VanDamNordia55 – Sailing with Saphir

Antigua to Azores

9May-27May

I have discovered that there is a diary app on my phone that I have used now and then. So this sailing from Antigua to the Azores is from the diary that I am sharing with you. There is a lot of text and few pictures this time.

Day 1. May 9, we are setting sail for the Azores. First, we need to check out, which Edgar will handle while I clean the cockpit and wash the floors on the boat before heading out for the last shopping trip for frozen pizza, fruits, and vegetables, and finally avocados. I’ve been longing for them since we left Cape Town.

Bahati comes in and docks at the marina after being at anchor for a few days. It’s time for them to stock up and receive crew members who will sail with them to Portugal. It’s been fun hanging out with them over the past few days, especially snorkeling with Sien.

The gangway is put up, and the dinghy is hoisted. We detached the engine yesterday. Just after eleven, the marina staff comes to help us get away from the pilings, and we wave goodbye to Sien and Martin. Before we leave, we fill up with 140 liters of diesel, so now we have a full tank. We also prepare with seasickness patches, which I’m glad we did because as soon as we rounded Antigua, it started rolling, and we lean to port all the time. We’re not good at managing food; neither of us feels like being in the kitchen and cooking, not even going downstairs, so it’s crackers, pastries, and fruit.

Day 2. Last night’s sleep was so-so. Even though I sea-bedded our beds, we both slept in the cockpit in shifts. It continues to be bumpy, and we reef or let out the sails depending on wind strength. We’re keeping a more northern course since the wind and waves would be straight ahead of us. I finish listening to “Smultron and Betrayal” and also manage to listen to “Anki Goes to Skummeslöv” by Anna-Lena Brundin and Jan Sigvardsson. No knitting as it’s too bumpy.

Day 3. I got a few hours of sleep from around midnight to 3:30 when it was Edgar’s turn. He went down to sleep on the couch until about 6. It was so nice to sleep in a bed. What a difference. Unfortunately, some water came in through the saloon window, but that’s nothing compared to how wet it was in the toilet in the bow. The rug was soaking wet, and there was a lot of water by the windows. Just had to clean it up and put towels in the windows.

It’s a bit calmer now, though we’re still leaning a lot. I started a new book, “A Well-Kept Secret” by Jenny Fagerlund.

Day 4. I Slept until 3. I got 5 hours of sleep, but was up twice because Edgar needed help. It has been a calm day, and we’ve been able to maintain 4–6 knots. We’re steering northward but not directly toward our destination. We’re maintaining about 40 degrees off course; unfortunately, at some point, we managed to steer only 10-20 degrees off. Energy remains low since we haven’t eaten much. In the evening, it gets better because today we had boiled eggs and sandwiches for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, and lasagna with salad for dinner. I’ve binge-watched several episodes of “Parenthood” and started watching “Four Seasons.” Time goes a bit faster with Netflix.

Day 5. The night was calm. Our log has started working again but isn’t fully synchronized. We’re running on the engine as wind speed is 2–3 m/s. At 9, when Edgar wakes up, we can sail again, but only for a short while. It will mostly be motor for the whole day. Since we had the engine on, I decided to make waffles, and as soon as it was time to plug in the waffle maker, the wind picked up and the sails came out, and the engine turned off. Well, it’s lucky we have full batteries.

I unraveled my blue top to the division of the front and back piece because the armholes turned out very differently. I finished one side, so tomorrow I’ll tackle the other. I’m thinking of starting to knit clothes for my grandchildren’s Barbie dolls. I’m also tempted to make something for Novalie with the pink mottled yarn.

We only sailed for an hour as the wind died again. The best part is that when we’re running on the engine, we can steer towards our destination because when we sail, we obviously steer north but not much westward. It makes for a detour when sailing. We got a very short glimpse of some dolphins, which were in a hurry.

In the evening, I made risotto with mushrooms on the side, chicken fillet, and salad. It’s nice to be able to eat cooked food. I tried the bread mixer, but it didn’t want to rise at all, so I baked Fatjax’s bread recipe, which has always worked well so far.

Day 6
We have sailed all night at 3.5 knots! It’s been a very pleasant night’s sleep for me. Edgar slept from 9 to 12 and again from 6 to 8. He’s finally sleeping a bit longer, which feels great. Now the temperature has dropped on the boat, making a huge difference as well. The water temperature is 25°C compared to 29°C that we’ve had for the past few months. The engine was started at 5, and we attempted to sail at 8:30, but after 30 minutes, the engine was back on. A new attempt at 9:30 to sail. I want to sail as much as possible since it looks like we will have calm waters when we approach the Azores.

Day 7. I crawl down into the saloon sofa and use a blanket for the first time since we packed them away in Australia. I woke up to Edgar talking to a vessel that didn’t have functioning lights. I fell back asleep and was woken up at 4:30. It’s still moonlit. We’re finally steering more towards the Azores, only 20 degrees off compared to 40 degrees before. At the moment of writing, 1390 nautical miles left. A good distance to go. I watch a movie during my watch, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and knit. Not all at the same time, of course. It’s pleasant sailing, making between 4 and 6 knots depending on the wind.

We have been sitting, planning, and sketching the Attefall house that we plan to build by the cabin up in Bydalen.

