- Mariposa Voyage -
Atlantic Passage to Europe
From St Martin to Azores - 05/28/15 to 06/15/15
Thursday May 28th 2015
Weather is good to go.
Loïc goes for fresh bread, fruits and veggies.
I finish the website before leaving.
It is 11am it is time to go. Bye Catherine (Marine's mother)! She goes back by plane and Eric (Marine's father) is sailing back with Méléos.
Thanks Méléos for the pictures!
Friday June 5th 2015 - 4:00am
It has been a week since we left St Martin.
It is night and the moon is bright. Everybody is sleeping. Wind is blowing between 18 and 20 knots and we sail at 5-6 knots.
I see the small light of Méléos our friend-boat.
We decided with Marine and Sebastien to sail together, if we can manage it.
We don't feel alone in the sea... We communicate with VHF radio. The captains talk about weather, sails... The kids begin some games (riddles, hangman...).
This first week was on the wind with small waves. It wasn't pleasant. We couldn't sleep in the front cabin, it was moving too much and the stomach didn't like it. We had to sleep on the saloon's couch while the other was doing his watch.
It was also raining.
It was tough for our stomachs...
The good point is that we already sailed 900 milles (2170 milles in total).
When it is quiet, we can read, play games, do some friendship bracelets.
The first day we caught a 65cm bonite. We ate it in tartare. Yummy !!!
Monday June 8th 2015 - 3:40am
It is our 11th night in the middle of the sea.
Now the conditions are better, the wind is 3-4 Beaufort. The sea is beautiful and we sail at a good speed. The sun is back. Everybody is happy !
Last Friday, with Méléos we organise a photo shooting session. It was a great moment. We hadn't see each other very close for a week !
Last Saturday, Lucie and Maël baked a delicious pear-chocolate pie.
Yesterday, Sunday they made some crêpes.
Louise is reading or doing some craft.
We can sleep again in our cabin. It is better!
It is getting colder as we go north. Even the sea (for the shower) is colder than in the Caribbean.
Thursday June 11th 2015 - 6:00am
Everybody is sleeping, it is really quiet to write a little.
We have the motor on because the wind is too weak this time. Our friends on Méléos are still 3-4 milles behind us.
When it was night, I watched a movie and stoped it every 20 minutes in order to check the sails, the horizon...
The organisation for the watch remains the same as during previous navigations :
- 8pm - 11pm : Louise and Maël watch their movie
- 11pm - 3am : it is Loïc's watch
- 3am - 7am : my turn
- 7am - 8am : Loïc gets up and a wake-up Lucie, we have breakfast and then I go back to sleep
- 8am - 10am : Lucie watches her movie, checking the horizon while Loïc is reading or sleeping in the cockpit
Maël achieved his dream of jumping into the sea in the middle of the Atlantic. Méléos did the same not so far from us.
It is weird knowing that it is 4000 m deep.
We have to do some repairs. As there is no wind and no swell it works fine !
Yesterday we saw 4 dolphins. It's always magic!
We have great sailing conditions, nothing to do with the first week.
Louise is reading a lot and doing some crochet.
Maël reads and bakes. We can taste new recipes.
Lucie reads and play a lot.
Loïc reads, repairs, studies the weather, tries to fish.
I am in charge of the bread and the brioche.
With Méléos we have a song routine.
Each day a crew has to sing a song to the others. And we began to create our own songs. It is a great moment.
Monday June 15th 2015 - 3am - ARRIVAL
We anchor in front of Lajes, south of Flores, first island west of the Azores.
Birds are awake to welcome us!
This Atlantic passage was better than the first one (except the first week).
We enjoyed baking, reading, playing, doing some crafts... (Last time, most of the time the kids were laying down listening to stories.)
We are happy. And it was good to do it with an other boat at the same time!