We arrived in Horta yesterday afternoon. Getting decent Internet access remains a challenge, so apologies for not posting our arrival earlier. Later today I'm headed to the library where I hope to have a good session and post some photos from the crossing and Flores.
-Shirlee
We loved Flores except for the difficulty of getting Internet access. Shirlee wrote a blog entry there but ran out of time as she was adding photos (the facility closed). That was Thursday, Friday the Internet facility didn't open at all. She'll post that one from Horta. Meanwhile, we're underway again on a short passage (130 nm) between the islands.
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| Solstice & Saeta (l to r) at anchor at Lajes das Flores |
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| Hydrangeas and the Atlantic |
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| Festival fishes and loaf |
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| Hydrangeas and village |
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| Hydrangeas and waterfalls |
We’re so glad that we were able to stop at this gorgeous island. It was named for its flowers, and flowers are everywhere, especially hydrangeas and wild roses. The roads and stone fences throughout the countryside are lined with hydrangeas. In the towns everyone has flowers in their yard and planters are ubiquitous along the streets. And it’s so clean! There’s no litter anywhere.
We arrived on Monday and learned that Tuesday evening was a festival in
It’s difficult to get Internet access here, so this will be our only post from
We have arrived at Lajes das Flores, Azores. We have been to shore and cleared in with the officials. We also went to the market and got some local bread, cheese, and red wine. All were excellent. Now I'm going to sleep.
By the way, counting days is tricky. The blog counted the first day out as day 1, but in fact, it was day 0 until we'd been out for 24 hours. John counts starting with one, but Shirlee counts starting with zero. So it took us 24 24-hour cycles plus 19 hours to get here, more or less (the time changes confuse things further). That's 25 days when Shirlee's counting, but 26 when John is.
The Atlantic Crossing series will continue when we leave the Azores for northern France in about three weeks. In the meantime, we'll be posting photos to the previous Atlantic Crossing blog entries and posting about the Azores.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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We are 32 miles from Flores. We are so close that we are picking up the local FM broadcasts. At our current speed we would arrive at the port by 1:00 AM. We don't want to enter an unfamiliar port at night, so we are going to heave to when get within radar range of the island. With first light in the morning we'll continue to the port and anchor out.
We currently have a front passing over us and the winds are from the SW. On the back side of the front the winds will come from the NW. The winds after the front are predicted to be 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots. Fortunately the port we are headed for is on the SE side of Flores island. We should have a nice calm wind shadow for our entry to the port. If not, we'll heave to again and wait for the wind to moderate.
The last 24 hours was the second slowest day of this passage. Last night we had 0.0 knots of wind at times. Thankfully we had a favorable current at 1.3 knots. So even with no wind we did make some progress.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Today has had a top speed of 4 knots. We have been on a close reach all day so that has prevented the sails from banging about with the swell. We hope to make Flores before sunset tomorrow. If we don't we'll heave to and wait for sunrise.
Today was our 22nd wedding anniversary. For our anniversary dinner we had grilled burgers with rice and corn and our two last beers. Good times, good times.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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We were on a close reach tack with the swell on our beam most of the day. It was a wet and uncomfortable ride. It has been difficult to sleep well as the boat drops off a swell and you are lifted off the bed. Or just as you're falling asleep a wave bangs into the hull, jolting you back to full consciousness. To sleep in these conditions you have to be very tired. Despite the uncomfortable nature of the day, we did have our second fastest day on record with an average speed of 6.84 knots traveling 164.2 miles.
The wind has slowed and the swell has dropped this evening making for smoother ride. We should have light winds through Friday. Late Friday the winds should switch to the SW and start to build. The SW winds will work great for getting us through this final leg to Flores.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Today while bringing in the spinnaker pole and moving the jib to starboard I found a squid on deck. For some reason squid jump out of the water and sometimes land on Solstice. During this passage we've had three flying fish land on deck at night. I feel sorry for the fish and the squid. Happily swimming and flying along then WHAM! 15 tons of fiberglass.