Day 9
May 18
I moved my phone clock to Azores time in the morning (4+) and the plotter 2 hours ahead. For some reason, I had to change my Outlook password again. It was a calm day; I slept from 21:00 to 3:00, and Edgar from 3:00 to 9:00 with interruptions. Breakfast at 10 consisted of freshly baked bread from the night before. It turned out well, though a bit dense as I added rye flour. We sailed all day at 4.5–5.5 knots with the wind coming from the stern, slightly off the starboard side. The boom was out with the small sail on the starboard side. Genua out on the port side.

It was overcast all day; the water was at 22 degrees, and the air maybe at 24. I finished knitting one sleeve of the cardigan but not the finish. I’m considering whether to have a pink or blue edge. For dinner, we had tomato and mozzarella for starters and a pizza that we shared for the main course. I finished listening to “Death Gets the Blues.” Part seven about Hercules who goes on a cruise and solves crimes. A light listen that’s good during my watch. I went to bed at 22:00 and was woken shortly before 4. It’s great to have so many hours of sleep, or at least rest since I wake up occasionally as it rolls quite a bit.

Day 10
I woke up shortly before 4, and we turned on the radar as it looked like a squall was coming. We avoided the rain, though the boat could use a wash to get rid of all the salt. You can’t touch anything on the boat without getting a thick layer of salt.

Our plotter has really gone haywire. It works, but we can no longer read the names of the boats we see. The names are covered with a colored bar code. When you share the radar with a regular one, the bright parts on the radar got confusing, so I turned off the sharing and switched instead. It was nice to be able to turn off the radar when it started to get light around half-past four. Now I can see the clouds that lie like a curtain in front of us until the sun comes up and they dissolve.

The wind seems to be shifting, or at least swirling a bit. One moment it comes from behind the starboard side, and the next, it shifts to behind the port side. A small course change of 4 degrees made things much more pleasant on board. The course to Horta is 64 degrees, and we’re sailing at 70–75, so a bit too much on the starboard side, but apparently, there’s a storm a bit further up, so we’ll stay at 32 degrees N for now.

When Edgar wakes up properly, we go forward to fasten the boom to the small sail on the starboard side. I take the opportunity to wash off the salt from our windows since it’s rolling less. The easiest way to remove salt is vinegar and water.

After a little while, we set the boom for the genoa on the port side. We’re sailing more comfortably now. This lasts until late afternoon when we take in the small sail and sail only on the genoa for an hour until we remove the boom and use the small sail on the port side as well. But that gets furled too.

Dinner is at 19:30, consisting of a pie with tomato and red onion filling. By 22:30, I crawl into bed.

Day 11
I wake up around 1, as it’s rolling heavily, but I don’t have the energy to go fetch the extra cushion that could help keep me from rolling. After a while, I manage to fall back asleep and wake up at 3:15 and get up. Feeling a bit sore, as if I’ve worked out. I need to remember to bring a cushion/mattress piece for my bed so I don’t roll around so much. My body is starting to feel worn out from all this rolling. It’s rolling heavily and unevenly all the time.

I get up, and the wind is coming more from the side, and we have crossed north of the rhumb line, so we go up and take down the boom. Now we can maintain a better course and steer towards our destination. The best part is that we also got a better sea state and more speed. We need the speed since we’re behind. Another sailboat has caught up with us. This one is called Maja and is 2.5 nautical miles off our starboard side. They apparently changed course right before I got up; otherwise, they would have sailed right into us. The plotter is working again after a we did a Norwegian reset (turn of the plotter and started it again).

It’s just under a half moon, so I’m still enjoying being able to see the sea even at night. We are slowly getting closer to the rhumb line. It has been cold at night; this is the first night I’ve frozen. The water is only 22 degrees.

Day 12
The small sail was out pretty much all day. This allows us to reach a maximum of 5 knots. If we have the genoa out, it gets a knot faster, but it’s an uncomfortable sail. It still rolls quite a bit, with some dips. The sun is trying to shine through the haze, and sometimes it succeeds. I slept on the sofa last night since it was rolling more than on the other nights. I got 4 hours and then another 3 in the morning. Edgar has been sleeping one to two hours at a time all day.

We were overtaken by a boat that was going 9 knots, probably a relatively large sailboat. Finally, I have finished my cardigan, but I’m not sure if I’m completely satisfied. I made an O-Cord blue edge around the entire cardigan. I will block it, as I think that will make a difference. Maybe I should have gone for a pink edge instead.

No matter. Now I’m thinking of trying to make Barbie clothes. I bought a Barbie when we were in Recife, so I can try it out in the meantime.

I listened to Martina Haag’s book “Steel-Berit.” A good book, a bit whimsical.

More water in the boat. The toilet was completely fine now in the evening, but there was a lot of water in the port side window box. We scooped out probably 3-4 liters. I discovered this when I needed to secure a box that was sliding around after it flew out of its place under the bed on the starboard side. The loose cushion I took from the port side turned out to be wet. So another thing to dry out.

Day 17
Continuing with the engine running. We are approaching the Azores. This morning when I woke up around 4, we had 100 nautical miles left. Edgar sleeps until 9, gets up to have breakfast, and at 11, he goes back to bed again. I’m knitting a poncho for Barbie dolls and embroidering on my Saphir hoodie, which I’ve managed to get bleach stains on.

Day 18
We have land in sight and are slowly but surely approaching Horta. The harbor is full, so we anchor and hope to get in the next day. 2200 miles became 2400 nautical miles, and we avoided the storm that was predicted; we’ve seen lots of dolphins, I’ve managed to knit a bit, listen to many books and most importantly, we’ve arrived in the Azores, and our daughter Elise is coming here to sail with us to Ireland.

