Daily Logs

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...

Adina - Day 19

It’s 4am in the morning, the moon has just risen and is shining across the sea. It’s blowing 20kts and we continue to sail downwind at 7.4kts with a poled out stay sail rather than the Genoa to reduce the risk of chafe. We now have less than 600 miles to go - thats less than a Fastnet Race! We achieved our target of over 150 miles in a day yesterday (154 miles) and have now adjusted the target to 160 miles.All the crew have received emails from home - they are much appreciated and well received - thank you.Since our last blog we have experienced heavy rain squalls, thunder and lightening. There is much debate about whether to count Elephants, Mississippis or 1000s after a lightening flash to calculate the distance to the storm.Andrew has highlighted that ‘the faster we sail the less we. read more...

Uno - Day 18: Ceviche & shooting stars

This morning morale seemed a little low, I think it’s due to the increased swell & wind, which, while it’s good for speed, it’s not very comfortable. We dodged a few squalls around lunchtime, and had ceviche with the mahi Gisele caught 2 days ago. Jacques (11) was in dinner so he made some rice & heated up Chile con Carne for dinner which was really good. Also today we put together our response to the Insta ARC singing challenge that seems to be going around & we keep getting tagged in.. Luckily we have a singer /songwriter on board (Gisele, 13) & we recorded the audio & now just the video needs a bit more work. We should be able to post it up tomorrow :-) A bit of silliness & dancing & singing (and lots of laughing) did wonders for the mood on board, smiles. read more...

Asante - Day 18 of the never ending poem

Tom and I did a watch last night.The weather was so horrendous.The radar screen was not good news, cos the squalls they were tremendous.The ARC foretold of these massive devils, that make our life not good.Of seas that pick a boat up.Just like a piece of wood.The roar was loud, we held on tight. But Asante held her course.The rain lashed into the cockpit, with an almighty force. We had to shout to hear each other. Ian came up to see. Not happy that his sleep was cut, by this calamity.The others too they did appear.To hear what the weather had.But by morning time the squalls had gone.Life was once again not bad.Food is low but that’s all fine.One more day to last.And with these winds still strong and sure, we’ll definitely get there fast.. read more...

Hot Stuff - 13:51.71N 56:36.08W

We are heading to Barbados!Ok we aren't stopping there but that seems to be where we are heading at the moment. We are running down wind slower than we would like as there is no kites. It seems the closer you get the longer it all takes! We are looking to jibe once in line and head back for St Lucia! we have bets on as follows:Jack 4pm ThursdayNick 5pm ThursdaySteve 6pm ThursdayChris 9pm ThursdayDarren 10:30pm ThusdayAt the speed we feel we are going at it is prob more likely the early hours but there is a 24 hr bar full of sailors that have not seen a shower in three weeks using the alcohol to stop them swaying on land!Its just gone shandy oclock but beer supplies are still strong. The B and G plotter though looks drunk the way it wobbles all over the place on the screen and the boat,. read more...

Wolkenschlößchen - Day 18 - On direct course

We keep ignoring the suggested weather routing which has served us well on this trip. Currently, this means we are sailing directly towards Saint Lucia with our main sail only instead of tacking with both sails. Compared to the boats tacking around us, this seems to be faster and definitely is more comfortable as we are having most waves directly from behind. This gives us the opportunity to keep cooking the still fresh vegetables that we carried along. Despite not putting any in the fridge, we managed to preserve them along the entire trip. Most fresh produce is now gone but also, as it looks, tomorrow will be our last day at sea. It has been a fantastic ride thus far and we are confident to finish now calmly. We are rather taking some speed out as we prefer arriving early morning. read more...

Distraction - Cruise or Race...?

The sharper ones amongst you will have spotted that we have once again turned our bows towards the West horizons. Yes, we are finally at sea after seemingly months of lazing around in Lanzarote and galavanting all over Gran Canaria. That last bit isn’t entirely true for although we saw some wonderful parts of GC (eg Agaete in the North) we have largely spent the last month preparing for the ARC rally across the Atlantic.I should have known better when I saw that the Organisers had used the word ‘rally’ in their PR material along side ‘for cruisers’….. You might be excused for thinking that any event designated suitable for cruisers might be a laid back affair where each of the boats meander casually out of the marina at their leisure and like a pretty row of ducks make their way quietly. read more...

