Year 3 -5th October 2026 – Faial -Azores – the most Western Point of Europe
Mark and I woke at a reasonable time and had some tea and breakfast. It was a grey day but not raining.
It was a job type day and we were getting a new crew member by the end of the day so we needed to do things.
I cleaned the heads and my cabin as David Mark who is arriving today will share with me. I made the bed and got everything ready for him joining the boat.
I then had to sort out the bunk room and prepare that cabin for more new crew.
I had also had had a leak in the forepeak from all the water in the storm and we think that the Daurade support rail had leaked and the Blue Baron rope had probably pulled it loose so we thought the water had come in from those fittings. We did not have the right long 17mm socket so I went to the town and was able to borrow one. I therefore removed the fitting and we cleaned it all up and then refitted it with new caulking and tightened it up which should seal it and so we hope that will solve the leak.
Mark started on the murial/picture for Stormbird. The harbour walls are full of pictures and murials from all the boats that visit here and there are thousands of pictures in paint. They say it is bad luck not to do a picture so we need to do one. Mark had designed a drawing and so I got some paints and brushes and Mark set about it. This is still work in progress and I will post a picture when it is completed.
I continued in the cleaning mode and cleaned the galley properly. Dave set about doing another provisioning list which took him most of the afternoon. John joined us for lunch and then went back for a rest. He unfortunately leaves tomorrow to go home to the UK.
David Mark – messaged me to say he had landed and was on his way. I met David out of the taxi and brought him to Stormbird. It was so great to see him and he had last been on board in the Caribbean and had sailed to Panama. He had also sailed with me on our first Atlantic crossing in 2019 and he also sailed with me up to Scotland in 2021. He told me he went to the Southampton Boat show and at the entrance he met a couple he got talking to and they worked out that they had been on the Sail2Indonesia Rally with me -what a small world!!
We wanted to go to Oceanic for supper but it was closed as it is a Bank Holiday here. John found a table at Café Peter and so the 5 of us went to supper and David met Dave and John as he knows Mark well. We had a most enjoyable supper and a lot of laughs.
Keith Winstanley joins us tomorrow and John will fly home.
The picture of the day is the 5 of us at supper in Café Peter.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
I am now at the Azores and hope to head back to the UK on about 9 October 2026. At present I am full for the final passage back to the UK with some old veterans returning David Mark, Keith Watson (Watty) and of course Keith Winstanley -the Commodore.
The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com