{"id":150857,"date":"2024-03-18T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T06:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=150857"},"modified":"2024-03-18T11:08:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T11:08:55","slug":"advice-on-making-an-atlantic-crossing-from-people-who-have-done-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/bluewater-sailing\/advice-on-making-an-atlantic-crossing-from-people-who-have-done-it-150857","title":{"rendered":"Advice on making an Atlantic crossing from people who have done it"},"content":"By early summer the peak Caribbean season is coming to a close, ushered out by a fusillade of big regattas. Then, with summer returning to the northern latitudes, crews begin the return leg of their migration back home.\r\n\r\nWhile most people focus on crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean<\/a>, the voyage back to Europe or the US east coast is equally important \u2013 in some ways more so. The road home can be more testing, but it is also varied, and planning for it should ideally shape your preparations from the time you plan to leave home for a season in the sun. What should you weigh up in your crew and boat preparations and which route and strategy is best?\r\n\r\nYou could, of course, always take the easy way out \u2013 remember that old saw that nothing goes to windward quite like a 747! You could get your boat sailed home by a delivery crew, or shipped back to the Mediterranean or northern Europe.\r\n\r\nThese options, once the preserve of big motorboat owners and superyachts, are gaining popularity with mainstream cruisers, especially the time-pressed \u2013 in fact, a couple of owners I interviewed at the Caribbean 600 this year had their yachts shipped out from Europe and had booked them back by ship later in the season.\r\n\r\nNevertheless, each year, around 1,000 yachts arrive in Horta en route to Europe (the total was 1,232 in 2015, to be exact). Yachts mainly stop here in May and June and around half have come direct from a Caribbean island, while a majority of others arrive via the staging post of Bermuda. According to a survey by Jimmy Cornell: \u2018every year approximately 1,200 boats cross the Atlantic from the Cape Verdes, Canaries and Madeira along the north- east tradewinds route.\u2019\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120194\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"crossing-atlantic-west-to-east-helm-credit-tor-johnson\" A return voyage from the Caribbean to northern latitudes can be testing for boats and crew. Photo: Tor Johnson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe route back is a well-travelled one, but it is a very different proposition to the way out. The days will be lengthening as a crew sails north-east, yet the temperatures are falling and the weather can be very varied and occasionally testing.\r\n\r\nDan Bower, who wrote our Bluewater Sailing Series<\/a> and made his umpteenth west-east transatlantic passage in May 2018, returning from the Caribbean on his Skye 51 Skyelark<\/em>, says: \u201cWe consider the passage to be heavy weather and prepare accordingly.\u201d\r\n\r\nBut it is also one of the most interesting voyages, and the almost mandatory stop in the Azores means you\u2019ll visit some of the most unspoilt, hospitable and interesting islands anywhere in the world. Plus there is the undoubted satisfaction of knowing that you are closing the circle of your Atlantic circuit by your own efforts and skills.\r\n\r\n[collection name=small]\r\n

Preparations<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u201cWe look at the west-east transatlantic as very different from the ARC or indeed any of the other ocean trips we do because it can be largely upwind and has potential for heavy weather,\u201d says Dan Bower.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt is guaranteed that the first week is full on, close-hauled in the tradewinds, and life at 20-30\u00b0 in a big ocean swell puts more demands on the boat and crew. Then depending on the position of the Azores High, after the lull in the middle, the second half of the journey can be lively downwind or back to beating.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120199\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"crossing-atlantic-west-to-east-rig-checks-credit-tor-johnson\" Make regular checks on sails and rigging, looking particularly for chafe damage. Photo: Tor Johnson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nGiven this, you\u2019ll need to think from the outset about your upwind and stronger wind sails, and your yacht preparations for the route across to Europe. So when you consider the outlay for an expensive downwind sail inventory, for example new spinnaker or Parasailor, don\u2019t forget the good condition mainsail with perhaps a fourth reef and the strong staysail that will be just as invaluable on the way back.