Hair Raiser 2015 Summer Cruise Dublin to the Azores & Back.

Transcription

1 Hair Raiser 2015 Summer Cruise Dublin to the Azores & Back. Hair Raiser - HR 342 The main cruise for the year was to be in company with Calimbo, a Bowman ketch 36 from Rush Sailing Club owned & skippered by Jonathon Mason. The plan was to head for the North Coast of Spain, weather permitting head out to the Azores, cruise some of the islands and return to the South of Ireland direct. Crew Percy Boyle & Aine Carroll 29 th May 2015 Dublin to Kinsale Hair Raiser & Calimbo depart Howth heading for Kinsale 152NM. We had a fast passage down the East Coast in a NW 4-5 and with the wind having backed as we passed through Patrick s Bridge we were hard on the wind all the way to the Bulman. It gave both of us some more practice at reefing singlehandedly. A forecast of very strong South Westerlies kept us enjoying the delights of Kinsale for the next few days and also allowed time for final checks and some food stocking the longer you wait the more you stock!.

2 2 nd June 2015 Kinsale to La Coruna With the South Westerlies forecast to ease later in the day we departed for La Coruna at 1200 hrs. The winds did not ease as much as forecast, the seas were still running and we had plenty of green water coming over - it was a heavy enough start! We kept our course W of S to make as much west as possible while still having a good turn of speed. 1 st Days Run 134nm. The Route Winds eased later the following day giving us some light beating, reaching & running until we were about 18 hrs out of A Coruna when the wind gradually rose to a good NE Force 6-7. With 2 & then 3 reefs in the Main, a small amount of Jib, strong wind and following seas we flew into La Coruna arriving on Saturday 6 th June at 0700 hrs. Boat & Crew are in great form. Trip 508NM, Wind Force 2 7, Duration 3days & 19hrs. We berthed in the inner harbour near the town, got the paperwork out of the way and headed into La Coruna to stretch the legs - there is always a great buss around the place. We befriended a New Zealand couple on a HR42 who were berthed beside us they were heading back down the Portuguese Coast on their way home. Opposite us was a very well turned out 34 Shanti from Holland, crewed by Tom & Tilly who were also heading for the Azores, we ended up getting to know them quite well. Calimbo (Jonathan Mason & Andre Ray) arrived and berthed nearby, like us they had got Reefing North Easterly winds to push them into La Coruna they were glad to be in, delighted with their passage and absolutely beaming with joy let the parties begin! The following day another Irish boat arrived, Wind Whispers, a Nicholson 31 from Galway who was crewed by Dick McKeever s, Joe his brother and Fiona Belton, as it turned out Dick knew Jonathon Mason from a previous life. By all accounts they had between one thing and another, a tough enough passage they soon got into the spirit of things!

3 We had a few great days in La Coruna, coffee mornings, stories, walks, dinners aboard, more coffee, more stories, boats coming & going, and that would be before the Sun Downers which could go on very late and could involve all the crews trekking up the town together for Tapas & Refreshments!. 8 Th June We left Hair Raiser in La Coruna and returned to Dublin for some domestic duties. 20 th June 2015 A Coruna to Camarinas. 19 th June. Myself, Aine & Garry Hick flew down to Santiago de Compostela and got a train to La Coruna. Garry is Jonathon s crew for the trip to the Azores and will travel with us to Camarinas where Calimbo was waiting enjoying himself. We stocked up Hair Raiser, had a meal & a few beers in the town and left for Camarinas the following morning. We had a fast passage down the Costa De Morte (Death Coast) in a good NW 4-5, a gybe at Illa Vilan de Fora, left us with a broad reach into Camarinas. Calimbo took our lines it was good to be back. While we were only there for a short visit, the easy Spanish atmosphere around Camarinas quickly got us back into the cruising / holiday mood the warm weather also helped. Ourselves & Calimbo had been watching the weather and while the forecast was for variables with some light headwinds, there was nothing nasty forecast; - we decided to go for it. Jonathon 23 rd June 2015 Camarinas to the Azores NM Tuesday 23 rd June Hair Raiser & Calimbo depart for the Azores. It was a misty start but the sun soon came out, a little breeze filled in and Hair Raiser glided along in a flat sea for a few hours towards Sao Miguel. The next few days were spent on the wind with the Azores Islands for a lot of the time making a very good Weather Mark. The days & nights were warm, the shorts were getting plenty of use, we were eating well and we were on our way. 1800hrs Friday 26 th June. We are half way there 405nm to Sao Miguel. No wind, not a breath, we are motoring along in a flat blue sea. Some dolphins came and joined us they are always a joy. Saturday 27 th We are sailing into a light SW / SSW warm wind. Speed through the water is ok but our VMG is only knots. A beach in Vila Franco do Campo A calm day but still the ocean swell

