Bremuda-Azores-Portugal

[belizesailor]

Hola from Bermuda ya'll !

Just finished the first leg of this trip, arriving Bermuda this AM from NYC.

Waiting out a bit of snotty weather here, making some repairs (AP failed enroute, fortunately we have 5 total crew aboard to hand steer)...then on to the Azores.

[CaptCanuck]

Envious!

Lived in the Azores for a couple of years. Will make a similar trip in a few years.


Fair seas ...

[belizesailor]

Thanks! Looking forward to the Azores too...esp after such a long haul to get there!

[txg]

Nice! We're a little bit behind, planning to leave for Bermuda in a week, starting in Miami. Currently, weather is not looking good but that can change.

[belizesailor]

Thanks to great weather routing by Chris Parker, we departed NY just after a strong cold front (gusts to 42 at anchor) and slid into Bermuda just before this unsettled weather (Invest90 + a cold front) was scheduled to roll in (tomorrow). Plan to sit it out here and then head for Azores.

We had about 36 hours of roughish weather (25 to 35, seas building to a max of about 4 meters, but all from SW so not so bad).

The original plan was NYC to Lisbon, but there are still regular full gales rolling across 40N...no thanks...a detour to Bermuda sounded like a much more pleasant option.

This messy stuff near Bermuda should clear for you (and us) bu early next week.

[belizesailor]

Update: Recently arrived Horta, Azores. Had a very uneventful crossing in lovely SW breeze all the way from Bermuda. Worked our way around the W side of the Azores High to stay in the breeze, only had to motor/motor sail for about 48 hours W of Horta and then the breeze filled back in. That was our total motoring time for the entire leg...awesome!

Only excitment was that the halyard on the parasail chafed thru and it went under the boat...at 3AM of course...at least it was in very settled conditions...still took a while to haul it back aboard (fouled on keel).

[daletournier]

Hi Belizesailor, i may of missed it , what boat are you on? Ive also once had the pleasure of a spinnaker deciding it was better to be under the boat around the keel....joy!!

[SVTatia]

Enjoy this beautiful island. Did you use CP weather for this passage as well and do you have iridium go?

[boatman61]

Catch the morning ferry across to Pico and spend the day.. whole different scene from Horta and worth the effort.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Hi Belizesailor, i may of missed it , what boat are you on? Ive also once had the pleasure of a spinnaker deciding it was better to be under the boat around the keel....joy!!

A Lagoon 38 this trip.

The L380 is a good boat overall, but I dont like all those big ass holes filled w acrylic or glass (escape hatches, cabin windows). [emoji51]

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Catch the morning ferry across to Pico and spend the day.. whole different scene from Horta and worth the effort.

Will try to do so. Owner and guest are in Pico now...hiking over Pico.

My wife met me in Horta....so my schedule will no longer be entirely under my control. [emoji6]. We plan to sail to São Miguel then she and I fly to Lisbon to start our travels in Portugal.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Enjoy this beautiful island. Did you use CP weather for this passage as well and do you have iridium go?

Yes, used Chris for NYC to Bermuda and Bermuda to Azores legs. Nailed it all the way. We ordered a 5 day forecast for the start of the Azores leg then daily updates via SSB (5 days gets you to Bermuda, but not the Azores).

Chris kept us in the breeze and out of any nasty stuff the entire route. We sat out a front w sustained winds over 40 knots in NY then jumped to Bermuda on its tail. Saw a max of about 35 knots on the Bermuda leg. Then nice SW breeze all the way from Bermuda to Azores, not a single squall even, and only about 48hrs of motor sailing near the Azores. Motor sailed only about 3 days over the entire route (both legs). Very happy with the weather routing.

We did not have an Iridium Go aboard, but plenty or other comms: SSB + PACTOR 4, InReach (2), SPOT, EPIRB, VHF (which we used a few times during the trip to chat w nearby boats).