Daily Logs

Uno - Day 21: Are we there yet?

Saturday 9th DecemberHuge swell today, but it’s back to coming from a couple of directions so a bit of an uncomfortable ride. Surfing some really steep waves too! And suddenly we are in a pack of 7 boats only a few miles apart (charging forth towards rum punch & steel drums!) — Adina, Lady Eleanora, Jet Lagged, Nomad, Salamander & one non ARC boat Porrima.We are having major troubles with our auto pilot again today, it suddenly turns off & we lose the rudder sensors, it’s pretty tiring. It means Uno goes into an immediate spin so I have to jump into the helm and hand steer, while Rich & Kenny reset the instruments & unplug/re plug the autopilot down in the starboard aft cabin wardrobe. It’s quite the process & doesn’t always work first or second time. We’ve also. read more...

Vitamin Sea - Tag 19: Das Finale, Freitag, der 08. Dezember 2023

Die Nacht vom 07. auf den 08. Dezember 2023: Downside einer Flaute Die Prognose für die Nacht war vielversprechend. Es sollte ruhig bleiben. Dennoch haben wir sicherheitshalber den Wingaker eingeholt und sind mit dem Hauptsegel im 3. ReFf in die Nacht gegangen. So haben wir die großmögliche Flexibilität.Allerdings barg die Entscheidung auch seine Nachteile. Der Wind hatte recht nachgelassen, dass wir nun noch langsam mit etwa 4 Knoten vorankommen. Zwei Boote waren ganz in der Nähe und es war keine Überraschung, dass sie uns überholten. Über Funk haben wir erfahren, dass sie ihre Motoren eingeschaltet hatten, um schneller voranzukommen. Aber das war keine Option für uns. Noch nicht. Gegen 5 Uhr morgens haben wir dann aber entschieden, ihrem Beispiel zu folgen und ebenfalls die Motoren zu. read more...

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day 19 [09-Dec-23]

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day 19 [09-Dec-23]Location: St Lucia approach - 2 days outLat: 14.16N Long: 57.21WBEST AND WORST MEMORIESJust one more day to go.What a trip!As we reflect back on the voyage we realise everyone's goals have been met without exception, and we all rate our experiences as 9 or more out of 10.Did everything go according to plan - no!We have met and overcome challenges and comeout with smiles on our faces.Here are the combined memories of the trip:Best memoriesWe had some great memories:- Sailing under the stars and moon at night, with the bonus of the phosphorescence in the water off the Senegal coast.- The joy of sitting together over dinner at the end of the day - although we all learned not to sit on the leeward side as you are likely to get your dinner or drink in your. read more...

Cloud Jumper - Last day update

Just a quick update from a very brown and skinny crew on Cloud Jumper, we have had a pretty eventful few days, the squalls started to pass over us from windward so we have to keep checking from behind and see what is heading our way,luckily we have managed to spot them before they get to us to give us time to reduce sail. The first one arrived a huge black cloud looming over us and within 10 mins the wind doubled In strength to 35 knots and we had a really heavy downpour with it. The rain was very welcome but no time to get the soap out! Haha We had a few nights with little sleep until we got used to the squalls and also how to interpret them on the radar. The Radar is excellent and full credit to Chris and Kerry (Cloud Jumper's previous owners) for kitting her out with all the gizmos to. read more...

Uno - Day 20: Lazy jacks snapped & Starlink took flight!

 Friday 8th DecemberToday we realised we have less than 400 miles to go to St Lucia, which was very exciting! During the day the kids watched another Pirates of the Caribbean movie while the rest of us napped and read books. I made a wholemeal sourdough in the morning as we are getting very low on any other kind of bread. The loaf was gone by lunchtime so another one got prepped for tomorrow. We have been having much discussion about time zones in the past few weeks as we cross 3 or 4 of them during this journey. We couldn’t agree on what time to set our phones to, so we started a new time called Uno Atlantic Time. We have been on UAT for at least a week now - basically time is only really important so that we can set our alarms for our nightshifts. However, UAT had slipped a. read more...

