Logs

Oyster Blew - Goodbye

Goodbye to you all. I am sorry to be missing the prize giving but would like to say what a wonderful bunch of fellow travellers I have met on the ARC Europe 2019. Special thanks go to the yellow shirts. Love HenrySent from my iPad. read more...

Maria Concordia - Not catching up but still following!

Today is the first Sunday at sea, starting with a shower, fresh clothes and an attempt at having a lovely looking, juicy melon for breakfast, which turned out to be so bitter, that it was not even edible with lots of sugar and had to go overboard - shame! The weather is calm but grey skies, no sunshine and even a tiny bit of an occasional drizzle.It is also the last day of the first week at sea and I have a distance of 850 nm behind me and 950 nm ahead. This evening will be half-way, or "Bergfest" as we say in German. All along the mainsail has not been out of its bag, following seas and light winds, just using the two headsails wing-on-wing have made this a very relaxing voyage, though certainly not a record-breaking fast one. The challenge for the next three days will be passing. read more...

Attitude - Arrived in Azores

Hello everyoneAfter 11 days and 7 hours at sea we crossed the finish lineat 21h05 last night. It looks we have done fairly well in this leg but will wait for final reckoning before declaring anything. Our thanks to family, friends and ARC organizing team for your support and interest in our journey which has been tremendousAs we close out the blog for now, we leave you with some words penned by Bernard Maitessier, a French solo sailor who took part in the 1968 single handed round the world non stop race “ The days go by, never monotonous. Even when they appear exactly alike they are never quite the same. This is what gives life at sea it’s special dimension, made up of contemplation and very simple contrastsSea, winds, calms, sun, clouds, dolphins, peace and the joy of being alive in. read more...

Attitude - Good nights rest

Hello everyoneMood is good on board after everyone had better quality sleep due to flatter seas and reduced wind overnight.Highlight of the day was a squid jumping on board. After careful consideration for lunch, it was discarded due to size. We opted for Pork casserole instead and used the Lunch conversation to debate the meaning of life. After a long discussion and sharing of experiences we came to no conclusionThe afternoon brought a SE wind of 15Kn and with flat seas allowed for good sailing up to 10kn. We are looking forward to Horta and betting on actual arrival. Some time between Sun evening and Monday morning, wind depending. Pete’s Bar and a Gin and Tonic beckons!Best wishes to allRui, João and Antonimage1 image2. read more...

Attitude - Miserable wet day

Hello everyone The wind finally abated at dawn this morning and we were left with the remnants on the low pressure which meant rain all day. Everything is a little soggy but we are thankful that the boat withstood the overnight pounding, and nothing broke.Highlight this afternoon was the sighting of a big orange fender which we managed to retrieve. It came with a short rope covered in clams/ barnacles and we harvested some of these for our pre-dinner “Amuse bouche “ - delicious!Other benefits of the retrieval are:- Less plastic in the Ocean- pre- dinner snacks for next few days- João has a new fender for his boat when he gets back to LisbonAnother beautiful sunset and we hope to get to Horta by Sunday nightBest wishes to allRui, João and Antonimage1 image2. read more...

Attitude - Waves, swells and Squalls

Hello everyoneWe had strengthening winds overnight and this has prevailed throughout the day causing some upheaval on the boat with waves crashing over and swells of 3-4 meters. The strong wind did however help our passage progress and we recorded 190Nm for the 24hr period which is best for this leg so far. We were again visited by a school of dolphins this morning and we are not sure whether they were trying to tell us to alter course. Time will tell.There was no chance of an elaborate lunch today so we settled for Cassoulet out of a tin complimented with a Cabernet from Chile - Practical and delicious. Discussion around lunch table centered on books we are reading and some unknown facts about Portuguese influence in our World. We are learning something new everydayBest wishes to. read more...

