Azores-Where to Stay, What's to See

[Coromandel]

I've done the northern transatlantic four times now, once via Bermuda, the others directly from St Maarten. On each crossing I have experienced gale force winds, but always from astern. If you are using a weather router, make sure they understand about the limitations of yachts and that more wind isn't necessarily better. On our last crossing, professional weather routers sent three yachts into latitudes where they experienced 55+ knot winds. My yachting brother warned us not to stray too far north, so we had winds in the 35-40 knot range.

Typically we had winds from the quarter, with little or no motoring, although it was a bit lumpy from time to time. We didn't get around to using either the spinnaker or the cruising chute, but I think that was laziness as much as anything. While the days were warm, the nights got quite chilly and there was some rain.

My first crossing was in June, the last three in May, but all took about 20 days. Hope this is helpful.

[Morgan Sailor]

Here’s a link to info regarding marinas in the Azores. It’s not the best looking site, but it has charts, prices, and other odds and ends that should be of use to you.

http://www.marinasazores.com/Home/ta...B/Default.aspx

[Kenomac]

Three weeks might no be enough time.. Can you folks in the know help me narrow down the "Must See" places on a few islands that can be visited during a three week stay in the Azores.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

[boatman61]

2 or 3 days Flores
5 to 7 days Faial and Pico.. use the ferry to get over to Pico.. actually more alive than Horta but no marina.
5 to 7 days Terciera then down to Sao Miguel for the rest before heading for Portugal.. good anchorage in Portimao for your first stop.. or the marina if prefered.

[Morgan Sailor]

I think boaty has it right, and I would add 5-7 days for Sao Miguel. That puts you right in the 3 to 4 week range.

As someone else mentioned above, you could spend months visiting all the islands, and probably still not see everything. Boaty’s itinerary has you hitting half the islands, which should give you a good feeling for the culture, and similarities/ differences between each island.

[Kenomac]

Excellent! Where's the easiest airport for my wife to fly in and out, along with crew change over?

[Coromandel]

Airports depend on where people are coming from. There are direct flights from Boston to Terceira, from London Stansted to Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel), and from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada and Terceira. All of the islands are served by SATA (Acores Airlines), but TAP does the flights to Lisbon.

[boatman61]

IMHO there is only one choice.. Terciera..
Its the only one with direct flights from the States so quicker, less tiring and no changeovers/stopovers to piss you off.
24hrs sailing will have you back in Flores.. then 12 to 18hrs to Horta.. 8 to Terciera and 18 to 24hrs to Sao Miguel..
The islands I have not included mainly lack marinas or good anchorages and are best visited by ferry.
So sail direct to Praia de Vitoria.. collect the missus and sail back to Flores then do the circuit together.
The ride to the continent from Sao Miguel is usually a near beam reach more often than not so you should cover the 800 odd miles in less than a week.. the only exception to this for me was 2016 when I had head winds till 24hrs from Cabo San Vincente on the Southern tip of Portugal.
Think Orrinoco will love the trip round the islands.. and don't let the whales scare you.. they are friendly and curious but polite..

[Coromandel]

On all my visits to Flores, coming from the Caribbean, I have spent at least two weeks there. Then a week in Faial, visiting Madalena on Pico by ferry and climbing the mountain, before pressing on to Velas on Sao Jorge - meant to stay a week, stayed for three. Velas to Angra do Heroismo on Terceira is 50 nm and can take anything between 9 and 18 hours, depending on the wind and weather - winds are very flukey in the channel between Sao Jorge and Pico. By the time you've done some of the walks on Terceira, visited Praia da Vitoria and other places, you'll have spent a good two weeks there. Then it's an overnight passage to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel which, despite the large marina, is not very full as a distressing amount of surge enters the marina, making it quite uncomfortable at times. Vila do Porto on Santa Maria is a lovely place - except that everything is uphill from the marina! Allow at least a week there.

If you're not in a hurry - and to make the most of the islands you should not be in a hurry - you can spend at least three months cruising the islands and seeing all there is to see. It is a pity that there are so few anchorages - which average two on each island - but the marinas are usually good, the staff friendly, while Terceira and Santa Maria have travel hoists where you can slip your boat if necessary.

Hope this helps.

[ka4wja]

Ken,
Congrats on the new boat....looks nice!!

You got most of what you needed already, especially from Phil and Evans...
So, I'll be brief.. (turning over a new leaf)

1) My personal opinions:
The Azores are super nice!
I think 10 - 14 days is fine, but if you like to dawdle, etc. maybe 3 weeks...

I missed Flores the last time, and I regret it!!

Horta....of course you gotta' paint the wall / quay!
And, yes, rent a taxi for the day or two, and tour around! (the caldera on Faial is nice, but if you got the time, be sure to get to Pico!)

Terciera is also nice....and fyi, the guys at the Air base are super helpful if you need something / something repaired...(in late 70's they helped my Dad "rebuild" his diesel, without many spares....and it almost lasted 'til the UK...

