Daily Logs

Cara of the South - Free at Last!

28:07.70N 15:25.60WMidday Position Day1After 2 weeks hanging round Las Palmas Marina, always finding yet another job to do we finally set sail at midday. However before setting sail we need to get Cara out of the marina which unfortunately means reversing her, this is not an easy thing to do with a heavy displacement long keel boat. You see with these boats engaging reverse is basically a random direction generator, you never know where she will go, much like giving a monkey a hand grenade. You don't know what's going to happen but you know it will likely end bad, especially for the monkey. So reluctantly I engaged reverse, other nearby boat owners clutched fenders worridly with looks of fear, concern and please don't come over here but after a 72 point turn and no damage done I could. read more...

Gertha 5 - Egret far at sea

16,34N 30,47wThis morning had an Egret circuiting boat, it was either 1800 miles to Brazil down wind or 300 miles up wind to Verde.I felt for the poor bird but could offer no help.Yesterday and today have seen steady sailing pretty much on course for Grenada, an unknown of lighter weather ahead I maybe should be going a bit south, so maybe long term not on quickest routeTonight masthead light did not power up ,I noticed at the same time a supertanker came into view, we are now on low level lights, tomorrow a circuit test.Steady hot and sunny with some cloud.nanos gigantum humeris insidentes. read more...

Musketeer of Cowes - Finally we’re off!

TEAM PHOTO BEFORE LEAVINGimage0image1image2. read more...

Cleone - ARC 2024 SITREP 0

Yacht Cleone onARC 2024 – SITREP - 0After a fewhappy days based in Santa Cruz in Tenerife, we arrived safely in Las Palmas onthe 11th of November. Since then, we have spent almost a fortnightgetting ready to start the real part of this adventure, the ARC 2024 AtlanticCrossing. And today is the day we set off with another 148 yachts of varyingsizes and conformations for the main event.As planned,after a straightforward trip from Madeira, Steve left us almost as soon as wearrived in Santa Cruz to go back to the office. Francesca and the Skipper thenhired a car and spent a couple of days visiting the sights of Tenerife. It cameas a bit of a surprise to be reminded that Mt Tiede, on tiny Tenerife, is thehighest point in Spain. Not only does it dominate Tenerife but also it caneasily be seen. read more...

Frances Louise V - November 23rd 2024

96 Our first full day back at sea, and a wonderful, if double faceted, day.  On the one hand we have immediately settled into our watch pattern well, and happily back into life on the ocean wave. The temperature has been in the upper twenties. There is wall to wall bright sunshine under a blue sky. We are skimming across a slight deep blue ocean. We only have a light wind though, only just enough to keep us going, and the boat motion is quite gentle. So all is good, if a bit slow, with us in our serene blue world. The auto pilot is handling the boat well and we have been able to get on with some other things. David is relishing the end of boat preparations and has enjoyed reading a book. I have progressed my Atlantic Project of. read more...

Gertha 5 - The merits to Verde

16’43n 28’14wA few days in Cape Verde now back at seaThe fisherman on board failing but a flying fish on galley floor this morning, it just missed the frying pan.Winds light today , hand steer or go the wrong way with Self Steer. Lovely weather.Cape Verde is known as CV, I am thinking maybe the CV stands for something else.Every day stunning weatherDay 1 was rest , recover and rehydrateDay 2 trip round the island, local band and partyDay 3 visit to Neigbouring island , a world class place to go , stunning views and mountains,grog, wildlife.Day 4-6 I spent sitting spelt with an h and one t.Day7 left with on board doctor going on pills and rehydrationPleased to be Back at seananos gigantum humeris insidentes. read more...

Snowmane - Day minus 1 - Will

Five years of thinking about this. One year of big picture planning. Three weeks of preparing, especially in this last week. Our two crew, Jo and D'arcy, have been doing tons of work as well. The boat is ready, the food is packed (and plentiful,we have a chocolate bar per person per day for instance). The crew is excited and a bit nervous and wondering what it will be like.For me, I think it will be an epic journey. I think there will be times that are great fun, times that are challenging, times where we are really tired, times where we are a bit bored, times where we think that this is all a bit crazy.I do think it will be something we will all remember strongly forever though. A real life passage kind of thing.We have sailed 3225 miles since July. We are about to do almost that many. read more...

Arkyla - Leg2D1: promising start but…

Arkyla’s start went exactly to plan… we kept out of trouble, crossed the line cleanly, and pushed out into the channel to set pole and twin headsails.  How smug we were positioned close to the head of the fleet but south of the forecast wind shadow were most boats were flying their Parasailors (yes, I still hold the pain!). But oh how that smug smile was quickly wiped off our faces.  Soon the wind dropped quicker than a rude joke at a Puritan’s meeting, and the seas became more confused than a workman put in a room full of shovels and told to take his pick!  With limited wind angles to play with, to save ourselves delving down toward the Southern Ocean, we reluctantly set the main and moved to a broad reach pointing ourselves northward to the polar bears of the arctic. read more...