Hugs, Eva

St Lucia to Antigua

The day after the big finale, it’s time to move Saphir from the SuperYacht dock to the regular dock as we will stay until April 28. We begin by spending three days in a villa with Karen & Chris, Julia & Jeff, Matt & Fiona, Cheryl & Ken, Cory & Luc, Clare, Maria & Oscar. What a place, absolutely fantastic with a pool, and we didn’t have to wash dishes or cook dinner. A perfect ending to our round-the-world sailing. No obligations, just enjoyment. The next meeting is already booked.

Back on the boat, I get help removing the salt from the hull and cleaning the interior. It’s so nice to have that done occasionally. I take the opportunity to continue sewing some more sailcloth boxes. I try cutting out letters and numbers from the Sailrite fabric I bought for our hatches. It’s quite fiddly to cut out, but it turns out well. Unfortunately, I run out of my navy blue thread, so I can’t continue sewing on the letters/numbers. I find some glue, which I use to stick them on. I can’t find any place nearby to buy thread, so I have to wait to sew them on. We say goodbye to Solana V, Renegade, Matilda, and Lover of the Light.

We stay for a few days, waving off one by one as they head out. There are a few last dinners with our friends before we also say goodbye to Karen and Chris, but we know we will see them in August at the latest when they come to visit us in Sweden.

We head north! Our next stop is Martinique, where we will receive our new D1s. On the first night, we anchor and have a fantastic lunch with everyone on board Brainwave, Navilus, and Kaja, which ends with a swim in the sea and a lovely sunset.

We motor into Le Marin and dock between two large motorboats. We have total shelter and are not visible from land. The next day, we have an appointment to get our D1s made. Edgar goes over with our damaged ones and is informed that they can’t handle them, but maybe on Tuesday or Wednesday, Thursday is closed. It all ended up with Edgar sitting outside on Friday at 2:30 PM waiting while they manufactured them. We installed them ourselves, and now we hope the rest of the rigging is okay. Edgar also managed to find a guy who could change the shaft packing on our water pump. He came on Tuesday and promised to return the next day. Ha ha ha, we thought, and on top of that, Thursday was a public holiday, so maybe he could come on Friday. On Friday, Edgar tries to contact the mechanic but with no luck, so he asks the dock guy to call the mechanic, who also does not get a response. But shortly after, the mechanic contacts him and wants to come on Monday. Eventually, Edgar manages to convince him to come on Saturday. Which he did, though a little later than promised. The whole job took 30 minutes, so one wonders why it took so long. The harbor office was closed, which meant we couldn’t check out and leave Martinique. In hindsight, we could have just anchored at the beach and enjoyed swimming and sunbathing, especially since it was unbearably hot. On the positive side, I walked quite a bit, and we had good food every day without me needing to cook it. Some stops don’t always go as planned, especially when things need to be fixed on the boat by others. Our patience has truly been tested and has improved more and more, with Edgar improving more than I.

Sunday morning arrives, and we finally set off, and the best part is that we sail. Extra joyfully, we see dolphins this time, small ones jumping high out of the water. It’s about 120 nautical miles up to Guadeloupe, so it’s barely a day’s sail. The anchor went down Monday morning outside the village of Deshaies, which is the place where “Death in Paradise” is filmed. Unfortunately, we missed them by a day. They were probably somewhere else on the island. Others who had been there had seen the whole filming crew and met the new commissioner.

Finally, I can swim from the boat again. I manage to take a dip before the sky opens up. At the same time, I see Seamonster with Gen and Jerry coming in to anchor for the night. When the rain stops, the bottom of the dinghy is filled with water, so we just have to scoop out the water. It has been a long time since we’ve had this much rain.

Gen and Jerry came over for a sundowner and brought a Kalukela, a rum they bought on the island that we tried. It was one of the best rums I’ve tasted. We continued our evening with dinner at La Savane, a nice little restaurant by the beach. We had a fun evening, which we ended with a little walk to see some of the famous buildings from “Death in Paradise.”

We were in two minds about whether to stay here and set off for the Azores or head up to Antigua and Jolly Harbour, where some other ARC boats were also docked, and we decided on one more island and a few nautical miles closer to the Azores.

We sailed up to Antigua in the morning. Seamonster also left but was headed to English Harbour to fix their rigging. We had a wonderful sail up with sun and warmth. The closer we got, the more the clouds gathered, and of course, when we dock at the customs dock, it pours down. Edgar was not too pleased with these bureaucrats. They were a bit grumpy and wanted to show some power. I think it’s the first time we’ve encountered such sour officials, as everyone else has been very nice. Luckily, the harbor master was pleasant and very helpful when we docked at the pontoon. Even the rain had stopped but lingered in the air. When we finished, I saw that Amanzi was a boat away from us. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t meet Mark and Clare as they had crew sailing their boat home. Kaja is also at the dock, getting ready to sail one step closer to home. They don’t have to cross the Atlantic since they are going to the USA, a bit envious especially since they will go via the Bahamas. In the evening, we meet up with them again, Bahati, and Escaped of London.

Sian and I go out and snorkel around the three small islands by the entrance. A little hazy sun, so not the best visibility, but we see some beautiful corals and a small turtle and a little stingray.

In the coming days, we keep ourselves busy during the day with usual activities like laundry, maintenance, shopping, preparing food, etc., and in the evenings, we meet our friends who leave the island one by one.

On May 9, we leave Antigua to sail to the Azores and wave goodbye to Bahati, who is staying a few more days to wait for their crew.

Now we have 2200 nautical miles ahead of us with varied weather, hoping to be in port on May 25-26.

