This is a fascinating episode with lots of great insights and experience shared!
Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean is a demanding undertaking! In this episode we discuss the preps and plans for a West to East crossing with two sailors, who recently made the passage. We discuss what they were thinking about before departure, the projects they did, the weather planning and routing decisions, the watch systems, maintaining morale plus managing the boat and a family of 5!
“We got our life raft re inspected a year ago in Grenada, which was a really great process. They inflated it and they let us see it and get in it with the kids, and talked about the order of operations if you were using the life raft, like who goes first, who goes second, what does that process look like and getting extra water jugs or what else needs to be part of your ditch kit that wasn’t in the life raft itself. That was really eye opening, helpful, and it was really good for the kids to be able to get in it and see what that would look like.” – Jillian
Chris Lobel is a RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and the skipper/owner of Saga47swan sailing. Chris and his partner Nathalie take up to 4 crew on offshore adventure sailing trips on their classic Swan 47.
www.Saga47swan.com
Jillian Greenawalt left upstate New York with her husband and 3 kids aboard a 1972 Bowman 46 in 2021. Together, they’ve cruised the east coast, the Eastern Caribbean and are now in the Mediterranean. Their boat is called Mug Up!
Music: Stands For Nothing, Ben’s band with his brother Tim Eriksen
Atlantic Crossing Considerations
Crew Communication: Ensure good communication between crew members to manage tasks effectively and share the workload.
Offshore Sailing Courses: Consider completing an offshore sailing course (like Morse Alpha Expeditions, or Saga 47Swan) to gain more advanced skills and knowledge.
Insurance: Make sure your yacht is adequately insured for ocean crossing, and understand what’s covered in case of an accident or loss.
First Aid: Ensure someone on board has ADVANCED WILDERNESS first-aid knowledge. The longer the passage, the more likely it is that someone may become sick or injured.
Heavy Weather Protocols: Know how to handle the yacht during rough conditions. This may involve heaving to (a maneuver to stop the yacht in a safe position) or reducing sail to prevent damage.
Watch System: On a long passage, you will need a watch system, where the crew is divided into shifts, usually 3-6 hours long. A typical crew of two or more will rotate watches during the day and night.
Spare Parts and Tools: Bring spare parts for your yacht’s critical systems (engine, rigging, plumbing, electrical). Having a tool kit to make basic repairs is essential.
Weather Routing: Use weather forecasts (both short- and long-term), satellite communications, and weather routing software to optimize your route and avoid bad weather. Resources like PredictWind, Windy, and the GRIB files can be invaluable.
For east-to-west passages: the most favorable months are from November to April, avoiding hurricane season.
For west-to-east passages: spring or late summer are preferable to avoid the North Atlantic storms.
Trade Winds: From the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, you’ll generally sail with the Trade Winds (northeast trades).
Azores High: The Azores High pressure system is key for both east-to-west and west-to-east crossings. Understand how to use it to navigate safely.
Night Sailing: You will sail through the night, so practice navigating and managing the yacht in the dark, including watchkeeping and identifying navigation lights.