S2.26 - Crossing the Atlantic: Our Greatest Passage Yet
Nov 30 — Day 1: And We’re Off!
As predicted, we rocked to the booff booff booff of the concert until 5:30 am, but we were up and ready to depart at 6:33 am.
Admiring our final sunset over land for a while.
We Said our Farewells to Mindelo
By 7:00 am, the Code D was flying, engines were off, and we were sailing. As we passed the lee side of the Santo Antao Island, however, the wind vanished and the engines had to go back on for a bit. At 4.1 knots (SOG), our chart plotter showed a daunting 2,085 nm to St Lucia and estimated 510.38 hours to get there —that’s 22.81 days. Buckle in!
These were our readings about an hour into our day.
NOTE: Since we departed at exactly 6:33 am, I decided to make that our official daily “checkpoint” — I’ll be taking note of how far we’ve travelled every 24 hours at 6:33 am, and will post our daily mileage accordingly for each day until we arrive, along with a passage progress summary at the end of our journey. Our goal is to complete the passage in 16–18 days, so it’ll be interesting (and a bit nerve-wracking) to see how our progress stacks up.
We passed a pod of pilot whales off our starboard side, then hit a wind funnel off the island’s wing and rocketed off again, averaging 7.2 knots in 25 knot gusts.
Capturing 9.6 knots SOG here! Wow! Love it!!
Ryan caught a great little video of our speeds, which we were pretty proud of and sure gave us a moral boost to be starting off our crossing this way - if we could sustain them, we’d be there in 9.39 days. Of course, that number changes constantly, sometimes thrilling us, sometimes discouraging us.
Here’s a shot of all the traffic crossing the Atlantic right now.
’Tis the season (end of Nov–Jan) when it’s best to sail westward and avoid hurricane season.
It appears like we were ahead of the pack leaving the Verdes today. I guess our hard work hauling those jerry cans of diesel and not to having to wait in line for fuel this morning paid off!
Dec 1 — Day 2: Finding Our Rhythm
Wow. In our first 24 hours we logged 172.7 nm
—an impressive start considering 160 nm is excellent, and we only averaged 117 nm/day on our Canaries–Verdes passage.
It’s certainly rolly and hard to walk, but not bumpy. We’re thrilled.
Wildlife today: a quick dolphin flyby (they were on a mission), 2 flying fish, and 1 baby squid who miscalculated their leap and ended up on board.
Here’s a great shot showing where Al & Judi are in relation to us.
Roa and I played cribbage before dinner, trying to dethrone the new masters… no luck yet. We took down the Code D at 9 pm due to rising winds and swapped to the Genoa. Byron later put the Code D back up on his midnight shift.
Dec 2 — Day 3: Hitting Our Stride
Another fantastic 24 hour period: 174.5 nm.
You can also see we passed the volcanic Krylov Seamount about 300km west of the Verdes — its summit sits 1,270 m below the surface but rises 3,200 m from the seafloor.
The guys furled and stowed the Code D, then hoisted the Parasailor. Within an hour, we were clocking 17 knot bursts and averaging about 12 knots (SOG).
Sadly, we received sobering news: a man overboard was declared from an ARC race boat ahead of us, and search efforts are underway. Everyone in the vicinity of the incident is asked to keep a lookout for the young sailor. It’s unsettling knowing it can happen even to professionals.
We’re in constant communication with Al & Judi and find comfort knowing friends are out here too.
Dec 3 — Day 4: Flying Fish and Flying Speeds
We smashed our record—210.9 nm in the last 24 hour period!
That’s Al and Judi in the center circle above us.
We had to try to slow the boat down a bit overnight by raising the base of the Parasailor to reduce stress on the rigging.
The morning, however, brought an amazing sunrise...
as well as a fresh layer of flying fish corpses…
… including one who made it all the way into our salon under the go bag. 🙈🐟
Squalls showed up this afternoon, so in 20 knots of wind, the guys doused the Parasailor, raised the main and Genoa all in 20 minutes flat. Rock stars!!
Jambalaya was served for dinner this evening … and other than that… we are just riding the waves.
Dec 4 — Day 5: Code D Catastrophe
At midnight Ryan yelled down to me: “We need your help!” The Code D had finally torn at the taped repair site Ryan and Byron had done back on Nov 26th. Life jackets on, the guys wrestled it down safely.
