Single Handed Sailing - Azores to Ireland Part 1

The final leg of my voyage around the Atlantic, I sail from Terciera, in the Azores, to Dingle, in Ireland. A broken gooseneck adds some drama to the passage.

[@superformOG]

its easy for me to armchair quarterback the situation with my warm cup of coco and a cat purring in my lap, but my immediate thought was, just lash the boom back together or leave the boom off and lash the clew to the aft of the boat! one thing i have learned about sailing solo at sea is you need to do something because there is no one to help but you, also sometimes stabilising a situation and giving yourself time to rest and eat can make a huge difference to positive decision making - this video is a classic example of this, you went from oh shit im stuffed, to i think i can do this under jib, to oh i can fix it, no problem, i practice this mindset on shore, if something goes wrong i think, ok now think you are 1000 miles from land and you need to fix this with what you have, 80% of solo sailing is in the mind, knowing that is half the battle

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Yep ran through all those options alright. The very windy and wavy weather meant that any solution was going to have to wait a bit, and I drove myself a bit crazy in the 30 or so hours before it calmed down

[@SailingYachtZora]

Getting the message "broke my gooseneck" wasnt much fun either. Fuck me, im glad you got sorted and home! Ps that repair was absolutely class

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks Rhys! And thanks for the advice and calming presence

[@Robzilla501]

My understanding of requirements for coming into Ireland is you need to break at least one item on your boat, become extremely stressed, manufacture some sort of repair and carry on until you reach anchorage then destroy the first pint you come across. I’m paraphrasing of course but am pretty sure that’s how it reads. Carry on, fair winds 💨

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Haha, sounds about right! Thanks Robert

[@Oceans_Sail]

Sounds like my normal sailing day. A few weeks ago i even fell into the water getting into the boat - before i had actually gone anywhere!!!! Nothing damaged except for my pride.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

@@Oceans_Sail well if you're going to fall in the water, best do it while stationary 😁

[@gonagain]

The exact same thing happened to my wife and I off the coast of Oregon, while heading for San Francisco. I lashed the boom and it held up perfectly the rest of the way. I was yelling at the TV screen "Lash the boom!" and was so happy to see you do just that.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks! Yes, in retrospect it took me a while and some encouragement from my land crew to get my brain engaged in the right course of action, glad I got there in the end and I'll know quicker for next time!

[@tspinnh]

Mark, I'm really enjoying your videos. Nice work. You are a true sailor. Taking things as they come, and dealing with issues as needed with what you have on hand. Broken goose neck? Lash and keep on sailing. Nicely done.

[@allbushnocraft3031]

Mate when that goose neck went you got busy and made you and the boat safe good seamanship fella 👊enjoyed the passage vids. honest talk about the mental aspect of solo passage making.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks! delighted you enjoyed them 😁

[@colinboniface194]

Nice recovery... Second guessing your gut instinct, is when things generally go wrong...

[@jonshaw4344]

On your mid ocean crisis, having watched all your videos. My conclusion (for whats its worth) is that your tired and a good sleep will help enormously

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Yeah there's no doubt about that, sleep deprivation really magnifies every setback for sure. I did feel much better after a good night sleep or two prior to fixing it

[@Oceans_Sail]

Great job! Its a bit extreme of you to create this drama for us armchair viewers but its much appreciated! Seriously though, broken gooseneck seems to be the typical right of passage for Atlantic sailors. I am so impressed, again, that you show us all the highs and lows. That’s real education. Many thanks.❤

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks Andy! Good to know I'm not alone in having these issues

[@justinkyfishmongerma]

Thanks for sharing your adventure.

[@sailawayteam]

25 years ago, coastal sailing. Broke the gooseneck. Fixed the boom with rope that went around mast and boom, leaving a narrow part between, making a rope gooseneck. Worked like the real thing, only quieter.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Sounds like a great solution! I'm learning all the time, never had an issue like this before, so good to come through it

[@brendangearon2678]

Well done mark tough sail. Must say fantastic videos. Absolutely real with emotion too. I’ve still the whiskey.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Hi Brendan, thanks! It was tough enough for sure, good to be back home. I remember the whiskey!

