Above left and inset: Cruisers making landfall on Faial in June
are privy to the beauty of blooming hydrangeas. We smelled
their fragrance several miles offshore. Above right: Considered
a rite of passage, boaters from all over the world have left
their mark on the stone walls that line the marina. We, too,
were proud to leave our own mark. Right: Traditional Azorean
homes with white walls and terra-cotta roofs. Just beyond,
the harbor of Horta welcomes passagemakers from all
over the world. Below right: En route from Bermuda to
Faial: Nine days at sea yields its own rewards.
Raleigh and Captain James Cook, who stopped here
in 1775 to check his navigational instruments before
setting sail for the South Seas. Today, with hundreds
of yachts visiting yearly and the ease of travel between
the islands and the mainland, people are beginning to
discover these pristine islands. Tourism is becoming the
new growth industry in Faial.
Finding sustenance in the form of flaky pastries and
cappuccinos along the waterside Avenida de Abril,
the four of us made our way back into the marina
to explore. Although tired from our long journey,
we couldn’t help but be captivated by the various
flags attached to yachts from around the world. The
camaraderie between crews who shared the experience
of many days at sea made the atmosphere in the marina
friendly and festive. Within the space of an hour we
had met several other boaters and arranged to meet for
drinks later in the evening. Our daughter Lauren, 17,
and son Stefan, 13, were fascinated by paintings on the
concrete walls, a transatlantic rite of passage we had
read about. All along the walls surrounding the marina,
foreign yacht crews had left their mark in vibrant color
with particular details surrounding their journey: name
of the yacht and home country, year of passage, names
of the crew. Many had been painstakingly composed
so as to seem almost works of art. The four of us
determined to stop off at Mays (Mid Atlantic Yacht
