Off to Isle of Flores
The Travels of Running Tide
Mick Norman
Sun 29 Jun 2014 15:18
|
Our position at 12 00 on 29 June is
39:02.3N 032:40.9W . We have about 73 nm to run to Flores in the Azores and we
have completed 81 nm in the last day. Fifteen full days completed.
28 June – After receiving the weather
forecast we had a little bit of thinking to do. The forecast showed favourable
winds for the next two days but then light winds on the nose for the next 24
hours. That would not be very good for progress and could have last for
more than 24 hours. We had 273 nm to go to Horta therefore we would have to deal
with these head winds, but only 154 nm to go on a slightly different course to
reach Flores. The 154 nm is do-able in the two days with the winds forecast
therefore we set our sails for Flores. We can clear into the Azores there and
stay until weather conditions improve before moving onto Horta or what ever we
decide to do.
29 June – Sailing through the night
was steady under beautiful skies. Now in the morning the sun is out and there is
a thin veil of cloud. The seas are calm with the very slightest of swell. The
wind is about 10 kts on our tail. We are creaming across the water at about 4
kts and the only sound is the hiss as we pass through the water. The seas are
deep blue and sparkling and we can see the horizon in all directions. The ocean
seems vast yet our view of it is about 14 nm diameter, which is our view to the
horizon. A very small part of this vast space. We have seen very few ships and
certainly no yachts since many days back. There must be other yachts converging
on Flores but they will have all followed different routes and will have
different tails to tell.
We are hoping that the wind will be
favourable for us over the next 24 hours. If so that will see us to Flores. The
main harbour is called Vila das
Lajes. |