Day 1. May 1st.

We left the Dutch side of the lagoon on the 1030 bridge, and it seemed like most other boats in the lagoon had the same idea. There was a decent weather window for crossing and everyone was taking it. We had planned on anchoring outside in Simpson Bay to go ashore, have a swim, wear Franco out and take the dinghy to the yacht club for lunch.

Once anchored Grant and Lee took Franco ashore while I stayed on the boat. After nearly capsizing due to the horrific swell, we lifted the tender, gave Franco a proper shampoo, used his Pantene Pro V deep fur conditioning treatment followed by a spritz  of Chanel Allure for Men (as Lee never uses it the smelly bastard) and did final checks. We weighed anchor at 1300 hrs May 1st. A nice day quickly became a cheeky night and on a beam reach we had over 20 knots of wind. A small reef in the main and we settled into a deep, Atlantic roll and a nice 7+ knots. The boys chose to sleep in the cockpit but Franco and I tucked up nicely in bed. Whenever I checked on them they were both fast asleep with Grant successfully managing to sleep at a 30° angle so all good.

Day 2

As the song goes. what a difference a day makes. Squall after squall followed by more squall. Heavy winds and heavy seas was dispiriting so early in the trip and wasn’t forecast, but with all 3 sails out, albeit the Main and Yankee reefed, we were steaming along. Heading North towards Bermuda for 3 days is the current plan and then we will naturally swing around to the correct course. But bit of a shitty day.

We could see a storm brewing on the horizon as it was getting dark, so I suggested sticking our electronic devices in the microwave, as a basic Faraday cage. Lee declined my kind and generous offer but I put mine in. Shortly after, a mahoosive wave somehow managed to defy physics and upon entering the boat managed to land on the chart table killing Lee’s Mac book. Whilst fondly remembering my phone Lee recently killed in a death by drowning incident, all I could think of was”Quid pro quo, Clarice”.

I stayed up later so the boys could get their sleep, and then I hunkered down after dinner and a beer. Lee and Grant did 2 hour sleeping watches and I’ll be doing the lion’s share of daytime watches and meals. Bloody hate night watches. Lee says I’m solar powered and I’m inclined to agree with him. I’m also 52, menopausal and waaaaaay beyond the point of giving a shit. Probably best to leave me alone in a cabin with my dog.

Day 3

Up at 0600, made coffees and tucked myself up under the spray hood as absolutely peeing it down. Still winds in the late 20’s and lumpy seas. If it was sunny, it would have been amazing as we were steaming along, but steely grey and raining is a different matter. But it wasn’t cold, so that’s one thing. Lee and Grant had good sleeping watches overnight but still went down to proper beds after I woke, allowing me to shake out the reefs we had put in yesterday due to the high winds.

The afternoon brought lovely weather albeit not much wind. Everyone just relaxed into it. Hydrovane working well, Franco has had a play, pee and poo so all good at the moment.

Day 4

No wind and the sea is like a millpond. Engine on, water maker on and nice, long, hot showers! Wind should arrive later in the morning. After being followed by a small pod of whales for a short time, the sun came out, the wind picked up a little, and all shiny and clean we carried on sailing North towards Bermuda. Almost time to turn right!!! Well the wind didn’t last long so pootling along slowly at 4 knots with nowhere to be in a hurry.

Chatting, reading and playing with Franco passed the day quickly and the fajitas and beers were well received just as a beautiful purple sun set. As it got dark my personal solar panels powered down so I retired to the boudoir with the pup whilst listening to the boys chatting away in the cockpit. Perhaps more wind tomorrow. We’ll see.

Day 5

Such a calm night that Lee came to bed and did sleeping watches with Grant until they put our first tack in at 0400. Definitely cooler at night now as Franco got under the covers with us and went straight to sleep. He’s only done that once before.

Another calm morning and after crawling along I gave Lee ‘the look’ so he stuck the engine on, we made some more water and heated that up nicely. More hot showers and and after a couple of hours a lovely breeze arrived.

