After 4 delightful days in Horta, the Skyelark crew set sails for the second transatlantic leg. Most of the crew members would definitely agree that this little iconic place will remain in good memory.
The landscape was simply astonishing: the island’s majestic crater surrounded by green hilly slopes and the newly acclaimed land caused by volcanic activities not long time ago may give you a glimpse how the earth might have looked alike during prehistoric times. Another main attraction was of course Peter’s Sport Bar: main gathering point on Horta for sailors from around the world and infamous for its jolly and convivial nights. This was as well the starting point for us to discover the island’s culinary attractions: Pete’s mouth watering meat skewer, Genuino’s classy fish stew or the excellent moonlight tapas at Taverna de Pim.
Needless to say that we could not depart from Horta without leaving a piece of art on the colourful murals of the marina. Luckily we could count on David whose painting skills were invaluable for executing and achieving this painting at everyone’s satisfaction. Moreover, Bob and Tom’s contribution of prepping up the boat should not be left unmentioned. After a long night out, they showed an indisputable work ethic and managed to dinghy back and forth several jerry cans in record time.
Horta Marina – Skyelark’s painting
Leaving Horta meant as well to adapt to changing weather conditions. As the latitudes kept constantly increasing, we had to swap our Bermuda shorts for foul weather gear and the lightness of barefoot sailing for heavy sailing boots. At the moment of writing, we expect to reach the continental shelf by tonight (350 NM away from the Needles) and currently we are taking advantage of the calmer wind conditions to freshen up and get things tidied up. The last days were quite eventful with wind speeds reaching up to 25 knots. However, after several weeks of sailing together, the crew – machinery was now well oiled and we could easily handle this task while clocking off large chunk of miles within a short period of time.
And of course in order to keep up the moral, the Skyelark crew continued to serve delightful dishes: Green prawn curry finely executed by Melissa, Dan’s veggie stew topped by Azorean chorizo, a truly Italian lasagne signed by Domenic and Jerome’s chicken adobo. With few days left to go, we are more than ready to take on the last hurdle. English Channel: Here we come!
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