After all the recent adventures, it’s finally time to cross the Atlantic – hopefully, this time it’s for real!
All the lights are green: the trade winds seem steady, the boat is cleaned, prepped, and fully provisioned.
Tiboulen hoists the sails as it leaves the port of Mindelo, sailing alongside three other Jeanneau boats from different generations.
These are three crews of young sailors we met by chance a week ago. We feel reassured to depart as part of a flotilla!
Some of them had even participated in the The Odyssey Experience contest.Everyone is excited at the idea of crossing the ocean, though there’s a bit of nervousness too – especially for Iñaki, who has already tried twice to fulfill his dream of crossing the Atlantic, but without success.
Will the saying “third time’s the charm” hold true for him?
A Well-Equipped and Reliable Boat
For most of the crossing, we were on the same tack (port tack at 150° to the wind), with the same sail configuration (wing-on-wing, genoa poled out), and more or less the same speed (5.7 knots on average).
We reefed the mainsail twice, which allowed us to ease it out more to avoid excessive chafing on the spreaders and to better handle nighttime squalls with confidence.
We primarily adjusted the genoa according to the wind: when a squall showed up on the radar, we furled it in; once it passed, we unfurled it again. The mainsail was secured with a preventer to avoid accidental gybes.
The watermaker and the generator were incredibly useful throughout the crossing, even allowing us to take (almost) home-like showers!
We were also very thankful for the bimini, which provided much-needed shade as the heat intensified near the Caribbean.And finally, the midship berth saved us on more than one night when the swell made it impossible to sleep in the forward cabin.
All in all, Tiboulen performed beautifully! No damage to report, and we didn’t even have to open the toolbox.
If we had to sum up the Sun Odyssey 410, we’d call it a reliable and reassuring boat.
Unforgettable Moments
We experienced some incredible moments during this crossing. Fishing, for example, was a highlight – we caught plenty of mahi-mahi!
Ceviche with lime, ginger, and soy sauce; pan-seared; in a coconut milk sauce with pomegranate and lime… absolutely delicious!
We treated ourselves to good food despite the limited fresh ingredients we had from Cape Verde. At one point, we even opened a can of duck confit in the middle of the ocean – nothing more comforting!
We’ll also remember all those sunsets, the ever-changing blue of the sea breaking alongside the boat, the squalls that smoothed the sea into a uniform grey, the double rainbows, and even a lunar rainbow (also known as a moonbow)!
The open ocean offers breathtaking sights.
Halfway through, we crossed paths with one of the three boats from our flotilla, entirely by chance. It was a powerful image – our two boats side by side, having departed on the same day, taken different routes, and yet tossed by the same waves in the vastness of the ocean.
Even if we’d tried to make it happen, we couldn’t have done so. A happy coincidence!
To Be Continued
We’re arriving tonight. One last bit of stress: Météo France has issued a special weather warning on VHF.
Tonight, the trade winds will shift from “fairly strong” to “strong,” with gusts up to 45 knots. We’re hoping to slip through the cracks and finish this crossing on a high note!
Once we reach Martinique, we’ll meet the primary school class in Tartane that’s been following our adventures, and we’ll organize our first beach cleanup with them. We’ll share all the details in next month’s article.
In the meantime, we’re eager to set foot on solid ground, reunite with our friends who are arriving tomorrow, and share all these unforgettable memories together.