Dried out the cockpit cushions as it was nice and sunny, and whilst relatively calm Lee and Grant moved the dinghy to one side and taped shut the forward hatch that I suggested we did before we left. But apparently it needed to leak first before that happened. Because it hasn’t ever been a problem before. Oh wait. Yes it has. Always.

Rob and Nerys have arrived in Horta after what sounded like a really rather cheeky 16 day crossing with bad weather, lots of wind, big ass waves and a lot of bailing out. Not nice. Just chilling again and I’m in the boudoir surrounded by cushions watching Netflix whilst all 3 of the boys have chosen to sunbathe in the cockpit. But I’m feeling the cold. It’s awesome!

Day 6

Today I am bored. The wind isn’t doing what is predicted so we are crawling along and in the end Lee put the engine on. We’ve got to move in the right direction at some point. Downloading GRIB files to see where the wind is but not the gales, and trying to find an angle to sail at that matches one of the models. Finally, at 1800 we put a tack in. This should take us up North East and then in a good position in a few days to head towards the Azores. It’s all about trying to find enough wind to sail but not too much where you put yourself in danger. But the Atlantic is so bloody big the wind forecasts can’t possibly be perfectly accurate. Frustrating but we are moving and safe, thank goodness. Wore my hoodie for the first time in 2 years on the boat!!

Day 7

Still crawling along and eventually Lee put the engine on for a couple of hours, we made some water and charged everything up. Soooo bored so made a quiche for lunch, which this time I didn’t throw at Lee, and a curry for dinner. Lovely and sunny and sailing nicely but the big, Atlantic rollers are slowing us down and we come grinding to a halt when we slam into them. Can’t wait to get there.

Day 8

Still no wind so engine on all day. The forecasts lie!!! Did some online courses for me to do some work when I get home as I would like to get my Revalidation done ASAP and out of the way. I also want to get the GRP redone on Diablito, take up the carpets and have the interior floor sanded down and then get the hull wrapped so best earn some extra cash!

Still amazed that Grant can work normally and conduct meetings in the middle of the Atlantic with Starlink!! Drank rum and beer as the sun set and still not a single bloody fish been caught!!

Day 9.

A hamster’s fart would produce more wind than we have. This is painful. But glorious weather so could always be worse!! Fished and caught nothing but Lee and Grant took noon sightings on the sextant which seemed to make them happy.

Franco has had to be reigned in as he has started to go free range around the boat. Play time for him is really important and this seems to be at bed time before his treats. Such a good boy.

Day 10.

Finally, hump day is here. Holy shit this is a long trip. Made pancakes, fished, caught nothing, watched Netflix, tried to get WordPress to work but couldn’t so drank rum and made chicken and mushroom lasagne for dinner instead.

Sailed over to rogue Dan Buoy but thankfully it looked like it had been in the sea forever. Can’t go to sleep enough early. It’s been that magnet field thingy where everyone has seen the Northern Lights but didn’t see anything from here. Apart from time standing fucking still.

Day 11.

Some wind! Making some progress and now turned onto a direct course for the Azores. Beautiful sunny day so gave the boat a wash down and swilled out the cockpit. Lee decided to fly the cruising chute (AKA the widow maker on our boat), which was nice for 2 hours. And then the wind shifted. So the bloody thing came down again…

Made bread but didn’t want sticky hands so it barely rose, but was enough to introduce Grant to a PB&J sandwich. Amazing sunset but super odd as we were all looking at it as it was so spectacular and we all said at the same time “oh! Look! A ship! ” right in the sunset. Grant even has photos of it blocking out a corner of the sunset. We all looked at it through the binos but then realised none of the radar alarms had gone off. Lee checked and they were all on but nothing was there, and as suddenly as the ship was there it was gone. So weird. Wondered if it was some sort of refraction beyond the sunset. Anyway. Hot shower, hair wash and bed sorted that out. Making some decent progress now as the wind has swung around and increased. But dead weird about the ship. It looked really big too.

