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09/11/2022

Xenial - Day 3 - Lost at sea

Don't worry, we are not lost at sea! However a few things have fallen overboard during the past 24 hours, and they may give you a sense of life on Xenial.Sometime during the 6 to 8am shift we decided to bring down the Code Zero sail, jibe and put up the genaker - this caused as much sailing excitement as I have witness onboard up to now. Sadly we lost an empty sail bag at sea in the process, but I am told it was worth the 12 knots top speed recorded.Eventually the genaker had to come down, and while folding it up neatly for storage and redeployment, Janne lost his favorite cap overboard. I am told it had a particular protective lining inside. Captain Ulrik reassured us that we have plenty of Xenial caps on board to use, so let's see if the chef takes up needle and thread to make himself. read more...


09/11/2022

Lissy III -

news from the Lissy IIIThe passage from Rügen to Las Palmas is not without problems. Due to the fact that we did not leave until 8.10., we encountered heavy storms on the route from Breege to Gijon. This prevents us from reaching Las Palmas as planned on 11 November. In Den Helder, Cherbourg and Camaret sur Mer we had to weather several days. The crew was only partially suitable for these routes. In addition, there were problems with one of the 12 life jackets. A brand new one with AIS Mob still packed in triggered an MOB alarm. The SAR of the French and the Spanish were in active radio contact with us and asked if everything was OK. We had to check all the life jackets, and as it happens, it's always the last one that causes problems.The lock on the AIS MOB had come loose... The heavy. read more...


Lissy III -
Lissy III -
08/11/2022

Blonde Moment - Blonde Moment Blog 3

8th NovemberBlonde Moment is making its way southto Cap Verde! After a slow start with light winds in Las Palmas, Blonde Moment went into racing mood and is currently improving on her poor start as was probably one of the last boats to cross the line! Conditions are very fair so far; the only disappointment was a fish that went off the hook again. Looking forward to a great night-time sailing with a bright full moon!Laura. read more...


08/11/2022

Helia2 - Dinner after a great day of sailing!

An all day broad reach tack with beautiful weather helped us build some momentum today!Here is a picture of the crew in good spirits at dinner before our third night out from Las Palmas…image1. read more...


Helia2 - Dinner after a great day of sailing!
Helia2 - Dinner after a great day of sailing!
08/11/2022

Falcon - Vinny the Vane

Welcome to ‘Vinny the Vane’. Our fourth crew member. He (yes Vinny is a he, cos Bev says so) has proved invaluable so far on this passage. Vinny is a mechanical extra rudder connected to a vane that follows the wind. Perfect for downwind sailing. Pretty handy is that Vinny doesn’t use electricity which saves on our 12v power. He’s also ready to step up as a spare and independent rudder if there’s a problem.He can be a bit finicky to set and tends to wander a little as if on the way home from the pub. But we wouldn’t be without him.image1. read more...


Falcon - Vinny the Vane
Falcon - Vinny the Vane
08/11/2022

Lomvi - Day 2 - Mint conditions!

Dear starfishes,We are surrounded by endless blue ocean! It is a wonderful solitude. However, we are never far away from capitalism. Passing one of John Fredriksens Frontline tanker. Imagine a world where the shipping industry would pay taxes. Anyway, you are not here to read about the tax. (If you are, go to taxjustice.org/com/no)You are here to read about the exciting times that your friends, us the adventure team, are having on the ocean! Since we wrote each other, the following things have taken place:- Our Norwegian flag fell down. It is now upgraded with shackles, not just rope.- We filled all our empty water bottles with fresh water, made ready by our watermaker. This watermaker has, since we bought it second-hand 6 months ago, possessed the most evil of demons! A seemingly. read more...


08/11/2022

Amokura - Log Day 2 - Fresh tuna for supper

This morning's excitement was Mark setting up the fishing line again at dawn with his new iridescent green squid lure, After a few nibbles yesterday, success was almost immediate. The first one was the one that got away, but the second one was less fortunate - we landed it on the sugar scoop, swiftly despatched, cleaned and popped into the fridge for supper tonight. Mark's toes have faired a little better than the tuna, although they have taken a hammering as he seemed to be in range every time I lost my balance when the boat rolled! After the 3rd time he decided to wear his trainers around the boat! He is a bit in the wars with a bumped head and a sore eye. We watched with interest another yacht coming up from astern with an unorthodox downwind rig. A genoa set but another sail. read more...


