Sailing the Atlantic Ocean single-handed

[@Halcyonyachts]

You have an interesting way of filming and narrating - very refreshing... Great stuff!

[@MD0MDI]

Nice video, I've been there but not in such a small boat, your braver than I, but watching the video made me miss the crazy things I once did! Keep it up...

[@brucemcnair2]

Any chance of some more vids Mark? I just bought my first yacht, a Cavalier 32, and it's vids like yours that inspire and educate blokes like me

[@msf60khz]

Hi Mark. I enjoyed your video. With little boats, I have found the best down wind rig is to set a pair of twins, one poled out each side. It is very well balanced, and being well forward there is no tendency to broach.

[@pete9501]

Mark, thanks for posting this.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Hi Emma, Sail boats wont go direct from Brest to NY. One must sail in the correct season to be safe, warm, and have fun. Brest to Canary's in Sep or Oct. 10 days. (This passage can NOT be done later!!! Bay of Bisque is NOT a place after September!) Canary Islands to Caribbean November- March 20 to 25 days - OK I took a little long! I should have taken about 20 days but took 30. Caribbean to New York late April thru May.15 days. Consider Bahamas before NY So a long warm soujourn :)

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Hi Bruce, Congrats on the Cavalier! They are great boats. I just came down from New York city to Norfolk, Virginia but it wasn't much of a sail so didnt pull out the video camera. I tried to photograph some dolphins but they are getting wise to me and kept putting their heads underwater whenever I brought the camera up. If they keep that trick up I'll buy a harpoon. ;) Mark

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Its a Beneteau 393. French built, 39 feet long, 11.8 meters, 13 feet wide, 3.4 meters. Beneteau have a large range of sailing boats are a fairly low price point -- well, low for boats, but that still means they are expensive to buy, own and sail! :)

[@z4u68]

your a funny happy guy, I have enjoyed this post. I hope you trip remains to be happy and safe.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Great thing about sailing is you can do it in the way you wish. Internet forums argue... but usually they haven't done it or have more than 5 years ago. Times change fast. AIS has totally binned Paper. Solar (etc) negates reliance on alternators, Lithium and cheap Alkaline batts provide backup. House batts often 600+ amps where Autopilot draws only 4 amps. In emerg cut the freezer and jury rig elecs. Don't miss out on going because old techs higher prices. New way is better, safer, cheaper. :)

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Blue Whales are very elusive and only in the Pacific. I have seen one, I think. Not good enough for an identification because if was already going down and under water. It was huge and definitly light coloured. Whales generally are still pretty rare to see so pretty exciting when we do. Most often: Pilot Whales, then humpback and very rarely Right Whales and Minkes. Most: Indian side of the Indian Ocean. I haven't seen any in the Caribbean or up the USA East Coat in the last year

[@OurLifeAtSea]

@DoomEgg Longer than 15 minute intervals. There is very few ships there so I was doing 28 minutes mainly. I don't know why 28 minutes worked well but it worked. Closer to shipping chanels etc I do 20 minutes and if I see something it will be a 10 or even 5 minute kip till they get closer. :) There's another solar panel on the other side of the boat giving 2 x 120 watts so I never need to run the engine to make electricity :) Mark

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Mine is 39 feet. I am going back across the Atlantic May 2013 to do the Med season, then back to the Caribbean, I think. All the best! Mark

[@OurLifeAtSea]

By the way, the most dolphins I have ever seen was 2 months ago between Cape Hatteras, USA and New York! Hundreds of them, different types, all great to watch.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Hi, Sorry for the late reply. Davits are great! I want some now but have had a budgetry blowout :( Other things to look carefully at are Solar panels, AIS Transponder NOT the receiver only, MUST be the transponder (am I clear enough about that? TRANSPONDER!!) :) Things NOT to get: Wind vane steering, Generator, air con If you are rich buy a water maker. I'd love one! Dont listen to old cruisers talk about paper charts and sextants, go all electronic, so AIS, lots of GPS, iPad, Laptop

[@OurLifeAtSea]

yes it is Goosewinging. You dont need a spinnaker pole to start with. Rust run your boat dead downwind in very light wind and you will see the main wants to go one way and the genoa wants to go the other way. So let them! As you get better, or the wind comes up you need to strap down the main (a preventer) to stop it gybing, and pole out the genoa so it catches more wind. A spinnaker does it better, but in high wind a Spinnaker is no good. and solo its easier to use normal sails.

