fill up eventually, which gave us enough fuel to motor all the way back to the UK if necessary. Our delayed departure from Bermuda, and hence delayed arrival in the Azores, meant that we were on a tight schedule to sort Casamara out before setting off again. Our crew, Mick and Jo, had flights booked out of Horta on 7 June, the first of our new crew, Chris, would arrive on 8 June, Felix and Mike would arrive on 9 June, and the weather looked good to leave on the 10th. The days passed quickly in a haze of maintenance, laundry, cleaning, provisioning and, of course, refuelling. In the evenings we visited the iconic Peters Cafe Sport, well known to the sailing community as the gathering place for visiting yacht crews. When we first visited in 2012 it was just a bar crammed full of chairs and tables, with walls and ceiling completely covered in sailing memorabilia. That bar is still there, and as busy as ever, but it has expanded to include a dining terrace on the opposite side of the street, a substantial retail shop selling Peters Cafe Sport merchandise and several other tourist-related businesses bearing the Peter/whale logo. Clearly business is good! Peters Cafe Sport and related businesses in Horta So it was that Casamara left Horta bound for the UK on the morning of 10 June with 5 on board. Chris, who lives in Falmouth, had sailed with us from Cocos Keeling to South Africa. Mike and Felix had sailed with us when we left Falmouth for Spain in August 2021. It seems fitting that they are all with us now as we prepare to make landfall in Falmouth at the end of our journey. We’re missing Ian Lillington who was part of the original outward-bound crew.  Casamara’s homeward-bound crew. Mike and Felix had cooked omelettes for lunch, accompanied by German sausage provided by Felix so we could sample local delicacies from the part of Germany where he lives. The weather is predicted to be light and the passage should take us about 8 days. All being well, we should reach Falmouth on 18 June. Meanwhile, the local wildlife has been keeping us entertained. On the first day we very nearly ran into a pod of three pilot whales who were gracefully threading their way across our bow. We slowed right down to watch as they silently glided down our port side about 25 metres from the boat. We’ve also seen many pods of dolphins merrily jumping and diving about. They really are a joy to watch. Dolphin watching. Note that I’m no longer in shorts and t-shirt! Slightly less inviting, but interesting nevertheless, are the Portuguese Man o' War jellyfish. At first glance they look like clear plastic bottles floating on the surface of the ocean, but underneath are trailing venomous tentacles up to 30 metres long. The part we can see is a sail used for propulsion, and it sits on top of the gas filled bladder that keeps them afloat. The sail can be left or right handed depending on the direction of the wind. We have seen a remarkable number of these jellyfish and can’t recall having seen them like this before. A quick Google question reveals that populations of these creatures are thriving due to warmer ocean temperatures and they are expanding into areas where they were not previously seen. Mike was keen to swim off the boat whilst the wind is light but he seems to have gone off the idea after seeing the jellyfish pass by! Portuguese Man o’ War |