Today was a good sailing day. First of all, nothing broke. We had good winds all day. We also had a front pass over that brought enough rain to nicely rinse Solstice. The low pressure just north of the Azores is moving to the NE faster than previously forecasted. We are now heading on a NE course directly for Flores, Azores.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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When we were last in San Francisco we had a small farewell gathering with Ken Smith and Larry Jacobson from s/v Julia. They had just completed a five-year circumnavigation. During the conversation over wine Ken stated that he liked cruising best when he was bored because being bored meant nothing was happening.
During the last two days we have had two non-boring events. Yesterday I started the generator to top off the batteries. When the generator engine started I heard a pop and it sounded different. I opened the hatch to the engine compartment, and the air filter canister was lying in front of the generator rather than on top of the intake manifold. "Oh shucks!" I exclaimed. I shut down the generator and retrieved the air filter. The intake manifold had broken clean off where the air filter canister connects. This is the sixth vibration-related failure. To get us through the remainder of the passage I attached a hose with a clamp to the manifold and the other end of the hose to the canister. The air filter canister is now hanging by a cord from the roof of the engine compartment. All seems to be working well. (The hose we used is some that Larry and Ken gave us and insisted we take with us. Thanks for that, guys!)
Today during lunch I popped my head out to look around and saw that the jib was no longer connected at the tack to the roller furling drum and that the bolt rope had torn out about 1.5 feet. "Oh dear!" I exclaimed. We quickly got Shirlee on the jib halyard and me at the bow and brought down the jib. Then we hauled it into the cockpit to make repairs. The two webbing straps that make up the tack had chafed through. What had happened is that the roller furling had lost a couple of bolts and the drum and tack attachment now swiveled free and independently. We sewed on two new straps for the tack and used sail tape to hold the bolt rope in place. The jib is now back up and working well.
Sailing was slower today. We lost the wind last night, but it gradually built up to 15 knots this afternoon. Currently we have 13 knots and it should build to 15-20 knots tonight. We are expecting a front tomorrow and the wind should shift to the NW. It looks as if we can head directly for Horta, Azores, by Saturday (the summer solstice).
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Herb gave us the OK yesterday to head NE with a target waypoint of 36N by 40W, and in the subsequent 24 hours we had a good wind and current to take us up to 36N. Due to a low that's hanging out north of here, we'll stay at this latitude and continue east probably through Friday.
A big difference now that we're out of the tropics is that we've opened the curtains in the cabin and can see out again. We no longer have to hide from the sun. In fact, we ran the furnace a couple of nights. That was mostly to take some of the dampness out of the air, but the heat also felt good. The fans that we were running 24/7 for the past six months are getting a break, and we've dug out our sweat pants for night watches. It's still too warm for our foul weather gear, though.
We continued sailing wing on wing today with 10 to 20 knots of wind out of the WSW. The seas are a little lumpy, but not really big. Our last 24-hour log entry shows 162.7 nm at an average speed of 6.78 knots.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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What do the eastern tip of Brazil, an Antarctic Island and us have in common. We are the only ones using the Mid Atlantic time zone. Yes, Märzen, the keeper of the time zones, did point out that we are now -2 GMT. This has got to be one of the most remote and least used time zones. It is straight down the middle of the Atlantic and catches just piece of Brazil. To celebrate the new time zone we baked ginger snaps today. Only one more time zone to go for the Azores.
Today has been an easy sailing day. 15 knots out of the SW and a 6-foot swell. We've been sailing wing on wing with the jib poled out all day, and by the looks of the forecast we will continue poled out through the night. Our last 24 hour log had us making 149 nautical miles at 6.21 knots.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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We are less than 1,000 miles from Flores Island, Azores. Reaching that milestone made us feel a whole lot better about our progress. We also got the ok from Herb to start heading in a more NE direction. For several days now we have been moving due east. The wind has been very good the last 26 hours. Our last 24 hour plot had us at an average speed of 6.81 knots for 163 nautical miles. It looks as if we'll have 20 knots through Wednesday. The wind should shift to the north on Thursday.
