Canary Islands To Caribbean
We leave the Canary Islands ready for Nanuka’s first Atlantic crossing!
Goodbye Canaries
Back into Solitude
After a frantic last few hours making a few ‘adjustments’ we’ve settled back into life at sea quickly. The first few hours were spent chatting as Nanuka cruised along at 7 knots with 15knots on our beam. The sun is setting and it looks to be a settled night.
Day 4 At Sea
After four days time looses track of itself a little. Days and nights seem to merge into one as Nanuka slowly eats up the miles. The past 24 hours we’ve covered some good ground - roughly 150NM.
Land Ho!
6 nights later and we see land! Today has been filled with excitement. We caught a big Mahi which went from sea to pan within an hour and we have spotted the distant volcanoes that is Cape Verde!
Onwards!
After a week in Sal’s northern port we’re moving south again. We’ve had waves, freediving and some provisioning. We were told by many that crime was an issue. We couldn’t disagree more. The locals were friendly and helpful. We highly recommend!
To Boa Vista
We leave Sal behind and head to the next island south, Boa Vista. A 6 hour sail in good winds and sun! Another tough Saturday.
Surf Hunt
We’re leaving Sal de Rei in search for waves. There’s whispers of a long barrel further south so we’re off to find it as a quick stop off before our trip across the pond.
Day 1
We head to a bay south of Boa Vista in search for waves before setting off the next day for Tobago. Waves were found!
5 Days In
We’ve had a lovely first 5 days of our crossing with consistent winds and relatively calm seas (as much as one can expect mid Atlantic!). We’re getting some stronger winds which are feeding into a bigger system over the next few days which will mean quick sailing, but some very rolly nights!
Day 8 At Sea
This morning we were woken up by Charlotte shouting ‘whales’ to which we all scrambled onto deck to watch 7-8 whales playing next to the boat for half an hour! What a way to start the day. With a bigger swell and stronger winds there’s a very persistent roll now which makes everything a little trickier. Conditions should calm within a few days.
Over Half Way
We’re now over halfway with under 900 nautical miles to go! We saw our first boat of the crossing and have made a fishmas tree. The wind has dropped a little and the sea has calmed. There’s still enough wind to push us along at 4-5 knots so all is well!
No Wind And Christmas!
As Christmas morning greeted us the wind died to nothing. We had a lovely day eating and relaxing without the worry of watches or manning sails. The calm seas called for a swim to cool off which was shortly followed by getting stung by a Portuguese man o war!
Sailing Again
After two days of light to no wind we’ve hoisted our light wind sails and are on the move again! There’s always the temptation to turn the engine on and motor forward with the feel that we need to arrive. Instead we spent two days swimming, sleeping, and enjoying the calm!
The Last Few Days
We are now only a few hours away from land! The last few days have been a mixture of no wind, lots of wind, calm seas, rolly seas and one of the biggest dolphin pods we’ve ever seen!
The last 24 hours had been particularly rolly so I think everybody is ready for a good nights sleep at anchor!
Land Ho!
After 20 days at sea we have reached the small island of Tobago! Time for some rest and calm nights sleep!
Fish, Sun, And Beach Days
After 20 days at sea it’s been amazing to have a week in one place without a constant roll! We’ve spent the week spearfishing, having beach bbqs and exploring the jungle!
A great first week in Tobago!
Bitter Sweet
After 16 days in the north of Tobago we’ve hoisted our sales and heading to the more touristy south. With waves on tap, good freediving and the kindness of people it’s a bitter sweet departure!
Surf Hunt
With a bigger swell on the way we’re heading further north in hope for some more waves.
Goodbye Tobago!
Tobago has been one of our favourite places so far. Waves, amazing wildlife and friendly people. We will be back… but for now, overnight to Grenada.
New Day, New Island
We had a lovely overnight sail to Grenada with force 4-6 winds and relatively calm seas.
The Big Cat!
