Position 47:29.30N 12:45.10W It is 05.20am on the 9th of June, our oldest grandson Henry’s twelfth birthday and it is a sulphuric daylight. For three days now we have been running before the generous SW Azorean High trade wind, in fact an uneasy confluence of fast moving air above the High and beneath powerful Low …

But first a few photos from our walk yesterday. The motor launch you see is one of the two stored on the quay from the whaling days I mentioned to you. Bumble bees abound here as do the pretty, slimline lizards, and we watched Lasers, Optimists and 420 racing dinghies from all over the Azores …

On the eve of our much anticipated day around the island the replica whaling boats typical of the Azores were out racing each other in a brisk wind. Many years ago when I was on the Stavvy in Horta the local Sea Scouts, who made up much of the watch crew on that particular voyage, …

Position 17:44.98N 32:57.94W As we three Musketeer yachts, Jori ahead and Anna Caroline behind, came through The ITCZ I wondered if we had gone through a time warp, no ships, no planes, no vapour trails, no news, just almost daily chats with the other two yachts; us Three Musketeers, would we arrive in Horta, Faial …

Just to give you an idea of the typical Portuguese Azorean architecture, blending commonly white painted plastered rock walls with dressed volcanic corners, lintels, window surrounds and cills, steps and walls in a strong contrast of colour and beauty and durability. It wasn’t long before we enjoyed lunch at the sailors’ haunt, Pete’s Cafe Sport …

One hundred years after Boney’s passing a boy was born to the doomed Greek Royal family who would make history as the tall handsome figure who always stood just behind England’s longest serving monarch, Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth or Lilibet as her father, King George VI would call her. Prince Philip was many things …

The views from High Knoll Fort were amazing but it is not the highest point, that was left to Diana’s Peak. The Palladian Mansion is Plantation House where the British Governors have resided since pre-Napoleon times. There has been one lady Governor who is now working in Nepal. The Governor residence is a very comfy …

Sunday 14th March dawned benign with a promise of blue sky and mirror calm water in our sheltered marina. Two yachts left early, Conrad and his crew from Switzerland aboard their 47-foot Hanse and Henk and Marjolein on Jori, but we took a leisurely approach, moving most of the contents of the foc’sle onto the …

My faithful Phillips Atlas gave me the clue as to the country of origin of the standards flying at the stern of the ships in the first photos. Before 1630 The Netherlands was a part of Spain, hence the Spanish flag on what were almost certainly Dutch ships. The second photo shows the Dutch ships …

There is definitely an element of healthy competition when it comes to pumpkin growing at the Babylonstoren Winery Garden and we arrived in the middle of the season for them. The biggest monster sat in all its glory in the bottle and jar shop; the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin weighing 143.5kg. But more about them later. …