Noon Report July 3, 2007 Position 38-22.9 N 28-22.8 W as of 12:00 Azores time (GMT - 0 hrs) Tuesday, July 3, 2007 Course 116 deg M Speed 7.1 kts @ 1800 RPM Distance to go: 1106 NM to Gibraltar Distance made good past 24 hours: 16 NM (6.8 kts) Distance made good since Horta: 16 NM Total fuel consumed (2.5 engine hours) 10 gals, average 4.0 GPH (incl. genset), fuel remaining 1470 gal. Conditions: Wind SW 10 kts, swells WSW 1-3, partly cloudy, visibility excellent Barometer 1032.7 mb and steady Sea water temp 70 deg F, air temp 78 deg F. ETA Gibraltar: PM July 10 Judy said over lunch today that so far on this Atlantic crossing adventure we've had 18 days underway and 18 days in port, and that seems a nice balance. It's good to be back at sea with our housekeeping chores done: oil changed, fuel tanks full, fuel filter changed, fully provisioned with fresh meat and produce, and a clean boat inside and out. Alas we were not able to repair the stabilizer problem in Horta. Bernie and I worked on it for several hours, with diagnostic help by phone from Vic Kuzmovich at Naiad. The present diagnosis is that we have a faulty servo, and Vic promises to have "Naiad Phil" meet us in Gibraltar to make repairs. (Phil visited the NAR boats in Bermuda, Horta and Gibraltar, so he's like an old friend.) We did so well with a single fin and our paravanes for the last half of the trip from Bermuda to Horta that this is not a hardship for us and suggested to Vic that Gib might be a better place for the repairs. Our small Med Bound fleet was 45 minutes late getting underway this morning, thanks to a tardy government official who needed to stamp our passports and issue the clearance papers, then our next-door neighbor to port found he could not start his engine and move away and allow us to to clear the seawall. In time our agent extraordinaire Marco Quadros of the Bensaude Agency showed up with the passports and the next-door yacht was manhandled off, and Bluewater was underway followed quickly by Moana Kuewa and Salty Dawg. Weather router Bob Jones promised a lovely day for departure and has delivered on his promise. Seas are flat as we cruise the south coast of Pico in search of whales. Duncan Sweet of Mid Atlantic Yacht services recommended this route, and Marco obtained the whale watch VHF channels (67 and 69) used by spotters high on Pico to direct small boats to whales spotted offshore. We've seen a couple of whale-watching boats, RIBs packed with a dozen life-jacketed tourists. George spotted a single whale tale and dolphins, but Judy and I saw only the dolphins. We're about two miles offshore, almost literally in the shadow of 7,700-foot Mount Pico, the "caldera" or volcanic cauldron that is the highest point in the Azores. The Med Bound group toured the island of Pico on Saturday, including a visit about halfway up to the top. This marked my fourth visit to the Azores Islands. Duncan, who has lived there for close to 20 years, says he lives in paradise, and there's a strong argument to be made they he's right. The islands are so scenic, much like Hawaii with high mountains, lush green valleys, dark volcanic rock everywhere, and such warm, friendly people. We Americans can learn a lot from the slow pace of life in these islands! Horta is looking more prosperous than on our last visit--many new homes, new cars, and new businesses. We had the good fortune in Horta to visit with Duncan and other friends who call Faial home: Joao Carlos Fraga, Pat Smith, and Tim and Paula Colwell. Joao and Pat joined us for a drink last night--Pat coming laden with fresh bounty from her garden, and Tim and Paula took us to dinner the night before. And so we're off on Leg Three of Med Bound 2007. Gibraltar is about seven days away, and we're looking forward to another terrific passage. --Milt, Judy, George and Schipperke Katy -- Milt Baker Bluewater Nordhavn 47 #32 http://www.bluewaternav.com A compilation of reports from Med Bound 2007 may be viewed at <http://www.nordhavn.com>. Click on Med Bound 2007.