The swell is getting big. The sun tries to appear with rainbow touches. The sea is wearing an undescriptive ocean blue and the foam is whispering after our passage. We passed some cargo ships sailing through Gibraltar. Two of them actually told us they wanted to alter course without knowing that we are a sailing […]
After a bright moony night, in which we cut all the kilos of pears we still had from Den Helder, the morning was sunny. Just before daylight we had to jibe. Bracing from portside beam reach to starboard beam is an operation. The one who has to ease the braces must follow the sail above […]
The departure from Baiona went smooth. The harbor puller dinghy was not ready when we were, so I decided to go on our own propeller device with the anchor ready as a plan B. Mikael turned the ship around in the harbor and pushed the transom to get some forward speed for maneuverability. The bay […]
Overnight we got what we are used to. 25 knots or more in the butt. Top sail and top gallant braced square, inner jib and forestay sail tight and Yallahhhhhh riding, surfing down the waves 11 kts. What a ship, just going… I’m sorry for the two watches who stood in the rain, but well […]
They never towed and moored a sailing ship before. With a bit of ferm organization, we went up and down with the tide moored to the wall for 3 days. The cargo is on board, about 8000 bottles. The truck drivers never had to deliver 7 pallets to a boat, they couldn’t believe it. No […]
We can all feel that this day is a special one! After 3 months in the harbor, the water is moving under the hull again and the sails are de-dusted. The super refit crew Charly, Mikael (who became 2nd mate), Hanjo, Virgile, Clement, and Baloo are not in the vicinity of big tools. Their tools […]
Vrijwillig en samen De mannen grijpen handschoenen, eentje pakt een deken. Dan wordt het deksel van het uiteinde van de lange doos weggehaald. Stoom stijgt op. Snel wordt de hete plank eruit gehaald. Maar wacht: je stelt je een bord voor, geen plank. Met een dikte van 8 cm lijkt deze meer op een balk. […]
Wonderful progress towards west yesterday. The front is passing now with rain and the wind died. We brailed up the main and braced square. It is the trimming for waiting for any kind of wind. The ship is heading north but drifts east. We can only try to drift slower what we don’t want now […]
“They call it the Caribbean of the North”…where you can have buckets of liquid sunshine and imagine coconuts growing on city lights. Welcome to the magical experience that is sailing a cargo of 19.000 bottles of natural French wines to Denmark. Telling a story about the last two weeks is not easy. So many beautiful […]
The departure maneuver in Copenhagen was super cool and smooth! It is great to move a big sailing ship like this in a harbor under sails. Nowadays being under sails inside a port is forbidden. I allowed us to do it because it’s possible and it’s very important to understand your ship under all circumstances, […]
