Day 15 – Trying to be patient

We know that we shouldn’t look at our average speed and distance to go to figure out what speed we need to make to arrive in Horta by nightfall.  We know that we should just be happy to have a safe passage and take things as they come.  Justin and I are not exactly experts at patience, though.

We’re simply very excited – we can’t wait to arrive after two weeks at sea.  We want to do laundry and take hot showers and have dinner out (not that we haven’t enjoyed our basil cheese, but we’re ready for some super fresh food!).  We want to see as much of Faial and Horta as we can, given our short stop.  We have a short list of some boat chores that need to be taken care of before we depart for the continent on Saturday, as well.  So, we’re ready to be in Horta already!

That said, today’s sail is looking rather promising for new wildlife – keeping our fingers crossed for some whales.  We’ve already seen some large terns and are likely to see a greater diversity of birds and critters as we approach land.  Last night, we had the relief of finding and sailing past the two westernmost Azorian islands in the dark – Flores and Corvo.  I had the brilliant idea that there would be a good plot for a sci-fi book where two sailors take off for distant landfalls…and then the land is not where they expected it to be, so they have to go search for the land…when I shared my idea, Justin was a bit horrified and accused me of thinking negative thoughts!  What can I say, but that it was a creative moment (but I was secretly happy to actually see LAND where we thought it would be!)?

Of the two islands we sailed by last night, one has a large town on it and was pretty lit up, but the other, which was much closer to us, seemed uninhabited…and a looming hulk in the darkness that swallowed up the stars in the background.  At the moment, we are 68 nm from Horta, and given the good visibility, we expect to see Faial’s (the island that Horta is on) neighbor, Pico, soon.  Pico has a huge volcanic cone that should be visible from a distance.

Laaaaaaannnnndddd  _____!  (can’t say it yet!)

Current position – 39 05.27n 29 54.77w
Distance to go – 68 nm
24 hour run – 167 nm