Adrienne - St.Nikolaus

06.12.2023Blogautoren Bernd und ThorstenUnser Tag begann, in dem wir dem Landeanflug von St. Nikolaus schon früh in der Nacht folgen konnten. Was andere vielleicht als Meteorit fehlinterpretieren, war selbstverständlich die gelungene Landung nach ballistischem Flug vom Nordpol in die Karibik. Es war in der Tat ein sehr spektakulärer Meteorit, der uns die Nacht versüßte.Bereits in der vorangegangenen Wache hielten vereinzelte Squalls die Crew auf Trab. Segel reffen und Segelstellung so anpassen, dass man nicht kalt erwischt wird vom plötzlich aufkommenden Wind.Der Tag brach dann mit einem sehr ausgiebigen und köstlichen Brunch zu Ehren des heiligen Nikolaus an. Kulinarische Highlights waren u. a. Räucherlachs, Serranoschinken, Käseplatte, Pancakes und dazu frisch gebackenes Brot.Jeder. read more...

Vitamin Sea - Tag 15: Von Squalls und Sternschnuppen, Montag, der 04. Dezember 2023

Die Nacht vom 03. auf den 04. Dezember 2023: Mit Motor durch die Nacht Aufgrund der Wetterprognose mussten wir in der Nacht wieder mit Squalls zu rechnen. Um für alle Eventualitäten gerüstet zu sein, haben wir entschieden, den Wingaker einzuholen und unter Motor durch die Nacht zu fahren. Nicht nur für unserenKomfort, sondern vor allem auch für unsere Sicherheit, falls uns ein Unwetter unerwartet treffen sollte.Peter entschied sich, im Salon zu schlafen. Zum einen war es in den Kabinen aufgrund des laufenden Motors zu laut, um erholsamen Schlaf zu finden. Zum anderen wollte er zur Sicherheit bereitstehen, falls uns doch ein Unwetter erwischensollte.Wider die Prognose blieb die Windgeschwindigkeit moderat. Und die Squalls, die sich auf dem Radar zeigten, entschieden sich, eine andere. read more...

Saltair - Using up the last of the eggs!

Arrival is in sight for us. The sea state has been very confused with big wave sets making for a slightly uncomfortable ride below deck but a glorious time above! During the day we hand steer and have fun surfing the waves! To keep everyone well fed we have been baking and using up the last of the eggs- Freshly made pancakes one morning and a Clafoutis aux Pommes (French apple custard) today!  . read more...

Pure Fun - ARC 2023, last 50 Miles to go

50 Miles to go bis Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia. Macht Euch klar heute Nacht kommen wir. MR. TWISTER und FIORE sitzen uns noch im Nacken, weitere Schiffe, die wir noch nicht auf dem AIS sehen, kommen vielleicht im Bottle Neck vor Saint Lucia dazu. Handsteuerung ist angesagt, der Autopilot hat Pause. Die Crew gibt alles, jede Kabellänge zählt, jede Sekunde ist wertvoll. Jetzt zählt nur noch Boat Speed. Die großen Wellen versuchen hinten einzusteigen, aber wir surfen jede Welle runter, und jede Welle schiebt uns ein Stückchen dichter an unser Ziel. Der Wind bis zu 20 Knoten direkt von hinten hilft uns dabei sehr. Abwechselnd stehen wir an den Raymarine Displays und beobachten die Kurse und Geschwindigkeiten von MR. TWISTER und FIORE. Der Rum Punsch liegt schon in der Nase - 17 Tage frei. read more...

TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day 16 [06-Nov-23]

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day 16 [06-Nov-23]Location: Open Seas - AtlanticLat 14.28N: Long: 49.51WFIT FOR SAILINGKeeping physically and mentally fit is an important aspect of life for us all - particularly as none of us are spring chickens any more! :Each person deciding on the right balance for them as individuals.This is more important but also more difficult on a 42 foot boat in the Atlantic with differing routines are different, new sleep patterns and limited diets any exercises need to be performed at a 30 degree angle whilst the boat rocks from side to side.The physical challengeOf our crew of six we had two who exercised on a semi-regular basis - and one fanatic (John) who managed to exercise everyday.Our routines varied, but we all needed to find something we could do that we would. read more...

Freedom - Blog 17 Freedom Wednesday 6th December 2023.

Editor Nigel Greetings fighter followers. What a night that was !After a breezey day on Tuesday with big sea and Atlantic swell in full song, we contemplated dinner options. As the rocking and rolling was tantamount to Bill Haley on steroids, it was very quickly decided that simple was the order of the day. So freshly baked baguettes with hot dog sausages, fried onions mustard and ketchup was great fare. And if I’m being honest I had been looking forward to them ever since I found out that they were in the pantry shortly after leaving Gran Canaria. Some fresh fruit (the oranges are lasting well and are delicious) a cup of tea and a couple of squares of chocolate and we were all fed. I was on ‘dog watch’ tonight (3am to 5am) so after a quick brief from the skipper as to desired course. read more...

