North Atlantic Summary

Antigua - Azores

Rhumb line Distance: 2170nm
Distance Sailed: 2425nm
Time Taken: 23 Days
Average Speed: 4.39Kn
Maximum Wind: 35kn
Engine Usage: 23.4 hours

A bit of a sad posting I know, but its for my own reference in the future. Besides someone might be interested?

On another note, I have just recieved a position update from Otahi: N34.3126 W52.3617

North Atlantic 8

Monday 1st June 2009 (Afternoon)
Well what can you do but keep on slogging away through the waves with the promised forecast of reduced wind never really materialising. By nightfall the swell had dropped off in size but was still easily big enough to lay the boat over when the odd one timed its breaking crest just right in time to wack us in the beam or land on us. The wind had dropped, at least I think it had because it was end to end squalls into the early hours meaning the winds were still around 25kn/30kn but gustier.

I noticed a port tricolour a few miles off my starboard side around midnight and after calling them up on the radio they agreed they would give me a call if they saw any ships allowing me to get a better sleep. I forget the name of the vessel, it sounded like ‘Adam Ant’ but that’s not it. Either way, it was a very nice man in an Ocean Packet, who had problems with his radar and other Raymarine stuff (join the gang) and ‘yes’ they had an AIS onboard, it just hadn’t been fitted yet.

I should have shook out the 3rd reef around this time as our speed had reduced to around 4kn with the squalls dropping off and the skies now clear, but I couldn’t face getting ‘suited up’ and going forward in the swell and cold. I waited until first light instead and had a good nights sleep for doing so.

Tuesday 2nd June 2009
Straight after shaking out the 3rd reef (as the winds were now barely 20kn), Doris was off! Almost as if she could smell landfall or something. It was really nice not being under reduced sail and although we still had the 2nd reef in, it made all the difference to the sailing and we averaged about 6.5kn for most of the day.

Our 1200utc position was N37 53.57 W30 47.00 with 114nm covered (101nm to go), not bad considering most of the night we were doing barely 4kn.

I found another book in one of the cupboards and it was a welcome distraction to staring at GPS figures and me worrying that my XTE was not coming down at the right speed and that my VMG was optimal. I get like this when approaching land, much like Doris, who was still going break neck speed!

The book was ‘Are You Experienced’ by Ian Sutcliff, about a guy who goes to India in his ‘Gap Year’ just to shag his mate’s girlfriend. I couldn’t put the book down and by 1400utc I had finished it and I laughed the whole way through. The perfect read for that final landfall approach day. I’m not sure if these books are actually any good, it may be that anything I read is ‘interesting or entertaining’ – I’ve been at sea for over three weeks on my own for Gods Sake! Some poor soul is gonna have their ears chewed off when I find someone to talk to!

I also figured if I have to take to the liferaft now (God forbid!), I’m not going to be drifting at sea for long, being so close to land and on the main rhumb line to Horta. Therefore it would be fine for me to pillage the chocolate bar and bag of sweets in there!

Just before dark I decided to put the 3rd reef back in as the Hydrovane is having problems with the swell (rounding us up) and increasing winds, it’s back up to 20kn (from 15kn). I thought we gybed but actually we rounded up, but with the boom on a ‘preventer’ it looked like the result of a gybe. The GPS is predicting 0930utc arrival tomorrow morning.

The time is now 2300utc (39nm to landfall) and I have made a pot of pasta with cocktail sausages chopped up and a tomato sauce. I was going to prepare enough for another portion tonight, as I won’t be able to sleep. Being so close to land and all the dangers it brings, all the ‘transat’ boats will be converging on Horta, not to mention the commercials and lastly the fishing boats. Oh and land itself!

Anyway I seem to have made enough food for the entire Horta marina! Kat - its pasta for dinner on Friday eve – OK?

Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Not much else to report except that I am now safe and sound in Horta marina. I will confess that from the ‘landfall’ waypoint I put the engine on for the last 8nm. I had an almost dead run with a following swell with barely 9kn of wind – so sue me!

Landfall at dawn.

I tied up alongside another boat around 0930utc and cleared through Customs & Immigration, before being moved to another part of the marina, again alongside. Not the best but hey – it’s got FREE WIFI…wo0ho0!!!

