We dodged squalls as we set sail from Santa Maria to Sao Miguel. After an overnight stop at anchor, we departed Sao Miguel with an unexplained uneasiness, however we had one of our best sails in a long time. Arriving in Terceira, we anchored in Praia da Vitoria, the best anchorage in the Azores.

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After two weeks in the harbour at Santa Maria, we took an opportunity to try out some of the anchorages.

We had a perfect day anchored in Sao Lourenco Bay, with a BBQ, and kayaked to explore a cave. I climbed the Fajazinha Steps for stunning views before the rising wind moved us on to Praia Formosa. The anchorages reminded us of the best bits of life on a sailboat.

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We had a memorable 18-day stay on our first Azorean island. I fell in love with Santa Maria for its rural interior and rugged coastal beauty, and the warm and welcoming community. We enjoyed various adventures, including a picturesque bus tour, coastal walks, and a scooter ride through stunning landscapes. To top it all, we discovered the island has its own very tasty craft ale.

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We set off to sail Canary Islands to the Azores on Saturday 29th June, arriving in the early morning of 6th July. Read on for a full report of the conditions we encountered and the experiences we both endured and enjoyed.

Two years ago, we sailed to Porto Santo from mainland Portugal, arriving with a dead engine. At some point, salty sea water had forced its way into the engine from the exhaust, wrecking damage as it sloshed around for several days.

Porto Santo was only meant to be a pitstop on the way to the Azores, but what followed was the hardest and most stressful period of our sailing life so far. We chose to rebuild the engine on the island, with no previous experience. We did it, which was amazing, but it also took more out of us than expected, never mind the lost time.

Now we were back on track. Could we make "a successful navigation across an ocean to a tiny target?" (Thanks Mark for the quote).

During our months in Gran Canaria, we'd updated and upgraded Emerald's safety inventory and felt ready to head out onto the ocean.

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What next for Emerald and our ongoing adventures, now that we'd escaped Porto Santo?

Having spent the last 20 months stationery, you'd think we would be raring to go, exploring the anchorages and harbours around the Canary Islands. Well, we are raring to go, but, practicality has sadly trumped sea adventures and we've taken a berth in the marina at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a couple of months.

Read more in the latest blog on our website by clicking here.