Attitude - Waves, swells and Squalls

Hello everyoneWe had strengthening winds overnight and this has prevailed throughout the day causing some upheaval on the boat with waves crashing over and swells of 3-4 meters. The strong wind did however help our passage progress and we recorded 190Nm for the 24hr period which is best for this leg so far. We were again visited by a school of dolphins this morning and we are not sure whether they were trying to tell us to alter course. Time will tell.There was no chance of an elaborate lunch today so we settled for Cassoulet out of a tin complimented with a Cabernet from Chile - Practical and delicious. Discussion around lunch table centered on books we are reading and some unknown facts about Portuguese influence in our World. We are learning something new everydayBest wishes to. read more...

Attitude - Big wind

Hello everyoneNot much to report today other than “ baton down the hatches” . We are experiencing winds of 25kn’s with gusts of over 30, so coupled with big short swells it is making for a bumpy ride and testing our balance as we move around the boat. We have 3 reefs in the main and Genoa but still making good speed of 6-7 kn’sHopefully quieter tomorrow and a chance for some photo’sBest wishes to allRui, João and Anton. read more...

Chantana - ARC Europe 2019 Wed 22nd May: Chantana

Hello ARC,The Rhythm of the OceanHello all the Jolly Jackie’s and Jack Tars of Chantana have been making excellent progress in the wake of all the treasure galleons and adventures of the past.As we reach past the half way point on our journey to the Azores and the rhythm of an ocean passage settles over Chantana it is good to reflect on how individual crew members spend their time.The watch takes eight hours and sleep takes a few more but what of the rest.Terry our Skipper reviews the sail plan and weather routing constantly but always is dreaming of cottage pie with a cheese crust and lots of green vegetables. When on the SSB chat the topic was favourite dinners the description Terry gave was worthy of the prose of Charles Dickens.Iain is our racing sailor and is really handy for points. read more...

Attitude - 1000NM

Hello everyoneToday we hit the 1000NM point of this leg of the passage and 1st time for Anton, 2nd for Rui and João is a veteran of many. We had a small celebration, and were also joined by a school of dolphins who were equally excited.Today was a pleasant sunny day so we washed clothes and caught up with other chores amidst reading and eating. Beautiful sunset this evening!We are making good progress with steady wind and anticipate some increase in wind velocity in next 24 hours but we will seeBest wishes to allRui, João and Antonimage2 image3 image1. read more...

Chantana - ARC Europe 2019 Blog: Chantana 20th May

Hello Landlubbers,Lovely sunny day with light Northerly winds.. read more...

Attitude - SY attitude - Skyper notes

Hi there in the comfort of the sofa At Attitude we star to feel the winter and the humidity of the Atlantic the water temperature change from the 27 in the BVI’s to the 20 today together with some rain showers making the evening watch a bit misery ...As we move along with choppy waters and steady windsabove 15 n the 50% of the passageshould be overcome in the next day.The target is to arrive in Azores Monday the 27th and more 2000 nm miles in our belt ... The challenge of the next days are a test for all of us as winds and swell will increase to Atlantic levels... the good news are the directions of the elements are in our favor The highest of the days are the food challenge as the chefs are making the best to make our lunch a memorable one Is now 5 am ( dark night in the sea ) boat time. read more...

Attitude - Close to halfway

Hello everyoneWe are making good progress in steady 15-20kn winds and trying to skirt just south of gale force winds. Current wind is from North as are swells making for a bit of a “bumpy” ride, but are getting used to it. Everyone reading books and mood on board is good and looking forward to crossing halfway point in leg sometime tomorrow morning. The lunch challenge continues and today was turn of Chef Joao who turned out a superb fillet steak with Penne pasta and pepperocino and complimented with a fine Douro red wineBest wishesRui, João and Antonimage1. read more...

Attitude - Wind and Waves

Hello everyoneMay the swell be with youThe wind finally picked up around 3am this morning and has been with us all day blowing a steady 15-20 knots and sometimes gusting to 25. Boat is progressing well but the choppy swells are throwing us around a bit and testing our core stability musclesThe Lunch challenge continues and Chef Anton produced a baked Chicken dish today which was enjoyed by all. A big challenge for João tomorrowBest wishesRui, João and Antonimage1. read more...

