atalntic crossing 2012 -2013

[SvenglishTommy]

Hee hee, no, but I know a man who does!

Has record for the slowest ever atlantic crossing.....

It was the dive shop connection that made me ask. I met his mum in Charlie's (lovely woman) who told me about the soup fetish I did try to look for him there but he was out and I left Gib the next day... after cleaning out Albor of mulligatawny soup of course

 

[tomdmx]

For what its worth, we are going west in Jan of 2013 not as part of th ARC. Probably get to Gib in Nov...see the family for xmas, get to Canaries early Jan and continue west...we will be sailing our little 31 footer...not sure where to yet though....thinking Surnam or F Guyana

 

[bue sea]

Atlantic Crossing 2012 - 2013

Hi

No doubt I would recommend a stopover in Madeira Archipelago for preparing the boat before seting off to Barbados.

Yes it is true that the Marina in the eastern tip - Quinta do Lorde is far from the capital town Funchal ( about 25 minutes by car), But it's the best place to prepare the boat. private group that also owns the marina in Porto Santo and 2 boatyards. whilst there the thecniciens from the boatyard come abord for repairs. even aluminium and inox welding and sail / canvas repairs.
good rates, because of 30% discount to several groups of cruisers.
free shutle bus to the supermaket, free wifi internet.

From Gibraltar is 4/5 days sailing with predominant winds from NE.

cheers
Blue Sea

 

[bue sea]

Atlantic Crossing

Hi.
Vote for Gib to Madeira.
short sailing in NE winds. about 5 days.
good for preparing the boat before seting off to Barbados.
good new boatyard in Madeira beneath the airport runway. thecs ciome abord in Quinta do Lorde marina

cheers
Blue Sea

 

[BobnLesley]

Oh cripes, sailing which route?

"Breezer now sits preparing for an unaccompanied crossing in January"

Blooming Heck! We're likely to be out there around then and now I read that Fliti intends to untie his boat's lines, presumeably tow/push it out of Agadir marina and then just let it float across the Atlantic on it's own!

Actually, we've met a few boats over the years which would probably have been safer if their crews/skippers had just tossed off the lines and sent them out unaccompanied; ours included on occassion.

 

[fliti]

"Breezer now sits preparing for an unaccompanied crossing in January"

Blooming Heck! We're likely to be out there around then and now I read that Fliti intends to untie his boat's lines, presumeably tow/push it out of Agadir marina and then just let it float across the Atlantic on it's own!

Actually, we've met a few boats over the years which would probably have been safer if their crews/skippers had just tossed off the lines and sent them out unaccompanied; ours included on occassion.

Very drole. The original discussion focussed on sailing in company or not. Having done the former, we emphatically favour the latter so will be accompanying Breezer but unaccompanied. As Sterne said "For by a nose, I mean a nose and nothing but a nose!"

 

[Jamesuk]

Give Real Club Nautico a call which is in Gran Canaria. Oh and if you arrive just after the ARC there are loads of places to stay otherwise just drop the anchor outside, fair amount of room. Pay a local or fellow yacht owner to look after it while you are away.

Hell i might even be able to swing you a mooring as i might be down there working.

 

[Bajansailor]

If any of you guys who are pottering across the pond do decide to stop off in Barbados enroute to the Arcy fleshpots of St Lucia, please do give me a shout when you get here (or before you leave) - most folk who come here are pleasantly surprised by what a nice place Barbados is really, after hearing all sorts of horror stories about Customs, dinghies getting swamped in surf, lack of marinas etc.

Have a look at Chris Doyle's free Online guides for the Caribbean and Barbados :

http://www.doyleguides.com/islands.html and http://www.doyleguides.com/barbados.html

 

[Tradewinds]

If any of you guys who are pottering across the pond do decide to stop off in Barbados enroute to the Arcy fleshpots of St Lucia, please do give me a shout when you get here (or before you leave) - most folk who come here are pleasantly surprised by what a nice place Barbados is really, after hearing all sorts of horror stories about Customs, dinghies getting swamped in surf, lack of marinas etc.

Have a look at Chris Doyle's free Online guides for the Caribbean and Barbados :

http://www.doyleguides.com/islands.html and http://www.doyleguides.com/barbados.html

We spent a month over Xmas/New Year anchored in Carlisle Bay back in '94/95. The beach bar by the pier had been sold & was being 'upgraded' by the new owners. Did the dinghy-in-surf trick (only once!).