[@MrVitali51]

Чудесный опыт. Как можно на попутном ветре обойтись без спинакера и сдвоенного стакселя. Спасибо за опыт и счастливого плавания Виталий

[@frankcromer4865]

Maybe because the auto-pilot we had on-board, which was new, infact the second day (36hrs), in the same conditions you had in your video, broken on the second day. On his trip, in a different boat. Once set-up, the wind-vane just kept going. In all wind changes. Well thats how he explained it to me,,keep sailing ;0)

[@OurLifeAtSea]

To browse a forum and to see what people actually have are two different things. In the bay I am now in Grenada I can see the sterns of 34 boats, one has a wind vane. Thats about the ratio. A lot of folks on forums haven't gone yet, and others came back a long time ago. Cruising is modernising fast. Excellent auto pilots, like mine that hasnt failed in 35,000 nms, are half the price of a wind vane. Can't fit wind vanes to swim platforms and catamarans. A swim platform is wonderful! :)

[@lucca101able]

Very nice Vid Mark! I'm organising a trip from the UK to Argentina South America with my brother and two friends in a 42.2. Any advice from you will be always welcome! :-)

[@OurLifeAtSea]

@CaribbeanDiver1 Yes. Few use Windvanes anymore. An Auto Pilot is best. They run on 12 volts DC and draw very little say 2.5 amps per hour and unaffected by wind changes. A Wind Vane is set to the direction of the wind, its not electrical but all mechanical. When the wind changes the boat goes off course. Dangerously. A friend who fell asleep longer than she wanted to had a wind change whilst sleeping and the boat turned 90 degrees off course and plowed into a beach in Mexico! Lost the boat.

[@kenbeckett2548]

afraid Im just a dreamer that would love to be doing what your doing .. one think I have always wondered looking at boat specs on tank size (and water makers) .. are your water tanks big enough for your needs or do you carry extra on a long trip .. what would be you daily water consumption .. drinking cooking and I guess the occasional wash! :-) Are you happy with your 393 it seems ideal for single handed sailing? Thanks Ken

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Boats don't flip from wind. They only flip from waves. There's only a few places in the world where the waves can get that big: Cape Horn; Cape of Good Hope when wind against Aghulas current; continental drop-off between Bay of Biscay and England; Cape Hatteras USA. The waves need to be so big they break at sea as if they were breaking on a beach. They only get that big in the 'wrong' season: winter in higher latitudes and Hurricanes/Cyclones in the Tropics. I NEVER sail in the wrong season.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

That would be great! I will be in North Carolina about October/November :)

[@brucemcnair2]

Loved the vids, thanks for posting

[@frankcromer4865]

Sailed across Nov/Dec 12 with a guy, who had crossed before, who said he would NOT do it again without wind vane steering. Interesting different view

[@OurLifeAtSea]

@Bouchon211 It was a great trip! It was a little longer than expected but thats just a few extra days of enjoyment! :) Mark

[@FromTheHood2TheWoods]

Thanks for response...i look forward to sailing from fl to and thru the islands soon on a 34 foot hunter..id rather fight the ocean

[@jackchorn]

you have a little more faith in modern navigation than i. paper charts still have their place. there is no guarantee those guys can keep those satalites from being damaged by solar flare that would knock out gps. sounds a little doom and gloom but a very possible scenerio. nice video, thanks.

[@emmapigeon9531]

How many days would take to crossing the Atlantic in averange speed? thanx and love your video :)

[@Skyddout]

I have the same boat, just added davits. I'm off cruising in 1-2 years. Any equipment recommendations?

[@OurLifeAtSea]

For lucca101able: Its a great trip. I've done Gibraltar to Mar del Platta, Argentina on another boat. Ensure a block of 6 hours sleep per day for all. Sleep deprivation as a CIA torture! Seasons are v important. Leave UK EARLY - be in Canaries by late September. Then its a wait till u leave Cape Verd Is's in late November. Landfall 'must' be Recife, Brazil. Look at the current charts: the current that hits SA and splits north/south there. Do NOT miss Salvador, Brazil, if you are single ;)

[@AdrianKerr]

Do you use charts? or you everything on the computer? what software are you using?

[@FromTheHood2TheWoods]

Whats the chance of the boat fliping on its side in those conditions??

[@Occamed]

Like what you are doing, good call!

[@FromTheHood2TheWoods]

And thanks for posting..

[@LOUP30S]

How big is your boat? I'm outfitting a Douglas 31 for a trans Atlantic.