Hugs Eva

Celebration with World Arc

It was nice to lie still for yet another week. I managed to clean and do laundry, and I even brought out the sewing machine after we went to the village and bought canvas for the forward hatches. The only water-repellent material I have on board is sailcloth, and it’s too stiff for the hatches. The hatches gets sun protection, clothes are being repaired and some re-sewn into linen, I’m also sewing a storage bag for the clothespins, and I’m sketching and planning how the last part of the Arc flag will look. We are six boats that will fit in the last available spot. I’ve decided to use sails with the names of the boats. I sewed one and will leave the rest to finish in Marigot Bay.

During the week, the Swedish catamaran Think Twice showed up with Björn and Nilla, who are on their way to Trinidad. The next boat to arrive is Cepa with Britta and Thomas, with whom we did the first part of the Arc around the world. Another pleasant surprise was that Rebecca, also from the last Arc, showed up. It was so nice to see each other, even if it was just for a short while.

The rest of the week went smoothly with some more grocery shopping, knitting, reading, and socializing with the other Arc boats that came in one by one to Bequia.

On Monday morning at 5:30 AM, we cast off and headed up to Marigot Bay, arriving at the dock by 3:30 PM.

Now we have a few days before the others arrive. I take the opportunity to prepare to sew some storage boxes and bags from sailcloth by cutting out the different pieces before bringing out the sewing machine.
The first sewing is finishing the flag. Those who have their own logo get it sewn into the sail, while the others I write on with a marker and zigzag stitch. I let my creativity flow a bit and try to create some waves and a whale fin. It’s so much fun to sit at the sewing machine and be creative. The flag itself is a trophy that is given to a boat that has done something special on a crossing, which in turn decorates it with, among other things, its boat name. I also made two boxes and a bag. The boxes are for Andrew and Swade as a little memory from me and Edgar, and the bag is for Sian on Bahati, as it’s their sailcloth I used. In between, I help decorate the boat by hoisting signal flags at the bow and the national flags of the places we have visited at the stern.

In the following days, our Arc friends arrive, and the celebration begins. One evening, there’s a Rompunch sundowner offered from the harbor, and the loo Arc treats us to a sunset cruise on a catamaran with food, drinks, and dancing that continues until we’re back in the harbor. It was an incredibly fun evening. The next day, we take it easy and hang by the pool with several of the others.

Saturday, April 19, is a bustling day at the dock. Today is the big day when we have all decorated the boats with flag displays and are ready to sail in an escorted group up to Rodney Bay, where the finish line for World Arc 2024-2025 is located. It’s an amazing experience to end the sailing this way, with all the boats lined up. However, it seems not everyone has complete control of their boats, as some are maintaining very wide distances or steering out of line, but we made it to Rodney Bay and crossed the finish line, receiving a fantastic welcome from our Arc friends from 2023-2024. Onboard Renegade are Julia and Jeff, of course, Ken and Cheryl, Maria and Oscar, Luc and Cory, and Clare. Once we docked, we enjoyed amazing music, snacks, Rompunch, and other drinks. What a wonderful atmosphere it was now that everyone had arrived. It was one big hug fest filled with cheers, congratulations, and dancing, which ended with most of us jumping into the water.

In the evening, we had our farewell dinner with a slideshow from the entire journey, and Swade and Andrew gave fantastic speeches to each boat and its crew, and we also got to share a bit about ourselves. The evening concluded with dancing before it was time to take the bus back to the boat. We enjoyed a nightcap onboard Mistral before it was time to crawl into bed. We fell asleep with big smiles and tired feet.

Our body boat true good and bad Karen&Chris

Here, our adventure with Arc World comes to an end, but our Arc boat friends remain, and we will surely see some of them again very soon.

We continue to sail and so will the blog. Now we only have 6.000nm left to get home which is nothing compared to the 36.000nm we have done since we left Sweden.

Hugs Eva

We have sailed around the World and celebration have started!

Wow, absolutely incredible!!! We have sailed around the world. Our own path has been crossed. We are five boats that have sailed around the world here in Grenada while most have done it when we arrive in St. Lucia in mid-April, where the big celebration is going to be or have been since at this writing moment it is 15 May and we are on our way to Azores. But first let’s go back to our arrival in Grenada on the 22of March.

For three days, we were busy cleaning and fixing on our boat, and in the evenings, we had great parties on the dock with our friends. Dancing late on Fatjax and drinking rom punch and Abides Sangria we learned is dangerous strong. The marina also wanted to celebrate our arrivals with a rom punch sundowner party.

Edgar was doing different maintenance and I was busy organizing the boat, emptying both cabins for our friends Linda, Kalle, Leif, and Marita, who will sail with us up to St. Lucia. That was the plan, but now we’ll have to rely on the engine, so we’ll see how far we get. We won’t have our new D1s, (which we ordered to Martinique), until the end of April. Thankfully, the engine is working, and the distances between the islands aren’t too long. The only thing we don’t want is too many waves that put extra strain on the mast.

Our friends surprised me by showing up earlier than I expected. They arrived during our ladies’ lunch. It was so wonderful to see them. It has been a while since we met at our cabin. I’m looking forward to spending time together again and showing them parts of the Caribbean. First, they will join us for our festivities for another day, culminating in a prize-giving dinner.

Both D1s rolled and attached to the boat.