08/11/2022

eXite - Exite 8/11

All is well on board and we are steadily rolling towards Cape Verde. Since early morning we can visually see other boats again, right now a pack of around eight boats with roughly the same direction and speed as us. After the morning weather report we decided to go a bit more W to avoid what could potentially be a gale outside Africa, and we are now holding a course a bit away from it and straight towards the destination.The fifth crew member, Mr Autopilot, decided to have a slight issue during the night. Apparently it suddenly didn’t like the calibration of the rudder sensor and wanted us to recalibrate - easy to do in around 3m swell and 20 knots of wind, when the manual says that it should be calm and flat water (a restart seem to have fixed it for now)… Putting it on the list to do. read more...


08/11/2022

Disa - Dolphins accompany Disa

Yesterday’s exciting moment was when a beautiful Amel Super Maramu 2000 crossed our bow. Her four red sails were perfectly trimmed to catch the wind on her beam.It looked like Simoussi was having a lot of fun - perhaps she came to greet her little sister. Then she changed to two large headsails and sped away from us downwind.With 91 boats in their rally, you would think that we would see others more often, but actually it’s very rare for us to spot anyone else.Today we had more visitors - a large pod of dolphins completely surrounded our boat, all scrambling to catch a ride on our bow wave.They looked a bit different from the Med dolphins, with slightly spotty faces, but just as friendly.It’s another glorious day today, with warm sunshine and pleasant sea conditions.. read more...


08/11/2022

Ida - Log day 3 - great downwind sailing & black ship

Our first time participating in a rally, it was great to leave the port with so many other boats and music and people who had come by to wave and wish us a good journey. We were waving and shouting hello to the other boats we have gotten to know. With practically no wind at start, we sailed away from land by motor. When we first hit the wind, we set up the parasailor and haven't taken it down since. The first night, we were doing 8-10 knots with course directly at Mindelo. In the evening we had black ship for a few moments because we tried to cook on an induction plate. Our inverterdidn't like that and got very hot. The batteries also got drained a lot. Fortunately when we got new lithium batteries recently, we kept the old lead acid batteries. We switched power supply to the old lead. read more...


Falcon - Bluewater Runner Sail
Falcon - Bluewater Runner Sail
08/11/2022

Falcon - Sea Day 2 - Monday

We’ve been at sea a full 24 hours now; 156 nautical miles run which is a new 24-hour record for Falcon.The true command structure of this yacht is now clear; with the fall of Vinnie, our fickle hydrovane, to the whispering charms of the 1st Mate, the last bastion of male resistance has fallen andBev’s matriarchal dominance over this boat is complete.We had hoped that yesterday’s start-line boom incident would be the first and last of any major surprises to this passage; Neptune, however, seems intent to test us further as we transit his watery kingdom.This morning the VHF alarmed with a MoB alert, with the position on the chart plotter dropping directly over the yacht following in our wake a half mile behind!A radio call to our stalkers confirmed that all their crew were happily tucking. read more...


08/11/2022

Jayana - A Unique 50th Birthday Gift

I was just walking around the dock, gazing at the ARC flags all around with the sun rising in the background. We arrived at the end of the day yesterday, Lohan (10 y/o) and myself, successfully sailing from Canet-en-Roussillon, France to Las Palmas in time for the ARC Rally. A 9-day passage that shouldn’t have been possible given the circonstances three weeks ago. It’s nothing short of a miracle that Jayana is now docked on the S pontoon. And this morning, I can only take it the best gift possible for my 50th birthday. On October 18th, I was heartbroken when I sent a notice to WCC Admin to notify them that we couldn’t make it for the 2022 ARC:«We suffered from the catastrophic failure of our sail drive three hours motoring after a scheduled maintenance at an authorized ZF dealer. We are. read more...


Jayana - A Unique 50th Birthday Gift
Jayana - A Unique 50th Birthday Gift
08/11/2022

Xenial - Day 2 - Cruising along

Our first night on board was a mixed bag: One the one hand we didn't hit anything, on the other none of us got much sleep. During the day however we had no issues catching up and napping was by far the most popular activity today.Other items of notice, in no particular order:a. We came very close to an abandoned and empty rubberboat. The captain promptly emailed rescue authorities with exact location.b. We passed the 24h on board mark. Some non-alcoholic beer was opened for the occasion.c. We spontaneously broke into song, signing In the Jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight... This somehow translated into Highway to Hell being played on our speakers, but I am still not sure what the musical nexus is.d. We tested the generator. It works!e. We were passed in the stern by. read more...


07/11/2022

Amokura - Log Day 1 - Settling in

Hello from Amokura, a 48ft Wauquiez monohull, skippered by Nic, crewed by Vicky, Mark and, myself, Liz, the only Atlantic Virgin on board, the others having crossed 5 times between them.I came aboard last Thursday, fresh from a busy wind-down at work and a period of adjustment was needed to settle on into boating life and the reality of the trip ahead. It was a bit like being the last guest to a party where everyone knows one another already.The start line was hot and busy, and a slight anticlimax. We had hung back to avoid the crush at the start and then the wind died so we crept over at 1314 doing about 1 kt! A good atmosphere though, with music playing and spectators on the dock waving, and the excitement of being snapped in our crew shirts for our official leaving picture!As the. read more...