Just as I was moving Doris I notice ‘Euge’ moored up and then suddenly Sarah & Richard appear. It’s great to see them both again as we hadn’t heard anything from them since they set off from Antigua. However, they were literally casting off for their return to the UK. We had just enough time for a chat and I helped them slip their lines. See you both in Falmouth in a few weeks hopefully!

Richard & Sarah made their mark in Horta.

All day I have spent cleaning myself (as I hadn’t shaved for two weeks) and the boat (it was a sty) up and its now 1530utc and time to relax.

So, it’s over – Amen! The North Atlantic Circuit, Single Handed – this time I really feel like I’ve achieved something and learnt a lot from this passage. Heavy conditions, weather routing decisions, all points of sail, something for the whole family! All morning people around the marina have been commenting on how hard the crossing was and the conditions etc, all of whom arrived either today or yesterday, so maybe I was justified in finding it a little hard going. It’s certainly a nice feeling once you are tied up and secure!

My new 'home' for a while.

North Atlantic 7

Thursday 28th May 2009 (Afternoon)

I sailed all day deciding to stay 'low' and keep heading East or as near as possible. The evening saw me still sailing despite making around 120T degrees (not quite backwards but close) until around 0200utc when I was finally becalmed. I decided to motorsail for two hours before not being able to stay awake any longer. At 0430utc I dropped all sail and went to bed until 0630utc, then reset the alarm for 0800utc as there was still no wind.



Friday 29th May 2009

After several futile attempts to continue sailing, I turned on the engine again at 0830utc. Luckily, there is just enough wind to allow the Hydrovane to keep me more or less on course, allowing me the freedom to have breakfast etc. I am again staying 'low' (East) due to the incoming storm which is due to hit this evening around 1800utc.

My 1200utc position is N35 13.23 W38 32.22 with 92nm covered.

After cooking a huge bag of popcorn and a pot of pasta, I waited until 1800utc, as according to the grib files, that's when the storm was due to 'officially' start for my position. Sure enough, exactly on time, the wind and waves started to rise and I gibed into the beast.

The wind rose to about 25kn and I was surfing along at over 8kn of boat speed with the Hydrovane taking care of the steering nicely. That is until it had just got dark and we got knocked over! One minute I was sitting there looking at grib files on the laptop and the next flying through the air. Its funny, you hear that familiar rushing water sound and your first thought is 'shit!', followed a microsecond later by 'brace!'. It's a shame they come in that order. Too late, I tried to save the laptop as the boat got laid completely over and my 'sideways' became my new 'downwards'. All three meters of it, with nothing to hit until I face planted into the galley cupboards, smashing my arm somewhere along the way for good measure. My first sickening thought was that I had broken my arm, thankfully just a bruised bone. Dazed and confused (for so long its untrue!), I got out on deck to find us racing along close hauled, the boom was at least on the same side of the boat so we hadn't gybed at least!

The same thing happened again a short while later, unfortunately the victim this time was my beloved kettle, which launched it self from the stove spilling a few cupfuls of water over the floor, lucky it wasn't boiling at the time! Sorry Stu, the kettle now has a dent to mark my North Atlantic crossing.

I was aware that the wave had hit us on the beam, they should almost be following seas! Then I noticed that our downwind course was now 140T as the Hydrovane was following the wind, compared with 60T (what it should have been). I hadn't realised that the storm had passed through already and where the wind was going west to east, it was now going more north to south. The waves were still going in their original direction and I had been completely oblivious to it. Well not oblivious, I was expecting the shift, but not until morning!

Anyway, I kept on sailing with the winds touching 30kn and the seas still rising, slowly came round to being on the beam as well. I had very little sleep, the boat was all over the place with loads of water coming over the cockpit and it was freezing!



Saturday 30th May 2009

At first light I managed to get an hour or so sleep before having to tend the boat. Priority was to get (more) dry clothes on and some hot food inside me.

1200utc position is N35 56.17 W36 31.64 with 117nm covered.

