We have cleaned Saphir and stocked her with water, food, and drinks so we’ll have everything we need for our journey through the canal. Our friends Anders and Karin have arrived to help us navigate the canal. After all, we have 29 locks to pass through.
The Caledonian Canal is about 50 nautical miles (92 km) long and consists of three lochs connected by 19 nautical miles (35 km) of hand-dug canals. Before setting off, we have time for a walk around the island, including a visit to the unmanned farm shop, and we end the evening with a wonderful dinner at the restaurant.
The following morning, we head on to Fort William and the Corpach Locks. In the afternoon, we pass through the first lock and moor inside the basin, ready to enter the first section of the canal the following morning. It rains a little, but we stay warm and dry under our hardtop and canopy.
Anders and Karin do a fantastic job handling the locks, and before long we’ve made it through the first five locks and are enjoying our leisurely cruise along the canal.
When we reach the next flight of locks, we first have to wait for the steam train to pass and for the boats heading downstream to complete their lockage. Then it’s our turn to make our way up Neptune’s Staircase, a series of eight locks with a total rise of 19 metres. The ascent takes us just under two hours.
Once at the top, we continue along the canal, passing through two swing bridges and four more locks before reaching the first loch, Loch Lochy. As it’s still fairly early, we decide to continue across the loch and pass through Laggan Locks before mooring alongside the canal for the night.
We discover a pub or more correct Anders discover it on a barge just a few boats away from us. We somehow completely missed it the previous two times we’ve been here. It’s a wonderfully cosy place and one we can highly recommend.
We continue our journey along the canal and across Loch Oich, the highest point of the canal. From here, it’s all downhill as we begin locking down. When we arrive at Fort Augustus, we’re rewarded with a stunning view of the flight of locks leading down towards Loch Ness.
It was lovely to explore a small village, do a bit of shopping, and enjoy dinner in the evening. Our journey then continued to Loch Ness, where we went looking for its famous resident. We dropped anchor in the bay next to Urquhart Castle. Anders and Karin took a quick swim, but it was far too cold for the rest of us after spending the past few weeks swimming in water that was 27–30°C.
We cruise across Loch Ness, pass through the locks into the final section of the canal, and moor in the Inverness harbour basin. Now there’s only one lock left before we’ve completed the entire canal and can set sail across the North Sea towards home in Sweden.
Before leaving Inverness, we take a walk into town and enjoy dinner at a cosy Italian restaurant after trying our luck to get a table at several different places.
The evening ends with another round of Hitster, and this time Karin takes the win. A perfect ending to a fantastic week—no seasickness and no unexpected swims! A huge thank you to Karin and Anders for making our week so memorable.
One more day before we set off. We dock in the harbor and find a very cozy pub nearby where we settle in and enjoy the evening. On the way back, we spot a fantastic sign that makes us smile and truly feel that the journey is coming to an end – now we are almost home.
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.
Enjoying the sun for a few hours
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.
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.
The Livingroom Almost the hole gang Even Edgar went in the poolBeautiful kolibri
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.
Fixing with the D1
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.
SunsetScreenshotSunriseVery calm sea in the morning
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.”
A bit water in the dinghySundowner with Gen and JerryDeshaiesDinner at Le SavannaOutside the Police station of 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.
Best bauguett and croissant placeAmanzi almost next to usLovely evening
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.
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.
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.
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.
My bedSunsetNight skySunrise
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.
Squirting whaleIt is a big whale.
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.
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.
Look at that face Almost thereSome of the fleet have already arrived We are St Helena!!
So happy to arrived and looking forward to enjoy the Island, Jacobs Ladder, Napoleon, Whale sharks etc
We made it to Namibia! Arrived early Wednesday morning after 5 days sailing / motor sailing.
We left waterfront marina on Saturday the 11 January and headed up to Namibia. We hade a good wind until late afternoon when it dyed out and we had to rely on the iron donkey. It is quite rocky and sadly my chicken stew fell out of my hand and messed up the refrigerator and the floor…… I did use the 3 sec rule and took up the stew and served it after heating it up of course for dinner. Nobody got sick all good.
