Azores to Portugal: Maddie’s Day 3

Day 3

Being on the boat is odd. I don’t know whether to feel ultimate freedom or total entrapment. We can go wherever we please and we are constantly moving through the water, skimming along so that the whole world seems more accessible than ever, but at the same time, our whole world has been reduced to this tiny space where everything is squished and jostling about. We’re free to go wherever we please, but we’re at the complete mercy of the wind and waves. One is bliss, one is torture. Yesterday was more on the blissful side of things, but today has been a challenge. I have barely moved from the quarter birth because waves keep crashing into the cockpit and it’s freezing outside. I want to get up and cook, but everything takes an extra bit of effort. I have to remember to be thankful for this adventure, but sometimes I just feel stuck on this wobbly oval in the middle of an ocean that doesn’t want me here. 

Azores to Portugal: Day 3

Speed or comfort, never both for us. Our average speed for most of the day was 5.8 knots. This was thanks to a low pressure system that has moved in bringing a lot of wind and rain. 

While most of the leaks in our deck have been fixed during our refit in the Azores, some new ones seemed to have developed. I spent the day cleaning up after the small drips and taking care of Maddie with her debilitating sea sickness. 

All of this wind meant lots of speed to surf over the large waves and send everything inside flying as we would pound into the trough. 

It was a rough day but we did cover a lot of needed miles. We are now north enough to turn towards Porto as soon as the winds will allow it. 

Azores to Portugal: Day 2

Our mystery rudder issues were confirmed! When we left the harbor in Terciera, we had trouble turning to starboard. We thought it might be weird currents or something keeping the bow from turning to starboard. I thought it was epic weather helm since we were moving straight but had the helm hard over. 

Later, the issue manifested itself as “not turning to port” when we were on the other tack. In my mind, this meant weather helm again. 

I started wracking my brain to figure out how this could be, weather helm while only flying a staysail makes no sense!

I inspected the steering system and found that the quadrant key had slipped out and the quadrant was slipping around the rudder post. 

We made quick work here to get that key in there again and suddenly steering was restored. 

With good steering, we set the trysail and staysail in harmony and rocketed along the surface at 6-7 knots the rest of the day. 

Unexpected Passenger

While out in the middle of nowhere on our passage from the Azores to mainland Portugal, a sea bird took rest upon our solar panel. He stood there for a while, watching the seas pass by from his perch, then as quietly as he arrived, he left.

Azores to Portugal: Day 1

Last night was our first night sail in a long time so we set our storm sails before dark so that we would not have to fumble around in the darkness should a squall hit us in the night. 

By morning, nothing had occurred and we were slowly moving along at 3 knots. Having 1200 miles to go, 3 knots is not a desirable speed. 

I took down our trysail and set our main with two reefs in it to balance out the sailplan with the staysail. Our speed shot up to 5 knots and we were moving along comfortably. 

All day, we have been on a beam reach heading north. We are in the westerlies but the winds are out of the east, something is brewing out there and is messing up the trade winds. Off our port side, to the west, comes a very large swell with an extraordinarily long interval, likely from a powerful low pressure system west of us. All we can do is wait while we make our way to Porto, Portugal. 

The beauty of ocean sailing is that our next waypoint is 500 miles ahead, meaning we will be on this same tack and same direction for the rest of the week!