DAY 21 AT SEA

Distance covered so far: 2543 nautical miles
Last 24 hours: 144 nautical miles (6 knots average)
To Martinique: 822 nautical miles

We left Gran Canaria exactly 3 weeks ago to cross the Atlantic Ocean and we still have a little more than 800 nautical miles to the Caribbean. In normal weather conditions during this season, the crossings on sailboats our size should take about 20-25 days. But who would have thought that we would be impacted by 3 large low pressure systems in the North Atlantic, which caused the normally so stable trade winds to be interrupted for several days. In the meantime the wind has picked up again and we are catching up in time. Although we have already been at sea for 3 weeks and had to make more strategic decisions than expected on this route due to the weather situation, the mood on board is good and everyone feels well. In order to be more stable in the waves and not to be rocked back and forth, we decided to sail with reaching winds with the mainsail and genoa up. That means in the next few days we will change the sails from port to starboard through a jibe and will first sail a few nautical miles south before we can jibe again and maintain a direct course towards Martinique. Life at sea wouldn’t take so much getting used to if it weren’t for the rough seas. Many everyday actions at sea can be much more complicated than on land. Basically you have to use one hand to hold on at all times or be able to pinch yourself with your body in such a way that a jerky wave does not throw you off balance. For some tasks like cooking and washing dishes, you sometimes wish to have a few more octopus arms. If you hold the potatoes with one hand and the knife with the other, the pot will begin to slide back and forth. Going to the toilet also requires a bit more skill and perseverance when the waves are big. But the most important and one of the most difficult task is to find a comfortable sleeping position. We have a double cabin aft, which has a large bed. What is comfortable in harbor and at anchor gives you little hold in the waves and a few times Max slipped across the bunk onto me, including all the bed sheets. Since then he’s been sleeping on the leeward side! The two sea berths in the salon are most suitable at sea. Papa and Sara are currently sleeping here. Depending on the tack, the leeward side is more comfortable than the windward side, as you can lean against the wall. Both have built cozy nests for themselves with pillows and blankets. Our double V-berth at the bow is only used as storage space at sea, as the bow moves even more restlessly in the waves. Only Sara has to struggle with seasickness from time to time in changing conditions. Our sense of balance seems to have adjusted well to the uninterrupted rocking. In the last few days we could see how the wind always increases at night. We have had some gusts reaching up to 29 knots and during Papa’s night watch even a wave washed into the cockpit. Fortunately all hatches were closed and the inside stayed dry. In the morning we increased the sail area again a bit and we sail very comfortably in 17-24 knots of wind.