Day 4, we hit 166.1 nm.
Still great!
Morning brought calm seas, and the Parasailor went back up.
We’re absolutely blown away by how much the Parasailor has transformed our downwind sailing experience—it’s a total game changer! Huge kudos to Ryan for his brilliant foresight in investing in this sail for our crossing. It’s like having a secret weapon that turns the wind into pure magic!
Ryan turned our clocks back one hour, and by afternoon we were surfing and smiling.
Later in the day, Byron reinforced our lifelines—a quiet but powerful reminder that the MOB incident has safety sitting squarely at the top of our minds. The ocean is unforgiving, and going overboard simply isn’t an option. No one leaves the helm station, day or night, without a buddy, a life jacket, and being clipped securely to the lifelines that run the length of each side of the boat.
Squalls overnight—39 knots of wind. Ryan helmed through the worst, even taking Roa’s shift. Parasailor stayed up because you don’t take that beast down in 39 knots. Tonight was intense, but Ryan and Byron managed the sail well and I knew we were in the best hands.
Dec 5 — Day 6: Eye of the Wind
By 6 am winds were still wild, gusting into the 30s, but we covered 183.6 nm in the last 24 hours, so at least we are making amazing progress.
Al and Judi appear just above us. Catching a glimpse of their cozy little circle is one of my favorite moments of the trip.
Thanks to Ryan, our battery and water routines are solid: We typically let the batteries drain no less than to 50%, then we start the generator which runs for about 1.5 hrs in the morning, and again for about 2.5 hrs in the evening topping them back up to about 80% before night shifts begin. The batteries charge at about 11-13%/hour. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, we also don’t let the water get down below 80% so know we always have at least that much fresh water on hand should our generator or water maker go down. We use about 140-150 liters/day.
We spotted the tall ship called Eye of the Wind (built in 1911).
For €9,000 you can cross the Atlantic on her from Tenerife to Barbados!
Judi even caught a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch streaking the sky.
Thanks for sharing this photo Judi!
The top speed Ryan saw today was 18.3 knots as we continue surfing the 3m swells!
Dec 6 — Day 7: Over the Hump
Over-the-Hump Sunrise this Morning!
As we crossed the halfway mark of our Atlantic passage, the sky seemed to celebrate with us—sunbeams bursting through the clouds and casting golden light across the restless ocean. A breathtaking reminder that even in the middle of nowhere, beauty shows up to cheer you on.
We logged 209.1 nm and passed the halfway mark!!
999.6 nm to go!!
Spirits soared and we celebrated ‘the hump’ with bacon, eggs, and hash browns.
We’ve noticed there’s a fine line between comfort speeds: too fast and you fear structural failure, too slow and the clock feels like it’s running backwards.
We are very happy to report we’ve only used 15% of our fuel from our tanks (and have not touched the jerries) and are back in 4,000 m deep waters. There is just something special about being on the back end of half way!
Dec 7 — Day 8: Crux and Calm(er) Seas
Winds eased a bit and are down to about 17knots. We covered 192.2 nm in the last 24hrs, still keeping a 7.8 knot average, which is better than we had ever expected.
Byron missed his night shift, so Ryan stepped in—and in true sailor fashion, they just swapped around the schedule. You do what you have to do out here to keep the boat (and the crew) moving
We tried to spot the Southern Cross, but the clouds were obscuring our view. We were fortunate to see it really well when we went to Bora Bora in 2019. We will keep our eyes out for it in the coming days. The best time to see it is just before sunrise.
Dec 8 — Day 9: Sobering News
We covered 183.5 nm for Day 8, dodged squalls, and even baked bread.
Update on MOB: “Swedish sailor Dag Eresund (33) from Ocean Breeze fell overboard on Dec 2. After 18 hours of searching, MRCC Norfolk suspended the search on Dec 8. He was wearing an AIS lifejacket but was never found.” Sobering indeed.
Below is the report that was posted by the ARC about the tragedy, and you can also see the tracks from 2 of the ARC boats as they searched for the missing crew member when it happened. Our hearts go out to the crew and family.
Dec 9 — Day 10: Southern Cross and Sailfish
We motored through storm clouds overnight and made 161.2 nm. Everyone slept well and safely.