We leave the harbor in the morning of the 27 of March and set off towards Sandy Island. It was a tough start for our friends with a very bumpy sea as soon as we got out a bit, and it got worse when Grenada didn’t shield us from the waves. Normally, we travel at 6 knots with the engine, but unfortunately, we encountered a strong current between the islands, so we only made 3.5 to 4 knots. This meant the journey took an extra two hours. When we arrived, I was glad that Kalle and Leif were with us when we docked at the buoy. It wasn’t easy in the strong wind and waves. Despite the lack of sun and calm weather, it didn’t stop us ladies from swimming before dinner. For safety reasons, I tied a fender with a long line from the boat. It turned out to be a wise decision, since as soon as we got into the water, the current took hold of us.

The next morning we navigate into Tyrel Bay to check out from Grenada. As we go along the coast, it is very clear how badly the storm hit here in Carriacou, with trees down, empty houses, and boats washed up against the rocks. The storm was strongest here and around the islands up to Union Island and over to Tobago Keys, which is very evident as we continue sailing past these islands.

We spent one night in Chathambay, and there was not much left. However, we had a lovely afternoon and evening on board with swimming, trying out the paddleboard (which still leaks a bit), enjoying sundowners, and having a fantastic dinner prepared by Linda and Marita. Our attempt to check in here failed as it was a bit too far to walk in the heat, so we chose to head to Canuan and Sandy Lane Marina. Once there, we got a ride to the airport for check-in and walked back. We enjoyed the pool and the sea for two days before we made our way up to Bequia.

Even though Port Elisabeth is a large and sheltered bay, it was quite rolly and very windy. After two days and some seasickness, we moved to a mooring bouy closer to shore. The rolling eased but not the wind. After checking the weather, we realized that the conditions were not good for reaching St. Lucia in the next few days, so we looked for the best way for our friends to get from Bequia to Martinique. There are flights, but they go via Bermuda and were fully booked. Eventually, it worked out: ferry to St. Vincent, flight to St. Lucia, and ferry to Martinique. Now we can relax and enjoy the last days before they leave Bequia.

The weather varies with sun, rain, and wind, but it doesn’t stop us from taking a trip around the island. Many beautiful views, but also a bit tragic how the Atlantic side of the island has been affected in recent years, with lots of seaweed making it tough for hotels to attract guests since the beaches are filled with meters-high piles of seaweed. It’s not pleasant to swim when it is so far out in the water, and we won’t even mention how it smells. Coming from the west coast and being used to the smell of seaweed, I can say that this is worse. It was nice to be back at the boat, enjoying the lovely sandy beaches, Port Elisabeth, and everything the village has to offer. There was some swimming, snorkeling, drinks at sunset, good food, drinks, and lots of laughter, along with a game night or two. Time flies when you’re having fun, so it’s time to wave goodbye to our friends on Saturday morning. We will stay another week as our reunion with the Arc is on April 15 in Marigot Bay, which is the next island.

To continue…..

Hugs Eva

Recife to Grenada

All is well on board Saphir, and we are ready to cast off and sail our last leg with a stop at Fernando. There is full activity on the bridge among the boats, making sure our vessels are ready for the long sail. One of the tasks is to get a clean propeller and bottom with the help of divers. We also receive assistance from them to check our propeller, which turned out to be full of barnacles and other things. It feels good to get that fixed before we head out. The list of things to do never ends; we just have to prioritize: safety first, comfort second, and lastly speed. When the diver is almost done, I hear the start of the Vhfn, and for the first time, we are not at the starting line but pass it 20 minutes later. It’s a bummer to miss the start, but I’m glad we got a clean propeller.

As we round the breakwater, Mistral is waiting for us. I am so grateful to have them close by in good times and bad. Our mainsail is not functioning as it should, and Mistral’s radar is not working either. What I unfortunately realize as we leave is that I made a huge mistake: the seasickness patch was not on, and it’s quite rough out here. The waves are coming in from the side, making it definitely an uncomfortable sailing. None of us wanted to go down below. You can guess how it went; not well, there was no cooked meal on board during the crossing, just some dry crackers. Luckily, it was only 200 nautical miles and about 48 hours to Fernando. After several attempts, Edgar gives up getting the last meters of the mainsail in, so it will have to be tied to the mast. It’s nice to have some shelter behind the island when we have to deal with rain. Luckily, at least I have put on my rain jacket. Edgar gets quite wet but soon sits under cover again while I prepare to drop the anchor. After a tour around the anchorage hoping to find a good spot without being too close to other boats, I free drop the anchor. We end up a good way out from the harbor and land. It’s certainly not the best spot considering the rolling, but the anchor holds well, and the boats around us are at a safe distance. A little food and a couple of hours of sleep, and we are ready to head in.

We check in and make a joint decision with Karen and Chris to only stay for two nights, as it’s going to rain a lot in the coming days and it’s very rolly on board, so we might as well be on our way.

This how it rolls on anchor. I am not moving my foot deliberately

The next day, we have rented a beach buggy to get around the island. It’s a bit bumpy in the back, but we enjoy the sun that peeks out as we drive around the island. We have lunch at a cozy hotel with a fantastic view, then spend a few hours on the beach before it’s time to head back to the marina and return the car. The evening ends with dinner at the restaurant up the hill, overlooking our boats.

