Everyone who has sailed knows about Peter's bar in the Azores.

I expected a disheveled bar, spilt beer and a chaotic atmosphere. In fact Peter's bar is actually called Cafe Sport and was opened by Jose Azevedo in 1918, it was subsequently run by his son Peter and now grandson Joseph.

The bar has a traditional interior with simple tables and chairs and walls covered with flags and ensigns from all visiting nationalities and yachts through time. It is extremely well managed with tables found quickly and excellent local food.

The atmosphere last night was fantastic. We immediately re-united with other crews we have met and new people all with stories to tell. Throw into this a great sense of achievement, kindred spirits and a drop or two of alcohol and you can picture the scene. The excitement of hearing where crews have travelled from---Caribbean, BVI's, Bermuda, Brazil. People in foul weather gear, Caribbean shorts (on Malte in cold weather), Mexican bandana's, functional, raw, without material fashion but of a shared community.

I loved the transient quality of the traveller's, all hardened sailors no fuss. Everyone knows that just to be here in the Azores, you will have sailed ' the distance'.

Our evening flowed with laughter, fun and stories which degenerated with the flow of good local wine and beer. We met up again with Pete, the skipper of an Open 60 called Ocean Planet. He was in Antigua as the fast response boat to support the Atlantic Rowing race. We met him for the first time after he had sailed two handed upwind for 230 nmiles to take food to James Ketchell, little did we know that James would sail back to the Azores with us.

The Open 60 skipper had kindly agreed to take a 27 year old St Lucian guy, Vernon on board as crew two-handed. Vernon told me his story of growing up in St Lucia having lived in a tent on a beach for 4 years. Sometimes the winds were so cold in winter that he swam in the warm sea to keep warm. Over the years he watched the ARC--Gran Canaria to St Lucia boats arrive in Rodney bay and dreamt of an Atlantic crossing.

He was promised a berth on a boat to do the return crossing and so flew up to Antigua, but the boat didn't turn up. Pete from Ocean Planet agreed to take him despite Vernon having very little knowledge of sailing, only Hobbi Cat dinghies saying, 'So what is a spinnaker ?'. The stories of Vernon and his 0--60 sailing initiation on the often airbourne boat are hysterical.

Vernon on night watch alone on the helm (tiller on the open 60), so cold that he wore his sleeping bag up to his chest with the boat screaming along at 25 knots, genniker (foreward) sail dipping into the water and Vernon shouting P-e-e-e-t-e it's going over !!!!!! Old sea dog Pete had a quick look on deck said, 'Ah it's fine ' and went back to bed.

The guys also lost their engine, therefore power and auto-pilot. On arrival in the Azores the wind direction was unkind to them and without engine Vernon said he had passed back wards and forewards, ' twenty times going crazy' unable to get into the island!!

Tioram is now sitting comfortably in the Marina on the harbour wall. It is great to watch boats coming and going, people waving to one another, even local fisherman who have seen boats come and go for years kindly wave and acknowledge the distance and journey everyone has made to be here.

The harbour wall is painted with the names and insignia of decades of visiting yachts. A tradition has grown that it is unlucky to leave Horta(Azores) without making a painting on the wall. Our intention is to do a painting before we leave if it stops raining. We are all 'liming' today inside the boat and intend to hire a car tomorrow to explore the island.

Tioram has transformed into a comfortable home for us all, with a welcome stillness.

Photos below----first night 27th in Peter's bar /meeting Open 60 crew, Pete and Vernon.

John and James's last night 29th in Peters Bar.

Interior of Peter's Bar.