Back in the States

Our mini vacation in Sao Miguel ended and we are now back in the states for a month.

We are here to work and make money so that we can fund our cruising even further. While we are back, we are taking advantage of one type of store that is seriously lacking in the Azores: West Marine!

The fishermen share their store (and supplies) with the farmers. This generally gives you “marine compatible” parts instead of “marine specific parts”. Bronze fittings are limited, as everything is brass plated tin; it looks good, but it will not hold up!

I need to install a new through hull and would have to special order it and wait several weeks for it to come in. The other option is to simply wait a week until we are back in the states and go to West Marine and buy the exact part I need off the shelf!

Boat Living

Pirates Life = Boat Life

When you tell someone you live on a boat, they always think you have a parrot on your shoulder and look like a pirate! Funny part is, I have a pet parrot that does live on my shoulder (but I have had her for 6 years before I moved aboard). Still have all my limbs and I don’t pillage with a sword ;)

It’s funny how people instantly assume this is what you must look like if you choose to live aboard. In reality, liveaboards are normal people who simply discovered how great it is to live on a boat instead of a house!

Solar Panel Upgrade

Our old stern panels were a whopping 50W each. One of them died and we decided that instead of replacing, we should upgrade to 150W each!

Going up in size three fold has its challenges. The panels are much larger but the strength of the panel isn’t. I needed to reinforce the panel with a wooden X and supply support struts to both sides of the panel.

Wind isn’t as big of a concern to the panels, but water sure is. High winds will present a lot of force on the panels, but a wave will impart many times that amount of energy and with no yielding. The plan is to avoid sailing in heavy weather and plan our ocean crossings for times when the winds (and seas) are not extreme. In heavy weather, the panels can be secured down to prevent damage to the boat, but the plan is to avoid those situations all together.

Cozinhar Portuguesa

We have finished the major refit work on the boat, it is time to “treat yo self” with a delicious meal at a fancy restaurant.

We ordered Fillet and they let us come back into the kitchen to watch as our delicious meat was placed into the wood fired oven.

It sat over hot embers for a short time (we like our steaks “injured” instead of cooked).

The wood fire gave the food (and the whole room) a delicious odors. I wonder if the chef selects the type of wood used based on the flavor profile they are seeking?

Portuguese food loves garlic, and every piece of meat needs an egg! The amazing thing is the each order of fillet came with three steaks, each cooked to perfection.

The prices in the Azores greatly reduced when compared to Europe and the United States. This meal was at a fancy restaurant (Roberto’s Taberna), yet the entire meal was only € 17.50 per person and the bottle of wine we had was $17. All in all, the meal was amazing and the prices were very reasonable for what you are getting. If you ever find yourself in Terceira, make reservations for Roberto’s Taberna in Angra do Heroismo. You have to call and put your order in the day before so they can have your food ready, and it will be delicious!

Victory Break

The head is done!
The galley is done!
The topsides are done!
The deck is done! *almost

It’s time for a relaxing lunch to celebrate the progress we have made. In town, there is a quaint restaurant that serves the most delicious cheese on toast. This is a wonderful way to celebrate our little victory on the projects list!