Wolkenschlößchen - Day 17 - Dolphins and letters

We started day 17 by reaching our '500 miles to go' milestone. Yes, we are getting close!! It was a very shaky day in the waves but we had nice winds in the morning, allowing us to sail in "butterfly" mode.  Not too easy as we are not having a Spinnaker pole but it worked well for some time. After that, we went back to our beloved Oxley that we sailed until sunset. Amazing how much we used that sail for the trip. Almost all days and all but 4 nights.  After breakfast, a group of dolphins came to visit and jumped a bit in the aft of our ship. Perfect to watch from the safe space of our cockpit. And while we were having a 500-mile Gin & Tonic (alcohol free but surprisingly refreshing), Lonneke prepared a letter in a bottle and sent it off. We hope someone will find. read more...

Skyelark 2 - The Arc of Christopher Columbus and the ARC of Atlantic Rally Cruisers Today

The ARC of Christopher Columbus and the ARC of Atlantic Rally Cruisers TodayEach year, sailors from around the world meet up in the Canary Islands to sail in a rally together to the Caribbean. Unbeknownst to many, they are following directly in the wake of Christopher Columbus’s journeysin which he formally discovered the Caribbean and the Americas.His first trip across took 33 days, his fourth, only 16, similar to many sailboats in the ARC rally.Columbus left from the same islands, at the same time of year and followed the same general route in 1492. that sailors follow today.We on Skyelark 2 are sailing the same route and are now approaching St Lucia today!Even more astonishing is that the ARC Europe return journey from St. Martin to Bermuda to the Azores in the spring return to. read more...

Uno - Day 17: Best mileage day & new high VMG

Tuesday 5th December We had a great last 24 hours covering 165nm! A new fast VMG of 6.9 too and so now (in the morning) we have 880nm to go to St Lucia. Today our remaining bananas definitely looked dead..it was finally time to make the banana loaf recipe that “Tempus” had sent through, after I ogled the pic they posted back on day 3 or 4, of the most delicious looking bread. They turned out great! Captain rich made the yummiest dinner tonight - Mahi mahi steaks with grilled eggplant & a tomato sauce. He got a little confused on the timing & served it up at 415pm, which was pretty funny. The banana bread may come in handy for the night watch!Fast day, not too uncomfortable but a few of the crew suffering a little nausea, probably from lack of sleep. The last 2 nights have felt. read more...

Valent - In Grenada

Valent eventually finished their Atlantic crossing around day break on Monday. We took a couple of hours longer crossing the finish line than expected as the wind dropped to zero when we were 0.1nm from the line and due to a possibly misguided sense of pride we wished to sail the whole trip, i.e. not use the engine at all for propulsion. Having thought that we had crossed the imaginary line a few times, finally the tracker agreed with us and we motored in. A very excited welcome committee with banner we’re waiting to greet us. Most of the crew had been up since 01:30, so possibly we weren’t the best company. However a quick rum punch, few beers and a bacon&egg sarnie (using the last of the good bacon from the UK) revived spirits. The crossing itself was fairly uneventful. The. read more...

Adrienne - Wellenkino

Blog Adrienne 5.12.2023Blogschreiber Peter und WernerSeit gestern Nacht haben wir deutlich mehr Wind und die Wellen haben auch zugenommen. Gestern noch in kürzerem Rhythmus. Heute untertags schon deutlich länger und mit einer Höhe, dass man im Cockpit sitzend benachbarte Schiffe für kurze Zeit hinter dem Wellenkamm verschwinden sieht. Die Wellen bieten ein ständig wechselndes Schauspiel, an dem man sich nicht satt sehen kann.Heute Nachmittag hat uns ein Katamaran an Backbord begleitet. Er hat unser Kielwasser später gekreuzt und ist noch Norden abgezogen. War schon interessant, weil er ja auch Saint Lucia als Ziel hat. Später hat uns ein Paradiesvogel besucht. Es war schön zuzuschauen, wie er im Tiefflug durch die Wellentäler gezogen ist. Zu guter Letzt haben wir noch eine portugiesische. read more...

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day 16 [05-Dec-23]

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day 16 [05-Dec-23]Location: Open Seas - AtlanticLat: 13.55N Long: 47.16WTHE DAILY CYCLEWhen 6 people are thrown together in a caravan and then thrown into the middle of the Atlantic it is important that they quickly form an effective team with clear leadership and a set of guidelines - these routines ensure our survival in a potentially hostile environment as we seek to achieve our goal of getting to St Lucia in 21 days.Our daily meet upOur routines revolve around a daily meetup led by our skipper - Chris.We meet up an hour before sunseteach day for dinner, and this provides an opportunity to chat about the following 24 hours, assess any issues and to spend time together. You will be surprised to hear that the evening meal is hotly debated as we have several very. read more...