By now the waves were easily over 4m and on one of my routine looks around the horizon, suddenly saw a yellow bridge deck of something big appear for a second less than a mile away. I called them up on the VHF (yes it's still working fine) and found out that the tanker Miramar hadn't yet seen me. The guy on the radio (sounded American) said to someone in the background 'we're right on top of the guy, so he must mean us' before answering me. After re-giving my position, bearing and speed, he finally spotted me visually with still nothing showing on radar, being around only 1/3 of a mile away, this was worrying! He said that from his perspective he could not see the boat, any sails (3rd reef and scrap of jib) or radar reflector as they were all below the level of the waves! We finally, popped upon radar when he was actually passing us.

I must have been pretty tired because despite knowing that I was almost invisible to other vessels I managed to get a good full night of sleeps in.



Sunday 31st May 2009

Three full weeks at sea my longest ever and can't I just wait to reach land! Why is it that the Gods really want their pound of flesh for the final few hundred miles?!?!?

The seas this morning are (for me) terrifying! I have never been in such big seas and they are starting to break. I would have to guess at 5m-6m wave faces and I can't help but think if I get caught beam on to one, I can kiss my ass goodbye - not to mention the rig! The cockpit is a constant wash and some water from under the sprayhood gutters overflows down the companionway steps, making the pretty looking Hanse cabin sole as dangerous as a proverbial ice rink!

On a brighter note, once again as I stare horrified at what's in front of me, do I see lunatic dolphins swooping through the waves and having the time of their lives in their own watery skatepark. It's always a reality check scenario when you look up from your position into the eye of a dolphin set in a crystalline wave face above you! It's good to have them back.

My 1200utc position is N36 31.86 W34 33.85 with 108nm covered.

I can't keep anything on the stove and life below is tiring, while the Hydrovane is still steering perfectly well, I can't bring myself to leave the helm, staring at awe at the sight in front of me! What the hell am I doing out here! The winds are only around 25kn, with gusts to 30kn but the seas are massive. I guess from having a few days to build up and from the higher winds inside the depression? I'd love to know what Passage Weather currently show the swell heights as compared to what I'm seeing.

I received an Otahi update report, all is well at position: N32.2016 W56.2558.

By late afternoon the winds have risen to 30kn+ and I am getting worried about the waves and at what point do I 'run'. My present course keeps them just above the beam my last resort is to run with them, but that means heading south for twenty four hours (100nm+). Kat has decided to visit me this weekend and will be in Horta Friday evening, I just hope I will be as well!

Question, why the hell am I picking up NavTex weather forecasts for the US East coasts (have been for the last few weeks), Grand Banks etc and I can't get anything for the bloody Azores only a few hundred miles away!

According to the grib files the winds should be dropping off around 1800utc, the time now is 1900utc and I am still seeing 30kn+. After a quick call to Kat, it seems that I am going into (towards the Azores) faster than the depression is retreating. Bloody typical, speed when you don't want it!

I manage to get some Ravioli and a hot drink inside me before deciding to follow Kats advice and 'Hove To' and wait for the winds to drop. I am knackered, not from doing anything other than hold on for dear life and fear I think. The winds seem to drop a little and I set Doris to plod higher north under just the fully reefed mainsail making barely 2-3kn. By now its long dark and I jump into the sleeping bag. Bliss.



Monday 1st June 2009

No sooner do I get underway (0730utc - I had a lie in), so do the winds. They are back up to 30kn with squalls to 35kn. To be fair, the winds do seem to have dropped overall aside from the squalls and its going to take a few days for the seas to go down. The sun is still shining, although with the amount of water over the boat it may as well be pissing it down! Just keep telling myself, this is all good (head) training and experience for bigger things to come, the Pacific, the Southern Ocean, Antarctica ~eh?!?!?

My 1200utc position is N37 14.42 W32 53.23 with 99nm covered. Only 210nm to go!

I am just going to concentrate on going slow and (as James keeps telling me) keeping the rig up, this will also be my last post until I get to Horta or unless something noteworthy happens, as Satphone minutes are running low. Unless I'm lost at sea of course - I'm joking! I'm fine mum.

C you all in a few days.

North Atlantic - Brief update

Just had a TXT from Boo, he seems fine, although not having that much fun:

"35 53N 36 36W. THRN HED FST ACRS CBN THOUT I BRK ARM. 4 OR 5M SEAS.HAD 30KN TTL DRKNES.SO COLD!"

Translation for those who don't speak TXT:

"Thrown head 1st across the cabin, thought I had broken my arm. 4 or 5M seas. Had 30KN, total darkness. It's very cold".