Sadly we are only 12 boat out of 21 that left CapeTown due to different reasons, some waiting for delivery, others need help from expert etc. Hopefully they will join us in St Helena.
It continues to be rolly, but we do get used to it. The nights were cold so we put up our cover on the back and port side. It makes such a big difference. Know we don’t need to put on full gear during night shifts. Can’t get enough of sunrise and sunset Even the moon is with us and shines up the sea.
On the second day our friend boat Mistral got problems with there engine so they could use it. We planned for a tow rescue if they couldn’t get in to the marina when we reached Walvis Bay. So we ended up turning around to see if we could tow them in. We used our blue lines on one clech each and on the loop ends we attached a long white line and almost at the end, a floating ball. By the time we were behind them the wind had increased and the waves so we decided not to tow them. It would be too risky. This was a very good learning for us. Both how do it and also how difficult it is. Mistral continued sailing and was towed in by the marina early in the morning.
Knowing that they were getting help soon we continued to Walves Bay and dropped our anchor at 4.40 on Thursday morning. Happy that it was no wind or waves, since our remote control didn’t work, so we had to free fall it.
Trying to fix the remote for the anchorAnchor outside the pierNot everybody get in
So finally we are of. The wind is great but the waves… they are all over and high. The sailing is good and rolling is okay and then suddenly the waves smash in to each other and we dip so we get water on the portside deck.
This time knitting is not working very well since I need to hold on with one hand. Good to have books in the ear to listen to. Our blue canopy went up to protect us from the wind and rain in our cockpit. That was a great plan since two minutes later it was raining heavily good to get some salt of the boat. Ha ha not for long since a big wave came over the boat and luckily most was stop by the canopy but some came in to the cockpit. I got a bit wet but not to bad.
I will admit that I thought after being on the sea so long I thought I had sea legs but sadly not. The first day I was fine but on the second and third I felt very tired and going in to the boat was not fun. On top of that our kitchen window started to leak a lot. After every big waves on the side we had to dry the shelf’s under the window. Something must be done to get less water in. A huge plastic bag and silver lots of silver tape helped to 80 procent but still we were getting some water on the shelf’s but not as much as before. One more thing to fix….
Almost there! After spent four nights on the sea it so nice to know that we soon will anchor. Next leg I will have my plaster on for seasickness for sure.
We are anchored at Direction island on Cocos Keeling. Here you have wave protection and bit of the wind. Home Island is where most of the inhabitants live and there is food store,hardware store, post office, pharmacy, two cafes,a museum and souvenir shop that was not open when we were there. Then there is West Island where the airport is some hotels.
First we had to check in on the island also this time easy and smooth with the police coming out to the island. Fantastic beach with lots of shelter to hangout and have BBQs
Happy to be hereSaphir
Time to look at the window. We changed the sealing and with the new sealing it was very hard to close so fingers crossed that this will be enough. The cleaning up was little more than I thought. The hole storage in the bench was also filled with water. All out and was and dry. Then the freezer got som water also so our ice cubs was very salty.
Silver tape is greatFilled with salt waterAll out from the storageSaltwater iceAll Ice I took out of the freezer in
We have a few other things to fix as well. As filling hydraulic oil. Wish I had a photo of us doing this. The hydraulic tank is behind our shower. So Edgar is sitting in the shower and me on the floor in front of him holding the oil can while he is pumping in the oil with a handpump. I can tell you it was very hot. Edgar was dripping sweat on me. Ha ha ha!!
Next was taking out the madrases from the bed and fix a wire that had moved and then grease the rudder again. Doing som food preparing, baking, clothes washing, boat cleaning etc. All the things we normally do…
We went snorkelling on the rip where you jump in and just go with the current . Lots of fishes and lovely clams. Even went to a manta ray cleaning station but sadly no manta rays. The day before people had seen them there so probably only wrong timing. There was also a few reef sharks round the boat every day so have had my share of seeing fishes.