Adina - Day 20 - Fresh Friday Fish on Adina forces change to evening menu

It’s a sunny Friday evening in the North Atlantic with 21kts of following breeze, and we are counting down the days until we arrive in Rodney Bay. With 363 miles to go it’s looking like it will be Monday morning that we arrive.As supplies (including Tiffin) have started to run low, the fishing team were despatched to see if they could catch and land some fresh fish. Travelling at over 6kts creates an additional issue when it comes to landing fish and two large specimens have broken the line during previous encounters.This time the team were a little more focused with each member of the crew allocated actions to reduce sail at a moments notice. It was not long before the cry of ‘Fish On’ was heard and the plan was activated. The stay sail was rolled and the boat brought up into the wind. read more...

Adrienne - Die letzten Nachtwachen

Blog vom 7. und 8.12.2023Geschrieben von Steffi und BerndDie Hundewache zwischen0100 und 0400 Uhr ist eigentlich eine sehr schöne. Absolute Ruhe im Schiff, Sternenhimmel und Meeresleuchten, Rauschen der Wellen, Gedanken schweifen und die Seele baumeln lassen… eigentlich.So stellt man sich die Nachtschicht vor. Während der Reise erlebten wir es genau so wie oben beschrieben. Und tatsächlich begann die Arbeitszeit so. In dieser Nacht jedoch war es etwas anders. Der Mond versteckte sich hinter einigen Wolken, denen wir schon bald beim Verzehr einer Tüte Goldbärchen unsere Aufmerksamkeit schenkten.Eine kleine, schwarze Wolke, recht unscheinbar anfangs, entwickelte sich in atemberaubender Geschwindigkeit zu einer beträchtlichen Wand. Diese Wand teilte sich erfreulicherweise und der. read more...

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day 18 [08-Dec-23

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day 18 [08-Dec-23]Location: St Lucia - 3 days outLat 14.17N: Long: 54.39W TOP TIPSAs we approach the end of our voyage, we look back and reflect on what we have learned.As the author of this blog, I have had the pleasure to sail with some of the most experienced sailors I have known - each of them happy to share their thoughts and insights as we crossed the Atlantic.But some of the top tips below have also come from the less experienced members of the crew - people who can take a different perspective on things as they look in from the outside:The crew" Enjoy your sailing: in a long event such as an Atlantic crossing , too much focus can be on getting to the end or beating a particular time. Ensure you 'live in the moment' and enjoy the sailing itself.It is a unique. read more...

Risque Business - ARC+ 2023 Wrap Up.

Well we’ve been in Grenada for 4 days now and what a welcome all the yachts have had. The ARC Yellow Shirts have been great and so helpful along with the team from Port Louis Marina. As the RB WAGs have been here too, we’ve been lucky to have a lovely villa to stay in, however Mark and DB have stayed on board. The crew have spent several days getting RB cleaned up and returned to a cruising yacht after her months of being an ocean passage-maker. Of course copious Rum Punches and Carib beers have been consumed to keep the crew well oiled. I however, have taken my PADI Open Water practical exams with a fab dive school called ScubaTech and spent 3 of these last days underwater exploring a completely new and amazing world of reefs, corals and some incredible sea life. It included the largest. read more...

Freedom - Blog 20 Friday 8th December 2023

Editor: Stu the Glue.Hello to you all from Freedom, approximately 90nm from the finish line in St Lucia. So that the skipper can do the “Final” Epiblog, I have been asked to put down some thoughts for you.I will start yesterday evening, it was a beautiful sunny evening, the 5 of us were sat in the cockpit just before dinner, spinnaker flying, 16knts of wind with Chris reading the daily blog reply’s and messages to us from his pull pit. I must say at this point, a huge thank you to all of you who have taken the time to send a message or reply to our daily blogs, it really has lifted our spirits and has become part of our daily routine listening to them being read out. Another superb evening meal was presented from the galley by Ian and we settled in for what we thought would be a nice. read more...

Vitamin Sea - Tag 18: Vorfreude auf St. Lucia, Donnerstag, der 07. Dezember 2023

Die Nacht vom 06. auf den 07. Dezember 2023: Zurück zur Normalität Mit dem Hauptsegel im 3. Reff sind wir in die Nacht gesegelt. Nach den aufregenden Squalls der letzten Tage haben wir uns alle nach etwas ruhigeren Watches gesehnt.Und tatsächlich, diese Nacht verlief vergleichsweise normal, ohne die üblichen Squalls und Sturmfronten. Was für eine willkommene Abwechslung.Alle an Bord waren froh, dass sich der Ozean beruhigt hat, und wir wieder in unseren gewohnten Rhythmus finden konnten.Nur noch 400 Meilen bis zum ZielYes – wir kommen unserem Ziel näher und die Vorfreude auf St. Lucia und darauf wieder festen Boden unter den Füßen zu haben, steigt.Der Tag beginnt mit einem wundervollen Sonnenaufgang. Wenn das nicht motiviert. Der Himmel ist klar, nur links von uns zeigt sich ein Squall.. read more...