Crutey

North Atlantic 6

Monday 25th May 2009 (Afternoon)

Well I tried to go north but the winds once again went light on me, so it was a case of keeping what wind there was in front of the beam resulting in more of a north east direction. Still, I think as long as I maintain this pace I should avoid the calms on Wednesday.

I finally had to put the last three remaining potatoes out of their misery as it just wasn't fair to let them suffer any longer. I sat down in the sunshine of the cockpit with a bowl of pub style 'cheesy chips', served with ketchup and mayo - superb! It reminded me of summertime after work drinks after a day in the office and it was very tempting to open the single can of chilled 'Carib' beer I have saved for my arrival in Horta to complete the experience - I resisted.

The flat seas combined with the sunset this evening was the most amazing so far, a full purple sky leading to a blood orange sunset, no 'Green Flash' though.



Tuesday 26th May 2009

1200utc position N33 34.98 W44 26.84 with 106nm covered in the last 24 hours.

The highlight of the day. A whale sighting, almost a collision to be honest!

At 14:45utc I came up on deck to look straight into the black eye of a whale almost alongside us on the port side. He was about 20ft away from the boat, about 30ft (similar size as Doris) in length but not very 'thick set', swimming completely along the surface (no diving at all). He had a squarish looking head (Moby Dick style), a tiny stumpy dorsal fin and I couldn't see the tail at all. I am sure he was alone. He was in position N33 45.81 W44 11.42, heading NE at around 3kn, also going to the Azores I guess. I did consider slowing the boat down to have a closer look - then thought better of it!

Actually, if Doris had been 20ft further to the left, we'd have tried to mount it doing over 6kn! 'Whale Oil Beef Hooked!'

Before I set sail or leave for any other adventures I have to get books on Sea Mammals, Sea Birds and Fish of the world. If anyone knows what kind of whale this might be I'd love to know.

Well another book completed - 'Ice Bird'. Not a bad read, mainly if you are obsessed with sailing, especially of the Single Handed variety. Always slightly more relevant, reading such books when you are alone in a boat in the middle of an ocean as well!

It did make me get out the pilot guides and have quick look at what's involved in visiting Antarctica. It would be good to say you've been there at least . Hmn?

While I remember:

Nils - Hopefully, you are still in Horta, I'll be there soon I promise!

Dinner was potato gratin and corned beef with grated cheese, thank god for cheese, it makes almost everything edible!

Just as it was starting to get dark I noticed two small seagulls flying around the boat, one of which seemed intent on landing. He hovered over the cockpit several times but the reefing lines and mainsheet kept scaring him off. Then he'd fly off for a while before returning again. This time he managed to get both feet on the mainsheet and then on the winch briefly before flying off again. I saw him circling the mast and then lost sight of him. About an hour later I came up and found him perched on top of the sprayhood. He must be knackered to be so intent on landing after so many attempts. I left him in peace putting out a bowl of water just in case.

Later as the winds got up, I apologised in advance as I had to put a reef in and knew this would likely scare him off and if he was that weak, probably to his death. The poor thing looked frozen and was hanging on for dear life as the boat pitched and rolled in the following sea. Despite me wearing a head torch and making noise with winches and lines etc, he never moved!

During one of my routine watches I did see him stretching his wings, before eventually flying off about four hours later. It crapped on the sprayhood before it left, I wonder if it's still alive?

Tonight things seem even damper than ever. Standing on deck it looks like its raining but it's just the moisture in the air. It's also got quite a bit colder making the trip increasingly miserable. I find myself wanting a long hot bath, something I haven't done since, erm . over a year ago?!?!?!?



Wednesday 27th May 2009

A long damp night with very little sleep. Morning bought grey skies and a horrible lumpy sea. Last night I went from one reef to two and finally three as winds increased, only now to be scratching in 8kn of wind. I cheered myself up with a bar of Cadburys Fruit & Nut chocolate for breakfast!

I have just (1100utc) received an update from Otahi (Freya & Flavio) and there position is N28.7424 W60.512 - all OK. They appear to be only just over 300nm from Bermuda, maybe they are stopping off there or just heading north for better winds?

My 1200utc position is N34 36.94 W42 22.79 with 127nm covered. Only 696nm to landfall - Jeez!