Attitude - Full moon tonight

Hello everyoneA beautiful full moon rising over the Atlantic this evening.We had another day of relatively light winds so we focused on the lunch challenge. We will each put forward a signature dish over next few days and photo’s will follow. Chef Rui prepared a delicious seafood pasta today and set a high standard. More news on this challenge tomorrowDue to light winds today we set all the sail power we have, with code zero, Genoa and full main and got a bit more speed out of the boat. Hoping for stronger winds tomorrow and 500NM covered alreadyBest wishesRui, João and Antonimage1 image2. read more...

Attitude - Wind

Hello everyoneWind picked up today and made everyone happy and we benefitted from a steady 15- 20 knots as we progress to Horta. We are also noting the water temp starting to reduce as we feel the chilly winds coming.We have noticed a lot of Sea grass along the journey from the Caribbean and now also here in Atlantic. The view is that there is a lot more than people can remember. Any concurrence with this and why? Best wishesRui, João and Antonimage1. read more...

Attitude - Potuguese Man O War

Hello everyoneA quiet day for wind so time was spent checking on critical systems and contact points as well as trying to figure out the wind over next few days. We spotted a lot of Portuguese Men O War ( Bluebottles) shaped like sailing caravelle’s floating in the ocean. I’m told these contain enough toxin to kill a man, só best left alone.Again, a good lunch was enjoyed by allBest wishesRui, João and Antonimage1 image2. read more...

Attitude - Set sail for Azores

Hello everyone We departed from St George’s harbor at 11h00 today and set course for Horta, só back into blog mode after 5 very enjoyable days in Bermuda. We enjoyed the scenery, friendly Bermudians, and of course, the food. We must mention the WAHOO Bistro in St George’s for its delicious Ceviche and Seafood dishes. A return visit to Bermuda definitely on the cards.Back to sailing, and wind has been light at start and everyone trying to rationalize a course to Azores. North, South, follow Rhumb line or a combination? It will change like the weatherBest wishesRui, João and Anton. read more...

Maria Concordia - Log Bermuda

blockquote.cite { margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right:0px; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc } blockquote.cite2 {margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right:0px; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; margin-top: 3px; padding-top: 0px; } a img { border: 0px; } li[style='text-align: center;'], li[style='text-align: right;'] {list-style-position: inside;} body { font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: 12pt; } Maria Concordia won second prize in the leg from Tortola to Bermuda! A fine bottle of Gosling rum, nice and local. Bermuda is a lovely island, very British, great public transport system, every garden could compete with a Botanical Garden in other countries, lush and green. Beautiful villas all around and the view out to turquoise, shallow. read more...

Amanda - Start from Bermuda

Amanda hopes to be on the start at 11 - if they Will just release our skipper in due time.....image1.. read more...

Maria Concordia - Arrived Bermuda

We have reached our first target: five and a half days at sea, about 860 nm covered. Unfortunately much time with little wind and then finally the last 150 nm the wind on the nose. Using the motor much, emptying diesel tanks, like other boats - not so great... However, what is much worse - on our way to a boatyard to have the last injector for the white smoking engine checked, both engines failed to deliver any power. It is not clear, why. The technicians will hopefully assess this tomorrow. The boatyard sent two guys to tow us in. One on them hit our boat hard and tore some of the "bumper" off. Finally the generator stopped working too. We just wanted to change the impeller, which was missing - the first spare part we needed that was not on the boat! Checking the oil routinely I saw. read more...

Maria Concordia - Log Day 5

The Atlantic Ocean can be very rough, but also incredibly calm. We have been motoring the whole day over flat seas with a large end gentle swell. A tanker produced some excitement in the morning. During a squall in the rain he came so close to us, not reacting to our calls on the radio, that I had to slow down to let him pass. There may have been no-one on the bridge or they just did not care about collision avoidance regulations? In the morning I was off-watch, sleeping with the starboard engine humming along below my bunk when I suddenly woke up alarmed: the engine was not running smoothly. I jumped up to the helm and turned the engine off even before the watch noticed what was going on. A look into the water made this obvious - we had caught some drifting line and fishing net with the. read more...