Happy Father's Day to our dad's Tom Forbes and Ron Smith. Hope you had a great day.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Märzen our miniature dachshund is on a rigid feeding schedule. She is feed at 6 AM and 5 PM every day. At 7 PM she gets a jerky treat. Over the years she has developed a sense of time and becomes very alert the closer it is to 5 PM. For the crossing we decided to stay on eastern daylight savings time as our local time. As we sail eastward across the Atlantic sunrise comes earlier and sunset as well. Märzen began to notice that she had not been fed as the sun was setting and became rather vocal about us missing her dinner time even though there was an hour to go until 5:00. That's when we decided to move the local time to Bermuda time. Märzen knows when we are in a new time zone and demands that it be observed.
Today has been good sailing: 15 to 20 knots most of the day from the SW. For Sunday through Tuesday we expect to 20 to 25 knots from the SW. When we reach longitude 44 west we will turn to port and start heading NE.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Some of you reading this blog may not know the difference between a nautical mile and a statute mile. There are two complimentary answers to the definition of a nautical mile.
1) A nautical mile costs much more.
2) A nautical mile is one minute of one degree latitude.
For each one degree of latitude there are 60 nautical miles. Compared to a statute mile the nautical mile is a little longer at 1.15 statute miles. The expression "knots" refers to nautical miles per hour.
The wind picked up this morning and we've been sailing wing on wing all day. A cold front passed over us early this afternoon. It had wind gusts to 25 knots and a little rain, enough to dilute the salt on the boat but not quite wash it off. Behind the cold front were clear blue skies and 10 knots from the west. We expect 15 knots on Saturday from the SW.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Early this afternoon evidence of the storm to the north arrived. A 10 to 15 foot swell from the NE began an easy lifting and lowering of Solstice every 12 seconds. From the looks on the weather charts and Herb's description, we are very happy to be south of the action.
Today is a very light wind day. We have the spinnaker out and are managing a top speed of 3 knots. At least it's a sunny and warm day with scattered puffy clouds. For the last 24 hours we managed to cover 107 miles at an average speed of 4.46 knots. The Friday forecast is westerly winds at 15 knots with a front passing tomorrow night with 20 knot winds. Saturday is westerlies at 20 to 25 knots. We'll probably reef the main sail at sunset tomorrow.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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"Never argue over right of way"
- Thomas C. Forbes, teaching me to drive.
The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea (COLREGS) apply to all the oceans and bodies of water connected to them. All maritime nations recognize and enforce these regulations. Rule 15 in part states "When two power-driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the one which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way..." Rule 18 section a(iv) states "A power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of a sailing vessel. Rule 18 provides clear right of way for sailboat unless the motor vessel is constrained in her ability to maneuver (rules 9 and 10) or the sailboat is overtaking the motor vessel (Rule 13).
Last night I spotted a large freighter off of our starboard quarter. I got out the binoculars and determined it was headed in the same general direction as Solstice. Two minutes later the freighter was hailing us. I answered back identifying us as the Sailing Vessel Solstice. The watch person on the freighter then asked me my intentions. I stated that as a sailing vessel under sail that we would maintain our current course and speed. The watch person then asked if it was our intention to pass port to port. To do this would require me to turn to starboard. I then told the watch person to standby and I begin active tracking the freighter on radar. The tracking calculator kicked in and told me that we were going to pass within 150 yards in 5 minutes. So rather that explain the COLREGS and get in a pissing match with 100 meters of steel moving at 22 knots, I replied that we would turn to starboard. The freighter answered back that they too would turn to starboard and thanked me for my cooperation. We missed by miles and then we returned to our course.
Not all encounters with large vessels in the open ocean are like that. Most often there is no conversation at all. We simply pass each other at a safe distance. Once Shirlee hailed a freighter as they were overtaking us. The freighter changed course. Off of Cape Canaveral a tug towing a very large barge hailed us and asked if it was our preference that he change course to starboard and pass our stern rather than 1/4 of a mile off of our bow. We gratefully accepted his offer. We missed by miles and the tug resumed it's previous course. In yet another instance south of Isla Providencia, a freighter hailed us, and when we identified ourselves as a sailing vessel, a second freighter got on the radio and reminded the first that as a sailing vessel we had right-of-way.
