Passages - 2015 - Chesapeake to England in Three Passages

We  came across the Atlantic in three steps.  Chesapeake to the Caribbean,  Caribbean to the Azores and Azores to England.

We left Hampton Virginia on November 3, 2014 with the Salty Dawg Rally and headed right down the coast.  The issues were where to cross the Gulf Stream and there was some bad weather moving from the Dominican Republic to a point east of Bermuda.  We stayed along the coast until we were about even with Cape Hatteras.  This is not because we were clever but we listened to Chris Parker.  He was our weather router for the rally and had been giving us his expertise to pick a departure date and a route to follow.  About Cape Hatteras we crossed the Gulf Stream.  It was a benign crossing and then we had some wind to sail with.  The picture below is the kind of cloud not to sail under.  The winds will increase and it is raining.

 This picture of Ellie shows the life jackets that we always wear when we are out of the cabin.  At night or in rough weather we snap on with a tether before leaving the cabin. 

 After three or four days the wind quit and the ocean got very calm.  The big boats with lots of fuel motored but we just sat there and read books.  It is pretty rare that the wind quits like this but it does happen.  After a couple of days the wind came back and we were sailing again. 

We did not have the moon on our passage so it was very dark.  Notice though that the Monitor Wind Vane (Helmer ) is steering the boat. 

This is a flash picture of the sails in the dark with rain.  Double reefed main and staysail is steady and slow.  

Traffic is always an issue.  We have an AIS Transmitter so that ships can  see many miles ahead that there is a  sailboat called Serenity many miles ahead.  Occasionally ships get close and it is quite exciting.  If you get as close as this picture it is not good.  

After nineteen days we came into Gorda Sound on the Island of Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands.  We were able to pick a mooring at the Bitter End Yacht Club and sleep for the night.  One of the great moments on a passage is the moment that somebody gets to say land ho.  It is a good moment.  The pictures are of Faial Island in the Azores.  They are not pretty but after twenty two days the island looks good.  

Then as you get closer you can see houses and fields and proof of human habitation.  At this point you are tired but it still feels good to see land.  

The other passages we made were from St John United States Virgin Islands to Faial Island, Azores in twenty two days.  Next was San Miguel Island, Azores to Falmouth, England in twelve days.  The times are slow times but the crew on our boat is old and slow to make up for it. 

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