Attitude - Foodie day

Hello everyone Today was a day of very little wind so as we move slowly towards Bermuda we decided to focus on food and a bit of clean-up. Lunch consisted of Portuguese pea and chorizo stew washed down with a good bottle of Chocolate Block from Franschoek. Dinner will be smoked fish accompanied with grilled courgettes and if course .... a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Focus on new world wines today.A beautiful day today and a spectacular sunset this evening. We are planning for a few “ dark and stormy’s” in Bermuda tomorrowBest wishes to allRui, João and Antonimage1 image3 image2. read more...

Limitless - Home Stretch

Home stretch, we're becalmed and out of rum...hope land fall is soon :). read more...

Salamander Tails, day four - Rebecca Hayter

Salamander Tails, day four... I think. After several days of friendly toy-boat icons, now it is just us on the AIS screen and I am guessing some boats are already in port. I bet they are supping sundowners at sundown and daiquiris at daybreak, spinnakers rinsed and repacked.Meanwhile our onboard party consists of teenage flying fish crash landing in the dark and an autopilot that, unlike others I've known, hums rather than grunts, albeit more Florence Foster Jenkins than Kiri Te Kanawa. I'malso missing birds - where are they? Have seen a few small, dark grey ones and one large black and white; that's it. Apologies for my lack of avian smarts but not used to northern hemisphere birds. On the plus side, hardly any litter in the ocean. Apart from a 33-knot squall with heavy rain this. read more...

Attitude - First dinner with our own caught fish

Hello everyoneBeautiful start to the day with sunrise at around 5.30am and everybody slept better with fresher winds and less motion in the boat due to a flatter swell. Fishing rod went out early with much anticipation and we caught a nice Grouper which was expertly grilled by Rui and enjoyed for dinner. We achieved 175NM in latest 24hr period which is not bad but winds starting to moderate so will need to determine our tactics for getting to Bermuda with fair windsBest wishes from Rui, João and Anton. read more...

Maria Concordia - Log Day 4

A sunny, lovely morning and we took the cruising chute out - only chance for some sailing up until mid-day when there was so little wind that we had to motor. A vast area of light winds south of Bermuda will probably force us to motor quiet a bit more. If there is any more wind at all it is found in the rain squalls for a short time only. At least we get the salt washed off the deck once or twice a day by the rain. We had Noemi's frozen Goulash for dinner - great! In the last squall a tanker was hiding and passing very close indeed, so much so I had to slow down even though we had the right of way. I tried to call and no response, perhaps no one on the bridge.... read more...

Attitude - Raining

Hello everyoneSunrise this morning yielded lots of clouds and then the rain set in with very little wind. No fishing today so we relied on Capt Rui’s delicious Prawn risotto followed by fresh Papaya and the customary bottle of Cabernet from Chile. We have settled into a good shift pattern with Anton doing 9pm to midnight followed by João doing midnight till 3am and then followed by Rui till dawn, at which time Anton is awake againWind is light now and sea is flat so we are hoping for a bit more wind tonight to get us to Bermuda by Thursday afternoonBest wishes Rui, João and Anton. read more...

Maria Concordia - Log Days 2+3

The day yesterday was calm and sunny. A large High pressure area to the East blocks the tradewinds. We were able to sail during the day but progress is slow. The calmer seas gave Dan the chance to cook some nice pasta with tomatosauce and hand-grated Parmesan cheese. At 3 am we had to take the main sail down and are now just motorsailing with the Genoa supporting the engine. These conditions may prevail for today. We are half-way through to Bermuda. Another attempt at fishing remained unsuccessful even though this time we were at least trying at the right time late in the afternoon. Keep trying..... read more...