4 Aine took a Noon Sight of the Sun & some Sun & Moon Sights in the afternoon calculations worked out fairly good. DTW 286 NM Sunday 28 th The wind rose throughout the day, by the afternoon we had a reef in and by the evening two reefs, the stronger wind allowed us to point a bit closer to our waypoint we were now only degrees below it. 1200hrs DTW 185nm Monday 29 th 1000 hrs in an instant the forecasted NW winds kicked in. We tacked Hair Raiser, eased the sheets, took out a reef and pointed her at Sao Miguel Distance to waypoint 90nm.. Wind NW 4-5. VMG knots. Aine taking a Sight Hair Raiser is upright & flying along. Happy Days hrs Land Ahoy DTW E side of Sao Miguel - 30nm. We rounded the east side of Sao Miguel, carried on along the south coast and sneaked into a very tight marina berth in Vila Franca do Campo at 0220 hrs, Trip 6 days, 21hrs. We had had a great passage, we were in and tied up, were delighted with ourselves and enjoyed a few beers in the cockpit before turning in for the night. The cruising guide advises not to enter Vila Franco do Campo without making prior arrangements as it is small marina and mainly for private boats. The cruising guide was right; it was indeed a very small & tight marina, so much so that we were a bit surprised how tight a berth we had actually sneaked into when we arose the following morning. On the plus side we were in! We had a good walk around the town during the day and on our return to Hair Raiser we were requested to move outside to a For & Aft mooring. We had fun getting out of the marina and even more fun setting ourselves up with the Fore & Aft Moorings. The Islands are Very Green 1 st July Sao Miguel to Santa Maria. 50nm Sailed down to the island of Santa Maria in a N to NW Force 4. Met up with Calimbo & Shanti (Tom & Tilly) who we had previously met in a Coruna, Spent a few days exploring & enjoying the beautiful island of Santa Maria.

5 Saturday 4 th July 2015 Santa Maria to Ponta Delgada. Sao Miguel. Unfortunately we had to depart Santa Maria and head up to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel as I had to catch a flight home in a few days. We were also expecting a crew for Aine to help her move on to the Middle Islands. Unfortunately the crew had had an accident at home and was unable to travel. Calimbo joined us for the sail up to Ponto Delgada as he too had a crew change lined up. 55nm. We were now without being complacent getting very comfortable with this type of cruising, we had now covered a few miles, Hair Raiser was in top form, we were in top form, the shorts are on, the weather is great, and all is good. It was another lovely day with very light variable winds which meant we had to motor for a few hours to enable us to arrive before sunset - it can be a bit easier. We had two days in Ponto Delgada before my flight to Lisbon and onwards to Dublin. I was scheduled to arrive back down to Pico on the 18 th July. 1 st July 18 nd July Island Hoping. ( Aine Singlehanded ) 190 NM While I was gone Aine was going to move to the Middle Islands the nearest one been Terceira. She would be operating and sailing singlehanded no problem to her! Aine s Log 8 th July I departed Ponta Delgada just before sunset at 2130 hrs, Destination Terceira - 90nm away. It was a lovely moonlight night, the wind SSW 3-4 allowed Hair Raiser to glide along on a broad reach towards her waypoint. Calimbo had left earlier for Terceira with his new crew Sheena Jolly so the hunt was on! I had a great sail and arrived at Praia da Vitoria at 1340 next day, I was delighted with myself as it was my first overnight singlehanded passage - a while after arriving I had the pleasure of taking Calimbo s lines. The following day we explored some of Terciera by bikes and while we would have liked to stay longer we felt that we should keep moving and move on to the island of San Jorge. 11 th July. Departed and sailed for Velas on the Island of San Jorge 70nm away. I sailed for a few hours but when the wind died I started the engine and continued motoring it was another lovely day in the Azores. 2100hrs. DTW 20nm. I was motoring along mining own business beneath cliffs that were so tall they seemed to touch the sky when all of a sudden the revs of the engine began to die and then stop altogether. Don t Panic, Don t Panic I checked the engine including the breather pipe that we had an issue with before, bled the fuel line, prayed and restarted the engine, it started, I thanked the heavens and continued on and tied up in Velas at 0000 hrs. the engine issue will have to be looked into.