We have had great days with our fellow sailing friends. Been to home Island where we was told the history of the Island. One funny thing is that they all have different surnames. Good that it is only around five hundred people living there. We were showen how to weave baskets out of palm leaves.
We really have enjoyed the days here in Cocos Keeling at Distinction Island, with BBQ s in the evenings on the beach. The last day we had a potluck lunch where Swade and Andrew from Arc also joined. I even had a knitting lesson to learn out the basic. Let’s see how well they have done when I see them in Mauritius for the second lesson.
Me and Lorraine picking some branches to the fire. World Arc fleet 2024-2025
After six days exploring Cocos Keeling it is time to leave. Won’t mind to have a day or to just relax but we have 2300 NM ahead of us to get to Mauritius. The weather conditions are so so.. wind okay but some big waves and those are the one I really don’t like. This time the scopoderm plaster is on so no seasickness I hope.
Last dip in ParadiseThat’s the rip
Will see if I will do any updates on the crossing otherwise I will be back in little more than 2 weeks
We arrive to Horn Island on the 21 of July in the afternoon. We speak with Karen and Chris and decide that we will catch the ferry to Thursday Island next day. Me and Karen take a long walk around the island while the guys finds a pub…. Glad we didn’t plan to stay long here. Not much to see or do. We went back to Horn Island and had dinner at the only restaurant we found at Wongai beach hotel. Funny to call it a beach hotel when you actually can’t be on the beach due to the crocodiles. Before dinner we had a game of pool which we sadly lost.
Full concentration Full concentration The beach is behind the trees
We have done a sailing plan with three stops before we are I Darwin on the 30th of. July. Until know we have been allowed to go a shore on all Island and land but from now on we have to apply for going a shore since it is the aboriginals land. I missed that and since it should be done 10 days ahead we skipped it. We are aloud to anchor so we will be okay. We had 2 great sailing days with good wind and some waves so a bit rocky. Lovely sunsets. When we anchored at East Arnhem I saw that we had had a lot water in at or kitchen window. All the cooking books was soaked… and totally wet on the shelf … just to dry everything. Not easy went it is very humidity.
Still quite a bit left so just a night sleep and we are of to next anchor place. First we need to go through “hole in the wall “ . Here we need the tide to be with us. We came in a perfect time and enjoy the help from the tide to get through. Very beautiful narrow passage.
We found a nice beautiful bay to anchor at and the sunset was one of the most beautiful I have seen. So colourful compared . Next day is not much wind but from tight anger so our blue water runner comes out. We start we good speed until we get the tide against us and doing only 2.4 kn. Luckily it is turning and we keep sailing in 6-8 kn. The best part is that suddenly we get company by lots of dolphins or what is it? They are huge and their nose is different. Looked it up and think it might been fake orcas anyway what ever they are called they made our day.
On our way in to last anchorage before Darwin we see the second boat since we left Horn Island except from Mistral that we been sailing with. This tells a bit how lonely it is here. The sea is a bit rough as you can see on the fishing boat. We are happy to have what we hope is a very calm bay so we can get some rest before the last leg.
Laying on anchor with only you body boat gives you the best view on the sunset and the sunrise. Her are a few from our nights and also tried to take some photos of the night sky
Sunrise
Early morning to get to Darwin and Tipperary water Marin in high tide. We have a great sailing with some really nice extra speed with the help from the current and also some opposite. We made it in time to get in to lock an in to the marina basin. Very nice to be back in the civilisation, to walk on land, to see Karen and Chris and go out for a dinner. Yes we have been sailing with Karen and Chris but we have not been together since we left Horn Island since we haven’t felt safe to take down the dinghy. So our meetings have been over the whatsup. Great to have Starlink and internet.
1 of Aug and now we have 40 days to prepare the boat, exploring the north part of Australia and make a trip to Singapore to renew our visa.
Sailing with Saphir 