Say hello to the biggest sailing catamaran in the world.
Jungle And Waterfalls
We spent a day exploring inland in Grenada. Thick rainforests, monkeys, and waterfalls! Our first freshwater shower in a while!
Underwater Volcano!
Just off our port now about 100m deep is an active volcano! We’ve had a lovely sail with good winds and tons of wildlife. We’re about 1 hour out of our next anchorage.
Another Day Another Sail
Lunchtime Dip
Desert Island!
An Unexpected Surf
Anybody who says the climate is not changing needs to come sail with us for a season… We had a very unusual system in the Caribbean Sea that sent a north westerly swell down causing havoc in what are normally sheltered anchorages. We managed to tuck in behind a small island and make the most of the ways!
Heading North
Short But Steep!
We decided to head ashore for a hike described as ‘short but steep’… steep being the key word!
Overnight To Martinique
After a fun week celebrating carnival in Carriacou we’re making some distance north to Martinique. We’re currently averaging over 6 knots with good winds and calm seas!
Martinique!
We’ve made it north to Martinique! We’re very excited with the fully stocked supermarkets and calm anchorage!
Heading North Again
We made a quick overnight stop in Fort de France to make the most of some bigger cheaper shops. We’re now fully loaded with food again and making our way north. Force 5 winds on the stern and flat calm. Not too bad for a Monday!
Heading North Once Again!
It’s an early start this morning in order to make the 12 hour sail to Dominica before dark. We skipped the lines before sunrise and sailed off the mooring with the girls still fast asleep!
Back To France!
No Wind And Hot!
We’re still pushing north everyday in order to get to Antigua to drop off our crew. The west coast of the islands are always a mix of no wind and strong gusts so today is a motoring day!
Death In Paradise
We stopped off on Deshais for a couple days to catch up on some sleep before our next leg to Antigua. We couldn’t help but watch the first episode of Death in Paradise to see what all the fuss was about!
Antigua Bound
Force 4 wind on the beam, calm seas, and sun. A great last sail for Ben and Charlotte before they move onto new adventures!
Exploring English Harbour
We went for a hike around English harbour and into some natural pools. We found some little natural pools that was needed after hiking for two hours in the hottest part of the day!
Guernsey Friends
Beers with JP and Charlotte from Project World Sail.
Leaving Antigua
Our time in Antigua was up. We had said our goodbyes to Ben and Charlotte, met up either som friends from home but it was time to go find some waves! We left early morning and was greeted with a lovely sunrise and some great winds.
Exploring Port Louis
We had expected to spend the day bussing into the main town (3 hours away) in order to check in. However we just so happened to be in the right place at the right time and found a lady who could do the formalities in the village. This gave us an opportunity to do a little exploring and even get a surf in!
Snorkelling Afternoon
We spent the afternoon exploring some of the underwater caves off a nearby reef accompanied by the sound of whales!
Wash Day!
Livs parents come tomorrow so we thought best we had a shower! A short hike up from the anchorage led us to a small freshwater pool in the river. Although we’ve got quite used to washing in salt water, it just isn’t quite the same as a good freshwater shower!
Back To Antigua!
We’ve had an amazing week with friends and family and it’s now time to head back to Antigua to shelter from some weird weather systems (story of our life) and collect two more friends! A lot of squalls around today to keep us on our toes!
Next Anchorage!
We’ve spent a lovely few days anchored on the East coast. The winds are due to switch back to their normal westerly direction so we’re heading north to find a calm anchorage ready for our guests!
Calm Sailing!
It’s not often you’re sailing off the east coast of the Leeward islands in offshore winds! It should normally be choppy and pretty uncomfortable!
Jobs Day!
Today’s job was to fit our new wind sensor at the top of the mast. We decided to make the most of the flat calm anchorage to try and get this job done! We’ve become quite used to figuring the wind direction based on our flags, however it’s going to make night sailing a whole lot easier again!