Day 12.

Still have glorious weather and today a bit more wind. Lee and Grant tried fishing again and eventually got a bite. All excitement for 5 minutes as the rod bent right over and then the line went slack. Whatever it was had chomped right through the lure. I feel quite happy about this. We have food. Leave them alone.

Day 13.

Overnight the wind and waves have steadily been increasing and with the wind in the high teens on a starboard tack we are now maintaining 7 knots on a direct course.

Couple of reefs put into fore and main sail as wind has crept up to mid 20’s now. Waves back to normal, annoying Atlantic standard. Big, high rolls with the occasional snatch that jars everything and makes you think the boat will snap in half.

Day 14.

Horrendous night. Horrendous day. Fuck. My. Life. No one in the cockpit during the night or day. That’s why we have a Hydrovane and a cracking Nav Suite.

Day 15.

Oddly, after another sleepless night due to the slamming, I am feeling slightly more cheerful today. Perhaps because the end is almost in sight. After everyone was up we had coffee and American pancakes, the boys continued with their epic fail streak of fishing and I left my boudoir for a sundowner beer.

Wind always picks up at night so the beloved slamming has returned but (fingers crossed) the wave distance is longer so although we still have big ass waves, we are riding them up and coursing down.

Made a nest for me and the boy in our cabin. He’s had lots of plays the last few days and remarkably, from having to do at least 30 turns before having a poop he now looks at Lee to straighten his mat and he’s straight down to business and back in the cockpit.

Day 16.

Got the email regarding flying Franco from the Azores to the UK. Wondering if drinking alcohol at breakfast is appropriate after a £3500 quote. I have also had a couple of emails from DAERA who should be able to tell me directly about importing Franco via an airline. Should hear back Monday now. Engine on briefly as we all want a hot shower. Lovely afternoon where we got bored so Grant and I attached a tin of tuna to the fishing line and watched as Lee lept up from being fast asleep to super excited thinking he had finally caught a tuna. Made us laugh anyway.

I have spanked the arse out of Starlink and have precisely no fucks to give. Netflix is almost as good a pizza. Almost. Incredible that there is absolutely no difference with Internet connection in the middle of Atlantic V home. Oh!! Saw a ship today. That was a bit of excitement. Ate spaghetti and I drank wine whilst Lee and Grant destroyed a bottle of Port in quick time. Early night for everyone as the waves have settled enough for no slamming.

Day 17.

A squall came through in the early hours of the morning, so all reefed in nice and early. You can tell because it all goes a little calm beforehand. Seriously pissed off today. Totally had enough of being at sea. Lee is being so stubborn about sailing all the way but I finally lost my shit when he said we would be arriving late tomorrow night. I told him in no uncertain terms that if we arrived in darkness and were eating another meal onboard with no beer, and after arriving I found out we had plenty of fuel in the tank then he would really know what me losing my shit would look like. He eventually gave in and started the engine about 1800hrs which meant Grant was able to book his flight back to the UK for the Monday.

Day 18.

Beautiful sunrise for our final day.

I suggested Lee and Grant might like to take a quick dip with a few thousand feet of water beneath them, so with a safety line in, they both jumped in, swam around a bit until (rather ironically I thought) loads of fish came over, so they jumped out and we carried on our way!

Boat all nice and tidy and coffees made. Eventually I realised the cloud I was looking at had actually morphed into land!! Azores incoming!! Took bloody forever to get to it though!!

With a final late lunch made, the guys wolfed it down whilst I pottered around getting stuff ready.

The anchor was prepped and we came into Horta. With no space at all anchor, poor holding and Lee getting shitty, I handed Grant the windlass remote and left them to it. An age later we were anchored, and in a very deflated dinghy that refused to pump up, we went ashore to the famous sailor’s bar, Peter Cafe Sport. Where we got absolutely arseholed to celebrate our 18 day and 4 hour crossing of 2,500 nautical miles.