We
bid farewell to Horta on Tuesday the 10th of June and sailed 17
miles to Sao Roque, Pico. We had been
living in the shadow of the magnificent Pico volcano while we were in Horta so
were excited about seeing the island first hand. When we arrived and anchored in Sao Roque the
weather was beautiful and we toasted the scenery before us.
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| Adventuress and Meerlust at anchor in the harbor at Sao Roque |
Our crazy friends, Annehei and Willem, go for a swim in the 65 degree water.
The swirling clouds around the top of the volcano were a changing
picture...
....and the quaint village beckoned us to explore.
Launching the dinghy is easy with three crew.
Alas when evening came so came the bad weather. The wind screeched through the rigging and our ship sailed back and forth on its anchor making terrible noise as the chain scraped against the rocks fifty feet below. The Captain slept peacefully but the Admiral and the crew tossed and turned all night. Wednesday morning yielded higher winds (gusts to 40 kt) and rain. When the winds diminished late in the day, we went ashore and met our friends, Annehei and Willem for dinner at a local restaurant. That night the boat rocked side to side with an annoying squeak, so crew did not sleep well.
Thursday brought more rain showers.
The forecast for weather is more wind tomorrow, so today we are heading 11 miles to Sao Jorge for a night or two in their marina, and some restful sleep. But before leaving Pico we stopped for provisions at an excellent local grocery store where we waited while the butcher ground
the local beef; and we found fresh bread, and local Pico cheese and wine!
Best to all,
Nancy and John, with Bob and Dave
