André Serrão
New member
-
Please use real names.
Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed
Firstname Lastname
Register
We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know! -
Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!
Old Town - Funchal
- Thread starter André Serrão
- Start date
nicolas claris
OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Old souvenirs…
Hi André
Nice photos!
It reminds me when I was a yacht skipper in the 70's I once stopped in Horta…
We arrived there sailing from Dominica in 13 days, which was pretty fast at that time.
No GPS, no radio, just a loch (speed indicator) and my sextant!
We arrived spot on with Faïal right in front, merging slowly out of the horizon a the sun was rising and, in the interval of 2 hours, just before arriving we saw a beautiful whale and later a 5 meter car going from an Azores island to the other on 7 meter boat… Surrealistic!
We docked easily with the help of Horta fishermen and some sail guys. There were no marina at that time!
The day after, the fishemen called us: "We got a whale, and invite you all boaters for a gigantesque BBQ, just bring the drinks!"
Oh! I will remember that all my life long!
People were so friendly, so glad that we stopped there instead of going directly to Gibraltar.
We of course did intensive visits of the island, a kind of wild nature but with so many flowers aound the houses…
We could get some very efficient repairs on the boat and some nice drinks at the Peter Café Sport as well.
In that time it was the tradition that each boat crew make a painting job on the jetty, so we did!
Sorry to hijack your thread André, but seeing your pictures just let a flow of old souvenirs rising again to the surface… It seems I'll have a special mood today…
Thanks for sharing!
Hi André
Nice photos!
It reminds me when I was a yacht skipper in the 70's I once stopped in Horta…
We arrived there sailing from Dominica in 13 days, which was pretty fast at that time.
No GPS, no radio, just a loch (speed indicator) and my sextant!
We arrived spot on with Faïal right in front, merging slowly out of the horizon a the sun was rising and, in the interval of 2 hours, just before arriving we saw a beautiful whale and later a 5 meter car going from an Azores island to the other on 7 meter boat… Surrealistic!
We docked easily with the help of Horta fishermen and some sail guys. There were no marina at that time!
The day after, the fishemen called us: "We got a whale, and invite you all boaters for a gigantesque BBQ, just bring the drinks!"
Oh! I will remember that all my life long!
People were so friendly, so glad that we stopped there instead of going directly to Gibraltar.
We of course did intensive visits of the island, a kind of wild nature but with so many flowers aound the houses…
We could get some very efficient repairs on the boat and some nice drinks at the Peter Café Sport as well.
In that time it was the tradition that each boat crew make a painting job on the jetty, so we did!
Sorry to hijack your thread André, but seeing your pictures just let a flow of old souvenirs rising again to the surface… It seems I'll have a special mood today…
Thanks for sharing!
Last edited:
nicolas claris
OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Having still the Azores in mind…
I found this grab shot I made in 2003 of Lelantina in St-Tropez, the 83 feet Schooner I had the Joy to bring back from West Indies to Marseille in 1978 (or 79?) with this famous (for me!) stop in Horta.
Of course I know that Horta (island Faïal) isn't Funchal, but I'm sure that people are samely friendly!
Lelantina:
The boat "EXIF"! :
Name: Lelantina
Designer(s): John G Alden
Type of Boat: 2 masted gaff schooner
Year Built: 1937
Built by: Abeking & Rasmussen; Lemwerder, Germany
LOA m / ft: 25m / 83' 10"
LOD m / ft: / 74' 10"
LWL m / ft: 18m /
Beam m / ft: 5.20m / 16' 8"
Draft m / ft: 3m / 9' 6"
Sail Stats: Sail Area: 400 sq.m Sail no. 77
Construction: Hull: iron & steel. Engine: GM 179hp diesel
Other: Displacement: c. 65 tons
I found this grab shot I made in 2003 of Lelantina in St-Tropez, the 83 feet Schooner I had the Joy to bring back from West Indies to Marseille in 1978 (or 79?) with this famous (for me!) stop in Horta.
Of course I know that Horta (island Faïal) isn't Funchal, but I'm sure that people are samely friendly!
Lelantina:
The boat "EXIF"! :
Name: Lelantina
Designer(s): John G Alden
Type of Boat: 2 masted gaff schooner
Year Built: 1937
Built by: Abeking & Rasmussen; Lemwerder, Germany
LOA m / ft: 25m / 83' 10"
LOD m / ft: / 74' 10"
LWL m / ft: 18m /
Beam m / ft: 5.20m / 16' 8"
Draft m / ft: 3m / 9' 6"
Sail Stats: Sail Area: 400 sq.m Sail no. 77
Construction: Hull: iron & steel. Engine: GM 179hp diesel
Other: Displacement: c. 65 tons
nicolas claris
OPF Co-founder/Administrator
A little precision… Funchal is in Madeira island, not within the Azores, but still a stop for yachts crossing the North Atlantic Ocean from North Europe to Carribeans (or the other way;-)
Same nice fellows there, living on an island in the middle of the water, having the privilege of sweet (but rainy!) winters and to to hot summers. This is why these islands are so green and flowered!
Of course things may have change since my travels in these areas, 30 years ago! there were no Jumbo jets bringing flows of low cost tourism… Seeing the André's photos, it seems that people have kept their life style…