Daily Logs

Adrienne - Dart nach dem Sturm

11.12.2024 … Auf zu neuen Ufern – Tag 18 auf See…19:16 Uhr 14°30,40’N 056°43,92’ W, 245 nm (!) to go.Die Nacht:Rotglühende Wolken, wie Engelsflügel gleich, faszinieren die Crew der Adrienne am Abend. Lange stehen sie als Zeichen für die bevorstehende Nacht am abendlichen Himmel. Langsam sind die ersten Planeten und Sterne sichtbar. Die Venus macht den Anfang eines atemberaubenden Anblicks. In als dieser Schönheit mischt sich Wetterleuchten am Horizont. Schwarze Wolken vereinigen sich zu einer Gewitterfront. Noch wissen wir nicht was auf uns zukommt. Peter und Stefan beginnen ihre Nachtschicht mit einer leisen Vorahnung. Der Wind wird schwächer, die funkelnden Sterne werden immer mehr von dunklen Wolken verdeckt. Zu wenig Wind, die Segel schlagen und lassen unser Schiff erbeben, wir. read more...

Hummingbird - Blog Wednesday 11 December 2024

Hummingbird BlogWednesday 11 December 2024Well, as I writethis penultimate blog, 18 days on the Atlantic and our final destination withintangible reach, our thoughts and discussions are starting to be reflective.Less referencesto watch rotas, 'head up, bear away', 'wooling' the spinnaker, galley duties,heads, sweating & dehydration, 'clean is dirty' and the depleting stock ofcookies  we are finishing thisadventure on a high!  A welcome beamreach sails us within 125 NM of St Lucia and it feels like our beloved lady, TheHummingbird, senses our desire for a fresh wind in what has been a variable andsometimes frustrating period of down wind sailing in light airs. The finalcountdown.The mood in ourcamp is largely one of reflection. 10 crew members from different continents. read more...

Bluejay - Blog 11/12

Wednesday 11thDecember It's two weeks today untilChristmas, not that you would really know that without looking at a calendaronboard Bluejay. Although we've played the odd Christmas tune, we're far removedfrom the commercial bright lights of the festive season, with the main focusonboard being the final 24-hour push to the finish line. Last night was atesting sail for our crew, with extremely light winds Bluejay at times wasdifficult to handle but we persevered and managed an average of 5kts boat speed.With the predicted forecast for today looking like next to no wind the thoughtof motoring the last 24 hours was beyond disappointing for all onboard. However,despite the forecast I sit here slightly heeled over for the first time inweeks, as we steam along at 8-9kts on a beam reach. After. read more...

Ingrid - Dag 17 - 11 december

Ett kort inlägg, kommer mer senare.Kl 10 blev det ett efterlängtat badstopp!32 grader i luften och det är 29,4 grader i vattnet.Nu är det inte långt till vi är framme! I can’t wait.image1. read more...

Ingrid - Dag 16 - 10 december

Dag 16 - 10 december Hej på er alla därhemma!Nu sitter jag här på nattskiftet 00-04 och skriver till er. Det är 30 grader utomhus och himlen bjuder på ett vackert skådespel med åska väster, öster och norr om oss. Vi hör Inget mullrande för det är så långt bort. Magiskt är det härute på det stora havet.Vid lunchtid hade vi 474 sjömil kvar och nu vill vi alla bara komma fram så att vi får bada och ta en kall öl.Tyvärr avtar vindarna och vad man ska tänka på är att varje halvt knop i hastighet gör 6 timmar mot vår ankomst. Just i skrivandes stund är det så lite vind att vi bara kan ha storseglet och vi kör en motor och hastigheten är bara 4.8 knop.Fältet med båtar börjar samla ihop sig och ni som följer oss på YH Racing ser säkert det. Alla är i samma typ av vindområde så det är svårt att. read more...

Adrienne - Block oder Plog deutsche Sprache schwere Sprache, Diskussionen am kalten Buffet!

10.12.2024 … Auf zu neuen Ufern – Tag 17 auf See…20:47 Uhr 14°45,52’N 054°52,92’ W, 355 nm (!) to go.Zuerst einen großen Dank an Günther für die ausführliche Prüfung. Hier für alle unsere Fans:Hallo ARC-Adrienne Crew, und Servus Tanja und Thomas!Frage: Wie schreibt man das Wort "Buffet" richtig?Auch wenn der Begriff "Buffet" aus dem Französischen kommt, wird dieser inDeutschland komplett anders geschrieben. Bei einem Blick insdeutschsprachige Ausland fallenweitere Unterschiede auf.Grundsätzlich ist die korrekte französische Schreibweise "Buffet" auchin Deutschland akzeptiert und weit verbreitet. Die "eingedeutschte" Variantewird allerdings "Büfett" geschrieben und gilt hierzulande auch als richtig.Weder die Alternativen "Büffett, Büffet, Bufett der Bufet" sindkorrekt. Ausgesprochen wird. read more...

