Location: The Azores, Portugal
Laaaaannnndd Ho! Early this morning, Watch Team 2 spotted the first signs of land nearby, faint glowing lights on the horizon. Watch Team 1 tried so hard to be the first, we were so ready, but just as our watch ended land ho was shoutednext time.
Going to sleep last night and seeing the endless sea, waking up right next to land, and seeing so many colors besides blue was wild. We had a chilly, rainy morning as we lowered our anchor next to beautiful Faial Island. After the sky cleared a bit, we saw glorious green hills and super pretty architecture with characteristic red roofs. Tom then went to get us cleared through customs, and all the rest of us started an intense BA or Boat Appreciation session.
We got down and dirty to make Vela shine and shiny she now is. The most fun and dirtiest was what the Bilge gremlins/VBA got up to. Dan, Mac, Runyon, Flo, Jonathan, and I had the best time. Runyon got to go all the way down in the head bilge and got bilge water in his mouth! He was laughing merrily the whole time.
We were rewarded for our hard work with an amazing lunch made by Zoe, Ara, and Mich. The chicken seasoning Charley suggested was the best idea. We then finished up with our boat appreciation, got all new bedding, which was so nice (Charley and Jonathan made everyone’s beds, what sweethearts), and then took some much-needed showers. After that, some of us had some time to call our families and see their faces and talk to them after such a long time! It’s weird that so much has happened since we’ve been away. I have a new cousin!
Anyway, Zoe and her galley team were unshowered and hard at work making a pizza dinner and CAKE for us, so big props to them. The food was amazing today, even with what we had left after the passage! The cake was the best thing I have ever eaten in my life, I swear. We all did our after meal loon calls, as per usual these days, did clean up, and now we’re getting ready to take our first steps on land and go get some celebratory gelato! So exciting.
I can’t wait for the next few days here; I know they’ll be full of lasting memories.
Signing off for now,
Nora
Also, hello to my family!! I will call all the rest of you soon, I can’t wait to tell you all how passage went. And welcome to the world, my new baby cousin; I can’t wait to meet you. <3 🙂