Frances Louise V - November 22nd 2024

96 November 22nd 2024 - Start Day for Leg Two, from Mindelo, in the Cape Verdes, to Grenada in the Caribbean.  The long long awaited start day of our transatlantic crossing. We began with a relaxed cup of tea and read in bed - going to be a long time before the next opportunity! We are about to go to sea for a minimum of 16 days, passaging around 2,200 nautical miles, possibly more.  The previous Atlantic sails - across Biscay, from Vigo to Porto Santo, from Madeira to Lanzarote, and even from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Mindelo, all pale into insignificance with such big numbers. But I find them incomprehensible really, rather than daunting. We have a good forecast, and the fabulous paradise of the Caribbean is at the other end.  We only. read more...

Ingrid - I Las Palmas - utan båt.

I Las Palmas - men ingen båt   Hej allihopa!   Här kommer en liten uppdatering från oss på Ingrid. Eller på och på…Vi har ju ingen båt ännu. Ingrid är på väg hit och befinner sig utanför Portugals kust på väg hit.   Förhoppningsvis ankommer hon söndag kväll och de innebär tyvärr att vi inte komma gå över startlinjen i ARCn med alla de andra båtarna på söndag kl 13. Vi kommer vara med i racet och ni kommer såklart kunna följa vår framfart på   När båten kommer ska den städas och genomgå någon service av motorn och en teknisk genomgång som utförs av ARC. Även allas personliga räddningskit och flytväst ska kollas. Vi ska även provsegla och göra klart provianteringen. Det blir väldigt mycket att göra och vi alla hade sett att ha tillgång till båten och bo i hamnen är ju. read more...

Frances Louise V - Frances Louise V - November 16th - Day Seven

96 96 Day Seven was different again. As dawn broke the wind increased to 12 knots so we decided to have another go at sailing. Of course that meant that the wind immediately dropped! We decided that we would aim to get into Mindelo at around 2230 - not too disturbing for those already there, and in time to go straight to bed and enjoy a full nights sleep before doing anything on shore. So we did various calculations as to what the required distances to go would need to be at different times of the day.  With that we tried to continue sailing as much as we could.   It is just so so pleasant out here, in such a beautiful blue sea and warm sunshine. I can no longer say on our own because, as the day wore on, boats. read more...

Papillon - Papillon getting ready for the Atlantic crossing

The crew of Papillon are now making all of the preparations needed for our Atlantic crossing. Our list of things to do is quite long and the tasks range from trivial nice-to-have items to kind-of-essential necessities. Since day one we have constantly been busy. Fixing, planning, cleaning…. Having a beer, socializing, etc (those things are important too!). Some of the tasks we have accomplished this far include; checking the rig (the mast and its parts) for damage, prepping said rig for an extra inner forestay, checking out of Europe (Yikes!) with customs, emptying, cleaning and sorting almost all cabinets in the boat, and starting to make a food provisioning plan. Other activities have including eating some food at the local sailors’ pub, attending sun-downer parties for arc-racers and. read more...

Ingrid - Välkommen till Ingrids blogg

Välkommen till bloggen som följer Ingrid och dess besättning från Las Palmas till St Lucia och sen vidare till Grenada.Den 17 november ankommer vi 13 som tillsammans ska ta Ingrid över Atlanten och den 24 november går startskottet för ARC-racet.  Under veckan som kommer ska vi förutom att bekanta oss med varandra och båten gå på spännande seminarier och framförallt proviantera.Provianteringen är ett enormt projekt och alla kommer bli involverade. Från att åka till marknaden och köpa frukt och grönsaker, åka till IKEA, åka till olika affärer, frakta mat, vatten, toalettpapper mm från kajen till båten till att individuellt tvätta och gå igenom varenda frukt och grönsak som kommer ombord (så vi inte får fripassagerare i form av kryp och mögel).  Vi ska även på en. read more...

Frances Louise V - November 15th - Day Six

96 Day Six was different - not because incidents reverted to plaguing us, more that the wind deserted us, bringing different challenges - of the decision making variety. It dawned as beautifully as ever, but by 0700 GMT the wind had gone light (around 10 knots is light for our heavy boat dead downwind). It was also going fluky and shifty. Not good. But the seas had moderated somewhat, which was a help. We continued sailing on, albeit in a rather wallowing manner, only making around 5 knots over the ground, if we were lucky, and, to be truthful, usually less. There was talk on the fleet WhatsApp of giving up and motoring, and the forecasts are showing decreasing rather than increasing wind. We decided that we were quite happy somewhat drifting,. read more...