\r\n\r\nPreparing your boat for everything from flat calms to gales is paramount, and after a lazy season in the Caribbean everything needs to be checked over. Skip Novak's Storm Sailing Series<\/a> features a run through some of the essential deck checks.\r\n\r\nDan Bower also emphasises these basic checks. \u201cA good inspection and rig check before departure is a must, and we rig for heavy weather with our smaller headsail on the furler and have the staysail ready to go.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe also consider taking some extra fuel on board to give options around the high. Because of the water that will be shipped going into a big swell, all items on deck need to be well lashed down, and thought given to any water entry points. We seal our chain hawse pipe and block off dorade vents. Thought also needs to be given to what items you will need to be easily accessible first, so that you\u2019re not trying to fight to the back of a windward locker as you\u2019re landing off a wave, or needing to access the forepeak for a spare rope.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120198\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"crossing-atlantic-west-to-east-rig-checks-credit-richard-langdon\" Careful and comprehensive rig checks are essential for an Atlantic crossing in either direction. Photo: Richard Langdon[\/caption]\r\n

Fuel and spares<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nAs well as taking extra fuel in jerrycans or flexible tanks, don\u2019t forget to pre-empt fuel supply problems by stocking lots of engine fuel filters and lots of Racor water separator filters. On most crossings you rarely use the engine, but if it\u2019s a light wind year its great to have the ability to push through a wind hole and get into the wind on the other side, more fuel gives you more options. Also, consider buying a portable transfer pump as juggling with funnels and pouring diesel at sea is a messy, troublesome job.\r\n\r\nTo get the most from your fuel tankage, keep to your minimum cruising revs. Boat manufacturers should be able to give you a fuel consumption curve for your engine so you can calculate your range based on engine hours and how much fuel is in your tank.\r\n\r\nDuncan Sweet runs Mid-Atlantic Yacht Services in Horta, providing a great service, but one that gets very busy in late April and May. He advises skippers to be prepared to do oil and filter changes themselves. \u201cI get people coming in here to ask us to do it and I have to say: \u2018No, sorry, we don\u2019t have time\u2019,\u201d he says.\r\n\r\nSweet also strongly advises that you carry key spares you might need, and replace any you may have used after your Atlantic crossing on the way out, such as pump or autopilot parts. Getting spares out to the Azores can be difficult and takes time.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120201\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"945\"]\"crossing-atlantic-west-to-east-spare-fuel\" Carry spare fuel in case you have to motor more than you expect, and find out from your boat manufacturer your vessel\u2019s most economical engine cruising revs[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u201cThe average time people spend here is four to five days. If you have to wait for spares that will be six to ten days, depending on the supplier at the other end, it will delay you, and the cost of transport [air freight], for, say, a pump can be \u20ac60-80 per leg for the two legs.\u201d\r\n\r\nA good rigging check before leaving is essential. Your standing and running rig will now have covered thousands of salty, sunny miles and the return transatlantic crossing will see you spend long days on one tack so expect chafe to occur on sheets and halyards. A professional rigging check can be well worth the cost, but if you do it yourself make sure you work from stem to stern checking every item.\r\n\r\nJerry Henwood, aka Jerry the Rigger, who does most of the rig checks for the ARC rally advises: \u201cCheck your standing rigging wire where it enters the swage. Is it nice and smooth? The most common place for standing rigging to break is just inside the swage and as it\u2019s inside you can\u2019t always see it, but you can feel it.\r\n\r\n\u201cLook at the mast, boom and spreaders. Check all areas where anything joins, exits or is just attached. It should all be smooth with no cracks. All fastenings must be tight and secure. And check all split pins and key rings and make sure these are taped up so that anything passing over them (ropes, clothing, sails, etc.) does not catch on them and pull them open.\u201d\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s more from Jerry\u2019s hit list:\r\n