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Serendipity IV - First week on our Atlantic passage



Sunday, 22nd January 2023.
It’s now a week ago when we waved goodbye to family and friends as well as our fellow ralliers and the nice and helpful ARC-Team in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. They were emotional moments and a tear or two were hidden behind our sunglasses.
The first three days were, as everybody keeps telling, a getting used to to the movement, to the up and down, the swaying in all directions. Everything takes longer than just a few hours ago in the marina. Everything needs to be done with one hand. There is the saying ‘one hand for the boat, one hand for the sailor’. It is true. You have to hold on all the time and think about normal, everyday’s action how to do them with just one hand and an unstable stand. Okay, we know all this from our past time sailing but it is surprising, how one still has to get used to it every time again.
And there is the lack of sleep. As a sailing couple without crew we have to share all chores and especially the watches between us. And the first days are the most difficult as one isn’t used to the watch pattern with only a maximum of 3.5 hours sleep at a time. On top come the seasickness tablets that make us sleepy and literally knock us out. But they do their job, so no complaining.
It was fun to see fellow participants on AIS ever so often. Thinking about how they are dealing with the situation and talking to some over the VHF. But soon we could only see the odd one and this morning the first one in days again. That is when the satellite phone comes in handy and one can chat and exchange thoughts with other boats a little further away.
Anyway, on the third day we had our first freshly cooked lunch and not a precooked goulash. And by Wednesday we could say we had our sea legs and got used to be on the move. Michael even got a hair cut which he didn’t have time for during the busy week before departure. On the forth day we also had our first little squall. Since then there have been a couple a day and the odd one at night. But nothing heavy.
Today being Sunday and a week on sea we had pancakes for breakfast to celebrate. A nice treat and quality time together (normally Nina goes straight to sleep after her early shift and only wakes for lunch). As only the two of us are sharing four hourly shifts and have to catch up with as much sleep as possible during the day, we often only really eat lunch together. The other meals we look after ourselves or prepare and eat at different times.
Reviewing the past week we can say all is fine, we are happy on our floating home. Luckily, there hasn’t been any bad breakages, only small ones we will report on another time.

With warmest regards
All the best from the ‘love boat’ SERENDIPITY IV
Nina





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