[@pauldent7067]

An impressive Jury rig, hope all goes well from now.

[@HP-qj4gz]

I always enjoy your videos for your honesty. I'm glad that you were able to lash the boom.

[@SailingTaranto]

Great stuff so far! Hanging out to see you get through this. Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@REK1DZ]

Great job man ! the way you temporarily fixed it is super inspiring, you are a living example of what resilience means on a sailboat Cheers !!

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@beaconbus]

I am grateful that you left in the footage when you were down. Solo sailing seems to be a bit of a mental game and it was informative to see you go through low points and eventually succeed. Way to stick with it!

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thank you! Yes it's a very mental game and I'm glad if people can learn from my experiences and emotional swings!

[@OutdoorTraveler]

I'm surprised you even filmed the boom hanging there at all. Single handed especially i would never have thought to grab it. Yesterday i dropped a pitless adapter down a 400' well. Similar feeling of hating myself. Sometimes we just do dumb things.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Yeah when I was putting together the video I thought that myself! I think I was resisting the urge to run up on deck without thinking, and had rolled away the headsail, and then thought I've taken this long, I might as well grab a video of it.

[@johnnewman8412]

Great video Mark! One of the aspects of open ocean sailing that I really don't think gets enough focus is the mental/emotional resilience that is required to make the best of it when things go wrong (and they will). Being able to put the negative emotions behind you and say 'it is what it is, what do do next?' makes the difference between inconvenience and potential tragedy. I hope you've got enough distance between yourself and the voyage now to be able to give yourself a big pat on the back for the way you handled a situation that could have become much worse. Looking forward to the next and hopefully not last video. I think you've proven conclusively that both you and Sapphira are up to the challenge of open ocean crossings. Good on ya!

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks for your thoughtful comment John. I'm still evaluating everything but overall very proud of my year of sailing, and lots of lessons learned.

[@EastCoastSailing]

Agree you should change the title to “Mast break 600 miles from Ireland”, you do great videos and deserve to been more widely seen

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks very much! I should possibly have thought harder about the title for sure.

[@sailingaphrodite4189]

EEK, that was a pain. Glad to see you managed to lash a repair. Looking forward to seeing you in Ireland with a pint in your hand. Sandy

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks Sandy!

[@joeltatham5673]

That was incredible. Firstly you did the right thing (I would say as an ocean sailor). Save the rig and have a cup of tea! That has been my mantra for several years now, don’t rush unless water is pouring in. You are quite an inspiration. Here I was upset as my ais failed just as I was leaving for Holland. 😂. Thanks for sharing, including the low parts! That is real.

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks for watching Joel and thanks for the kind words. I think I first read the "cup of tea" approach in Pete Goss's book.

[@jeffmercier1974]

You gotta be ready and willing to take on anything that happens, wow, I'm always amazed by the self discipline, I worked on my sailboat all summer, last weekend had her out, rudder issues, no sailing yet but still felt her in the water ✌️

[@simon7790]

A great watch! Well done on working through it and coming up with a good fix. And congratulations on your 'circuit'. It take some doing, especially single handed. A completely life affirming experience!

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Thanks Simon! Glad you enjoyed it

[@andrewlocke1637]

Come on young fellow, you’ve got this.

[@DanielTruran]

Quickly change the title of this video to something “broke mainsail in the middle of the Atlantic solo sailing” it is guaranteed to shoot up your visibiiity ! Thanks for sharing your travels by the way … ah and whilst I am on it , us sofá seated sailors LOVE to see more images of the ocean, so you can use your audio voice over and show it as you show us the ocean … nothing against seeing you, but the ocean looks sooo much better 😂😂😂 again MANY thanks for sharing your sailing !!!

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Haha, yes sorry it's a lot of head talking to camera shots for sure. More sea next time!

