Voyage overview
- Year: 2018
- Destination: Azores, Portugal
- Boat: Strappo
- Vessel type: Dufour 460
- Distance sailed: 184 nautical miles
- Skipper: Mike Scrivens
- Crew: Chris Robson (“AZC”), Simon Tyler (“DZC”), Warren Creates (“Warzboy”), Boris Ulehla (“Borizores”), Mike Scrivens (“Scriz”), David Ashfield (“Ashzores”)
- Notes: The deepest waters ever sailed. nowhere to drop anchor!
Logbook notes
Sailing the Azores felt like entering another world — volcanic, lush, and utterly remote. The steep volcanic shorelines meant anchoring was impossible, so every leg had to end in a suitably sized harbour, carefully timed and meticulously planned.
Over the course of five islands, the Phat Buoys absorbed the rhythm of mid-Atlantic life: whaling museums, wine tastings, homage to Vasco da Gama and local camaraderie. A breaching sperm whale, now free from the awful harpoon chasers of old, turned one morning sail into an awe-struck silence, a reminder of nature’s vastness and grace.
On Pico, the crew hired motor scooters to explore the island’s surreal black lava vineyards, cave network and lava pools and its easy, timeless hospitality. For all its challenges, the Azores trip left a mark — the sense that the Phat Buoys had truly reached the edge of the known world, the infamous nautical pinpoint on the world map.