07/11/2022

Bolero - ARC + Day 1

ARC+ Day OneThe long anticipated day had come! The buzz around the marina was palpable.The final countdown began: the sheets and halyards were lead through the blocks, the spinnaker and cruising chute were secured to the deck, the anchor was brought back on board and the bow ladder was removed.The last few bits and bobs were stowed away down below.Boats slowly started leaving the pontoon, and the boats either side of us headed off to join them.Fenders and warps were stored in the lazarette locker, the slime lines were released and the bow lines brought on board.We reversed away from the pontoon and edged our way towards the boats waiting to pass the marina entrance and into the harbour.It was an absolutely amazing experience to glide through the marina entrance in a cacophony of cheers. read more...


07/11/2022

Lomvi - Day 1 - "I have been looking for freedom

Since I left my home town" - David HasselhofWe also left our home town, but contrary to David, we found freedom! Out here in the big blue pool is where we finally feel like home. No surprise you might think as our great great great great alot of great grandparents once lives right here in the ocean. Starting of the rally was like a menu with only desserts. We have no expectations of winning this race, but we managed to cross the starting line as maybe boat number 7 or 8. Calm winds as we wave Gran Canaria and Europe goodbye!Three hours in, and we are in the epicentre of adventure. Slashing waves with a gentle breeze in the genaker. Genaker sailing all day. Flying genaker is probably peak existence, and unless you have successfully quit heroine, we recommend you think twice before you. read more...


07/11/2022

eXite - Exite 7/11

An eventful first day for our passage. Started off by being forth (maybe fifth) over the start line despite being one of the smallest yachts in the rally. Then bounced around in 1-6 knots of wind for a few hours before hitting the trades and the fun began! Had a visit of a pod of dolphins to wave us off from the canaries and wishing a safe trip, at least that’s what we thought they wanted.During the night we set the speed record of 13.6kn, 12.4 with autopilot, so let’s see for how long that lasts.Everyone slowly setting into life onboard a rollercoaster after being stationary for almost three weeks. All well onboard, the spirits are high, the sun is out and the kids are longing for the beautiful fish on the upcoming destinations.//Exite. read more...


07/11/2022

Falcon - Sea Day 1 - Start

Police and military officers are well trained to respond to critical situations.How fortunate it was then for Falcon to be loaded with retirees of both flavours to deal with a somewhat testing inject whilst in the melee of boats jostling for position at the start line.At the exact same moment as the blast of the 5 minute gun, we heard a loud, and truth be told rather unsettling, bang as the main sheet block - normally firmly attached to the boom - slammed to the deck. Whilst Bev assumed tactical control at the helm, dynamic duo Ade and James leapt to the mast to discover the boom about to part company from the gooseneck.Just one nut and bolt combo, cleverly hidden beneath rubber covers, has sole responsibility for holding these rather essential elements of our rig together… somewhat. read more...


Falcon - Sea Day 1 - Start
Falcon - Sea Day 1 - Start
07/11/2022

Disa - SV Disa, the Flying Machine

It’s Day 2 and no seasickness on board.Our pre-cooked quesadillas, chicken drumsticks and pigs-in-blankets kept us nibbling through watches of four hours during the day and three hours at night.Our crew is working like a well-oiled machine, pulling together and having fun.We crossed the start line under sail, but soon realised that we would have to motor out, away from the island, in order to catch the wind stream.Our 1988 Amel Mango weighs in at 21 tons - she’s more like a tractor than a Ferrari, and yesterday she definitely needed a push start.So we motor-sailed for four hours, until we were getting a stronger, steadier wind.Then we cut the engine, hopeful that we won’t need to use it again on this leg of the rally.This was the right decision.Overnight our boat sprouted wings and. read more...


07/11/2022

Helia2 - Good morning from Day 1

A great night out…wing on wing (on wing…thanks to the staysail idea by Chris Tibbs!)We had our first 25 knot gust of the trip and did a quick sail change just as the sun was coming up…image2. read more...


Helia2 - Good morning from Day 1
Helia2 - Good morning from Day 1
06/11/2022

Xenial - Day 1 - Start

After a few days of busy preparations (mainly focused on how much chocolate we should buy, where we should store it and how we should ration it) we are on our way to Cape Verde! Given the low winds, crossing the start line was less exciting than expected. However, with some trimming adjustments by Mr Hamilton and with better winds south of Gran Canaria, we have picked up some speed and are cursing at 8 knots. Peak speed of 10 knots was reached while pasta aglio olio e peperoncino was being served for dinner. Coincidence? I don't think so!To sun up, crew morale is high and my level of Swedish still low.Over and out,MaviSent from Iridium Mail & Web.. read more...