Frances Louise V - Frances Louise V - December 7th 2024

96 96 Today was definitely different - to any other day we have ever lived through - we completed our Transatlantic crossing and arrived in Grenada! It was a difficult last 30 miles or so, not the serene glide in front of a steady Trade Wind that we had ordered.  The day once again started with a squall (at the end of David’s 0300 to 0600 watch this time) of apocalyptic rain, wind in the upper twenties, and a ninety degree wind shift, followed by no wind for a while, and then back to a reasonable breeze and a nice sail under full headsails, in the right direction. Happily we were doing 6.5 knots through the water when I took over, and we also had two knots of current with us. We were going to take Grenada by storm as the saying. read more...

Bluejay - Blog 10/12

Tuesday 10th DecemberBluejay is now on her final 48 hours before arrival - we can almost smell St Lucia! These last days with a lighter wind forecast its taken extra attention and focus in order to maximise speed and pointing ability. But it has still been enough wind to keep us at 6 knots with only one night watch where it dropped down to 5. With a much flatter sea state today called for another spinnaker run to make a final push with the wind that we have and we hopefully gybed for the final time this morning! I'm hoping to not need to use the engine again after our very light winds all those days ago when we were leaving Las Palmas, the lovely comfort of being in the cruising class (with time penalties!) but our forecast does show a even further drop in the wind tomorrow lunchtime-. read more...

Hummingbird - Hummingbird Blog Tuesday 10 December

Hummingbird BlogTuesday 10 DecemberSome like itHot!,Well folks,we're on the home straight.  Earlythis morning we gybed onto what we hope is our final course into St Lucia.  After day after day of heading WSW weare now heading WNW. Our residentBeat Poet Ken isn't quite sure what to do with himself after his epic poem 'Taleof the Westbound Hummingbird' in which the underlying chorus resonated in hisdeep American North Western brogue 270 270 270 270 270 ', it would appear ournew course of 310 degrees doesn't rhyme as well.  We will see what he comes upwith.As per my lastblog, the routines remain the same but the cement that hold the crew ofHummingbird together is hardening. Some crew without comms to loved ones have been lent access to such bythose that have and are. read more...

Cleone - CLEONE ARC 2024 SITREP 16

Mechanicalproblems, weather conditions vs weather forecasts, reefs-in-reefs-out andsails-up-sails-down. Sounds to me like a bit of the same-old-same-old. You wouldof course be right. But the challenges always have a different flavour and newsolutions have to be found.All was goingwell yesterday afternoon. The wind was doing more or less as the weatherforecast had promised. The wind was up and down between about 15 and 20 knots,and more or less from north of east, or sometimes south of it, so on we sailed,gybing once in order not let ourselves get too far north of our intended track.Not long after taking over at midnight a commanding cry came down into the maincabin. 'I need some help up here!'. It was clear that the Francesca-the-Matemeant business, and deep in slumber though he was, the. read more...

Ingrid - Dag 15 - 9 december

Hej på er därhemma från soliga och 29 gradiga Atlanten, klockan är 02.01.Vi har halkat bak till 73 plats och det är första dagen vi inte gjort progress. Med den kursen vi håller kommer vi köra 25 sjömil längre mot målet för vi går lite mer söderut och hoppas att vår strategi pays off och vi får bättre vindar i slutet. Just nu har vi 623 sjömil kvar till St Lucia.Vi gör nu vatten som normalt eftersom vågornas storlek minskat. Så nu blir det sötvattenduschar imorgon.Planen är att ha Gennaker i natt.Idag fick vi nygräddade pannkakor till frukostVi fick även napp igen en ny maki maki. Snart har vi tillräckligt med fisk till en flott fiskmåltid.Vi har även storstädat och vissa har tvättat kläder.Idag har vi solat, spelat kort och dagens höjdpunkt vi har haft pysselstuga med Britt. Lea, David. read more...