The next morning, Chris comes to pick up Edgar, and they head in to check us out. It takes a little while, so we leave around 3 PM together with Mistral. It turns out that most others have also decided to depart a day earlier. We keep ourselves no more than 1-2 nautical miles from Mistral so that we can inform them during the night if a storm is approaching and if we should change course to avoid the worst of it. Not only is their radar not working, but now they’ve also had trouble getting their mainsail in. It’s clear that our boats are tired and need to rest. We sail on with the genoa and small foresail out, and a little bit of the mainsail as support to reduce the rolling. The days and nights pass, and we get into a sleep rhythm. Cooking goes somewhat okay. It’s difficult to cook when it’s tilting and rolling. I gave up after all the food ended up on the floor after a serious roll, and the stove locked up. The rest of the trip, we served meals that only needed an oven. Luckily, I had filled the freezer with ready-made lasagna, pies, and pizzas. The weather varies from fantastic sunrises and sunsets to cloudy and pouring rain. Our blue canopy keeps us dry and goes up and down.

On day eleven at 03:45, I hear a strong bang. The starboard shroud is very loose with just a tiny wire remaining. The engine is started, and down with all sails, and incredibly we also got the whole mainsail in. We discuss what to do when we hear another bang. Now the shroud is lying over the boom and down to the deck. Thank goodness the boom was where it was; otherwise, we might have had the shroud through the window. Now we have no choice. Edgar is hoisted up to the first spreader so he can secure a line around the mast, tightening it down and around the shroud’s attachment on deck to the winch so we can tighten it properly. We inform Mistral of our mishap and that we have the engine on. Now we just want to arrive with an intact mast. They try to keep up, but they end up behind since they can’t use their engine due to noise. Luckily, we have passed all the bad weather, so there’s no danger from that and only 190 nautical miles left, which is just over a day’s sailing/motoring. Not far to go now.

During my last night watch, my thoughts swirl while my knitting grows. It’s hard to digest that we are almost in Grenada, thus having sailed around the world. This last stretch has been a bit too dramatic, with boats appearing without showing on the plotter and boats dragging a long pipe/line behind them for 3 nautical miles that we had to keep a distance from and avoid. In the midst of these thoughts, I hear a bang. No, not the next shroud too… yes, it is. It didn’t break but several wires came loose. I wake Edgar up and go lay down. It was almost the end of my watch anyway.

On Monday morning just after seven, we cross the finish line! Yippee, we have sailed around the world! We were especially happy when we saw a dinghy coming out to meet us. It was Mark and Clare from Amanzi and Julia from Renegade. Once inside the marina, we are welcomed by many of our sailing friends and receive some rum punch. Tears come as I step off, and the hugging party begins. We have arrived, and the mast is still intact. Now it’s time to celebrate for a few days with our Arc friends.

Brazil part 2

Now that everyone is healthy and well, it’s time for us to fly back to Recife and the boats to see that everything is okay. We were a bit concerned about our batteries, but they had lasted up until this point, so our freezer and fridge were still on. This is good since more than half of our freezer is filled with Mistrals food. They are waiting for a part that will arrive a few days before we leave. So now we are keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes well and that their freezer will work again. It seems that our solar panels had done their job. When we are not on the boat to avoid galvanic electrical currents, we do not use shore power. In other words, we want to protect corrosion as Saphir has an aluminium hull.

Here in Recife, we are noticing more of the Carnival than in Rio. There are concerts almost every evening that we hear from the boat, and the official events haven’t even started yet, so one wonders how it will be then. Karen and I are going with Arden and Jim from Kalli into Olinda for a guided tour. Our guide told us that every weekend from September, there is a carnival celebration that continues until the carnival ends in March. Absolutely incredible.

Olinda is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and I can understand why as we wander around the town with all the beautiful architecture of the houses. Some are well-preserved, while others need a bit more love. It’s a very hilly city, and from the top, we have a fantastic view over the town and out to Recife.

Our holiday travels are not entirely over, as on the 25th we will be picked up and driven along the coast to Nannai Beach and Resort. Here we will celebrate our wedding anniversary with Karen and Chris, as well as theirs a couple of days later. It is a truly fantastic place to celebrate. We enjoy just being, hanging by the pool, at the beach, enjoying fantastic food and each other’s company. We are the only foreigners at this amazing resort hotel, Nannai, and on the 27th we celebrate Chris and Karen’s wedding anniversary. A perfect conclusion to our holiday here in Brazil.

It’s time to prepare for the final stretch of our circumnavigation. 2300 nautical miles, and we will have sailed around the world. It’s a bit hard to understand, but first, the boat needs to be stowed, provisions purchased, etc. Once we are on the boat, we realize that Carnival is in full swing. There are lots of people moving around and live music even in front of the hotel in the marina.

Karen and I are going to Olinda with several others from Arc to take part in the carnival. It’s absolutely amazing to see all the people who have worked hard on their costumes and music. We had a great time with lots of Capirinhas.

The last grocery shopping is done, our fork for the stays (D1) is in place. Unfortunately, Edgar notices that a small part of the wire against the mast has come loose, not good, we hope it will hold until Martinique, where we will get a new D1. Pool

We are concluding our stay here with a sunset cruise around the canals arranged by WARC. It was a great evening with nice scenery.

Now we are ready to set sail and head to Grenada with a stop in Fernando.

Hugs Eva

Exploring Brazil part 1

We spent the first day fixing small things on the boat as getting our blue water runner hand rolled back around the furler and also ordering a new thing to the shroud.. Since it was very hot, no wind and our air con working we moved in to Novotel next to the harbour. Once again we can see our boat from our hotel room. Lovely to have access to the pool and a room with a lovely view.

After a few days of work, it’s time for a break from fixing the boat and to explore parts of Brazil. Along with Karen and Chris, we start our adventure by flying to Rio, where we will stay for three nights. Our room offers a fantastic view of Copacabana Beach, and from the rooftop, we can also see Christ the Redeemer.