6 We swam in natural rock pools where hundreds of beautiful coloured fish could be admired. Lay on the marina to watch thousands of Cory s shearwaters come into their nest on the cliff around the marina at night. 13 th July. 1430hrs departed Velas heading to Horta on the island of Faial, Distance 15nm. Horta another Windward Mark, Wind 3-4. Tied up in Horta at Days Log 30nm. While in Horta we went out on a charter boat to do some Whale Watching well worth it. Also while in Horta I further investigated the issue with the engine, after many deliberations I believe the problem steamed from the fuel filters rubber seal that seemed to have perished. I changed the primary fuel filter & the seal and all has worked well since. 17 July Departed Horta at 1050 hrs. Destination - Lajes on the island of Pico. Distance 20nm. Started sailing but wind was fluky and had to motor in the end. - Hard to find the entrance to Lajes, New mole not on chart plotter. - End of Aine s Singlehanded Log 19 th July 22 nd July Island Hoping (Percy & Aine) 65 NM I arrived back on the 18 th July and on the 19 th we headed for Velas on the beautiful island of San Jorge, we spent a few days there exploring in company with Calimbo and while we had a car on hire we managed to do a big shop in preparation for our trip back to Ireland. Velas is truly a beautiful island. It was great to be back. On Tuesday 21th July Calimbo set sail for Ireland, we decided to go to Horta for the night, have a look around, go to the famous Peter s Sport Bar and of course get the T-Shirt. The Islands All the islands are beautiful, very green with plenty of wildlife both on land and in the sea. While on them we had some fantastic walks, hired cars, cycled bikes, swam in hot springs, took public bus tours, went whale watching and to whale museums visited small towns & big ones - All services including marinas are very reasonably priced. We seen whales, sharks, flying fish, turtles, Portuguese man of war, dolphins etc and normally the ports / marines were full of fish, who s colours could be clearly admired in the beautiful clear blue waters. Calimbo Sailing Pass Pico The Azores Islands are truly magnificent and before we had even left them we had decided that we will again visit at some stage. There are nine islands that form the Azores we managed to visit six of them so there is unfinished business.

7 22 nd - 29th July Horta to Crookhaven nm. Horta With Hair Raiser fuelled up, watered and with a favourable forecast we departed Horta at 1200 hrs. Destination South of Ireland. We had very good winds for the trip back, winds from the SW, WSW, NW, & SSE mainly Force 4 7 which with the Jib Poled Out & a Preventer on the Main allowed Hair Raiser to lift her Shirt and produce some very respectful daily runs of 160 plus nm. Batteries We have a small Solar Panel which helps a lot during the day but we still had to run the engine twice daily for about 60 minutes to keep the batteries charged. Food. As usual we eat very well, had plenty of water even enough for a few quick showers / washes. both on the way to the Azores & back Watch keeping We worked are normal system, 4 hrs on & 4 hrs off starting at 2000hrs. Customs / Immigration. You are required to Check in & Out of every island you visit, boats papers, passports & insurance are required. We arrived at Crookhaven at 2045 on the 29 th July, picked up a visitor buoy, tidied up a bit, had a few beers in the cockpit, chilled out and generally enjoyed the buss of having arrived safely with both ourselves and Hair Raiser all in one piece Happy Days. Trip Duration 7 days & 9 hours. Average VMG on the way back 6.7 knots.

8 Side Note About an hour after arriving we noticed the navigation lights of a Rib coming into Crookhaven while a much larger vessel seemed to be prowling outside. It turned out that it was the Rib off the Customs Vessel outside and they were looking for us. We were boarded by two very polite customs officials. Thursday 30 th July 3 rd August. Crookhaven to Dublin 220nm. Visited Schull & met up with Calimbo which was anchored off Sheena Jolly s house / gallery. Sheena had crewed with Jonathon while we were in the Azores. Mark Ferguson from RSC was also there; he had flown to the Azores to crew with Jonathon and was Calimbo s crew for the trip back to Ireland. Sheena and her partner laid on a beautiful meal for the four of us. We had a great night which obviously went on to the early hours. The weather forecast for Schull was not good, apparently it was time to get out!. We left Schull on Friday afternoon. Arrived back in Howth on 3 rd August 2015 after an overnight stay in Arklow on its New Marina. Log for trip 3,388nm All is well. Hair Raiser Percy Boyle & Aine Carroll Some Pics Below Portugess Man of War

9 Santa Maria Horta The Slip of the Old Whaling Station Hair Raiser working to weather

10 Was it a stroll or a hike!

11 Cory s Shearwatwer thousands of them. While we were in A Coruna a fleet of Figaro Racing yachts had an unscheduled visit - due the adverse weather outside. They make a beautiful sight

12 Good Shelter makes for Happy Sailing We flew back to Ireland Hair Raiser OUT.

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