Back To Jolly!
We’ve sailed back around to Jolly as we felt it would be easier to re-supply our fruit and veg nets as well as get to the airport to pick up our friends from home.
Fleeting Visit To Barbuda!
Moving South
Onboard Entertainment
Back off to Guadeloupe with our two new crew Hugo and Sophs! They’ve had a whistle stop tour of Antigua and Barbuda with a good amount of sailing thrown in!
Arrived In Dominica
Exploring Dominica
We hired a car for the day and headed inland to explore the waterfalls and jungles of Dominica.
Early Starts!
With Hugo leaving Thursday we’ve had a couple longer sails to get south. Another day down Martinique then St.Lucia tomorrow.
Heading South Again
We’ve said goodbye to Hugo and are heading south again to the Grenadines. It should be a calm day of sailing as we make our way 80 miles down the coast.
Afternoon Coffee And Cake
Some Chop!
We’re off to Tobago again! There’s a 2-3 knot current that runs north up the coast of the Caribbean. Because of this we need to leave with a little more wind than we normally would to give us the power to push the tide and with that comes some chop!
Exploring Tobago!
We decided to hire a car for a couple days before Sophs left us to explore the jungle. Our day was filled with waterfalls, wildlife, and beaches.
Leaving Tobago
We’ve now spent a total of 2 months on Tobago but it’s now time to leave on our journey westward. With fresh fish being bought to the boat each morning , friendly people and some of the best snorkelling we’ve seen in the Caribbean we will most certainly miss this little village in the North of Tobago. It will be our first night sail with just the two of us since Biscay!
10 Miles Out
We’ve had a smooth night sail with force 4 winds from behind. We had one sail change overnight due to needing to run dead down wind made a lot easier by the full moon! 10Nm to go and cruising nicely at 6 knots.
Slow, Steady And Rolly
This marks the start of the next big stage of our trip as we leave the leeward islands and move onto Aruba where we’ll lift Nanuka for some much needed TLC. We started our 500nm sail last night and the forecast has done it again… with predicted gusts over 20 knots we should have had a lovely sail. Instead we were greeted with the wind rarely touching 10 knots and a extremely persistent side swell which got rid of any chance of a good nights sleep!
Day 2
The wind picked up throughout the day today and the sun was shining! We played lots of Yahtzee and I made a curry for tea. The sea is calm and it should be a good night.
Day 3
The wind is a steady 20knots and we’re sailing at a comfortable 6knots. It will soon be decision time as to whether we try to make it to Aruba before sunset on Sunday or try to slow the boat down to arrive early Monday morning.
We’ve Arrived!
After 4 days at sea and 530.NN we’ve arrived into Aruba. We have checked in and just managed to stop the anchor before dark. All in all it was a great sail with good winds… most of the time! Even a Mahi Mahi to top it off!
Home For A Couple Months
We’ve hauled out in Aruba. Land life for a couple months… although still on the boat! Time to get some much needed boat work done.
The Tributaries of Tréguier
Aruba Boatyard
A month and a bit at Varadero Boat Yard.
Main jobs included:
- Sanding off copper coat and applying primer and antifoul to the hull
- Repainting the cockpit
- Repainting the decks
- Servicing the engine
Of course we found other issues whilst we were here… including asphaltenes in our diesel tanks, which took Ads about 3 days to scrape out!
Our days involved working online, boat jobs, and trips to Kooymans (hardware store) and Budget Marine (chandlery).
Luckily there was a restaurant at the marina, so we could relax with beers and a cheeky fish and chips once in a while!
Nanuka Floats!
After too long in the boatyard, it was time for Nanuka to go back in the water. Apprehensions all around as we check that there are no leaks from the seacocks we replaced! Goodbye Varadero Boatyard! Time to anchor and relax for the next week!
Snorkelling In Aruba
It feels good to be back under the water!
