Azores to Ireland| Day 0

Last sight of land for around 8-10 days.

We are underway to Ireland!

We spent the last two days preparing for our departure: doing laundry, getting provisions, meal prepping, stowing loose items, and putting the dinghy up on deck. Last night, we got one last gelato with our friends Doug and Shane. Saying “see you soon” is always one of the hardest parts. We met Doug in Beaufort, NC, before we both crossed to Bermuda and then on to the Azores. Doug has been our daily companion for 1.5 months now. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with him.

This morning, we pulled anchor and departed Praia da Vitoria at 10 am en route to Ireland.

The passage should take around 8 to 10 days. The challenge will be lighter winds, which will make sailing trickier, but hopefully that means boring seas and a boring passage. We will have to monitor our fuel usage as we carry around 4.5 days’ worth. But hopefully we will get more wind than predicted, and not as much wind and seas as on our passage to the Azores.

We planned on having a third person aboard as crew, but the timing did not work out. So, this passage will be just Ken and me, which, with a relatively benign weather window, should not be a problem. But we certainly appreciate all the prayers!

As of now, the sails are set. We are moving slowly, but steadily at around 4.5 knots. We are hoping to spot more dolphins and whales along the way. And we are very much looking forward to our arrival in Ireland.

All is well!

Total Nautical Miles Sailed 0

Average Boat Speed 4. 5kts

GPS Coordinates 38 46.255N 27 02.175W

Miles to go: 1100-ish

One last photo opportunity with Doug! Fair winds, friend!