Adrienne - von Squalls und Handarbeit

09.12.2024 … Auf zu neuen Ufern – Tag 16 auf See…20:51 Uhr 14°39,52’N 052°16,92’ W, 505 nm (!) to go.Heute Nacht wurden wir um 01:30 Uhr von einem Squall heimgesucht. Am Himmel entsteht eine sehr hohe Wolke. Der untere Bereich (zum Wasser) ist klar mit einer horizontalen Linie abgegrenzt. In diesem Bereich fällt netterweise dann noch Regen. Schlimmer ist, dass die Squalls sehr hohe Windgeschwindigkeiten mit sich bringen. Unserer hat es von 17 kn auf 38 kn geschafft. Ralf und Sören sind etwas nach Lee abgefallen (der Wind nimmt zu und dreht nach Luv) und haben die Genua verkleinert. Danach saßen wir am Heck hinter dem Steuer und bewunderten die gute Arbeit des Autopiloten. Unsere Gefühlswelt wechselte zwischen „Wau! … mehr! … und „hoffentlich wird das nicht schlimmer“ beim. read more...

Cleone - ARC 2024 SITREP 15

 During the lasttwenty-four hours, we have been dealing with a faulty Furlex, making best speedtowards St Lucia and exploring the crews' phobias.It was Louisawho made the giveaway discovery. Whilst on the foredeck carrying out adeck-level rigging inspection, she fortuitously found a stainless-steelmachine-screw. She carefully put it in her pocket and brought it back to thecockpit where it then lay for the skipper's inspection. The Skipper took onehorrified look at it, pocketed it and took himself up to the foredeck, evenremembering to clip onto the Jackstay before setting off. Furling the genoa hadbecome difficult, and now the reason became all too apparent. At the top of thelower swivel of the Furler is a small black cap. This is held on by two machinescrews, which also do a much. read more...

Hummingbird - Blog Monday 9 December 2024

Hummingbird BlogMonday 9 December 2024As I write thisblog from the navigation station, the plotter flickers our penultimate waypointwhere we will gybe north to Saint Lucia's final waypoint and the last fewnautical miles to the finish line.Weather issupported by both the ARC and Rubicon 3, helping determine our strategic CourseOver Ground (“COG”) optimization. The ARC weather zone map is a 23 square grid, with Saint Lucia residingin Romeo Romeo.  Hummingbirdcurrently abuts the easterly Quebec Quebec grid.  One of my self-appointed tasks is tomark our rough position every few watches on the grid sheet.  It is with great satisfaction that I cansee that I will soon put a small pencil dot in RR.I have donedeliveries before, but I never done what is considered a -true. read more...

Snowmane - Day 16

8:30am on day 16. We are sailing along at around 7 knots in about 18 knots of wind. Pointed dead down wind which is pretty much straight to St Lucia. I am doing my morning watch. Everyone else is in their cabin. The waves aren't small but theyaren't as big as they sometimes are. The sun has come up and it's a beautiful blue sky. Warm but not too hot yet. This is pretty prime! We have about 620 miles to go. The winds are forecasted to be good today and tomorrow but there is a huge dead wind hole that we are going to end up in at some point late Tuesday or on Wednesday. It looks like that might then go for days. Weare trying to get as much sailing in before that happens so that when we need to motor, we have the fuel to do so. I think we can motor about 400 miles if we absolutely have to.. read more...

Musketeer of Cowes - Musketeer blog

8th December & Making Progress!We’ve had a great couple of days flying the kite, Unfortunately, the big blue sail is a bit like Goldilocks and does not like too much wind, nor too little wind, or a sea state that’s too choppy, everything has to be just right! Finally we got a smile from Nigel when the conditions were perfect and the kite flew, pulling Musketeer at pace through the sea.There’s much to do to get the kite (sail) safely in the air; sheets (rope for the non sailors) to be run and check, halyard (another name for a rope) to attach and check, sheets put through blocks and on winches ready to ease and wind in. Then it’s action stations; everyone with their part to play! We’re getting better at problem solving before it goes wrong, and faster too!This morning we crossed our. read more...

Ingrid - Dag 14 - 8 december

Hej på er därhemma!Idag vid lunchtid låg vi på 71 plats och vi har 774 sjömil kvar till St Lucia. Vindarna börjar avta och just nu ligger vi på 254 grader. Vi går söderut och i linje mot Barbados. Genomgång av väder och vindar ser ni på bilderna.Idag har vi haft skiftbyte och dagen är lite flytande i form av sysslor. Några har tvättat kläder och andra har solat, läst, spelat kort och vilat.Vi tog även upp gennakern för att gå igenom om gårdagskvällens kalabalik hade orsakat några skador. Inga riktiga hål men vi förstärkte där det var lite slitet. Vi använde segeltejp och sydde.När vi kommer fram till St Lucia får vi vänta på att bli inklarerade och vi har fått veta att de jobbar lite när de vill, inte på kvällar så det kan ta lite tid. Speciellt som vi eventuellt anländer mitt i deras. read more...

