Bermuda to Azores | Day 13

There's not much to report from the last 24 hours. It was a beautiful day of sailing. The winds were a pleasant 22 knots, and the seas were mostly subdued. At one point, however, we noticed the seas becoming somewhat steeper and more confused. After checking the map on our chartplotter, we realized we had gone from 16,000 feet deep to 6,000 feet deep. It made for a slightly sloppy ride, but it also means we are getting closer and closer to land!

We had another spectacular dolphin encounter! Once again, they announced their arrival dramatically, leaping out of the rising waves beside us. Unfortunately, it happened during a tense moment while Ken was on deck working to resolve a small issue with the furling line on our headsail, so we weren't able to enjoy the show as much as we would have liked—or get any pictures. A little research tells me they are Common Dolphins, the most acrobatic and playful species found in the Azores. We can certainly attest to that!

We are nearing the end of our fresh food provisions, so I'll need to get a little creative with our final few meals. However, we have plenty of shelf-stable food aboard, so we will certainly not starve!

The adrenaline of the last two weeks has waned, and fatigue is setting in. We are all well and continuing to catch up on rest after that last weather front, but we are more than ready to reach our destination. Getting there will give us a chance to get the boat back in shape, rest properly, and explore the Azores—a welcome break before continuing the final leg of this crossing to Ireland.

We also saw some of the first signs of human life out here. For the past 24 hours or so, we have been racing a catamaran named Summer—though they don't know it. We traded leads multiple times throughout the day, but by the end of my night watch this morning, we were once again in the lead.

Summer is one of the first pleasure craft we have seen with our own eyes since leaving Bermuda. We have spotted other vessels on AIS, but they are often 20-plus miles away. And we have seen a handful of tankers and cargo ships. But there is something different about seeing another sailboat; it brings a sense of solidarity and comfort.

The winds have been holding steady at around 15 knots for the last few hours, but are expected to die down as the day goes on, so we altered course to move toward stronger winds and maximize our chances of continuing to sail. We estimate we have around 25–30 gallons of fuel remaining and hope to save it for our arrival, when we will need to motor while searching for a place to anchor.

Hopefully, we will enjoy a pleasant sail through today and tomorrow and arrive in Horta on Monday.

All is well!

Day Thirteen Stats
Nautical Miles Sailed In The Last 24 Hours 158

Average Boat Speed 6.6kts

Max Boat Speed 10.2kts

GPS Coordinates 36 18.068N 32 40.259W

Miles to go: 236