Horta, Faial

Horta & Faial Horta is about 130 nm from Lajes on Flores. With favorable winds this is a sail of less than 24 hours. On our departure from Lajes we initially had winds of less than 12 knots and motor sailed for several hours before the wind filled in from the SW. For the rest of the trip we rarely had winds less than 15 knots and never over 20 knots. We had left Flores early in the morning to insure we would arrive in Horta before a threatening weather system moved into the area. With the fresh winds we made better progress than needed and it looked like we would arrive well before sunrise the next day. Therefore, just before sunset, we slowed down by double-reefing the main sail and partially furling the Genoa. Still we were doing 5.5 knots. Shortly before dawn the next morning we headed up the Faial Channel between the Faial and Pico.
Shortly after dawn we entered Horta Harbor and tied Sarah to the Horta Marina reception dock. An hour later the marina office opened and we received a berth assignment and once more cleared Portuguese customs. On this trip we sailed in company with our new friend from Quebec, Jean Giles, on his Westerly Longbow Ketch, Murmure II. Jean Giles arrived at the reception dock less than 30 minutes after we arrived, just after this picture was taken.
The marina at Horta is extremely well protected from all directions. It is actually located behind two breakwaters. The outer breakwater in the center of the picture on the right serves as the commercial dock for cruise ships, freighters and tankers. The inner breakwater forms the main part of the marina. The town of Horta is built on the hill overlooking the harbor. This picture was taken from the north of Horta.
On the left is a picture of Horta taken from Monte da Guia, the large hill (actually a volcano crater) just south of the harbor (left center in the picture above).
Sarah tied to the seawall in the marina with the mountain peak of Pico island in the background.
We caught up with Ketch Ya Later (another Pearson 424) in Horta (picture on right). They left Bermuda a few days after we and sailed directly to Horta.
One of traditions of Horta is for yachts to document their visit with a painted panel. Many of these panels are on the marina seawall. Other panels are painted on the walk way and on the marina shore wall. Virtually every square inch of concrete in the marina contains a painted memento of one yacht's visit to Horta. We also left a record of Sarah's visit before we depart the marina.

Some of the panels demonstrate real artistic talent

Others demonstrate a sense of humor, and a less pleasant voyage than ours.

On our final day in Horta, Mike completed our panel. From top to bottom, he first laid out the background in white paint, then started the lettering in blue and red, and at the bottom the final product. This took Mike nearly two days to complete and his knees and back are still telling him about it. We placed this panel on the dock right next to Sarah's berth. It would have probably been a lot easier on Mike if we had chosen a vertical space along the seawall, but this seemed the better place at the time. I chose the phrase, "powered by Vinho Verde" as, since we arrived in the Azores, we had been doing our best to consume all of that Portuguese wine that we could find. Appropriately the final picture is framed by a couple of (empty) bottles of Vinho Verde Branco. Well, we were clearly not as artistic nor as humorous as many vessels, but there is a semi-permanent record of our visit that should last a few years.



Fleurion, one of the boats from Quebec with whom we have been sailing since Lajes was on their third visit to Horta and only had to touch up the panel from their second stay. At the time of this picture Pierrette had not quite finished her touchup.
Like all the Azores, Faial was produced by a number of volcanoes, the craters (Caldeiras) of many are still visible. The picture on the right is of the primary Caldeira of Faial at the summit of the island, nearly in the center.
On the left is a picture of the Caldeira next to Monte da Guia, just south of Horta.
This is the remains of one of the more recently active volcanoes on Faial. This volcano erupted in the 1950s and buried the local village under lava and ash (picture below)


Paul and Isla (pronounced eila), a young couple sailing on a 27' Albin Vega named Beowulf. We first met them briefly in Marsh Harbor at the Jib Room barbecue, then when they arrived in St. Georges about a week after we. There we learned that they are headed for Europe as well and intended to depart for the Azores shortly after our planned departure. One week after we arrived in Horta Beowulf arrived. Their passage took 28 days, but they arrived well with no problems. Just a long time to be at sea on a small boat. Waterline does have its advantages, but I can't say we are enjoying this voyage any more than they. They also plan to spend some time cruising the Azores before heading for the north coast of Spain. Once on the continent they plan to visit their respective relatives in the Netherlands and the U.K. by land transportation and resume their education in Europe. Photo by Mike Repass
On the left is Paul and Isla's Albin Vega, Beowulf, shortly after their arrival in Horta.