Cleone - CLEONE ARC 2024 SITREP

STOP PRESS!! WEHAVE LESS THAN 1000 MILES TO GO!! AT 1416HRS UTC THE ON DECK DISTANCE-TO-GOINDICATOR, STUCK AT 999 MILES SINCE THE BUTTER STARTED TO MELT AND WE CHANGEDCOURSE ON 27 SEP, CHANGED TO 998 MILES TO GO. LOUISA SCOOPED THE POOL PREDICTINGTHE TIME. EVEN THE SKIPPER WAS BREAK-DANCING ON THE FOREDECK.   (NB. This is not quite true. TheSkipper actually took a break from the dancing by retiring to the foredeck –Ed).As forecast, theday's weather has been a mix of breezes, sunshine and squalls and we have beenable to run along the Rhumb Line all day. Throughout the crew have been busychattering, cooking and baking, whilst still finding time to carry out all thedaily checks, routine maintenance and other miscellaneous tasks. In other words,it has been a normal day at sea.The. read more...

Adrienne - Fischkutter Adrienne

08.12.2024 … Auf zu neuen Ufern – Tag 15 auf See…15:40 Uhr 14°40,52’N 048°53,92’ W, 700 nm (!) to go.Langsam gewinnen die Nachtwachen an Beliebtheit. Die Nächte sind angenehm kühl. Mit kurzen Hosen, Shirt und natürlich Rettungsweste sitzt man unter dem Sternenhimmel. Gestern haben Sören und Ralf versucht, den Sternenhimmel und die Lichter im Meer zu fotografieren. Es bleibt leider eine Erinnerung im Kopf. Die Bewegung des Bootes lässt keine Langzeitbelichtung zu.Wir freuen uns über eure Nachrichten und wollen einige Fragen beantworten:Der Wachplan:Unseren Wachplan hat Jonas erstellt, besser gesagt das iPhone von Jonas, besser gesagt ChatGPT am iPhone von Jonas. „Erstelle einen Wachplan mit 3 Nachtschichten und 4 Tagschichten, rotiere die Wachhabenden und … und generiere ein PDF in. read more...

Bluejay - Blog 08/12/24

Sunday 8thDecember It's been two weeks since twelvestrangers left the safety net of Las Palmas marina and embarked on a journey tosail 2,800 miles across the North Atlantic Ocean. Some may consider us mad, andothers adventurers, but it's safe to say each crew member has their own motivesfor pursuing such a unique challenge. For all our crew onboard Bluejay, this isthe longest any of them have spent at sea, and as a result, away from lovedones. The day-to-day routine of boat life keeps us busy - sail changes, deckchecks, meal preparation, fishing, helming and weather routing to name a few.Today saw our first head sail change in several days. The poled out yankee 2 wasreplaced with the larger yankee 1 in preparation for the upcoming lighter winds.With less than 600NM to go, we're still. read more...

Hummingbird - blog sunday 8 december

HUMMINGBIRD Blog - Sunday 12/6/2024Bowel Health andToilet Paper Consumption!Having hadsufficient time to contemplate our reasons to exist, we have turned ourattention to much more important matters; which toilet paper aboard is best, whyand correlation of usage rates to bowel health!We have fourstyles of TP  aboard: weak, nearlytransparent single ply such as the type supplied by government institutions,poor quality double ply, quilted double ply with dimples and a durable somewhatabrasive double ply with daisy patterns printed upon The governmentpaper is hard to tear cleanly off of the roll, hard to fold, when finally foldedhas more holes than our Yankees 1& 2 and is very easily penetrated by themiddle digit when used leading to increased water usage when washingup.While the. read more...

Bluejay - blog 07/12

Saturday7th December It's great to see the distance onthe chart finally getting smaller and smaller - we can nearly taste the sweetrum punch of St Lucia. It's hard to believe that we have all been on board andunderway for nearly two weeks now - the days are definitely merging together. This last week has gone byextremely quickly, especially as we have been roaring along with 8-9knotsaverage and then get boosts from surfing down waves. Today however the windswere a little lower, and our boat speed back to our passage planning speed at6-7 knots - but that made another fish caught easier to reel in! This passagehas broken records for number of big fish caught and fresh fish for dinner!Definitely related to the new moon we've had - which has also given us some ofthe darkest nights I've. read more...