There are no major damages  reported within the Azores caused by Storm Oscar. A fellow sailor came in yesterday with ripped foresails. Looking at the conditions of the sails a bit closer, I would not have left A Coruña with the same. Both foresails rotten and porous. The main sail does not look very encouraging either.

Clearly, Madeira has been hit hardest. Many flights cancelled, walking trails closed, roads blocked, etc. Maximum rain with 604 l/mˆ2 in 24 hours has left its stamp. The brutality of forces can be seen in the video showing the Ribeira de Santa Luzia in Funchal, a downtown river stream I have crossed many times.

The marina entrance in Funchal is blocked! A river stream piled up rocks & sediments.

While we have to write off three fender socks only, Porto Santo has lost its main tourist attraction. The golden sand is gone and with it the scenic beach! I have cycled this unique island in October 2021, when it looked like this. Very sad. Climate change is and will be changing landscapes as it always did.

Normality is back here in Ponta Delgada. Some boats have already left Azores yesterday heading East, either towards the Channel or Gibraltar. The ARC Europe is going to leave today, some of them having a short stop-over in Santa Maria before finally heading towards mainland Europe. We have a bit more time, which will hopefully bring the North Atlantic weather system back to “normal”.

Fair winds…