[@StemtoSternSailing]

I think i have a proctor goosneck lying about. I stripped the parts of the mast profile because i needed it for a different purpose. I definitely dont have any good use for it so i guess if it can be of help to you or your spare parts box that wold be a good thing. Best regards from Jarle

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Wow Jarle that would be amazing! Where about are you based? I'm solosailingSapphira on insta if it's easier to PM through that

[@StemtoSternSailing]

@@SoloSailingSapphira i guess I'll need to set up an insta account then . I'll go out to the shedd to morrow and look for it. I'll be in touch . Best regards from Jarle

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

@@StemtoSternSailing if it's easier you can get me on [phone] on WhatsApp or by text. And thanks again!

[@sproket168]

Is it just me of does your boat creek and groan something crazy

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Haha, she certainly does, I don't have a huge amount to compare it to but I believe that's normal enough in decent sized seas?

[@sproket168]

@SoloSailingSapphira Copy that good man. I'm currently watching all your videos. Keep them up.. Being brave in large seas is only a part of sailing. Making good, confident decisions and having stamina, I believe, is the other.

[@NatMart9394]

Damn, what a winger. !

[@marianoschaller9066]

Nice video. Well done!!. Im taking notes... Do you think taking off the whole boom and lashing the tack to a cleat or a winch and the clew to the main sheet, would work? ( like a trysail, kind of...)

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

It occurred to me, in retrospect I wish I had talked through my thought process more. I was worried about headwinds towards Ireland and thought that, though that arrangement would work very well with wind on the beam or aft, it would be less and less efficient upwind. The lashing worked very well but on a bigger boat or on a more downwind passage a loose footed main approach would probably be better

[@ray8328]

Well done Mark, thanks for sharing. I think we all can learn a lot from that experience. You mentioned you only had one preventer, was it rigged at the time?

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Hi Ray, I had just gybed prior to this and hadn't got a preventor rigged on the port side. I went below for some reason and then the wind went around fairly rapidly and we gybed before I got one set up

[@eamoncarroll6051]

Nicely managed .was there any possiblity of making a loose footed main .?.well done

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Yeah that was one of the possibilities thought about. It was going to be my next choice if the lashing didn't work

[@claypass8424]

It looks like you had a preventer at 15:40, how did the boom gybe? Or was it too loose?

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

I'm not 100% sure of the order of events, but the wind was all over the place, I was dead downwind with the preventer on and the wind swung 180 degrees. I took the preventer off with a mind to tacking or waiting for the wind to go back somewhat and gybing, then went below in a squall and she gybed when the wind went back.

[@TroyaE117]

Where is part 2

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Friday! I'm dealing with my first week back at work after 14 months 😭🤣

[@firstfreonwarrior]

... We are coming direct from Dover, into Cobh for Cork on the 13th September, on a lovely little ship called Spirit of Adventure.

[@stephenburnage7687]

You have just given me another reason for always having a preventor rigged up. But how come the jibe happened at all, if on self steering (which should maintain a constant angle to the wind)?

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

Yes preventor rigged on both sides is so important. The wind was rapidly changing and was from a different direction to the wave train, leading to the uncontrolled gybe. The self steering was working very well this passage but I don't think any system could respond fast enough to prevent the gybe in these circumstances

[@stephenburnage7687]

@SoloSailingSapphira So you think it was a wave that pushed the stern round and caused the jibe, quicker than the wind vane could respond? I'm not sure what you can do to prevent that (other than a preventor 😀) but I recently changed out my wind vane control lines for an all wire system (which can be tensioned to zero slack, thereby increasing responsiveness).

[@SoloSailingSapphira]

@@stephenburnage7687 I'm theorising a bit here, it's possible. It's also possible that after the initial gybe I didn't set the wind vane up correctly for the new wind angle. Having a preventor on the new side would have prevented the damage, yes. Wire control lines, very good idea to reduce chafe potential, could very well lead to better steering too but not 100% sure on that part. A bit of stretch can damp things and be useful in lighter conditions.

[@stephenburnage7687]

@SoloSailingSapphira Yes, I am happy with my choice to switch over to wire but every boat is different and you have to figure out what works best for you. Anyway, congratulations on a successful passage.