Uno - Day 19: Sleigh rides & risotto

Thursday 7th DecemberIt’s been a great day with good swell & wind behind us, & swell only going in one direction so it’s been like a sleigh ride surfing down the waves. Much more comfortable than the past few days too & just before midnight we will crack the “500nm to go” mark — we are coming Saint Lucia!Weather has been very settled, we’ve only seen a couple of squalls & a few very brief rain showers on our journey across so far.The kids came up with a fun game hiding a soft toy somewhere on the boat & then taking a photo where you could just see it. We (the adults) then had to go through the photos to spot the hidden moose or seal ;D It was very cool. We always say boredom breeds creativity!Lynnie made a yummy risotto for dinner using up half of our last zucchini,. read more...

Pure Fun - St. Lucia, 06.12.2023 23:45:27 local time war Schluß

Heute kommen wir emotional an, erledigen die notwendigsten Dinge und gewöhnen uns an die warmen Schauer. Mit ganz großer Freude haben wir gerade all die Kommentare gelesen. Aller besten Dank dafür. Unterwegs hatten wir lediglich über IRIDIUM Satelliten mit dem Certus 100 etwas Kontakt nach außen. An Internet war bei den geringeren Bandbreiten nicht zu denken. Um so mehr kamen nun beim Lesen Bilder zurück. Kurz vor dem Ziel gab es noch ziemlich Regen mit einem intensiven Winddreher und kräftigen Boen. Der Parasailor, unsere X wie auch Mathias am Steuer hielten den überraschenden Herausforderungen bei Nacht prächtig Stand. Als sich die nächste Regenwand ankündigte kam der Parasailor mit seinen 250 qm runter und der Motor brachte uns die 8 Meilen zum vorletzten Wegepunkt voran. Dann ging es. read more...

Asante - The end of the never ending poem

Well that’s it done, the line is crossed.Asante has us home.It’s the second time we‘ve joined the ARC.How boring had we flown. We’ll say farewell to our crew of four.To James and Tom and Nick.And to Kirsten with her balls of wool, and her needles going click. But Ian and I are not finished yet. Our adventure has just begun.For January takes us round the world.For lots more endless fun.Almost two more years of yellow shirts, to help us on our way.The organisers of World ARC at hand both night and day.. read more...

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day 17 [07-Dec-23]

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day 17 [07-Dec-23]Location: Open Seas - AtlanticLat: 14.18N Long: 52.17WTHE PERFECT STORMAnd just when it was all going so well! :.This is a brief summary of a lively night's sailing a few days ago where we were able to fully test Tahira and her crew in a lightening storm and 40 knot winds.We are now safety heading to St Lucia with just 3 days of easy sailing, so thought now would be a good time to tell the story.18:00 04-12-2023:It is 6pm on 4-Dec when we receive a warning of squalls in our area.These are small localised rain-dense clouds that start at the surface of the sea and extend high into the sky.They can strike with a degree of intensity before passing over within 10 minutes.Our watch was briefed and ready - 'try to dodge the clouds if possible, and if you. read more...

Wolkenschlößchen - Day 19 - Neptune is Australian

We have entered into the 19th day which - as it appears - will be the last day of our Atlantic crossing. We almost made it!!!Winds have slowed down last night and today, giving us a good time window for arrival early Friday rather than in the middle of the night. Neptune was again favourable of us. Along the entire trip, we were blessed with mostly calm winds and comfortable waves and almost no trouble and or squalls. Today, half a day before arrival, Neptune sent us a huge squall, perfect to have a decent boat wash before arrival. Fred tried to shower in it but the rain was not quite made for that amount of washing! We were joking that all it needs now are dolphins and whales - and bang! Dolphins were delivered just a few minutes later. So, what did we do to earn Neptune's blessings? We. read more...

