Day 2  – 19 November

Lazy Bones

First 20 hours have been fabulous. Range from 7-9 knots. Seas a little more than one meter behind us with winds at 16-25.

We are using for the first time goose wing with double headsails on a different stay and a slot between the sails. Quite smooth. Thank you Thomas for the suggestion.

Jeff and Gayle

• About Lazy Bones

Enterprise

All is well.

Sea moderate; no clouds; blue sky; 25 Deg C;

Pete has lost his glasses once so far; after much swearing they were located under the sink….he tells me he is keeping his own blog … to set the record straight.

Just like being in prison meal times takes on a special importance. Yesterday was Rogan Josh; today it will be Chicken Sag. A pattern is emerging. Soon we will be trading cigs and marking notches on the wall by our bunks.

We even had a hot shower this morning – you have to manage this sitting down – makes for interesting shower cubicle technique. I am sure I will get better as the bruises heal.

All for now.

From blog.mailasail.com/sventerprise

• About Enterprise

QP

Photo: Calero Marinas

I’m embarrassed to report our satellite transmitter has just gone overboard.
We had a big roll just after I turned it on this morning & I’d put it down in sight of the sky….  obviously not in a secure enough place!
Otherwise all is well, heavy seas, F6 but QP is enjoying the surfing at the moment.
All the best
David & the crew on QP

Walden

Hello from Walden!
We have had an excellent first day.
Mood On Board – All is well, mood is good 

• About Walden

SIF  

Hello Rally Control
Heading 250 degrees with 12-14 knots wind and clear sky, just the thing for our Parasailor. Have just passed IRIS and made radio contact with them.
All well aboard SIF as well thanks for a fantastic start yesterday!
Søren and Crew.

Day 3 – 20 November

Lazy Bones

Our primary autopilot failed. We are using our backup autopilot. Everything is ok for the moment
We think we should divert to Cape Verdes Islands to see what we can do repair the pilot.
We are really sad about having such great winds and wonderful course.
Jeff Allen

• About Lazy Bones

Enterprise

By now we should be the last boat… not that it is a race!

We had a tough night. Firstly about 2am I managed to get the genoa sheets wrapped round the forestay while trying to do a gybe without waking Pete. This meant waking Pete. The sea was moderate to rough and the wind around 30kts. So rounding up into the wind while working on the foredeck was enough to make you chuckle – or chuck even. Then about 4am we were hit by a large wave and the autopilot decided it had enough so we broached. When we eventually regained control it appeared that the autopilot would not work. We actually decided to make our way back to Tenerife, 80nm away, to get repairs – motoring into the wind and waves. After about 30 mins of that, Pete had a brain wave and managed to get the autopilot working even though the rudder sensor was still not working. We then decided to turn round again and rejoin the route. So morning has broken, we are being very conservative with our speed while we try and get re-organised both physically and mentally.

We are both fine. Hot showers and a nice lunch await. Everything is under control.

From blog.mailasail.com/sventerprise

• About Enterprise

Vitavi

 Après ces deux premiers jours, tout va bien à bord. Nous avons croisé et  re-croisé plusieurs bateaux de l‘Odyssey (et des cargos, aussi), mais nous  sommes maintenant seuls au milieu de la mer très bleue, très ronde.

A part le roulis permanent qui rend l’amarinage plus difficile pour  certain(e)s, aucun problème particulier. Le vent et les vagues nous  poussent vers la Martinique.

• About Vitavi

New Horizon

 Belle navigation sportive sur une grosse houle qui enchante les uns et fatigue les autres. La majorité de l’équipage est opérationnelle et déjà bien amarinée.
Certains équipements du bateau n’aiment cependant pas trop le roulis constant : dessalinisateur et générateur sont capricieux par mer forte. Avons également réparé un accroc à la grand-voile dans des conditions acrobatiques.
Nous n’avons pas vu d’autres bateaux de l’Atlantic Odyssey depuis la première nuit. Heureusement que nous sommes nombreux à bord sinon on se sentirait seuls sur la mer.
A bientôt pour d’autres nouvelles .

• About New Horizon

Ti Punch

Photo: TiPunch blog

 Jour 3 – 8h du matin

Le bateau se réveille lentement après la deuxième nuit de quarts. Cette nuit a été assez agitée avec des vents de 25 à 30 noeuds. On avance vite, entre 8 et 10 noeuds de moyenne avec des surfs à 15 noeuds.