I was barely moving for a few hours in the afternoon, until after constant sail trimming and 'faffing' for want of a better word, we started to move. The wind crept up to 10kn, then 13kn, then 15kn by which time I was thinking of putting in a bloody reef after having barely any wind.

The sky said it all really, I was just to preoccupied to pay it any attention. I found myself flying along in winds of 20kn with gusts to 25kn with 2 reefs in and a scrap of jib. In no time at all the rains came and the seas got ugly. This basically lasted all day and it was a rock & roll ride. When it got dark, maintained 2 reefs until the early hours when again the gusts went over 26kn forcing me to put in the 3rd reef.

Needless to say I didn't get much sleep through the night, having left over potato gratin & corned beef to get me through the night without further cooking. My main worry was other ships with visibility being very limited in the steep seas and driving rain. I kept watch as best as I can but to be honest a lot of time was spent in the sleeping bag.



Thursday 28th May 2009

With first light I shook out the 3rd reef going back to only one as the winds had lightened and the seas flattened off a little. Breakfast was hot porridge followed by catching up on sleep, something I intend to do all day.

My 1200utc position is N35 08.42 W40 17.52 with 114nm covered. I am not sure what to do in terms of routing. Either: A. Carry on going East and staying low to avoid a nasty storm (winds to 30kn+) brewing for tomorrow evening. This may leave it hard for me to go north afterwards.

Or: B. Make as much North direction now while I can and simply 'man out' the storm, then carry on east afterwards. I'll get more up to date weather forecasts later and sleep on it.

North Atlantic 5

Thursday 21st May 2009 (Afternoon)

I managed two motoring sessions, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, both of a few hours a piece. What can I say? I hate the noise and everything that motoring entails. OK yes, I'm going at almost twice the speed (~5kn) but it's such a chore and its so much more pleasant to ghost along under sail in the sunshine. I always said that my next boat probably would only have an outboard engine for getting into and out of marinas / anchorages.


I managed to find something to replace the broken sail slide, a piece of metal that I insulated with tape and attached to the luff with a piece of string, so I have full sail capability at least.


Culinary tale of the day - Sweet Popcorn. Nobody makes it, all preferring the salty stuff. Me having a sweet tooth, usually end up watching as it's consumed while I sit there starving - (Frey take note!)


Medium sized pan (mines none stick). Good dash of olive oil, a dash of Maple Syrup (Treacle or Honey might also work?) and some sugar. Heat over a slow heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Add popcorn seeds to barely cover the bottom of the pan and stir into the 'syrup' until all the seeds are well covered. Turn up the heat, put the pan lid on and start 'swirling' the pan by hand every few seconds. Soon the seeds should start popping , continue to heat and 'swirl' until the popping slows down (usually after a crescendo) and Voila! Sweet popcorn just like in the Cinema!


Not much to tell you about the day, it's been really relaxing with winds of about 7-9kn in which I sail at about 2-3kn. The evening was really eerie due to it almost being a new moon and the sea as flat as a lake. It's so dark that you can only barely make out a horizon, almost like you are surrounded by fog. We are just ghosting along under a full 360 degree star lit night sky, it's like being in an astrodome. The clouds have been but a few fluffy Cumulous all day, so there is very little risk of squalls tonight and it feels like I'm hanging out in my lounge reading on a summer eve. I slept like a baby throughout the night.


I couldn't quite understand why the cabin was so dark tonight, until I realised the VHF wasn't turned on. No correction, the VHF wont turn on! I checked that there is a voltage going in to the unit, and there is, so it looks like its actually fried. I'll take a closer look tomorrow in the daylight to make sure and use my handheld instead. My wind speed gauge has been acting a bit freaky as well, I thought it just needed recalibrating. It seems that there is a good possibility that I was either struck or affected by the previous night's electric storms. Argh! - Did I mention I hate lightning!



Friday 22nd May 2009

I woke up to find us still sailing slowly towards the Azores at a speed of around 3kn. At this rate I will be arriving at the same time as Flavio & Freya in Otahi who left a week behind me!


1200utc position is N29 54.22 W49 59.20 with 70nm covered.