Vitamin Sea - Vitamin Sea - Tag 17: Naturgewalten, Mittwoch, der 06. Dezember 2023

Die Nacht vom 05. auf den 06. Dezember 2023: Eine weitere Nacht mit Squalls Die Nacht zum Mittwoch versprach erneut, eine Herausforderung zu werden. Nach den Unwettern der letzten Nacht wussten wir schon, was uns diesmal erwarten könnte. Die Wettervorhersagen waren eindeutig – es würde ähnlich viele Squalls gebenwie in der vorangegangenen Nacht.Um auf Nummer sicher zu gehen, sind wir bei unserer konservativen Fahrweise geblieben, also gleich mit Hauptsegel im 2. Reef in die Nacht gegangen. Wir wollten kein Risiko eingehen und in der Nacht ein Reff setzen zu müssen.Wie erwartet, ließen die Squalls nicht lange auf sich warten. In Annas Nachtwache zwischen Mitternacht und 3 Uhr war es am schlimmsten und eine Unwetterfront jagte die nächste. Peter war an ihrer Seite, denn schlafen konnte. read more...

SAIDA crossing the finish line on December 6, 0827 UTC

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Philipp MeyerManaging Director Dryden Aqua Ltd. Sent from my iPhone. read more...

Saida - Saida day 16 & 17

Yesterday, December 6, at 8.27 UTC we were the 27th boat to cross the finish line in St Lucia after 17 days at sea! It was a great adventure and we are looking forward to a few relaxing days on this Caribbeanisland with Reggae music and Christmas trees and rum punches. But first, our 50 year old lady SAIDA needs our attention and a lot of maintenance/repair work to be done…Thanks for all your support and interest in our journey!. read more...

Freedom - Blog 19 Freedom Thursday 7th December 2023

Editor: Ian Whit - Day 19 Freedom Fighters Alive & Kicking Good morning from inside the cockpit where four of us are huddled escaping a torrential squall. Stu, bless him, is at the helm testing his wet weather gear. The start of his watch coincided with the tropical downpour. It’s a proper test for his Southern Ocean gear.Today is my sign off for the blog , so I’m going back in time to where it all started for me. September 2019, CJ and Jules have kindly invited Gill and I to share a barge holiday with them for a long weekend, this happened to be the wettest weekend of the year but rain never gets in the way of progress (not sure if Stu currently agrees with this). Anyway, whist the girls are working their way through copious quantities of Sauvignon Blanc at the bow, the. read more...

Vitamin Sea - Vitamin Sea - Tag 16: Von Adrenalin und blanken Nerven, Dienstag, der 05. Dezember 2023

Die Nacht vom 04. auf den 05. Dezember 2023: Adrenalin pur Ja, sie existieren wirklich - diese roten, langgezogenen Squall-Fronten, die sich wie aus dem Nichts auf dem Radar zeigen und unaufhörlich zu wachsen scheinen, während sie näherkommen. Bisher waren wir von ihnen verschont geblieben, undehrlich gesagt, hätte gerne so bleiben können.   Diese Nacht wird uns allen noch lange in Erinnerung bleiben. Die Wetterprognosen haben sich bewahrheitet, und es gab keinen Raum für Zweifel - wir befanden uns nun definitiv im Squall-Gebiet. Die Windgeschwindigkeiten erreichten, wie vorhergesagt,durchschnittlich 22 Knoten, oft sogar 25 Knoten und in Spitzen bis zu 34 Knoten. Es fühlte sich an, als würden wir mit einem riesigen Schlitten den Berg hinuntersausen, nur dass unser Schlitten in. read more...

Hot Stuff - 13:30.955N 58:39.08W

So we have gone from 35 knots terrential rain, white nuckle rides down tower block swell, Nick hitting 16.6knots whist screaming Yippee Kiyaaaa, to no wind. Just 10 knots of wind and boat speed to 5 knots. That has massively modified our eta adding an extra night! Just when we hoped for a full nights sleep which is def needed the sun comes out as well just to make a day nap less likely.But on the plus side its 140 miles to go! Then the famous St Lucia welcome (unless the crew abandon ship passing Barbados). We have not seen land yet although on the chart is looks so close.Think its going to be a day of trying to maintain the course and as much speed as we can hoping the wind fills in.Jack however is happy as we are going slow enough to try and catch fish or probably the gull circling his. read more...