The Azores, Portugal: August 29 September 5, 2015

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1 The Azores, Portugal: August 29 September 5, The Azores archipelago lies 1000 miles off the coast of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. The five islands grouped in the center will be our cruising grounds. Regular flights from Boston arrive at São Miguel circled at the lower right of the map. An inter-island fight to Horta is necessary from São Miguel. There are also flights to Horta, Faial, from Lisbon, Portugal, and other European cities. For more information about the islands visit: We will begin our sail from Horta, Faial, the western-most island on this map. The proposed itinerary will include sailing first to São Jorge, on to Terceira, a full day on Terceira, then sail to Pico, a full day on Pico, and finally back to Faial. The trip runs Saturday, 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Your trip can include additional time on your own on either end of the sail. Inter-island flights and ferry service are available. Registration - Deposit Must be postmarked on or after April 18, $350 deposit due with registration. Make checks out to NLSC. Send Registration Form with deposit check to: Jean Van Tatenhove North Shore Drive Grantsburg, WI See payment schedule on page 2. Trip Leaders: Jean and Kris Van Tatenhove vantat@grantsburgtelcom.net Participant Cost: $1000 per person Includes: charter boat, dingy, marina fees except at Terceira, fuel, clean out, and insurance fees. Does not include transportation to and from Horta, Portugal, food or lodging. See details on page 2. This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 1

2 Registration Payment Schedule $350 deposit is due with registration, postmarked on or after April 19, Second payment of $350 is due on March 1, Final payment of $300 is due July 1, Please fill out the NLSC Registration Form on page 6. Mail registration to Jean Van Tatenhove, North Shore Drive, Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Make your check out to NLSC. Those interested in filling a Skipper or First Mate position, please let us know. The Charter Costs We will book with Azores Yacht Charters ( They are basing costs on 2014 prices with an early booking discount for a Dufour 450. (Actual boat size is subject to availability at time of booking.) Boat: The total cost per person for the boat is $1,000. This does not include transportation to and from Horta, Faial, food, or lodging when not staying aboard the boat. Price includes boat, dingy & motor, marina fees except at Terceira, fuel, clean out, snorkeling gear for 4 people, boat insurance, charter company insurance, and deposit insurance. 450 Dufour Primo All charters begin at 06:00 PM Saturday and end at 10:00 AM on the following Saturday. This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 2

3 Travel Airfare: There are many ways of getting to Horta, Faial our cruise departure point. Airfare varies dramatically based on airline, routing, dates of travel, date of purchase and the whim of the airlines. However, there are direct flights between Boston (BOS) and São Miguel (PDL) on SATA ( The flight is approximately five hours. For SATA flights, São Miguel is the main airport gateway. From São Miguel, a 50 minutes interisland flight to Horta, Faial (HOR) is necessary. TAP Airlines ( and SATA also service the islands from Europe. Inter-island flights are available daily. Boston flights leave most days but not everyday. As a result, thru flights may not always be available every day for BOS-PDL-HOR and back. A layover may be necessary on one of the islands. This may be an opportunity to further explore Faial, São Miguel or other islands. Horta airport is 10 km from Horta Marina. A taxi takes about 10 minutes and costs about 14 Euros. The Weather The advisable sailing window in the Azores is from late March to October. Fog is uncommon particularly in the summer. 26 C = 78.8 F; 25 C = 77.0 F; 20 C = 68 F; 29 mm = 1.14 ; 81 mm = 3.18 This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 3

4 The Islands and Itinerary The charter company recommends the following itinerary. The actual trip route may change due to weather, sailing conditions, and or interests of the participants. FAIAL Our sail begins here! Arrive early to tour the island or go diving as we plan to! On Saturday we will check in at 6:00 p.m. and sleep onboard the boat. Best dive spot in the Atlantic (Banco Princesa Alice) Diving with blue sharks Caldeira Nature Reserve Whaling and scrimshaw museums Windmills Hiking/walking trails Capelinhos Volcano Interpretive Center SÃO JORGE Sunday morning, we depart Faial and sail 24 nm to Velas, São Jorge. Seaside villages (called Fajãs) nestled at the bottom of steep slopes characterize this island. Best surfing and body boarding in the islands Birdwatching Mountain biking Weaving and needlework Walking through picturesque villages TERCEIRA Monday morning, we depart São Jorge. A full day of sailing (49 nm) will get us to Terceira Island. A U.S. Air Force Base is found here so Americans are common visitors. That said, the island is home to several prominent Portuguese cultural festivals. The city of Angro do Heroismo is a World Heritage Site and the Algar do Carvao caves are highly recommended for site seeing. We spend all day Tuesday exploring the island before leaving Wednesday morning for Pico Island. Beaches and tidepool swimming Bullfighting on a rope (no bulls are killed!) This tradition is a local social event. Archeological dive spots Algar do Carao Caves feature stalagmites, stalactites and a lake. This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 4

5 PICO After a full day of sailing (54 nm) thatl brings us to Pico, we will spend a full day on the island. The tallest peak in Portugal sits in the middle of this island and hearty souls can hike to the top. Hiking through vineyards (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Cheese factory Whaling museums Horseback riding Gruta das Torres one of the largest and longest lava tubes in Europe On Friday, we will sail back to Faial (22 nm). We will end our trip that evening at the Peter Café Sport to see a sailor s showcase of burgees from all over the world to which we will add NLSC s. We disembark Saturday before 10 a.m. Options to consider: You might build in additional vacation days before or after the week-long sail. We plan to spend several days on Sao Miguel after the sail to take advantage of the mineral spa and visit several other island sites. Or visit the Portuguese mainland for a few days. There are direct flights to Lisbon and other European cities from Sao Miguel. SÃO MIGUEL This island is the largest Ponta Delgada is the largest city and the capital of the Azores. Artisan potteries Kayaking and bicycling around inland lakes Volcanic mineral spring spa Nature reserve Horse riding Tea and pineapple plantations Museums Hotels: Reasonably priced hotels may be found on São Miguel. Hotels on Faial are pricier. Consider booking a night in a unique Bed & Breakfast windmill available on several of the islands. This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 5

6 Event: Azores, Portugal Charter Date: August 29 - September 5, 2015 Registration Form NLSC Name: Phone: ( ) - Address: City: State: ZIP : Amount Paid: $ Check# Signature Date x I acknowledge that sailing involves inherent risks, hazards, and dangers, including injury or death. Therefore, I agree (for myself and on behalf of my heirs, successors, executors, and/or other representatives) to hold Northern Lights Sailing Club (NLSC), its officers, trip leaders, and members harmless regarding any claim of damages to my personal property or injuries I might suffer during the course of the event, even if caused by the negligence or purported negligence of NLSC, its officers, or members. Event: Azores, Portugal Charter Date: August 29 - September 5, 2015 Registration Form NLSC Name: Phone: ( ) - Address: City: State: ZIP : Amount Paid: $ Check# Signature Date x I acknowledge that sailing involves inherent risks, hazards, and dangers, including injury or death. Therefore, I agree (for myself and on behalf of my heirs, successors, executors, and/or other representatives) to hold Northern Lights Sailing Club (NLSC), its officers, trip leaders, and members harmless regarding any claim of damages to my personal property or injuries I might suffer during the course of the event, even if caused by the negligence or purported negligence of NLSC, its officers, or members. This is a NLSC sponsored trip. Membership required. 6