I spent the day basically eating and resting. Lunch was onion, cheese and garlic omelette and I baked another loaf of bread in the afternoon, all very pleasant. Still not much in the way of winds and it looks like another depression is just forming to the east of my position. I really need to be going east to get on the right side of it, as it looks like it might turn quite nasty. Unfortunately, I can't make that point of sail without some south (~120 degrees, and hence kind of going backwards) and that's mentally killing me.


Once again I motored for a few hours when the wind went really light but generally sailed in the light airs at around 3kn all day.


In the afternoon I was amazed to see something 'waving' at me in the distance ahead. As I got closer, it turned into a 10ft pole connected to a float with a radar reflector on top that was 'anchored' to something underwater. I haven't checked the depth here but I am guessing its bloody deep! The position of this 'buoy' is N29 57.70 W49 51.87, its not lit so don't run into it if you are crossing at night!


Last night was absolutely pitch black, a new moon, very cloudy so no stars and no light to be seen anywhere. Except that is, the flashes of more electrical squalls that seem to be forming ahead of me in the distance as the depression starts to fragment and the whole area becomes unstable.



Saturday 23rd May 2009

I woke up to the sounds of flapping sails this morning around 0630utc with the wind almost none existent. There was no other option but get dressed and put the engine on. I motor sailed east until first light to be greeted by the biggest, meanest and scary looking electrical storm a few miles in front of me. I hate lightening so much that I considered 'hoving to' to let it pass as it seemed to be heading north and I had been motoring east (travelling right to left in front of me). However, this would have taken a good few hours judging by the size of it. I put on full oil skins including my trusty Dubarry boots as it was black cloud right down to sea level with torrential rain seen falling inside the system.


While turning on the motoring navigation lights etc I nearly 'shit myself' as the (previously dead) VHF radio suddenly burst into life at almost full blast (no squelch), the wind speed is accurate again as well and has been behaving itself all morning. Maybe I should rename Doris to Christine as she's obviously fixed herself!


I made a course slightly south of east (~100 degrees - motivated by fear) to find what looked to be the least threatening 'gap' through the wall of cloud in front of me. It took me two hours to clear it and make the other side into clear skies I don't mind admitting, I was 'crapping myself'! I could see forked lightning constantly touching down just a 'mile or so' to my left. It looks like my electronics are going to continue to live in the oven for the next few days and I think there will be worse squalls to come until I get a few hundred miles east of my current position, then it should be fair(er) winds and 'plain sailing' - I hope!


At 1000utc the wind had risen slightly and it was time for some breakfast and so off with the engine and back to sailing. Peanut Butter & Jam toast washed down with strong coffee to keep me awake. After removing the Sat phone from the oven, I received Otahi's second update. Position: N23.9792 W61.2126 - All fine and well!


My 1200utc position is N30 39.38 W48 43.73 with 80nm covered.


Since breakfast the winds have now got up to around 15kn and I am close hauled heading ~40-50T degrees. The wind should free later in the day and if so, I will be heading east as soon as possible. I also need to 'bank' some sleep due to getting up early this morning.




Sunday 24th May 2009

Well another Sunday at sea and its two weeks exactly since I left Antigua and that seems a long time ago. A pretty uneventful day yesterday except that I managed to sail all day without using the motor and even made some progress east as the wind freed up in the afternoon.


I managed to get loads of sleep all through the night and this morning I have finally been blessed with some tail winds. Although they are dying off (currently about 7kn) and I am making about 4kn of boat speed 'Wing N Wing' with the jib poled out on a heading of around 40T degrees.


1200utc position is N31 35.23 W47 32.03 with 96nm covered in the last 24 hours. Only 1009nm to go to reach landfall and I'll be glad when it only reads three figures instead of four!


This route is certainly more interesting than the east-west crossing with the unsettled weather and uncertainty of fair winds for much of the way across. There's no down wind sailing for weeks at a time! While the weather forecasts give a good impression of what's happening over a few hundred miles, it's difficult to predict what's 'around the corner' locally with it being so unsettled.


It also becomes very easy to get lazy and not change sail configurations etc to make the most of the conditions. To make as much progress as possible off the back of the squalls and micro systems means that this morning for example, I have had a poled out jib on both gybes and then a beam reach, all of which were in the space of two hours and going in a similar direction. You can bet I will be close hauled in the next few hours if the previous days are anything to go by.


