Atlantic crossing 2025

[geem]

Update from the Atlantic. We have 1011nm to go to Antigua. I think you can describe this a full trades kind of passage. I came on watch this morning to 30/33kts. No squalls. Clear sky. Gradient winds blowing hard.
We set our sails 7 days ago and apart from rolling some genoa in and out, we have had nothing to do in the sail department. The sail area is set to keep the boat speed below hull speed. This keeps her running true and straight. As soon as we do consistent speeds above 8 knots, she starts to squirm around, working the autopilot harder. 7kt average over the last 24hrs with every 24hr run above 160nm since we cleared the very large wind shadow of the Cape Verdes. It should calm down a bit later.
On previous Atlantic crossings, we have left early in the season to have a more gentle crossing. Trades get stronger after Xmas. We sail with just me and the wife and the dog. (dog is on her 5th crossing) this is the windiest crossing we have had going in this direction.
We hope to be in Antigua in 7 days.

 

[capnsensible]

Enjoying reading your reports from the passage, ta.

 

[Roberto]

Fair winds
Are you seeing a lot of sargassum?

 

[geem]

Fair winds
Are you seeing a lot of sargassum?

No weed. Yet. We have found in the past that it's the last 1000nm when you start to get weed. We have less than 1000nm to go now so I expect to see some soon. When it happens, fishing will be over.
We have caught less fish this year and they are smaller. Even the flying fish are less numerous and smaller. It's depressing to see on Marine traffic, fishing boats halfway across thr Atlantic with huge nets set, scooping up everything. We are killing the oceans. They have AIS pingers on their nets

 

[Roberto]

No weed. Yet. We have found in the past that it's the last 1000nm when you apart to get weed. We have less than 1000nm to go now so I expect to see some soon. When it happens, fishing will be over.
We have caught less fish this year and they are smaller. Even the flying fish are less numerous and smaller. It's depressing to see on Marine traffic, fishing boats halfway across thr Atlantic with huge nets set, scooping up everything. We are killing the oceans. They have AIS pingers on their nets

As you have internet...
Central Atlantic Data — College of Marine Science — University of South Florida

 

[geem]

Enjoying reading your reports from the passage, ta.

Update from the Atlantic.
We have just completed day 10. 1630nm by the log. Looks like 3 more nights at sea if the wind holds. We have 16/20kts of wind and 2.1m seas. Champagne sailing conditions, assisted by a nice big moon. A far cry from the rough days very reefed down earlier in the passage.
527nm to go to Antigua.
Looking on Marine Traffic, it looks very crowded out here but we haven't seen a single yacht and only 1 ship that was too close for comfort. That needed a vhf call to explain that we were a sailing vessel with poled out sails heading down wind. The master of the 185m bulk carrier agreed to alter course.
Although we have AIS we haven't seen more than a couple of targets, 13 or 14nm away. It's a very large ocean out here.
The sargasso weed appeared at 700nm to go, so fishing is game over.
Beers going in the fridge ready for arrival. It's funny how your perspective changes. We are nearly there

 

[capnsensible]

Friends of ours are in Santa Cruz, Tenerife at the moment. Have sorted the last of the preps will victual over the weekend and head off Monday.

I'll let them know about the weed.

 

[geem]

Friends of ours are in Santa Cruz, Tenerife at the moment. Have sorted the last of the preps will victual over the weekend and head off Monday.

I'll let them know about the weed.

Friends of ours just left Santa Cruz yesterday.
The weed mustny be full coverage because I put the fishing lines back out today. Weed has gone, temporarily

 

[geem]

End of day 11, start of day 12. 365nm to go to Antigua. 169nm daily run by the log. 364nm DMG.
When we left Mindelo, we set up our twin poles. We can gybe the genoa across the poles. We have sailed wing on wing with a reefed mainsail all the way across. Currently we have 2 reefs in the main, the working jib is set on the same side as the main and the reefed genoa poled out opposite.,we did our first gybe of the trip last night. 10 days on one tack.
We are a Solent rigged ketch. The mizzen mast has been redundant on this passage. This has never happened before. Normally we will do numerous sail changes, mainly because leaving early in the season means light winds. Not this time. The spinnaker and mizzen staysail haven't been out of their bags.
The good news is we caught two more mahi mahi as the sagasso weed disappeared. Our small freezer was full so I converted one of the fridges over to a freezer. The lines may be back out this morning if we are still weed free

 

[Flynnbarr]

Could we have more info on the dog please…..5th crossing wow

 

[geem]

Could we have more info on the dog please…..5th crossing wow

Certainly. Pip is a 14 years old Patterdale terrier. She is very as home on the boat having spent 9 years of her life afloat. When we sailed back to the UK last year and moved back into our house, she was very lost. Wasn't really that happy. Her happy place is afloat. She has a bean bag in a custom built box under the saloon table. She loves that spot. She is only allowed down in the evening if she has been to the loo. She like to go infront of the mast. Fine if the weather is settled, but after a week of 3 reefs in the mainsail we had to get imaginative with dealing with it. She gets super excited with balloons. Inflating those and taking them on deck certainly helped persuade her to go!
She is a tough little dog and doesn't get phased by much.

 

[Wandering Star]

Certainly. Pip is a 14 years old Patterdale terrier. She is very as home on the boat having spent 9 years of her life afloat. When we sailed back to the UK last year and moved back into our house, she was very lost. Wasn't really that happy. Her happy place is afloat. She has a bean bag in a custom built box under the saloon table. She loves that spot. She is only allowed down in the evening if she has been to the loo. She like to go infront of the mast. Fine if the weather is settled, but after a week of 3 reefs in the mainsail we had to get imaginative with dealing with it. She gets super excited with balloons. Inflating those and taking them on deck certainly helped persuade her to go!
She is a tough little dog and doesn't get phased by much.

Would you like to swap her for my wife? She seems an ideal shipmate ( the dog not my wife).

 

[Flynnbarr]

Certainly. Pip is a 14 years old Patterdale terrier. She is very as home on the boat having spent 9 years of her life afloat. When we sailed back to the UK last year and moved back into our house, she was very lost. Wasn't really that happy. Her happy place is afloat. She has a bean bag in a custom built box under the saloon table. She loves that spot. She is only allowed down in the evening if she has been to the loo. She like to go infront of the mast. Fine if the weather is settled, but after a week of 3 reefs in the mainsail we had to get imaginative with dealing with it. She gets super excited with balloons. Inflating those and taking them on deck certainly helped persuade her to go!
She is a tough little dog and doesn't get phased by much.

Brilliant thanks for sharing that