[@Bouchon211]

Nice how was the trip!?

[@ueberperson]

Have you (Ourlifeatsea) ever seen a blue whale on the ocean? I've always wanted to see them in real life. If not what type of marine life have you seen on your boat? and could animals possibily tip your boat over?

[@BrettWae]

What a life! Hopefully that'll be me one day.

[@deesighfa7585]

stoichiometric - ⛵ ~ have you set sail?

[@nathanlief]

What boat are you sailing?

[@OurLifeAtSea]

No. I do wear one when conditions warrant. Usually at night, and when sleeping on deck, but not all the time, and never in benign conditions. I always wear one when I go forward to do deck work. :) Mark

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Someone made a good comment... but it was removed - dunno why or how... anyway, the question was why do I run the engine when at sea. Well, I have solar panels but at night still need to run the engine an hour or so to top up the batteries. Yep, I know, if I had a larger battery bank.... its on the shopping list :) I dont run the engine for propulsion at sea unless badly becalmed. Worst time was after 7 days off India without a breath of wind and finally I had to turn the engine on! LOL Mark

[@iwowme]

Are you wearing a harness?

[@hearsejr]

Hey, I'm in North Carolina for now but in a month or two, I'll be in Hampton VA.. If you get around. the North Carolina area, give me a "hollar", and we can talk boats, and ladies, and down a few beers. --Bill

[@BMO1968]

What kind of a boat is it?

[@emmapigeon9531]

From France to EEUU , let's say: Brest to New York?

[@lucklyclover58]

how big is your boat?

[@OurLifeAtSea]

AIS ONLY displays on electronics. Impossible to plot AIS on paper every 10 seconds. IMO, MCA and SOLAS rules against turning AIS off at sea; I have never passed a ship without it. Marine Traffic. Com shows the deep penetration even in Asia. Remember web based AIS only shows port areas. AIS is the single most brilliant advance since ECN & has totally scrubbed Paper. BTW folks don't have backups for Paper - Remember Slocomb: The goat ate his paper charts! :) Mark

[@MarkPeterson2023]

I'd probably crap my pants. Too many images of rogue waves, and the boat just being swallowed alive makes this impossible for me lol.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

No I never use paper charts. They are obsolete, dangerous and should be banned. Electronic charts are the only way to go. Its easy to have 2 systems giving backup: a chart plotter and computer. For PC I recommend the free program OpenCpn and download charts off the net. For a second system look at iPad with Navonics iNavX. Current Chart Plotters from Raymarine, Garmin etc are v expensive... wait a year there may be some change in price structure due to iPad. Have fun :) Mark

[@Vegeta0585]

really? I do a lot of browsing on sailnet and cruiser and sailing forums, and most every says crossing without a wind vane is going to be insanely more dangerous. If you have a tiller autopilot, they cant handle strong weather or winds, the wind vane can.

[@OurLifeAtSea]

39 feet / 11.8 meters :)

[@OurLifeAtSea]

"solar flare knock out gps" LOL. It hasn't happend in the 30+ years of GPS. Not only has none ever been zapped but you would need to "Zap" about 20 of the USA ones. Then, of course we could switch to the The Russian GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (GLONASS), European Union Galileo positioning system, Chinese Compasssystem, or Indian Navigational Satellite System. Just imagine every ship in the world doing circles lost outside ports. Its bigger than just a few sailboats floating about.

[@amiraliefendic484]

waooo

[@jallenb1977]

dream life

[@8OchoCientos]

3,728 miles is 6,000 Km. 0.621371 ? where u do your maths?

[@OurLifeAtSea]

Why? Why didnt he like your trip accross? I would never sail with wind vane steering, nor with anyone who thinks its good. Its 1950s technology. Not only inacurate, and unsafe but also cant deal with wind changes. I love my Raymarine Auto Pilot and would never set to sea without it. And I would never set to sea with a wind vane... All the best :) Mark

[@ueberperson]

Perhaps due to climate change, we don't get to see blue whales as much. I just want to see a real blue whale before I die and I guess i'll have to go to the pacific for that. Thanks for your response :)

[@plbuster]

uh...2800 nm = 5185 km...just sayin'

[@hearsejr]

sounds good to me. I'll be around then. you can reach me at 919 then 396 and then 8448. just give me a call a few days ahead of time. I might want to pick your brain. unless your boat is supposed to do doughnuts while you try and raise the head sail. lol.