Biggest ever numbers crossing Atlantic this year?

[capnsensible]

I put a thread on a couple of weeks ago about first arc flag. They have bred! Loads around now. Lanzarote marinas are now fully booked right through to end of November, anchorages full too. I've not seen so many yachts at this traditionally busy time. Guess it must be pent up wanderlust after bat bug.

Was chatting with a local marine engineer down the marina this morning he is turning work away. Also fully booked!

Vessel finder shows shed loads more on the way. This may strain the covid ruled Carib islands towards Christmas.........

 

[Gary Fox]

Good to hear.
(Unless you're a NARC, but you would probly cross later anyway)
The ARC is maybe the largest yacht event bearing in mind the mileage?

 

[Bajansailor]

Here is a list of entries for this year's ARC - I tallied them up roughly, and it seems to be about 150 - a lot for sure, but much less than the early days when they were getting 200+ each year.
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/arc_2021_evententries.aspx

Re Covid, it certainly does seem to be running amok in the Eastern Caribbean now - you can see the statistics here -
ArcGIS Dashboards

Here in Barbados we have had about 5,600 cases and 50 deaths in the past month; St Lucia has had approx 2,000 cases and 96 deaths in the past month.

 

[Minerva]

The ARC is maybe the largest yacht event bearing in mind the mileage?

If your measure is number of participants x miles travelled it must be pretty close. The clipper race has 11 boats (hopefully all) doing 40,000miles though.

 

[capnsensible]

My thoughts from what I'm seeing is disregard arc. There are hundreds of yachts arriving in the islands non arc.
The guy I talked to reckoned over a thousand and more on the way. Fortunately here we are almost done with covid despite many thousands of tourists.

 

[geem]

After a lot of deliberating we have decided not to cross to the Caribbean this year. The cruising in the islands is difficult and expensive with all the PCR testing. Updates from several friends in the Caribbean suggest leaving it 12 months would make more sense. They are pretty fed up with life there. Plan is to stay on the Algarve for winter then cruise Mederia and Azores next summer then back to Portugal before resuming our route to the Canaries and Caribbean.

 

[Minerva]

After a lot of deliberating we have decided not to cross to the Caribbean this year. // Plan is to stay on the Algarve for winter then cruise Mederia and Azores next summer then back to Portugal before resuming our route to the Canaries and Caribbean.

I say this as I sit with a yet another project scope document needing negotiated, written and signed off by awkward stakeholders on a cold Scottish Friday morning - but, having read the above I've discovered you can really go off some people! Lucky so-an-so!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A glorious, cold and frosty morning in Scotland. Reminds me of my first departure for the Atlantic from Kip, frost on the deck, 1988 as we slipped out moorings Canary Island bound.

On days like this I appreciate the beauty of this country with changing seasons.

 

[Minerva]

A glorious, cold and frosty morning in Scotland. Reminds me of my first departure for the Atlantic from Kip, frost on the deck, 1988 as we slipped out moorings Canary Island bound.

On days like this I appreciate the beauty of this country with changing seasons.

Oh it looks lovely enough from my office window, but I think right about now I'd prefer to be 3,000 miles away from this desk swimming off the back of the boat in warm tropical waters and enjoying a caipirinha cocktail as the sun goes down this evening!

 

[Kelpie]

After a lot of deliberating we have decided not to cross to the Caribbean this year. The cruising in the islands is difficult and expensive with all the PCR testing. Updates from several friends in the Caribbean suggest leaving it 12 months would make more sense. They are pretty fed up with life there. Plan is to stay on the Algarve for winter then cruise Mederia and Azores next summer then back to Portugal before resuming our route to the Canaries and Caribbean.

That makes me feel better. We've had the decision forced upon us, we're just entering Portugal now from Galicia, having lost about five weeks to an unexpected trip home, on top of an already later than planned departure from Scotland. Trying to continue to the Caribbean this year seems just too much of a rush.

The trip home did at least help us realise that this is definitely what we want to be doing. 40yrs of living in Scotland has been nice but it's time for a change of scene.