Sure enough, the rest of the day was spent on a close reach through a rather lumpy sea, another day of 'crash bang wallop'!


It's been an exciting day as I have several little gems to report. Firstly, a 'fishermans' orange fender / buoy, which again, appeared to be anchored in position N29 57.70 W49 51.87. The pilot books don't recommend looking out for 'lobster pots' mid Atlantic do they?


I also saw another sailing boat in the later afternoon which vanished over the horizon heading north (compared to my north east) and if that wasn't exciting enough, as it got dark I was passed by a tanker about 2nm off my port side. It's been an eventful day I can tell you!


The night was rather uncomfortable, still close hauled and I had to put in the 3rd reef to make life bearable, only to then be almost becalmed about two hours later. I woke up in the early hours of the morning to the sound of 'voices', in a somewhat confused state. After frantically looking around the horizon with no sign of life, again the 'voice' came over the VHF radio. It
sounded Portuguese and I understood three of the words as 'small boat' and 'captain'. There was a position but I missed it or rather couldn't understand it. I waited for a repeat call but nothing came so I went back to bed.



Monday 25th May 2009

Another week at sea - Yay! Got up, shook out a reef which seemed to take all my strength, only to have to put it back in again an hour later! The grib files always dangle a carrot of fair winds just a hundred or so miles further and yet they always seem to fragment and vanish on me before I can reach them.


This morning is cold, overcast and everything is damp. I have to be honest, I am feeling quite tired now and the relentless slamming and banging of the boat beating to windward is 'doing my head in' The constant question 'am I pushing her to hard', it only takes one rigging component to break and its really 'Game Over' 100nm out in the Atlantic! I'd rather go slow and get there than lose the rig.


1200utc position N32 24.02 W45 54.35 with 97nm covered. To avoid another possible area of calms to the east that might form around Wednesday, I think I might head north for two days to give me a better chance of westerly winds later in the week.


I have just started reading 'Ice Bird' by David Lewis, a story of the first Single Handed voyage to Antarctica which Lindsay lent to me ages ago. I need all the inspiration and motivation possible to get through this next week for the 'downhill' stretch - it has to be 'downhill' at some point doesn't it?!?!

North Atlantic 4

Tuesday 19th May 2009

What an amazing day, the swell is less than 0.5m , the sun is out and the wind is holding me around 4-5kn in the right direction. A pair of sea birds (brown, white underside) have kept me company for most of the afternoon getting closer and closer to the boat. They glide around, swooping along the waves, pass me within 20ft in the cockpit and then double back to pass inches from the bow to land in the water. Once I have gone further than about 100 yards away, the whole process starts again. Maybe they like the music I'm playing?

My craving for bread has returned, so I spent the later afternoon baking bread, you just can't beat it! Cheese sarnies with BBQ sauce!

Well this depression has turned out to be, well depressing! I managed to keep the ol girl moving along nicely until just after dark and then we started to struggle. Finally at 04:30utc, while we were moving (just) in the 6kn breeze, the swaying of the mast with the slight swell caused the mainsail to constantly back and fill vibrating the boat and driving me insane. I tried every possible sail and trim combination to stop the flapping without any success.

By this time I was pretty tired as I had spent the evening reading 'Heavy Weather Sailing' of all things! I decided to turn on the 'iron topsail' and go looking for some wind. An hour and a half later (0600utc), with the fridge on, laptop charging, phone charging and stereo blaring, I decided to give up! I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, so I reefed the mainsail down to the 3rd reef and pulled it in tight amid ships, wheel over to weather (what little there is) and in to the sleeping bag thank you very much.

I woke up just as the sun was coming up 0830utc and found 8kn of wind registering on the gauge. I quickly shook out the third reef leaving one reef in as I can get the boom out further with the 1st reef in due to the swept back spreaders. Woohoo! - 3.5kn of boat speed, sailing 140 degrees off the wind and going in the right direction (~50T degrees).

After a bowl of cereal, I quickly put a sheet on to the self tacking jib and poled it out on the port side, the size of the jib matches the mainsail with 1 reef in and is perfectly balanced. 4kn+ of boat speed. The problem is not the sailing, it's the steering. There's no way I am standing there like a plum at the helm all day, and the residual wind is not powerful enough to operate the Hydrovane so I am almost relying on the sails to be balanced.

