Just a super quick update before I lose connection.

I left Horta two hours ago after an amazing and intense last chapter with the sailing family. Friends everywhere, both new and familiar faces.

Further updates will come every week via Mathias. And again, If anyone feels like writing anything to me, provide a interresting article, a strange news story or whatever, please do 🙂

Log from the last days before arrival in Horta:

Log 5

27.06 Day 33

Silent and favourable current. Speed this morning; 4.3knts, while moving about 1.5 through the water, insane! Much needed morning-bath. Checked hull and propeller, some gooseneck-barnacles but otherwise clean. Prop needs grease. Engine on low rpm for a few hours to charge, make water and move stupidly fast considering the circumstances. Some strange hammering from Pus on low rpm, hope it`s nothing serious, but I will adjust her valves when we get to the Azores.

Full clean-down of the boat; floors, roof and walls. Stuff grows everywhere in this humid climate. It feels like this symbiosis of our common state; I`m not clean unless Chilli is clean. It`s no point in washing ether if the other is not. Mutual caretaking.

98nm

28.06 Day 34

Slow.

Strange observation; I heard a humming sound, like a large propeller plane flying low. Did`t see anything, but the experience of hearing something alien to the (immense variation of sounds the) boat (is able to compose and come up with) was really strange.

Dreaming of home.

Diving in Charlie Parker.

5 minute dolphins

66nm

29.06 Day 35

It all depends un todays and tomorrows progression. If Im not getting within the range of about 100nm of Horta, that is what I have fuel for, by Tuesday night, I might end up drifting around until next week. The wind is going to die completely down and eventually turn around against my direction, so lets keep the speed up! 300nm left, and doing 5knts (=120nm/24h); so far so good! 

2 minute dolphin. Really jumpy

77nm

30.06 Day  36

Land in sight! What a insanely strange phenomena: land. This massive piece completely out of any reasonable proportions, like an alien space ship rising out of the ocean straight in to the low dark roof of clouds. A stationary rock, round little island; Corvo. First evidence of alternative surface matter to water in 31 days.

It`s almost ridiculous; after so much drifting, counter currents and slow progression, now, the past 200nm and the 20 hours I have left, almost out of diesel, I`m blown away in great speeds despite the light winds. It looks like its no longer a far fetched fantasy to reach Horta tomorrow, which is seriously nice considering that the coming weeks weather around the islands is a high-pressure boble without any wind for sailing, and if any, in my opposite direction.           

130nm/24h

01.07 Day 37

All sails and engine. Hanging on the very last bit of wind, and great speeds.

Wind died 2 hours before arrival at 02.00 local time. AIS Died just when I got close to the coast, typical.

Arival.

 

Smell of fresh lands, and cows, how I missed this!

 

112nm

 

I later found out that the engine had run dry of oil, luckily only because the oil-pin had popped out. The engine was also only standing on three of four mounting pods, and acted completly jelly. All good now, boat full of fresh food.
I Can`t say Im thirsty for ocean already, but it feels like being back to normal every-day life after an exiting vacation ashore.

Estimation is 20 days to Norway. Im headed slightly west the first 1-2 days to catch some winds before heading directly for the Hebrides, Orkney and Kvinesdal.

See you soon

// Martin