Terceira

Terceira
On Friday, August 6 we motored from Velas, Sao Jorge to Angra do Heroismo, Terceira. This was not a pleasant motor trip. Off the tip of Sao Jorge the wind and the current were in opposition kicking up steep seas. We were traveling in company with the Quebec boats we met in Lajes, Fleurion and Boree. Sarah has a greater waterline and larger engine than either of those boats so we had a slightly easier time than they, but we were all glad when the trip was over.
The island of Terceira is the most densely populated of the Azores. We could see many villages along the western shore as we approached from Sao Jorge.
We passed close to Monte Brasil, which guards the entrance to the main port on Terceira, Angra do Heroismo

Once clear of Monte Brasil we could see the town of Angra do Heroismo and the large breakwater and mole that protects the new marina on the right side of the harbor view.We had not made a reservation for a berth at the marina, but as we approached Angra we observed a large fleet of sailboats racing from Angra to Horta. We felt confident then that there would be room for us at the marina.
As expected there was plenty of room and we quickly moved Sarah to the berth we expected to be home for the next week or so.
The Angra Marina is full protected by two breakwaters. The outside one is the original mole for the ferries and small freighters. The inside (foreground) breakwater was built to house the marina.
The marina is operated by the same organization that operates the Horta Marina and the charges are the same (€15.00 per day, including electric and water) however the Angra marina charge includes a cable TV hook-up. The later feature is no value to me until I breakdown and buy a PAL TV set

The marina is in the heart of the town of Angra do Heroismo, with shops and restaurants all within easy walking distance. The down side is the large church in the center of the picture rings its bells every hour day or night.
There is also a local rooster who is either blind and doesn't know when the sun is coming up or just wants to keep the hens nervous 24 hours per day. In any case he struts his stuff along one of the marina walls and crows all night long.Like all of the town in the Azores Angra do Heroismo is built on the side of a steep hill.

Here is the Church with the continuous bell chimes.
The streets (Ruas) in Angra look very much like those in many small European cities, with narrow cobblestone streets, even narrower sidewalks, and store fronts right on the street. This is the Avendia de Se, the main commercial street in Angra. It is empty because this picture was taken on Sunday afternoon. Everything pretty much closes down on Sunday in the Azores. The European look is a reflection of Angra being the first city established in the Azores. It's natural harbor was used as a treasure port and safe haven for the galleons bringing gold and spices from the West Indies and South America.
Being a treasure port necessitated the building of substantial fortifications to protect the galleons and treasure caches from foreign ships and pirates.
In this role Angra reminds me of Portobello in Panama, although Portobello is no longer a functioning city it is also a deep, narrow harbor with fortifications on both sides to provide a devastating killing zones for any ships that might try to enter for other than peaceful intentions.




Right next to the Angra Marina is a large public beach for the citizens of Angra.


Photo by Mike Repass	On Wednesday, August 10 we said goodbye for the last time to our new friends from Quebec, Leo, Pierrette, Clermont, Indi and Diane. We have been sailing together through the Azores since we met in Lajes on Flores. Today they were leaving for Brest, France where they would leave their boats and return to Quebec.
Photo by Mike Repass	Clermont and Pierrette depart on Fleurion. Once in Brest they would put this boat, which they built themselves, up for sale. This was their third Atlantic crossing, second on Fleurion, and likely their last. Fleurion is a beautifully finished yacht. Clermont and Pierrette hope to get a better price for her in wooden boat-crazy Brest than they could in Quebec or the United States.
Photo by Mike Repass	Leo, Diane and Indi depart on Boree, which Leo and Diane also built themselves.

Praia de Vitoria is the other major city and port on Terceira. It is a very protected harbor with two long breakwaters extending from both sides of the bay. There is also a small marina located behind mole in the center of the picture on the right. The marina is about half the size of the Angra Marina and has few slips for boats over 30'. Most of the boats in the marina are local sport fishing boats. Since we were very comfortable with our slip in Angra, we decided not to visit Praia by boat. Rather Mike rented a car and we drove to Praia one afternoon.
Praia means beach in Portuguese and Praia de Vitoria is clearly a beach town. This large public beach is at the head of the harbor. There are several other beaches adjacent to this one. These beaches also appear to have a finer and lighter colored sand than those around Angra. So if I wanted to spend time on the beach I'd go to Praia, if I wanted to comfortable slip for my boat I'd go to Angra.
Ketch Ya Later arrived in Angra a few days after we did, coming directly from Horta without stopping at either Pico or Sao Jorge. A few days later they moved to Praia. In the picture on the left they are tied to the the seawall on the outside of the marina at Praia.
There is still a large and well protected anchorage in Praia.
It was festival time in Terceira and I assume that is the reason this Portuguese tall ship was in Praia.

Biscoitos is a small village on the north shore of Terceira. It once was a wine producing town, but it was too expensive to produce in volume on this rocky island. One of the remaining vineyards, belonging to the Brum family, has been turned into a wine museum with some of the artifacts of wine production on display. The museum also has a few plots vine for a limited production of wine. The vines on the right are actually planted in holes among rocks laid on the ground and the vines grow horizontally on the rock beds.
These vines are somewhat more traditional in appearance, growing vertical in rows.
Photo by Mike Repass	Some of the old wine presses on display inside the museum.
Photo by Mike Repass	They do have a cave at the museum where you can taste and purchase some of the limited wine production. We tasted and purchased a couple of bottles of their aperitif and four bottles of their white table wine, all of which is excellent and not very expensive.
Photo by Mike Repass	With Mike's rental car we spent several afternoons touring the island. By this time one Caldeira was beginning to look like the next. We drove to the summit of Santa Barbara on Terceira as much to say we were there than for any other reason. As you can see the view was thrilling. At least it was for this ex-meteorologist, I never tire of seeing the inside of a cloud.