FRANIMA’S SUMMER CRUISE 2004
Our last trip to the Azores in 1994 was a qualifying passage of 1000 miles to join the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC). We had such an unpleasant trip outwards we doubted that we would ever do it again. However, this year was the 50th Anniversary of the OCC and was celebrated in Europe with a Short Atlantic Triangle Cruise - Falmouth - Bayona – Lisbon – Azores – Southern Ireland with celebratory dinners and parties at each stopover. How we got there, when we left, how many legs we did, were entirely up to us and needless to say, at our own risk. A number joined part way, one yacht from the States, with crew flying in from all over Europe.
Over two days nine yachts left from Falmouth, preceded by a party at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club. Much traffic off Ouessant, however, with good northerlies and some exciting sailing off Finisterre (38 knots of wind fine over the port quarter making 8-9 knots, big seas and occasional banks of fog) everyone made Bayona in good time for the socialising. Most yachts acquired a hitchhiking pigeon: ours took a fancy to our aft deck and refused to leave. Having watered it we eventually had to feed it as well. That was a bit of a problem, it was very fussy, but it did like Almond biscuits. It was quite tame and by the next day was exploring the cockpit and trying to go below – that was definitely a no-no! Each day it would fly round Franima and return. With much patience we managed to determine its ID number and the owner’s telephone number from its rings. At last, after three days when twenty miles off the Spanish mainland, it flew off never to return. One can imagine the mess it left behind! One yacht withdrew on this leg because of a mechanical problem.
On arrival at Bayona we telephoned the pigeon’s owner of his bird’s whereabouts: it was racing from France to Bude, Cornwall but finished up hitching a lift in the wrong direction. Four more yachts joined us here and after much jollification we set off for Cascais (Lisbon). The Portuguese coastline is absolutely littered with fishing markers, hazardous at night, but fortunately no fouled props. Cascais offered everything a yachtsman needs with the exception of a laundrette – so the washing had to wait till the Azores, a good marina and English spoken, an attractive town, two hypermarkets and a frequent train service into Lisbon, fare 1.3 euros. Again more jollies and the England versus Portugal EUFA football match that we watched in a local bar: the atmosphere was electric. What a pity we lost it on a shoot-out! Next morning we set off to follow the fleet, most of whom had departed the previous day for the Azores. Another three yachts had joined us from the Med. making seventeen. We later learned that one yacht en route to Cascais was approached by an official Portuguese vessel and ticked off for not flying their courtesy flag – this was 18 miles off shore. We were then warned that yachts in this area had been fined 60 euros for motorsailing without flying their motorsailing cone.
En route to the Azores we encountered thousands upon thousands of Man of War Jellyfish, Whales, Turtles and Dolphins. Light south- westerly winds and a six-day leisurely leg to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel with the ‘Azores High’ ensured we had lovely warm, dry weather. A twice-daily SSB radio net was set up and working well. The marina was full due to recent inclement weather but we were squeezed in somehow. Yet another three yachts swelled our numbers having sailed direct from the U.K. The superb European Union financed Yacht Club hosted a dinner for us, the crews now totalling more than fifty. The checking in and out of the Azores is still rather lengthy but one no longer has to purchase a Transit Log.
The leg between Ponta Delgada and Horta, Faial, 150 miles, was rather lively with northwesterly 6-7 winds and a very confused sea. We covered 90 miles in 12 hours. I was using travel sickness skin patches, which are effective for 72 hours each, but Dick declined anything until he started to feel unwell but by then it was too late. Horta Marina, like Ponta Delgada, was also full so instead of all being assembled together in the new extension we were squeezed in wherever. Up to the end of June over 2000 yachts had visited Horta, with several hundred more expected. The world famous Peter Café Sport was like a magnet to us all – looking for previously left burgees adorning the walls and ceilings; purchasing new clothing and Scrimshaw memorabilia (Peter has a Scrimshaw museum, purportedly the largest in the world, which occupies the entire top floor of the building) or perhaps nothing more than lunch or a coffee and brandy after dinner. The bar was nearly always full to overflowing.
The Azores Tourist Office has a close affinity with the OCC. They arranged a coach tour of the Island for us followed by an evening reception. Each yacht skipper was presented with a bronze commemorative plaque of the occasion. The OCC reciprocated with dinner at a local restaurant. Whilst in Horta boat crews dug out their paint pots to either refurbish existing ‘marks’ or to create a new work of art. As everyone knows it is unlucky to leave without making one’s mark on the breakwater although one has difficulty finding a space these days as there are literally thousands of paintings. On the last day all seventeen OCC boats dressed overall – quite a sight!
On 8th and 9th July the majority of the yachts headed for Schull, Southern Ireland. The Azores High really had set in and we had to motor further north than usual (46+ parallel) to pick up any favourable wind. We had never before been so economical with our diesel as then, boosting our 2-3 knot wind with the engine running at only 1000 – 1200 revs: this gave us an extra few knots. Franima weighs 18 tons so a force 4 or 5 is ideal.
On the last trip we didn’t see a ship or aircraft for six days, this time each day we saw at least one ship coming from any direction. We were trying to hazard a guess as to their destinations. Two of the ships even called us on VHF asking where we were heading. We took the opportunity of enquiring as to what target we made on their radar and did they have a current weather forecast?
The journey north took ten days during which time many whales were observed, some of which were surfacing alongside yachts: rather worrying yet exciting. Turtles, dolphins and shoals, I hope that is the right terminology, of Flying Fish were being chased by small Tuna and dive bombed by Shearwaters. One hundred and eighty miles south of Ireland we also saw a pod of at least eight Pilot Whales crossing our stern.
Our arrival at Schull on 19th July saw the end of our whistle stop Atlantic Rally, now we could ‘chill out’ and enjoy our first taste of Ireland. Nigel Clark and Harry Hannigan had convinced us that it was a lovely cruising area and that ‘Murphy’s was a must even though it is over £3 a pint. We spent five days here in the company of several OCC friends. Schull is a lovely, quaint town with a sheltered anchorage and visitor’s buoys close to the town centre.
Working our way east we visited Baltimore, Sherkin Island, Castle Haven, Glandore, and Kinsale. We had intended to spend just a couple of days in Kinsale then move on to Cork in readiness for crossing to the Scillies, but those couple turned out to be a week. Our stay coincided with the town’s regatta and what with the Yacht Club activities, the town’s street entertainment programme, Irish music and jazz sessions in the pubs and hotels there was so much to see and do we didn’t want to leave – so we went to Cork on the bus instead. We were staggered at the huge number of pubs and restaurants in this small town; we found out that Kinsale is a very popular tourist resort and famous for its gourmet food. We eventually left on 3rd August for the Scilly Isles.
We had never visited the Scillies before so intended to see all the islands but it wasn’t to be. Our first anchorage was off Hangman’s Island, New Grimsby Sound: all the visitor’s buoys were taken but we’re very happy on our own tackle. We explored Bryer and Tresco and thought how lovely they were. Three days later we cut through Tresco Flats at H.W-2 to St. Mary’s Pool and dropped a hook outside the buoyed area. We went ashore for provisions and to the Star Castle Hotel for lunchtime liquid refreshment. This unique hotel was built in 1593 as an Elizabethan fortress and has been skilfully and tastefully converted by the present owners: there’s even a Dungeon Bar. It’s quite a place and well worth the climb! Back on board there was quite a swell so moved our anchorage to the south side of Tresco – much calmer and the place to ourselves. We saw a number of seals in the Scillies and found them absolutely fascinating, one in