Sao Migel / Porta Delgada has a decent marina....a bit more of a European flavor than the rest of the Azores...



2) As for "routes" and weather...
June and July are great times for this passage...
If weather cooperates you may find a rhumline from roughly Cape Cod to Flores, to work okay...with good SW'erly wind...but..
But, many will favor heading SE'erly 'til about 38* to 40* N (at 64* to 65* W), to find warmer weather and a nicer ride, and then rhumbline to Flores or Horta...
It really depends on the weather / winds that you have upon departure and enroute...

FYI, as I think you know, until the Azores/Bermuda High builds in solid (could be by mid-May, or not until late July), you will probably have continental Lows coming off the US....and while in June/July they are few and usually weak, they can still pack a wallop!
Most making this passage focus concerns on "tropical weather" (Hurricanes), which is of course a minor concern....but forget the weather that comes up from behind them can be a real b***h...

(I did my last eastbound from S. Fl to Horta, and then Gib, in late June, thru mid-July...I got snockered by a full-gale, and headed east and SE for a day to avoid the worst of it....but a few days later was all but becalmed!! And, that was at 35* N....the guys 200 miles to my NE were hit really hard, so watch your 6 'oclock for weather! )
Have a look here at this page and video...

Annie Laurie Translant


You can see the hazy / foggy weather (and no wind) on my approach to Horta....had virtually no wind last 12 hrs....versus the wonderful clear skies and warm sunny weather of my pictures, taken just a few days later!!
July is almost always sunny / warm....just know that 2007 it took 'til mid-July for the Azores High to build-in steady!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5P4QJlnoQ

3) For all things "Azores Passage", have a look at these pages:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-122743-5.html


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-122743-6.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-145794-3.html



4) Finally, regarding Gib...not sure if they still offer it, but can't hurt to ask...Marina Bay offered 10% discount for CASH (Brit Pounds)....and I actually made almost 5% more by luck, when exchange rate went my way between time I got the pounds in the US and paid them in Gib!!
Not a big deal for a few night, but I was keeping my boat there for 3 months, so my 15% savings was nice!



Fair winds!

John

[Kenomac]

Thanks everyone. We’re now planning a three week stay with as many as six aboard for the Azores, four on passage. Dockhead’s right, this 62 just chows down the miles with ease, both motoring and under sail. There’s no substitute for a longer waterline, 225hp Perkins and big sails. I confess to being a little nervous a few hours ago passing under the Cape Cod canal bridges at night with nearly 100ft of mast sticking up. Yikes.

[TeddyDiver]

Nice trip ahead Keno I was a couple weeks ago in Faial and once before in Sao Miguel. A couple of teasers, town of Horta and a blue whale..

[Shrubb]

All the above is true, the Azores are worth a visit on each island. I just was in Ponta Delgada, a convenient place to enter the Azores : nice city, facilities for provisioning, skilled professionals if repairs are needed. But there are some issues :
- the local police considered me as highly suspect because I stopped in Ponta Delgada and not Horta like everybody ! So I had a complete police search, including drug search with dog.
- the professionals like the famous Thomas and JB Electronica don't accept payment with credit cards, only cash or bank transfer. Cash is not possible beyond a small amount, so bank transfer is the only solution, which implies delays and possible errors on the bank apps. It is what happened to me and at my next stop in Gibraltar my mail box was full of complaining and threatening e-mails, saying I would be designed to all ports as a robber ! Visitors should make a strong pressure on these people for accepting credit cards like anywhere in the world (and in Sao Miguel by all shops and restaurants) to avoid such problems.
This won't refrain me from another visit on a next passage, it is a pleasure each time.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Shrubb

All the above is true, the Azores are worth a visit on each island. I just was in Ponta Delgada, a convenient place to enter the Azores : nice city, facilities for provisioning, skilled professionals if repairs are needed. But there are some issues :
- the local police considered me as highly suspect because I stopped in Ponta Delgada and not Horta like everybody ! So I had a complete police search, including drug search with dog.
- the professionals like the famous Thomas and JB Electronica don't accept payment with credit cards, only cash or bank transfer. Cash is not possible beyond a small amount, so bank transfer is the only solution, which implies delays and possible errors on the bank apps. It is what happened to me and at my next stop in Gibraltar my mail box was full of complaining and threatening e-mails, saying I would be designed to all ports as a robber ! Visitors should make a strong pressure on these people for accepting credit cards like anywhere in the world (and in Sao Miguel by all shops and restaurants) to avoid such problems.
This won't refrain me from another visit on a next passage, it is a pleasure each time.

Strange, I have never had a problem with my cc in the Azores nor Gibraltar.. but then for small items like eating out and other items less than €300 I tend to use the ATM machines.. I like using cash.

[Shrubb]

Please read my post better, the problem is not with eating out and small items, I pointed out payments for 2,000 € or more for professionals working for boaters and not accepting ccs.