Today has been a good sailing day: 12 to 18 knots from the NE and we're keeping the speed above the five knot average.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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When striving towards a goal there are mileposts by which to measure progress. Crossing the Atlantic in a sailboat requires two types of mileposts. The first is tactical in the form of specific latitude and longitude waypoints. These are used to plot a course to a specific location to take advantage or current, weather, or simply the shortest distance between start and finish. The other type is the psychological or feel-good mileposts. Our first feel good milepost was reached recently. We are now east of Bermuda. I think it held so much significance due to our starting out so far south. Bermuda has been visible on the chart plotter since Ft. Lauderdale. Now that little spot of islands will fade into the distance and off the plotter. Other key feel good milestones will be the halfway point and the first sight of land.
Good sailing today. A cold front passed today that cleared away the fog and clouds and provided 15 knots from the NE. We are moving south again to avoid some stronger weather north. It has been really good to have Herb Hilgenberg on the radio to assist with our weather routing.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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When we plan a passage, we use 5 knots as our average speed. From Juneau, Alaska, to this Atlantic crossing, it has held true. Only occasionally have we had a greater average daily speed. When we average more than five knots, we get very excited about how dizzyingly fast we are going. Today will be one of those fast speed racer days. We had 18 knots on a broad reach and four knots of current pushing SE. These of combined forces of wind and current propelled us along at 8.5 to 9.5 knots. However, let's keep this in perspective. Our fastest speed is still slower than the maximum allowed speed limit in a school zone when the sidewalks are crowded with children and crossing guards are stationed at the crosswalk. With all the water splashing about it only seems like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
As of noon today our 24-hour average speed was 7.14 knots, and we covered a distance of 171.3 miles. Currently we are sailing more southerly to avoid a low pressure system with strong winds. When we get to 35 degrees north, we'll start heading in a more easterly direction.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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When sailing downwind on a broad reach, the best we can do is 135 degrees off apparent wind. When we want to run with the wind dead behind us, we need to configure the sails for wing-on-wing. The main sail is held off to one side with a preventer, and the jib is held out to the opposite side with the spinnaker pole. Sailing wing-on-wing today has allowed us to sail straight downwind without jibing to make our way point. We've been on the same tack all day, and it looks like it will hold for tomorrow.
Currently the wind is 15 kts. from the SW, and we have a SE-setting current at 2 kts. Our course over ground is 110, and we are averaging 6 kts. At times today we saw 8 kts. speed over ground. We are making up for some of the slow wind days now.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Today was the first day since California that we turned on the oven. All through the tropics we marveled at people who baked cookies, breads, and all manner of baked goods and meats. In the tropics we avoided using the stove top, let alone turn on the central furnace that our oven can be. Mostly we grilled and ate cold dishes. Today, however, the oven went on and we had pizza. It was a white pizza with a Boboli crust. Boboli crusts are great for cruising. Vacuum-sealed, pre-baked pizza crust that lasts for ever.
White Pizza a la Solstice:
1 - Boboli Crust
1/4 cup - Olive Oil
3 cloves - Garlic crushed
1/4 cup - white onion diced
2 cups - Mozzarella grated
1/4 cup - Feta cheese crumbled
1/8 cup - Kalamata Olives sliced lengthwise in half
2 links - Hot Italian Sausage casing removed diced and sautéed
Assemble pie and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles and browns slightly. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh sliced plum tomatoes.
Today and last night have been slow going. We've been making our way through a ridge of high pressure with very light winds. We ran the engine for 10 hours to the NE to find some wind. Currently we have 9 knots from the NW. The forecast is for increasing winds and we'll be heading east staying south of 36 degrees 30 minutes.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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North of Florida the Gulf Steam begins to meander. it move easterly and westerly and will even split into two separate streams. There is also back eddies and cold water counter currents to deal with. With satellite imaging available from NOAA and the US Navy using the Gulf Stream has become very predictable. It's good to know when to use it for your advantage and when to stay out when a wind blows opposite the current. Wind opposing current creates large and steep wave quickly.