The next day, we visit the Christ statue and Sugarloaf Mountain. These are typical tourist attractions, but they are also places we were eager to see. The statue is impressive, and the views from both locations are breathtaking, though there were long queues to get to each site. Fortunately, with our guide, everything went smoothly as we had access to a separate line. We took the train up to the statue and walked the final steps to see this enormous Christ figure. There were many people around the statue taking photos, and we did the same.

We started the evening with a drink in the hotel bar and ended with dinner at Churrascaria Palace, where we could eat as much as we wanted. Not always a good idea. I personally enjoyed seafood, sushi, and salads. Usually, it’s the meat that people go there for, and certainly, Edgar and Chris were very happy and became quite full. It’s hard to say no when so nice piece of meat after another comes and is served at the table.

The next day at breakfast, Karen informed us that Chris wasn’t feeling well and therefore wouldn’t join our guided tour in the city. Edgar also decided to stay back at the hotel. So it was once again just Karen and me on an adventure. The best company. Once inside, I was surprised by how few people were there on a Monday morning; it felt like a Sunday morning. The city is preparing for the carnival, so many buildings are being equipped with fences to protect them from damage. Some have metal fences, which make it hard to see much, while others have grilles, which I prefer as a tourist since I can see the buildings better. Rio still has the monument for the Olympic flame, or rather they made two, so that’s why they have one still. They are allowed to keep it burning while the Olympic Games are taking place around the world. We walk around and look at the fantastic architecture of many buildings, although some have seen better days than others. The state library belongs to the better category. We conclude our visit to the city with coffee and cake at the famous café Confeitaria Colombo. There was a long line here as well to get in. Once again, our guide manages to get us in without waiting too long. The decor is amazing with all the beautiful mirrors, lamps, cabinets, etc. The coffee and our cake were also exquisite.

Satiated and content, our next surprise awaits. We travel to Selarón’s Steps, which we had both completely missed knowing existed and is a major tourist attraction. Once there, we understood why. In the 1990s, local artist Jorge Selarón transformed this completely ordinary staircase into a colorful experience filled with captivating mosaics. People from around the world have contributed tiles to the staircase. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anyone I recognized from Sweden, but there were tiles from Frankfurt and San Francisco. Our next visit was to the neighborhoods in Theresa, which have many shops with handicrafts. Unfortunately, it turned out that most of them were closed, so we returned to the hotel.

Now it was Edgar’s turn to feel unwell, and there was no improvement for Chris. Karen and I decided to bike over to Ipanema Beach. Just around the corner from the hotel, there were bikes available for rent through the Uber app. We thought it was convenient and easy. Ha ha, Karen got her bike, but I didn’t. I had to prove that I was over eighteen. In the end, I had to go up to the hotel room to grab my passport, take a photo of it, and finally, it worked. I had a picture of my passport on my phone, but unfortunately, the app didn’t recognize it.

It felt so nice to move around again. Once we arrived at Ipanema Beach, we left the bikes at the bike station. We enjoyed a lovely long swim before cycling back to the hotel. It turned into a girls’ night out, having dinner at one of the many food stalls along the beach. We did a bit of shopping for paintings and each got a sarong.

The next day we are on our way again. This time we are flying to Iguazu Falls where we are booked for 3 nights. Here we have booked two trips to the falls, one on the Brazilian side and one on the Argentine side. Chris is still not feeling well, so he stays at the hotel while we go to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side. First, we take a speedboat tour on the river. Everyone puts on these fancy yellow life vests that are so uncomfortable and hot. It’s so amazing to see the falls from the river, and I think the captain finds it extra fun to soak his passengers because he drives very close to the falls several times. Luckily, they told us to bring extra clothes. We needed them after that trip. Now it was time to see the waterfalls from the land. Along the walkway, we also saw some animals like the common coati, monkeys, and lizards. Iguazu Falls is the largest in the world, with a total of 275 falls and 2700 meters long. I am completely taken by these waterfalls. I have always been fascinated by waterfalls, big and small, but this was more than I could have imagined, both in terms of the amount of water and the sound, which is so powerful. I have always wanted to see Niagara Falls, but I realized that I have now seen the best, so we’ll see how that goes. I guess I will have to see smaller ones in the future where you can bathe, like in the Marquesas. Even though we are at a distance from the falls, we get wet, which is why the pictures turn out a bit blurry.

We also take a trip over to the Argentine side with our guide, and this time it’s just me and Karen again. Edgar feels he has seen enough, and since it involves a lot of walking, Chris opted out. He is feeling better but doesn’t have much energy. We were definitely not disappointed with this experience. Now we walk along the edge of the waterfalls and across the river. Since the distance is very long, we take a train for part of it. It would have been a bit too challenging even for us to walk the entire distance in this heat. Satisfied, we head back to the hotel, and I enjoy the rest of the day by the pool while Karen and Chris go to see the falls so Chris can experience them.

Time to fly back to our boats and make sure everything is okay.

Hugs Eva

Crossing south Atlantic

Friday 31 Jan we leave St Helena and heads to Recife which is 1800 Nm away. It will probably take us 11-12 days. The wind is perfect for our Blue Water Runner . Hoped that it will help stabilise the boat a bit but it rolls quite a lot even if the main waves comes from behind. The fishing heats comes out and we are very lucky this time. We got a tuna that is 79cm long. This will be some nice meals for us. This is the first time ever that we get a fish onboard Saphir. Previous we lost quite many kurs so we gave up fishing until Chris came onboard.

