It is August 17, and Ben has arrived at the Azores! He touched land for the first time in over a month at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. His location is 38° North by 28° West.
Ben reveled in the wonderful scents of wood and flowers. The time at sea has raised his level of appreciation for things we might otherwise take for granted.
Ben has not yet decided whether or not to continue to swim to France. He plans to rest his body and mind and then make a decision. Hopefully, the water purifier can be fixed as well. Without it, Ben is unable to properly rinse off the salt water.