We have spent the last 20 hours heading as due north as possible to find an east-setting portion of the Gulf Stream. We found it and it's adding 1.5 kts. to our speed. Every little bit helps as we are 1,917 miles from Horta, Azores. Best prediction now is for 14 days to arrive.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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With the cooler air temperatures and stronger winds our tow behind electrical generator is keeping up with our needs and providing a surplus of electricity. With warmer temperatures the refrigerator consumes the lion's share of energy. Radios, electronic navigation equipment, and navigation lights at night are the other priority electrical needs. Some days we would run the diesel generator for two one-hour sessions.
The Ferris Water Power 200 is an electric generator that is mounted on the stern rail. Attached to the generator is 100' of line with a shaft and a propeller on the end. As we move through the water the propeller spins, thus turning the generator and creating electricity. At 5 knots we can create 8 amps. With the surplus we have now we've turned on the music and are using the electric autopilot for this bouncy downwind sailing. Both the music and GPS-guided autopilot are luxuries. Today will be the first day that we will not have to run our diesel-powered generator. We hope to have many more days of no diesel consumption.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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At 1930 UTC on frequency 12.359 MHz sailboats from all over the north Atlantic begin checking in by calling "Southbound II, Southbound II this is (vessel name) standing by." At 2000 UTC Herb begins calling on each vessel and confirms their position and provides them with a personal weather forecast. The forecast includes analysis for wind, current, and the proper routing to avoid bad weather and how to improve your speed. What's amazing about this you may ask. He does this for free: it's his hobby. We talked with Herb today and found out that there will be gale force winds 100 NM north of us. We have good winds for sailing due east. That was his recommendation and that's what we'll do.
Today's winds have been much improved from yesterday. We've had 12 to 15 knots from the SSW all day. We have been averaging 5.5 knots to ENE. A very nice sailing day. Sunny, warm, good wind, and a helpful current. On the downside our boom vang became detached from the boom last night. Nothing urgent need be done, but the maintenance list has started. Remember cruising is just fixing your boat in exotic ports.
All is well aboard s/v Solstice.
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From today forward Shirlee and I will be setting a record for the number of days at sea. Prior to today the record was five days when we sailed nonstop from Seattle to San Francisco. All of our sailing since heading south from San Francisco has been at most three days. Given the lack of wind the record we are creating on this passage may stand for a long time.
Last night and all of today there has been no more than 5 knots of wind. Currently there is 2.5 knots and our speed is 0.5 knots. The forecast is for SE winds to develop early tomorrow morning and we'll have 15 to 20 knots for 36 hours. Then the wind will die again. This is going to be very slow this coming week. Other than the slow progress all is well aboard Solstice.
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Last night we sailed to NE as a cold front approached from the north. For most of the night the wind held steady from the SW at 15 knots. To the north we could see a massive lightening storm. To the south was clear. We kept checking the radar to see if any rain was approaching, but it remained clear. Our radar range is 24 miles.
This morning the front passed over us and the wind picked up to 20 knots with gusts to 25. We set double reefs and sailed on. About 90 minutes after we set the reefs the wind died to light and variable. However, the seas remained very lumpy. Today has been slow and bumpy with an occasional shower and after the shower some wind that dies to nothing. The wind should be building tonight out of the SW.
All is well aboard Solstice.
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Sargosa is Spanish for seaweed and it is everywhere in this correctly named sea. The water is very clear and a deep blue dotted with mats of yellow seaweed. At night the seaweed glows when disturbed. This seaweed is fouling the Ferris Water Power 200 electric generator every 20 minutes or less. When the seaweed wraps around the propeller of the Water Power 200 output fall from 8 amps to .5 amps. We have stopped towing it and are relying on the diesel generator for our electricity. The seaweed is also fouling the servo rudder on the wind vane steering. We'll be glad to be out of this garden in the ocean. Other than clearing the weeds all is well.
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