06/11/2022

Second Wave -

HiI have nice pics Captain Annie 30 6940540321  20221106_121607. read more...


Second Wave -
Second Wave -
06/11/2022

Helia2 - Helia2 from the air leaving Gran Canaria

We are on our way and finally have some wind!!Traveling 8-9 knots with the sunset approaching…Happy sailing ARC+!!. read more...


Helia2 - Helia2 from the air leaving Gran Canaria
Helia2 - Helia2 from the air leaving Gran Canaria
06/11/2022

Fly the Coop - First Fish!

After trolling the paint off lures all over the Med, we landed a small bonito within a couple of hours of the start. Sashimi tonight!. read more...


Fly the Coop - First Fish!
Fly the Coop  - First Fish!
Resonance - Sunrise while approaching Las Palmas
Resonance - Sunrise while approaching Las Palmas
06/11/2022

Bluewater Mooney - 14 Tage bis zum Start

Es sind (nur) noch 14 Tage bis zum Start, und wir sind noch in Deutschland.Wir, das sind meine Frau Nicole Suhadi und ich, Wilhelm Klaas.Wir werden in diesem Jahr die ARC als Double-hander, also zu zweit segeln. Obwohl wir bereits einige Törns, so die Rückfahrt von der ARC 2014 von den Bermudas über die Azoren, Madeira zurück nach Gran Canaria zum Start der ARC 2015 zu zweit gesegelt sind, ist es dieses Mal eine besondere Herausforderung. Geschätzte 22 Tage wenn alles gut läuft waren wir noch nicht auf See. Das bedeutet für uns beide 22 Tage nur wenige Stunden Schlaf am Stück,regelmäßiges wechseln der Segel und ständiges Anpassen der Route aufgrund der neuesten Wetterdaten über Satellit.Also steigtso langsam die Aufregung.Die BLUEWATER MOONEY wartet seit drei Wochen auf uns in der Marina. read more...


Bluewater Mooney - 14 Tage bis zum Start
Bluewater Mooney - 14 Tage bis zum Start
06/11/2022

Disa - We're off!

It's a glorious morning in Las Palmas - sunshine sparkling on the sea and an excited crew on SV Disa. We're embarking on a HUGE adventure - crossing the Atlantic in our 16m sailboat.  This morning we topped up our water - 1500 litres in our huge tank; said our goodbyes to our pontoon neighbours; raised the passerelle and slipped our mooring lines. Edging out of the harbour in a long line of rally boats was an incredible experience.  The harbour walls were lined with happy people waving and shouting their good wishes, playing loud dance music to get us all moving and grooving as we made our way to the start line.  ARC "Yellow shirts" in little dinghies patrolled the starting area as the Committee Vessel counted down the minutes to our departure.With horns and hooters. read more...


Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
Disa - We're off!
06/11/2022

TUI - Getting ready to depart!

A year of planning has come down to the start in the next few hours. Feeling a mix of nervousness, and a relief and adventure. No more gear to buy. No more provisioning. No more planning. This is it! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.. read more...


Kaizen - Kaizen is ready
Kaizen - Kaizen is ready
Falcon - Last photo before slipping lines
Falcon - Last photo before slipping lines
06/11/2022

Falcon - Prologue

Falcon has been stuffed with provisions, had her tanks filled, and is ready to set sail; her crew are stuffed with pizza, been thoroughly pickled from a week of sundowners and parties, and are dangerously ready to burst.Blood and tears have been spent these last few days making the final preparations to the boat; sweat and significant chunks of dignity havebeen lost grooving at the 70’s disco.Our work is done here in the Canaries; its time to slip lines, point the bow south to the open seas, and make way to the Cape Verdes where, undoubtedly, more partying and fixing things awaits us in Mindelo.image0. read more...


Falcon - Prologue
Falcon - Prologue
06/11/2022

Bolero - Start Day

Start DayIt seems inconceivable that the day we have been planning for is finally here!We thoroughly enjoyed the passages from Lagos to Las Palmas, staying in anchorages…. Some rolly….. in Porto Santo, Baia da Abra and Funchal in Madeira and the marina in Santa Cruz in Tenerife. Our time in Las Palmas has been very busy, boat jobs, victualling and socialising, catching up with ARC friends from previous WCC rallies and meeting new friends. Bolero is ready, the crew is ready!  Fair winds to all the ARC+ boats. . read more...