Land Ho!!! 17 days since we last saw land. A very special feeling spreads onboard when the beautiful peaks of La Palma suddenly appear in the distance. We turn towards each other, ’ha! We did it!’

And so we embark on our final leg of the voyage, just as we began…….Adrienne is looking her finest, dressed in a double-reefed main and the staysail holding strong, constantly drenched in saltwater and driving hard!

After what feels like an eternity of motoring, we’re finally free! The winds have blessed us since lunchtime, and it’s smooth sailing ahead. Yet another time dolphins have been putting on a show, playing on our bow.

The days fly by and we sit with shorts and sunglasses and bask in the sun and listen to music. The weather has really been on our side, apart from the high pressure with no wind we are now forcing our way through by engine..

Out here in the vast blue, the ocean has been eerily still—so still, in fact, that we’ve been motoring for yet another day. The sails hang limp, waiting for the wind to return, while the hum of the engine fills the void. In the meantime, life aboard Adrienne II continues in its own rhythm. The crew has settled into the routine of ocean passage—washing clothes, showering

At the dude ocean ranch we gather around the salt encrusted red glowing compass in the aft cockpit for the night watches. We tell stories, many utterly unfit to print. As the distance travelled on the display is now in the 1900s 2000s we tell stories from each year we lived. Our spirits are high. If you could hear us, you would hear giggling and roaring laughter all the time

It took me a while to figure out what day it is and how long we've been at sea. That usually means one of two things: 1. The journey has now exceeded ten days, and after that, days and time start blending together. 2. Sleep deprivation is starting to take its toll. In my case, it's probably a mix of both. :)

The trade winds held steady at a perfect 15 to 20 knots, propelling Adrienne II smoothly across the Atlantic under a sun-soaked sky. The only real inconvenience was steering into the blinding sunrise, making us all appreciate our sunglasses and questionable hat choices. Despite the nearly ideal conditions, morale took a hit as we realized our candy stash had been reduced to a few sad

The ten man crew of Adrienne have had about ten days at sea and maybe a week more before we arrive in the Canaries. Life revolves around the winds and watch schedule to sail the best through those winds.

So many questions; so many answers— Some of us take the time to listen, remaining disconnected from the “outside world”. Captain Erik set a course for the center of a big High pressure system  the other day for a swim.  We sailed to the calm, water skier’s paradise….  As we were in the eye of the High, we witnessed clouds and squalls all around us, moving in different directions.

A Rhyming Log | The ocean roared, the waves stood tall,
A feisty dance—she gave her all.
The deck walks endless, yet turned out fine,
No mishaps struck our careful line.
The fuse gave out, the power waned,
But soon was fixed—our mood regained.

Sailing across an ocean normally requires a bit of slaloming; you’re likely to abandon your great circle route searching for more favorable conditions. This specific passage with ADRIENNE from Sint Maarten to the Canaries is no different. This is NOT a route where we simply can follow the great circle route.  While drawing a straight line from Sint Maarten to Gran Canaria we end up with two very different weather patterns …

We continue to look for favorable winds and hope that the low pressure above us will push on and give us a few more knots. After yesterday with clear water and bathing and a job well done with cleaning and washing, we are all longing for more pressure in the sails. We are now trying to steer straight towards the GC and keep the pace of the sailing.

Adrienne II, our trusty Swan 70, is cutting through the Atlantic on a dream passage from Sint Martin to the Canary Islands. Well, cutting through might be a stretch—positioned smack in the middle of the Azores High, the breeze is nonexistent, the waves are barely a ripple, and the current?

I sleep in the warm belly of Adrienne. Water gurggles as it rushes over the hull inches away from my pillow. A soft, familiar rocking motion. All ingredients for a good sleep but I am restless. It’s  been days since we saw a ship. We are definitely out of helicopter range. The vastness of the ocean is hard to fathom.

We’re getting into the groove. It’s our fourth day at sea, and we’re still on our high side, sailing upwind toward the north. By now, we’re all getting used to living in a world that’s constantly tilted. Cooking, cleaning, and even using the bathroom in a space that feels like a ski slope has become part of the adventure. Sailing “the wrong way” across the Atlantic has its challenges….

Sailing under a luminous full moon, ADRIENNE II crossed the Tropic of Cancer, marking another milestone . The crew is finally healthy and complete again after some early bouts of seasickness, and spirits are high as we settle into a steady rhythm at sea. With fair winds of 15-20 knots pushing us forward, the jib is up for the first time, adding to our momentum [Read more…]

The Atlantic crossing of sailing yacht Adrienne started yesterday Feb 9 from the Caribbean island of St. Martin. We left the harbour and passed through the bridge behind a large motor yacht. Our voyage is dramatically different from the motor vessel.. [Read more…]

Today, we cut the lines….time to shove off…….. In only a day-and-a-half since meeting each other, we have developed as strong crew. In that time, already, we’ve grown to share humor, trust and confidence. For some of us, this is the biggest undertaking of our lives, by far.  For others, this is another treasured lap across the… [Read more…]