Arkyla - D6: visitors

The wind is perfect conditions - and direction - for flying the Parasailor, which makes it all the harder having to see it lying forlorn and broken bundled away in the forepeak… we trundle on slowly trying to pinch to the rhum line as we close within 100 nm of Mindelo.We had a large pod of dolphins visit earlier however to spread a bit of joy; riding our bow wave, then one gymnastic fellow treating us to an aerial display of spins and cartwheels.Shortly later Arkyla has a visitor and close encounter of another kind. Slowly converging on us is a Norwegian ARC boat (rally #96?).It too looks like it has suffered sail woes as its jib furler is half way down the stay, sail bundled below; the crew are trying to rig an inner stay by the looks of it.I guess there will be a few stories to trade. read more...

Gertha 5 - A lot of ones

18.14N 23.46WNo too much happening out here the last two days.1 pod of small dolphin or Porpouse1 fish caught1 lost fish lure1 whale in the distance1 turtle1 broken block ( old age)Probably be in Mindelo tomorrow morningAll good and peaceful on the good ship Gerthananos gigantum humeris insidentes. read more...

Frances Louise V - November 14th - Day Five

96 Day Five, like Day Four, has passed without incident. That’s now two issue free days in a row. Like Day Four it has also been absolutely perfect.  From dawn to dusk to dawn the North East Trade Winds have blown consistently between 024 and 045 degrees at around 15 to 20 knots. We are creaming along downwind on 220 degrees, running just east of our rhumb line. We covered 150.2 nm, averaging 6.3 knots. Slightly more than Day Four as there was a bit more wind. Occasionally we put in two reefs, and then shake them out later. Otherwise the boat manages herself, on auto pilot, quite happily, and very purposefully.  She ploughs on, up and over and down the gentle waves, in the moderate seas, in such a no fuss manner that it is all. read more...

Sea Rose - Day 5 - Ceviche at a Seaside Table

We have been pleased that the forecasted moderating of winds has been pushed out again so we can enjoy these fine Northeasterly Trades for another day of fine sailing. We tried twin headsails today and let them drive us steadily through the building northwest swell. We’ve just switched back to wing and wing for the night time, after enjoying the second day in a row of fresh caught mahi mahi as a ceviche appetizer before dinner. We are eating like royalty while watching the miles tick away to Mindelo. Sleeping has been surprisingly easy as well with a relatively flat boat. This has been a really special experience. We are so happy to share in the adventure with our fellow ARC+ sailors. See you soon in Mindelo!. read more...

Arkyla - D4: Snags, snags, and yet more snags

With the poorly parasailor bundled into the forecabin, we have set the twin genoas on pole and boom… we are back to making good progress and steadily making back at least some of the ground we lost due to ‘the incident’ (much like ‘the Scottish play’, it should not be mentioned by name!).  A more thorough (though far from incomplete) examination of the Parasailor shows it has been significantly ripped along its length… probably too great an ask to fix in Mindelo, but a potential plan is, nonetheless, forming on how to get the wind to drive us across leg 2 to Grenada. So far this has been a passage of unfortunate events.  The list of snags includes a malfunctioning Hydrogenerator ( thanks to all involved in getting a replacement warranty unit sent to Mindelo aboard. read more...

Frances Louise V - November 13th - Day Four

96 Day Four has gone beautifully, in all senses of that word, without any hitches, technical or otherwise.  The three of us are now very well settled in to this great passage, and loving it. Frances Louise is just skipping along excitedly; David and I are both happy and relaxed, enjoying the magnificence of it all.  After day break and my morning cup of tea I shook out the two over night precautionary reefs in the headsails.  We remained that way all day.  The wind, although a little up and down, has, by and large, steadied today at between 10 and 15 knots, and so we continued under full sail over night too. The seas have calmed considerably. We are still able to feel we are on a proper ocean, but I would describe the state as moderate with a few lumpy. read more...

Duet - Minor breakage

Day 4 WednesdayYesterday we had a problem with the ratchet on the furler for both of our downwind sails.The small ratchet part is bent slightly out of shape so it has become a lottery whether it will work or not. At first this seemed ok but once we’d worked out that as well as not locking it could actually totally lock up without warning we have decided on a more cautious approach today just using our main and Genoa. We are still making good speed but not as fast as we’d like. As our onboard chief engineer Steve M has worked out how to remove the ratchet altogether we may try again with the downwind sails tomorrow. A more leisurely day today has allowed us to eat like kings (and a queen). Breaded Mahi Mahi and salad for lunch and steaks in whisky cream sauce for supper. Yum. Our dealer. read more...

Frances Louise V - Day Three

96 They say there are only two certain things in life - death and taxes, but since passing through the Raz du Sein, towards the end of July, the North Atlantic has consistently given us two things. We have enjoyed a world of blue skies and azure blue water with varying degrees of white caps (apart from just one morning of fog in Galicia). Today however, at sunrise, there is some cloud, and with the higher winds of yesterday afternoon, that have more or less continued overnight, I was wondering what was in store for us.  At 0900 I woke David to take over the boat and I took over the pilot berth for my third, consecutive, deep off watch 2.5 hour sleep. I was woken at midday to - “the wind has dropped to 15 knots we can get the. read more...