At 6:53 am we finally caught a good photo of the Southern Cross. Beside it is an overlay of the star pattern of Crux. It’s hard to believe it’s still so dark out and it’s almost 7:00am.
The sunrise that followed was blazing orange and gave me goosebumps.
By 9 am the Parasailor was up again.
Time for Spirits to Soar: After countless near misses and “the one that got away” stories from my previous posts, we finally landed a big one—and didn’t lose it this time!
A magnificent 5’ Sailfish flashing its electric blue hues as it danced across the surface, its long spear-like bill slicing through the air. One of the fastest fish in the ocean—capable of hitting speeds up to 68 mph—this powerhouse came from the deep, warm waters we’re sailing through (currently 29.2 °C / 85 °F). The boat buzzed with adrenaline as we brought it aboard, and by the time the excitement settled, we had about 11 pounds of beautiful, fresh fillets. Victory never tasted so good.
Dec 10 — Day 11: Slow but Safe
The rain poured down in relentless sheets, a careless slip leaving the cockpit enclosures unbuttoned soaking everything in sight. Yet, through the storm’s stubborn curtain, a vibrant rainbow dared to break free, painting hope across the gray sky.
We only covered 153.4 nm, our slowest day,
but still better than our Canaries–Verdes average.
We lost a mahi mahi …
…and dodged lightning strikes all night. Nature keeps us humble.
We are “Lucky Enough” to be mostly ahead of the main thunder storms. Al and Judi (and most of the ARC group), however, are pretty much in the thick of it.
Dec 11 — Day 12: The Final Push
Woke up to 145 nm left in our journey! The winds have died down and we only covered 147.6 nm in the last 24 hours. We are, however, throttling back to avoid arriving in the middle of the night.
Depths are coming up (3,000m) and Barbados is just 80 nm off our port side. Full Circle III is 370nm behind us.
Byron and Roa emptied the last of our jerries into the tanks, topping us back up to 90% fuel—a comforting buffer as we closed in on St. Lucia. The night itself was calm and uneventful, but the excitement was palpable: we were officially down to double digits on the miles remaining.
At first, we tried to rein in our speed so we wouldn’t arrive in the dark, but the waxing moon rose high and bathed the ocean in a silvery glow. With that much light on our side, the apprehension of anchoring at night melted away. Anxious, eager, and running on adrenaline, we pushed with both engines on at a steady 6–6.5 knots
Dec 12 — Day 13: Land Ho (Part 1)
We crept into Rodney Bay, St Lucia at 1:20 am—11 days, 21 hours, 36 minutes after leaving Mindelo, Cabo Verde.
We lit the underwater lights as we ghosted into the anchorage, turquoise water glowing under us, St Lucia’s lights twinkling ashore. Seeing land was glorious.
We toasted our arrival,
…raised the St Lucia flag,
…and reminisced on our greatest journey yet under the light of that beautiful moon before collapsing into bed at 3 am, still running on adrenaline and awe.
Review of Daily 6:33am Count…
My heart is overflowing with gratitude.
To Ryan - our Captain, my partner - for constant encouragement, turning this dream into reality and guiding us safely across an ocean.
To our Incredible Crew (Byron & Roa) - whose hard work, resilience, and camaraderie carried us through long nights and high seas.
And to our Family and Friends ashore—your encouragement and support have been with us every mile of the way. This landfall is not just ours, but yours too.
Lucky Enough: 1st Ocean Passage Stats:
(6:33 am Daily Count)
Dec 1 (24 hrs): 172.7 nm
Dec 2 (48 hrs): 174.5 nm
Dec 3 (72 hrs): 210.9 nm
Dec 4 (96 hrs): 166.1 nm
Dec 5 (120 hrs): 183.6 nm
Dec 6 (144 hrs): 209.1 nm
Dec 7 (168 hrs): 192.2 nm
Dec 8 (192 hrs): 183.5 nm
Dec 9 (216 hrs): 161.2 nm
Dec 10 (240 hrs): 153.4 nm
Dec 11 (264 hrs): 147.6 nm
Dec 12 (final – 285 hrs): 146.1 nm
Total Distance: 2,100.9 nm
Duration: 11 days, 21 hours, 36 minutes
Average Speed: 7.4 knots