 

[geem]

That makes me feel better. We've had the decision forced upon us, we're just entering Portugal now from Galicia, having lost about five weeks to an unexpected trip home, on top of an already later than planned departure from Scotland. Trying to continue to the Caribbean this year seems just too much of a rush.

The trip home did at least help us realise that this is definitely what we want to be doing. 40yrs of living in Scotland has been nice but it's time for a change of scene.

Where do you plan to over winter?

 

[Kelpie]

Where do you plan to over winter?

Hope to stay on the move as long as possible and possibly take a three month contract at Almerimar. Guadiana looks good too. Our budget has taken a bit of a hit with our trip home ?

 

[BurnitBlue]

Me too. I have postponed until 2022 because of the expected Covid Hassle on the Islands. I hope to start early next year from Greece around May to get to the Canaries jump off point.. Yet another instance of wishfull optimism. I try to convince myself that I am only delaying for five month when I know full well that it is really a delay of one year. Then there is the effect on the rest of the Canary islands of the fumes from La Palma. The German news channel said today that the volcano eruption got very much worse yesterday with lava overspijjing what is left of the cone. Heaven forbid it goes "Pyroclastic" if that is the word.

 

[Bajansailor]

Staying put on the eastern side of the Atlantic for the time being sounds like a good move to me, until the Corona situation out here improves.
But hopefully things will get better next year.
For anybody planning on sailing across who is not 'doing' the ARC, Barbados is a nice first port of call in the New World - and 100 miles east of the other islands, so you can knock a day (almost) off your passage if you come here first.
See the link in my 'signature' below.

 

[capnsensible]

A glorious, cold and frosty morning in Scotland. Reminds me of my first departure for the Atlantic from Kip, frost on the deck, 1988 as we slipped out moorings Canary Island bound.

On days like this I appreciate the beauty of this country with changing seasons.

Stuff that for a game of sailors. ??

Left Rubicon 0830 this morning to go round to Calero for 1200 lift. Scorchio, flat for first hour, had a bit of a sail being early. First time boat had moved in a year and a half. Bit graunchy under engine with fouling on prop. However for the short time we sailed was lovely.

All sorted lift done, some minor repairs put in hand then back to Popeyes Bar in Playa Blanca for a burger plus a couple of small foamy cold lagers!

Having had plenty of frosty sailing all round the UK many times........bash it.

 

[Gary Fox]

Frosty is ok if you have fjords and the Northern Lights..

 

[capnsensible]

Frosty is ok if you have fjords and the Northern Lights..

And a cabin on a cruise ship.

 

[dom]

I put a thread on a couple of weeks ago about first arc flag. They have bred! Loads around now. Lanzarote marinas are now fully booked right through to end of November, anchorages full too. I've not seen so many yachts at this traditionally busy time. Guess it must be pent up wanderlust after bat bug.

Biggest ever numbers crossing Atlantic this year?

Sadly not?
Here's an illustration from around 1849 during the height of the Irish famine.
They were called coffin ships.
What they would have given for an AWB.
Sad
Sorry for drift

 

[RJJ]

Stuff that for a game of sailors. ??

Left Rubicon 0830 this morning to go round to Calero for 1200 lift. Scorchio, flat for first hour, had a bit of a sail being early. First time boat had moved in a year and a half. Bit graunchy under engine with fouling on prop. However for the short time we sailed was lovely.

All sorted lift done, some minor repairs put in hand then back to Popeyes Bar in Playa Blanca for a burger plus a couple of small foamy cold lagers!

Having had plenty of frosty sailing all round the UK many times........bash it. ☀☀☀☀

Hello, thanks for your updates. Would appreciate any tips on haulout in las Palma's... Thanks!

 

[capnsensible]

Hello, thanks for your updates. Would appreciate any tips on haulout in las Palma's... Thanks!

Hiya. My pilot is down the boat, will look in the next day or two. No prob.

Not been to Las Palmas for a while so don't recall. I avoid it actually, my least favourite Canarian marina.

Leave it with me. ?