Transatlantic: A long stopover

We arrived at Terceira and rushed to get hauled out but thought nothing of it really. We had a family reunion to get to in the states and needed a safe place to leave Wisdom while we flew away. We thought we would spend a few weeks in Terceira and then start sailing through the other islands to visit during the winter. Then after a few months, we would sail off to mainland Portugal.

HAHA!

We ended up staying there for 10 months! While on the hard, we decided to take on some refit projects that we had been discussing and always saying “we will tackle it later”. Well, now was later, and we decided to start the small projects.

One project was to strip out and rebuild the head, the other project was to strip out and rebuild the galley.

The head was just the tip of the iceberg, during the strip down process, we discovered a lot of rot in the bulkhead and therefore the “cosmetic refit” became a structural repair. The galley, thankfully was not a structural refit, and remained as a cosmetic refit.

The shower floor was lowered about 6 inches, allowing me to stand up in the shower for the first time in 7 years! The shower area was expanded and the storage lockers were made more usable for our blue water cruising lifestyle.

The galley countertop was switched from plywood and formica to butcherblock mahogany. The sink was switched out from a rusting stainless steel double sink to a very large single composite granite sink with an integrated drying rack. The stove was also switched out for a gimballed stove/oven.

All these modifications made cruising and living aboard so much better, but it took a very long time. I anticipated about 2 weeks for the head, but it took 6 months! The galley managed to remain on schedule and was finished in about 3 weeks.

By the way, we also had our topsides spray painted.

When all was said and done, we launched and just didn’t want to leave! We spent 8 months working on the boat, and then lingered for an extra 2 months before we realized that we were about to fall into the same trap that has snared so many cruisers we had met there. The common story is: “I pulled in for a few weeks, and now 10 years later, I’m still here!”

We finally made the conscious choice to set sail and head on for our voyage towards mainland Portugal.

Anniversary Time!

3 years ago, Maddie and I started our lives together. Little did we know that three years would take us so far away.  

Now we are thousands of miles from where we started and an entire ocean away! Shortly after the wedding, we told our families that we were going Cruising full time and spent the first year of our marriage preparing the boat for passage making.  

From there we have been strengthening our relationship by spending every moment together as we voyaged down the East Coast and then across the Atlantic Ocean.  

Now we sit in the Azores, preparing for another ocean passage to make our way to mainland Portugal, and we get to spend weeks at sea without any distractions from our relationship. 

Coordinating everything

We are back in the Azores and ready to go to Portugal as soon as some parts arrive. That is the hiccup. 

Our batteries are dead so we ordered some replacement units. They were supposed to arrive two weeks ago and be ready to pick up when we got here. Well, it turns out that the company producing them doesn’t have them stocked in their warehouse for distribution yet! 

At the last moment before we go into the water, we need to source and install a new battery bank on top of everything that also needs to get done.  

This is Cruising. Problem solving and rolling with it from here to there.  

São Miguel: North Coast

The North Coast of Sao Miguel is a favorite spot for local surfers. Most of the waters around the Azorian islands are miles deep meeting a cliff. On this one spot on this one island, the waters gradually come towards a calmer coast. As a result, deep ocean swell gets welled up and breaks into long slow moving waves.

It was entertaining to watch the surfers jump across the rocks with their boards as they made their way to the waters edge. Not the typical sandy beach you associate with surfing destinations, but this is a relatively tame beach for the Azores.

One of the best parts about this spot is the sunsets. As the sun goes down, it tucks behind another point on the island and the sky glows while the waters still churn onto the rocks. Being here is so peaceful, and looking out at the sea makes us long to return to the waves once again.

Amazing Craters

These islands were formed by deep underwater volcanoes. They slowly layered lava onto itself time after time until they rose from the depths and reached into the sky. These fiery pits of hell, surrounded by scorching toxic fumes and black rocks has slowly transformed into lush and lovely islands. The craters that once were ablaze are now filled with refreshing fresh water, out in the middle of the salty ocean.

The landscape that was once inhospitable is now a lush oasis, drawing tourists from all over the world to gaze upon the splendor.