We made it! We dropped anchor in Ireland around 10 pm last night. The first sight of land was not as dramatic as our arrival in the Azores, but it was no less epic. Everything was shrouded in fog, so we could barely make out the land masses surrounding us. But the closer we got, the fog began to lift, and the sun peeked through, illuminating the cliffs and lush green hillsides. I cannot wait to explore it!

Another day down. We officially have zero night watches left in our Atlantic crossing. God willing, we will arrive in Bantry Bay late this evening.

The weather the last few days has been cool and shrouded in fog. Everything is gray—well, everything we can see, which is only the sky and the sea. Ha! I have not minded it, though.

The winds were light and decreasing yesterday, but we were still able to sail for most of the day. However, we knew we would eventually run out of wind and have to motor the rest of the way.

Yesterday was another really great day of sailing.

The winds were light throughout the day, so we had an opportunity to fly our asymmetrical spinnaker. We purchased her last year, so we have only flown her a handful of times. Remedy is a heavy boat, weighing around 14 tons. Her headsail and mainsail are made of heavier material, so she needs 8 to 15 knots, depending on the seas. If there is any significant swell that pushes the boat around, the sails collapse—flogging and thwopping—which not only affects the boat's performance but also feels like torture.

One more day down. Three more to go. Yesterday provided more wind than expected. We were consistently in the 20s with gusts into the mid-20s. We decided that it was time to reef and bring down the whisker pole. The process was a touch spicy, but not too bad.

Yesterday was another great day of sailing! The weather has been beautiful. Slightly cool and overcast. We have even had periods of fog. The winds were consistent at 15kts. The seas were settled, with swells around 3 or 4 feet at 6- or 7-second intervals. We sailed wing-on-wing—the main sail out to port (left) and the headsail out to starboard (right), attached to a pole to keep it filled. An added bonus is that we had around 1kt of current with us for most of the day, adding a knot to our speed. Remedy glided through the entire day effortlessly. It was probably one of the most relaxing days on passage since leaving the States. We even watched a movie, not a very good one, but it was still enjoyable to be able to relax for a while.

Yesterday was a great day of sailing. We had a consistent 17–18 knots of wind, with occasional gusts into the mid-20s. Early in the morning, the wind stiffened rapidly, and we briefly saw 30 knots, which meant we needed to reef quickly. This happened just as we were preparing to jibe—turning the stern of the boat through the wind—so we decided to reef as soon as we completed the maneuver. But by the time the jibe was finished, the wind had eased back to 15–22 knots.

Sailing is so counterintuitive sometimes. We spent most of the day today sailing somewhat backward, away from Ireland.

We’ve been hovering around this pocket with light to no wind, called the Azores High. When we left Terceira, we headed straight north to try and get above the high where there is more wind. But we have also had to alter course further west. Ireland, of course, is to the east. At one point, we had sailed as far as 40 miles away from Ireland. And yet somehow this is part of sailing. Rarely can you point your boat directly at your destination and sail a straight line there.

One day down, at least seven more to go.

We have covered around 140 miles in the last 24 hours. We were able to sail for the first few hours, but then the wind completely died, just as forecast. So we motored until around 2:30 a.m. this morning, when the breeze filled back in.

The conditions have been very benign. We're sailing downwind in moderate winds of around 12–15 knots, and the seas have been relatively settled. Every now and then a larger swell rolls through and rocks us a bit, but that's to be expected.

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.