Day two we discovered that the BWR was loose so sail down, new cackle on and the sails goes up again. Sadly after four days we have to take down the blue water runner due to the endless line got stuck. Unfortunately the sail was not rolled in so we didn’t dare to hoist it again since we didn’t know how to avoid the sail to blow out before we managed to gett it up full and had everything in control.Today we know how we can do it. But hopefully we don’t need to. We sail on with our genua poled out on port and staysail on starboard.

The sea keeps the boat rolling and it is not always easy to get a good sleep even if I try to make my best very tight. Our watch schedule is rotating so we all get to see the sunset, moonlight, stars and sunrise.

One positive thing with the waves are that dolphins love to jump in front of the boat. This time we saw them twice and first time they stayed for almost an hour. We also saw some whales. They were not that close but we saw the squirt and I got a photo of the whale . Not the best one.

On the 8th day we hear a bang. Me and Edgar looks up at the schrouts since we thought we recognised the sound from the Indian Ocean accident. But the shrout was standing so not that we thought. Chris went up to check and when he lifted the cover we saw that one side of the “horse shoe shape”was broken. It was still hanging together. Wise from last time we knot it with dynema and hopefully it will hold until we are in Recife. Two days later on my “dog shift” at 03.00 I hear a bang. The other side of the “horse shoe shape” went of. The dynema holds it together but not tight enough. Me and Edgar went up on deck and secured it with dynema and some sticks. Let’s hope we get some help in Recife.

Enough about things going wrong. Or not halfway of the crossing we calibrate with nice food and a glass of wine if wine.. Hmmm I think Neptune was saying something to us. We cheered started to eat and Neptune knocked Saphir so the food and wine came on me and Edgar.

After 12 days in the sea we reach Recife. Before we do anything it’s beer and bubble time. We done it and it is Chris first ocean crossing he says. Now we have 3 weeks to explore Brazil and fix the boat. Chris is leaving us to go back home. Thank you Chris for joining us from Cape Town to Recife. It has been a pleasure to have you onboard. Hope to see you soon.

Hugs Eva

Days in St Helena

After motoring around between all boats, we find a spot to drop anchor. It is quite full at the anchorage, since it’s not only us from Arc rally but also Oyster rally with 8 boats and some other sailing boats as well. This is not a protected bay so we are prepared to have it a bit rolly. Very happy we are not using the dinghy. First it is hard to get ombord the dinghy from our boat with the waves and second there is no dinghy dock and getting a shore is a bit tricky when the waves hits the pier. Luckily we have Craig our water taxi guy that makes sure we get to land and to our boat safe. After done the check in which was very easy and smooth since everything was taken care of in the same building we head up to town to have a look around.

One of the “to do thing” is the Jacob’s ladder with its 699 steps straight up. The time record to get up is around 5 min. That is very fast, you need to run up to get that time. I can tell you it took me more than double of that time to get up. My condition is not the best, specially after being on a boat for so long. I knew that this was not for Edgar or Chris so my dear friend Karen came with me. Lovely view from the top with all the boats on anchor.

Together with a few others Arc friends we went on a guided tour to see parts of the Island. First stop was on the top of Jacob’s ladder, then of to visit the Plantation house where the Governor lives and also George the tortoise. He is the oldest living creature with the age of 194 year.

An other thing to see here on St Helena is the humpback whales . You are allowed to swim with them when you go on a guided boat tour. We saw two but only one that half of the group swam with. There is a law that only eight people can be in the water per whale. I missed the opportunity since I was standing on the upper deck and was not fast enough to get in to the water, but I got to see it from above and it is huge. Karen got in the water and swam with it. We made a stopped so everyone could snorkel. After a few minutes in the water this beautiful xncjray came and swam around us all like she wanted us to see her. Unfortunately my camera was not charge so only got a few pictures . Lesson learned charge the battery the day before going out snorkelling or diving.

72 hours is what we are allowed to stay which is a pity. Would have love to stay a day or two more to se Napoleons place where he stayed. And also to make at least one hike. Anyway time to leave and head to Recife.

Hugs Eva

On our way to St Helena

Thursday 6/3 we are leaving Brazil but first we have to go back to Monday morning the 20 Jan when we are checking out from Namibia. (So sorry very late in updating) Same procedure as when we arrive. All crew to immigration to check out and then the captain to customs and we are good to go. Back at the boat we have a few things to do before we leave. This time we don’t have a common start, so some left already yesterday and some will leave later in the day. We left just after lunch and hoist our sails.

On Tuesday late afternoon Edgar shouts out Dolphins !!! So nice to see them. While I was filming I see that a flying fish jumping high up I front of me, never seen that before. Didn’t catch it good on the film though.

On the forth day we have hoist up the blue water runner and enjoining the day. I was in bed sleeping (since I had have the 20-23 and 5-8 watch)when Edgar told Chris that he saw a squirt from a whale. Luckily Chris was reacting and took a photo when the whale dived just next to the boat. A bit to close to us but at the same time Chris got a photo of the back and the fin and he got to see his first whale on his journey .

We had some lovely sunset and sunrises between all the rolling. Happy that we had some preparerad meals so it was easy to do the dinners, and I am very happy for having our own private live dishwasher onboard. Thank you Chris for keeping the kitchen clean.

What a nice sight when I wake up on my last watch at 5 on this leg (day 8) to see our friend Mistral on the plotter and having only 20 Nm left until we can drop the anchor.