Depuis ce début de nuit, on ne voit plus aucun autre bateau à l’AIS. Le départ avait été retardé de 30 minutes, comme certains bateaux n’étaient pas prêts, c’était amusant de voir les 40 bateaux ‘tourner en rond’ avant d’avoir le signal de s’élancer vers la ligne de départ. Tout de suite, le groupe s’est divisé en deux, certains bateaux préférant passer entre Lanzarote et Fuerteventura, ce qui était notre cas, et l’autre moitié laissant Fuerteventura à tribord, dont Mercredi Soir et Happy Koumata.

La pêche n’a donné qu’un maquereau ce premier jour, et rien depuis – on pense que l’on va peut-être trop vite, et aussi sans trop de possibilité de s’arrêter si on attrape quelque chose, mais on garde de moral pour les apéros au sashimi…

En fin de journée on était dans un groupe de tête, avec Vivant loin devant et 3 ou 4 bateaux devant nous. On a laissé le bateau toilé toute la nuit – gv haute et gennaker, et au matin il n’y avait que Vivant devant. Toute la deuxième journée, Shapeshifter et Comfortably Numb nous on suivi et ils étaient entre 5 et 10 miles derrière en fin de soirée, et avaient disparu de l’écran ce matin. Les 40 bateaux de l’Atlantic Odyssey sont tous là autour de nous, mais on ne voit rien – rien du tout d’ailleurs, juste les vagues et la houle à perte de vue.

Le premier jour, Damien et Aliénor ont eu le mal de mer, mais tout s’est rétabli la deuxième journée, et Lili a même réussi à faire classe. Les journées se passent paisiblement entre les quarts de jour et le repos que chacun prend à son rythme, et les repas (et apéros…) que l’on prend ensemble.

Premier point météo avec l’iridium aujourd’hui, mais normalement, le vent devrait rester stable, de 15 à 25 noeuds de nord est à est, ce qui devrait nous permettre de continuer notre allure et notre route au 250.

On fera un point tous les deux jours.

L’équipage de Ti-Punch.

From tipunchcapsurlescaraibes.net

• About Ti Punch

Meli Melo

Photo: Calero Marinas

Meli Melo were not able to take the start on 18 November, but followed 2 days later. 

 Meli Melo n’a pas pu prendre le départ le 18, mais a suivi le 20 novembre.

Day 4 – 21 November

Enterprise

Distance run today: 140 miles
Total distance run:    415 miles

Gradually getting the boat tidy again. “Pound shop” sponges strategically placed next to anything that rattles or slides. So the boat is quieter too. Still large seas and up to 30kts wind.

I think I could pass the audition for Gladiators now, having spent my 4 hrs off watch spread eagled on the mattress, gradually rotating,  trying find the angle where the bed doesn’t tip me on my head. Imagine trying to sleep on one of those floating pontoons where contestants battled the Gladiators with over sized ear buds. Thats what sleeping on  yacht is like.

The autopilot, which is truly a third member of the crew, is working hard and so far so good. We haven’t been able to carry out further repairs due to the sea state. 

Hopefully we can start to make ground more westerly now.

From blog.mailasail.com/sventerprise

• About Enterprise

Aces4

All is well for us and we are averaging over 150 miles per day.  Thanks to Deiopea who gave us their extra genoa which we fashioned to fit our catamaran.  We ran up this one parallel with our existing foresail in our double tracked roller furler and are shooting straight downwind at 6-9 knots. 
We have seen Dexter, Comfortably Numb, Elessis, Slowly and most recently Happy Koumata  (early this morning).
No fish caught yet, we are just hanging on for the ride so far, rocketing down the waves at speeds approaching 14 knots.

Erik

Walden

Hello, Weather sunny, everybody happy
Lat Long – 26 05.759N 020 0.220W
Wind Direction + Speed  – North East  – 15knts
Barometric Pressure – 1025.8Mb
Conditions/ Mood On Board – All is well, mood is good

• About Walden

QP

Big seas out here – 5m waves & F7 now, true wind speed up to about 31 kts. 
We have chatted to End Game who we seem to be keeping company.  Three other boats around too.

David & crew

Excallibur

Excallibur went back to Lanzarote to fix autopilot.

The repair is finished, we are preparing a new departure for 2pm.
See you in Martinique.

 La réparation est finie, nous préparons de nouveau un départ pour 14h.
On se voit en Martinique.