Azores

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Photo: Bessie Ellen on the ocean blue

Azores for Island Hopping

Take a look at this amazing mini brochure on the Azores

2012 Azores voyage dates & prices on tall ships Bessie Ellen, Lord Nelson, Bark Europa & Eye of the Wind

The Azores has welcomed Ocean travellers and sailors for centuries, nowadays you can have an adventure sailing holiday on Bessie Ellen. It is a unique place and will bring out the explorer in you. The ports on each island are fairly small, but Bessie Ellen is only 116ft and fairly shallow draft so she can get into some ports where larger tall ships cannot.  The majority of stops will be anchorages so you need to be fairly agile with a sense of adventure for these voyages. Sea passages between islands like Sao Miguel and Pico are nearly 150 miles so you will be doing some night passages and watch keeping.

British three masted barque Lord Nelson has two 10 day voyages in the Azores too.  One voyage has wildlife expert John Arnott on board for a whale and dolphin special during the spring humpback whale migration. Both Lord Nelson and Bessie Ellen are well placed to take advantage of this annual event in 2012.

Azure Seas and Lush Volcanic Flora

The Azores are Portuguese, and there are 9 islands in 3 distinct groups – all volcanic with ancient Caldera craters. Only Pico still has an original cone over 2351m high. From June – October the weather is dominated by the Azores High. Summer temperatures typically reach 23 degrees centigrade. Evenings are cooler than the Caribbean. The shorelines are often steep cliffs and the vegetation is lush with much tropical fruit as well as fresh dairy products.

Fishing, green tourism and whale watching are an important part of their economy today . Whale hunting was historically a major source of income in the Azores. The local island communities continue to reap the benefits of being on the migration trail but now they have turned to whale watching replacing their bloodier past. A tall ship has a great advantage over island boats for cetacean spotting – A 'crows nest' vantage point. we challenge you to resist that tempting "thar she blows, Captain Ahab"

photo: Sao Jorge

Bessie Ellen started exploring the Azores in 2011. We had such a great response from both guest crew and professional crew that she is back in the archipelago in 2012 with extra voyages to try some new islands and anchorages. The walking ashore is amazing with waterfalls,

see voyage dates in table below

Blue water sailing around the Azores

The Eastern Atlantic Islands of The Azores, lies at just far enough north to catch the prevailing SW wind and carry sailing ships towards Europe and the English Channel. Thus they have been a staging posts for square rig sailors and yachtsmen through the centuries, these mountainous island landfalls with lush vegetation are a welcome reward on our 10-14 day ocean passages.

There is more to becoming a blue water sailor than swapping oilskins for shorts, but a winter suntan certainly helps. Ocean sailors happily adapt to a watch routine and the constant motion of the ship day and night. Experience all the ships moods from glassy calms to white capped swells launching flying fish from crest to crest.

Azores - Whale Hunters turned Environmentalists

Whale hunting was historically a major source of income in the Azores. The local island communities continue to reap the benefits of being on the migration trail but now they have turned to whale watching and cetacean research, replacing their bloodier past. A tall ship (like a whaling ship) has a great advantage over island boats for cetacean spotting – a crows nest vantage point. If you are on the royal yard and you see a pod of whales spouting, we don't think you will be able to resist the Captain Ahab / Moby Dick moment. Yes, both Classic Sailing directors have been caught shouting  "Thar she blows !"

Humpback Whale migration in the Spring

March April is a good time to be in the Azores as Humpback whales pass through the islands on their annual migration. The more time you can spend at sea in deep oceanic waters, the more chance you have of spotting whales and dolphins. Large sperm whales have also been regularly sighted off the islands.

Tall ships passing through the Azores (crew changes)

The Azores have been a staging post for sailors for centuries and several of our vessels are carrying on that tradition, as they stop in Horta or Ponta Delgada for a crew change. Why not sail to the Azores and combine with a holiday ashore, or arrive a few days early and then sail back from the Azores to Europe.

See below for our tall ship ocean voyages that stop to explore or crew change in the Azores.

The best whale watching route in Europe

Sail from Azores to Europe on a choice of 4 tall ships: historic sailing ship Bessie Ellen, or three masted barques Europa or Lord Nelson, or brigantine Eye of the Wind. This ocean passage is well over 1000 nautical miles and covers some of the best* places in the world to see dolphins and whales (* as recommended by the Dolphin & Whale Conservation Society) . The voyage starts off as a true blue water passage with ocean swells and a nice climate and chance to gain a tan.  The ship may stop somewhere like Cadiz or Lisbon or anchor in one of the deep rias off the North Potuguese coast but it all depends on the winds.

Crossing the Bay of Biscay is a bit more notorious but it is not always rough. When you reach the continental shelf the currents from the deep ocean upwell creating a rich source of plankton from the depths feeding all levels of marine life. Off the North Coast of Spain, is another hotspot for Dolphins. You will experience many hours night sailing under incredibly bright stars in unpolluted dark night skies, and you can even spot dolphins at night in calm weather as they leave a glowing trail of phosphorescence.

Take a look at this amazing mini brochure on the Azores

 2012 Azores - All voyage, descrptions, dates & prices on tall ships Bessie Ellen, Lord Nelson, Bark Europa & Eye of the Wind