Land Ho’ing? Landing Ho? Making Landfall…

This, being my 5th trip on Falken, will end with a Landfall in Nuku Hiva,Marquesas, French Polynesia, in a few more days.  I never know exactly what to expect, but based on my past travels, every landfall is different. Here’s some thoughts on what I have experienced in the past:

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Lunnenberg, Nova Scotia - The trip up to Lunnenberg involved a lot of motoring, and fog.  Getting across the gulf of Maine, we mostly motored up the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, maybe 20 miles offshore in fog.  Once we were ready to turn to the northwest towards Lunnenberg, it became awesome quickly.  We came out of the fog about 10 miles offshore, with a rocky shore and pine forest, the inlet is narrow, but the harbor opens up with a golf course on the left, and a picturesque harbor town of colorful houses around a big mooring field.  Iconic Coastal Northeast. Look up a picture, it’s beautiful.

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Horta, Azores, Portugal - Horta is the traditional stopping point on a mid Atlantic crossing, and a Sailors Haven, with moorings and anchoring inside a seawall, but with a lot of ocean exposure. Once onshore, it remains a sailing town, with bars and restaurants a plenty.  THE classic to sit down and enjoy a cold beverage is Peter’s Cafe Sport, of which I had read the long form article in Cruising World. I recommend a drink that includes Peter’s Passionfruit Gin. After 1000 miles from Bermuda, finding land was epic, and the boat was welcomed warmly by residents and sailors alike.

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Galway, Ireland - We sailed into the area around 9:00 PM, and the cliffs of Mohr were dark, but the lights of the Arun Islands become visible on the horizon, and you know you are 5 or 6 hours from dousing the sails, and motoring into the City Municipal Dock. Once safely past the top of Arun, turning to the east, and entering Galway Bay, the rural outskirts of Ireland have occasional houselights, but is unmistakably Irish Countryside.  Attention must be paid to Navigational Aids in the dark so as to avoid various structures, but there are plenety of lights to follow.  The municipal harbor is kept with a pair of Lock Doors that only open at high tide, and our arrival was timed perfectly with high tide, daybreak, and entry to the harbor.  With the daybreak comes the ‘Thousand Shades of Green” that Ireland is known for.    Beautiful.

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Oahu, Hawaii - The last couple days of sailing into Oahu involve stunning contrasts.  The Big Island is far off to the east, and aren’t at all visible, but create a Wind Shadow with very little wind, north and south of the wind shadow are Acceleration Zones, where the easterly winds are funneled between islands, and these persistent winds come with a sea state, so we got to experience 35 knot winds on the beam, gusting into the 40, and breaking waves (known to land on top of people like Jake and Mary in the cockpit). Then, as you emerge from the winds, the island appears as a lush green cloud draped mountain. As you get closer, the buildings of Waikiki Beach begin to show themselves, and for the first time in 1200 miles, other sailboats and pleasure craft come into view near shore.  We arrive in the municipal harbor as the sun is setting, with a glowing sunset, and golden reflections from the windows of the buildings on shore.  A glorious arrival.

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With this in mind, I am often asked what my favorite landfall is, and while all of these have been awesome, my answer often comes as a surprise.  

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My favorite landfall is my next landfall.  Always has been, and I expect it always will be.