Had a wonderful time. Would recommend it as a stop to anyone. Great place to get to Tobago from as well.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

If any of you guys who are pottering across the pond do decide to stop off in Barbados enroute to the Arcy fleshpots of St Lucia, please do give me a shout when you get here (or before you leave) - most folk who come here are pleasantly surprised by what a nice place Barbados is really, after hearing all sorts of horror stories about Customs, dinghies getting swamped in surf, lack of marinas etc.[/url]

I for one am heading straight for Carlisle Bay and a cold Banks at the boat yard.

Barbados is lovely! We organised a christmas beach party there in 2001 and almost all the yachties came along. A friend and I got dunked trying to land the dinghy one evening - all dressed up for a night on the town, much to the amusement of everyone, including us.

I hear they have a dinghy pontoon there now though so no excuse not to visit.

 

[Bajansailor]

Tommy, please dont be in a rush to head south to Carlisle Bay after clearing Customs - I presume that you will clear in at Port St Charles (on the NW side of the island, just north of Speightstown) rather than the commercial harbour in Bridgetown (most folk agree that PSC is much nicer, in every respect).

Re a cold beer, there is a nice little rum shop called 'Braddie's' about 5 mins walk north of the breakwater at PSC - and their beers will be half the price of The Boatyard in Carlisle Bay......

The Boatyard has got a dinghy pontoon on the jetty, but I think you have to pay a daily fee of approx US$10 per person to use it, with some or most of this being redeemable in the bar.

An easier way of avoiding the shore break is to take the dinghy into the Careenage, potter under the lifting bridge, and tie up to the wall in the Inner Basin. And then you are in the centre of town, just a few minutes walk away from the main bus stand and the main street.

You can have a reasonable bash at an island tour on the blue buses for about GBP 2 per person from the main bus stand - all bus fares are BDS$ 2 (aprox 65 p) for any route, any distance (even 12 miles) so if you get a bus to Bathsheba on the east coast from Bridgetown, have a beer there, perhaps while watching the surfers at Soup Bowl, then get another bus to Speightstown (where you might get waylaid at the Fisherman's Pub.....) and then a bus 10 miles south along the coast back to Bridgetown.
Or do it in reverse.......

 

[dratsea]

Interesting thread.

Crossed e-w twice, neither with arc. Once Nov on time for xmas in Antigua, second in Jan, also to Antigua. 26 days 18th Nov to 13 Dec and 21 days 15 Jan to 5 Feb. More bruises and damage on second passage.

Re help: In 1999 a Norwegian (on ARC boat) was washed overboard, presumed lost despite extensive search but picked up by another (Norwegian and ARC) boat but they had only VHF so no one in office knew for three days.

But OP, very sensibly, asked for other boats doing crossing, I may have missed a reply but OP seems to have stirred a hornets' nest with no positive result to himself.

There is positive advice above, get to Canaries, esp LP after ARC leave and you will find other like minded who will keep in touch on the crossing. If before ARC then La Gomera may be best place to meet like minded. We have SSB, Iridium would be nice, going to get Pactor4 for Pacific. Saved one boat between Fiji and Vanuatu on SSB.

But No 1, Go for it and enjoy!

Dratsea

 

[tarik]

Gib

I second that suggestion arrange a rv in Charlie's Bar and could be there all night !!!!







In gibraltar you should report in to Hercules Sailing school and the strangely named captain sensible and his (much) better half will have good advice for gib and canaries.[/QUOTE]

 

[jonic]

Tommy, please dont be in a rush to head south to Carlisle Bay after clearing Customs - I presume that you will clear in at Port St Charles (on the NW side of the island, just north of Speightstown) rather than the commercial harbour in Bridgetown (most folk agree that PSC is much nicer, in every respect).

Re a cold beer, there is a nice little rum shop called 'Braddie's' about 5 mins walk north of the breakwater at PSC - and their beers will be half the price of The Boatyard in Carlisle Bay......

The Boatyard has got a dinghy pontoon on the jetty, but I think you have to pay a daily fee of approx US$10 per person to use it, with some or most of this being redeemable in the bar.

An easier way of avoiding the shore break is to take the dinghy into the Careenage, potter under the lifting bridge, and tie up to the wall in the Inner Basin. And then you are in the centre of town, just a few minutes walk away from the main bus stand and the main street.

You can have a reasonable bash at an island tour on the blue buses for about GBP 2 per person from the main bus stand - all bus fares are BDS$ 2 (aprox 65 p) for any route, any distance (even 12 miles) so if you get a bus to Bathsheba on the east coast from Bridgetown, have a beer there, perhaps while watching the surfers at Soup Bowl, then get another bus to Speightstown (where you might get waylaid at the Fisherman's Pub.....) and then a bus 10 miles south along the coast back to Bridgetown.
Or do it in reverse.......

All excellent advice.

Most of which I have very fond memories of having taken