We left Horta at 1400 hrs yesterday 3rd July.

Crew for this leg is James Campbell,Russell Yates and Simon Imber

 

Before we left Russell painted a “muriel! “ on the harbour wall but being a non nautical chap he wrote Atlantic Circle instead of Circuit!. So everyone who reads it thinks I am a tube. James also managed to walk through red paint that was spilled on the quay so we have red paint on deck on carpets on lines and on the genoa!

 

We had good winds through the day but they had died by morning and we have been set north. There were amazing views of Pico on the Island of Pico the highest mountain in Portugal At present we are motoring in 4 knots. Should get better when we clear the eastern group tomorrow.

 

Yesterday we heard one side of a VHF call with a northern Ireland accent. When I called I discovered it was a family on a boat berthed up from us on the wall at Horta and we hadn’t realised. They were from Carrikfergus and had been away for 4 years and have another months cruising around the Azores before heading back.

 

Last  night Russell who is our designated cook(why else would he be on board) prepared in only 3 hours a Moroccan chicken taigee. It was worth waiting for.

This morning we had the usual porridge cooked by yours truly to a special Jimmy Dempsey recipe.

 

Our position is

38. 25.05N 26.56.45W

 

Fair winds to all