Horta, Azores Portugal

We made it. We crossed the finish line yesterday, Monday June 3 at 1506 hours. It took us 12 days, 6 minutes to make the journey from Bermuda to Azores. It was a tough one, and as we were in the middle of it I kept telling myself, “NEVER AGAIN”. But now looking back on it, it wasn’t that bad, it was just something I have never experienced before, so it was scary. I would do it again. This island is so beautiful. It was totally worth it to get here.

It was a busy afternoon after we arrived. Our first stop was the fuel dock. It was a weird experience. If there’s a boat on the sea wall at the fuel station, you just pull up and raft off of them, climb over the other boats rafted up and do your business. Not at all what we are used to, but it’s apparently a normal practice here. So while the other boats that rafted on to us did their thing, we got checked in with immigration and the ARC Rally office. Finally we were able to cast off and found our anchorage spot. Time to head into town and get dinner. It’s so strange because it stays light until around 2200. By the time we got done with dinner it was already 2130, but only felt like 1830.

Today, Tuesday, will be a day to recover and do a little much needed cleaning on the boat. As we wait for other boats to arrive, we will explore the island and try out many restaurants and bars.

I’m so proud to be a part of the sailing community. We’ve met amazing people here. On SV Bistari from the US we have become friends with the owners Ken and Lynn and their crew Tamara, Josh and Max. We have also become friends with Wolfgang and Petra from Germany on SV Gian. Last night while trying to get her with no wind Gian ran out of fuel. They were close enough to hail Bistari. Bistari acted in a truly magnificent way and sent a can of fuel over to Gian. Here is the message to Bistari from Gian that was posted to the WhatsApp group chat

To the crew of the yacht Bistari,

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your generous help last night. Thanks to the canister of diesel you provided, we will now reach the port of Horta in the morning. Without your support, we would have had to wait until Wednesday for favorable winds.

Your kindness and effort are invaluable to us. You helped us out of a silly situation, and for that, we are extremely grateful.

We look forward to seeing you again in Horta.

The Gian-Crew

This is what this community is all about. The kindness we show one another in times of need is truly awe inspiring. The camaraderie we share and the friendships we make are second to none. Well done Bistari. You are truly the epitome of sailing.