While the sails flap every now and again, it's bearable and besides it's time for some sleep.

1200utc position N27 30.33 W53 01.17 with 95nm covered, which isn't bad I thought considering the lack of winds.

I have also received a SPOT message from Otahi (Freya and Flavio - a professional skipper / sailor from Brazil, who according to a new blog reader is very capable and a gentleman) and they are alive and well in position N18 27.234 W61 44.568.

For those interested in my dietary habits, breakfast was peanut butter and jam on toast and lunch was mashed potatoes, flavoured with fried onions and garlic with boiled eggs and ham with mayonnaise. The only thing missing was some lovely fresh salad - oh and someone who likes salad!

Not much else to report throughout the day, I was completely becalmed during the evening for several periods. Its so demoralising sitting there waiting for either a squall or the breeze to fill in enough to get you moving and even more importantly, to stop the sails flapping!


Wednesday 20th May 2009

After a slow agonising night being mostly becalmed, the day broke in the shape of lots of torrential rain and squalls. Just before light I found myself loading the oven with the handheld VHF, GPS, Sat Phone and Laptop as there was quite a bit of lightening around. I also saw another boat about 2nm away on my portside as I wrestled down the poled out jib in preparation for the first of the squalls.

The squalls were actually not a bad thing as I can cover a few miles while the wind is blowing, most going to around 25kn. The overall slow progress is frustrating and this morning everything feels cold and damp even in the boat.

1200utc position N28 23.71 W52 08.45 with 80nm covered, a bloody miracle considering the lack of winds around (average wind was about 8kn yesterday) and no I didn't motor. One of the few benefits to having a really light weight boat (~6 ton) I guess, meaning I can ghost along in around 5-8kn of breeze at 2-3kn of speed.

Having just looked at some fresh grib files, it looks like I am going to be really struggling to make any major progress for the next few days, with Thursday looking like I may as well stay in bed all day! I really need to get further east across the area of calms, if I continue north its only head winds that await me. This sailing lark is like chess!

Well I made steady progress through the day and the winds were more than enough to keep me moving at around 5kn of boat speed. Unfortunately, every time we went through a squall there was absolutely no wind at all for an hour afterwards which resulted in more annoying sail flapping while the winds filled in.

As it got dark I noticed that I was surrounded by lightning and squalls as the whole atmosphere is really unsettled. I hate lightning it's the one thing that will have me going a few miles in the wrong direction to avoid! Not this time however as they were everywhere. I made a constant 4kn of speed in vaguely the right direction with all the electronics back in the oven until a few squalls forced me to put in the 2nd reef. I was shattered and needed some sleep so off to bed it was. Around 2 hours before light I couldn't stand the flapping sails anymore as I had become becalmed for the last hour. Going on deck to investigate an over squeaky jib sheet block and to drop the mainsail, I noticed that one of the mainsail slides has broken - F£$%k! What is it with me breaking mainsails in the mid Atlantic. I dropped all sail and went to bed (pissed off) until light.

Thursday 21st May 2009

I woke up with the sun just coming up (0830utc), it was time to put the kettle on and try and stop the boat from rolling from side to side due to not having any sail at all up. I pulled out the jib and sheeted it in tight with the Hydrovane keeping us just of the wind and this seemed to help matters. The wind is barely 2-3kn on the wind gauge as forecast by the grib files.

The broken mainsail slide is the first one above the 2nd reef and must have broken due to the sail flapping in the calms. I have tied a temporary piece of cord around the entire mast and raised the mainsail with the 2nd reef in as I will be motoring today and this will be fine until I can make or come up with a better solution. I'm sure I can make something that will allow me to use the full sail again as I am not doing over 1000nm with only 1/2 of a mainsail -again! I never did get around to buying a few mainsail slides for spares? - idiot!

On returning from the mast, I also forgot about the genoa cars and kicked it bare footed taking the top right off my little left toe - F£$%k! F£$%k!

I'm not having the best of days. The position at 1200utc N29 01.99 W50 54.23 with only 76nm covered. From what I can see of the forecast, it's going to be hard going over the next few days especially without an autopilot for motoring. Ah well, nothing I didn't already know.

Fridge on, stereo blasting and everything charging - its going to be a long few days!