Aruba To Panama | Goodbye Aruba
Nanuka has spent the last few months in Aruba. We have done a lot of work to her in preparation for the next stage of our journey. Leaving today feels like a big new step. We have a 7-8 day sail ahead of us in what can be some tricky conditions. We will take it as it comes and make landfall early in Columbia. For now, steady winds and no thunder!
Aruba To Panama | Day 2
We’re just rounding Cabo de Vela. One of the more nutritious cape to sail around in the world. There are extremely complex weather systems off the cape making sailing a little more of a challenge, with frequent unpredicted mini-systems bringing with them heavy rain and thunder and strong winds. As a rule of thumb whatever the forecast says you add 15-20 knots for the area surrounding the cape. This turn a lovely 15 knots into a not so lovely 35 knots!
All that said we’ve had a pretty good night. We saw up to 28-30 knots but mostly down wind and with the lightning keeping a little distance.
Yesterday we had a new crew member who is still enjoying the free ride this morning!
Aruba To Panama | Day 3
With an ever changing forecast it makes decisions somewhat more difficult. Our plans to sail directly to Panama came to question today as the end of the week is looking unsettled with widespread thunder. We decided to find out all options and contact the marina in Columbia to find out the complications that would arise if we arrived having our Panama rather than Columbia on our form. Turns out, complicated and potentially even more expensive!
So, we have made a decision to stick north away from the worst of the weather and continue. Although the forecast is for widespread thunder, the cape index is very low meaning the storms are likely to be less intense and frequent. The next few days will tell! Aside from a day spent making decisions, the sailing has been good. We’ve averaged over 6 knots and the seas have started to calm as we leave behind Cabo de Vela.
Aruba To Panama | Day 4
Another day of very light winds. We are nudging forwards at 2-3 knots. The ocean is quiet and the sea calm. We are now far enough north that we should miss the worst of the weather for the next 36 hours.
320NM sailed and another 200 NM of westerly sailing before we head south in some better winds for the final 250NM to Bocas.
Just as I was writing a small whale surfaced next to the boat… I woke liv but sadly the whale didn’t surface again!
Aruba To Panama | Day 5
Another day of very light winds. The sea is flat calm and were slowly making way at 2-3 knots. We’re still avoiding any thunder storms. It seems the forecasts can be pretty inaccurate when it comes to electrical storms. We had quite a few squalls to start the day followed by an afternoon of sun. Another bird joined us for a few hours which is always entertaining!
The wind has just started to fill in, we’re now sailing at 5 knots on a beam reach with flat calm winds. Another few hours of making distance west then once the predicted storms south of us fade we will start to head more south.
Aruba To Panama | Day 6
We don’t often turn the motor on to on Nanuka. In fact I could count the hours we’ve motored since leaving Europe on my hands. However we seem to have found ourselves in a patch of sea that hasn’t any wind for a few days when ahead of us has a consistent force 4-5 for the next few days. So we’ve motored for the last 10 hours… but no wind yet!
The sea is now glass with zero swell. We had another bird visitor and liv got out her crochet! Hopefully the next few hours will bring us some wind and we can get the engine off and head south.
Aruba To Panama | Day 7
Adam is frustrated, fed up, and praying to the wind gods. It’s livs here for a change, and what a night we’ve had. The motor is on…still. It’s 10:30am now and our cut off to turn the motor off is at 11am. Burning around three litres an hour and just over 200 litres in our tank we need to conserve our remaining diesel.
During our watches the swell picked up and there were a few closer lightning strikes. The forecast reads we should have winds but at this point we are questions whether there is such a thing as wind.
Yesterday I lost all three rounds of Yahtzee so made breakfast, lunch, dinner and washed up. Wish me luck today, I’m feeling at least one win!
For now coffee has been drunk, our morning chat been had, and now we wait for the wind…
Aruba To Panama | Day 8
Another very slow day with little to no wind. The engine got turned off after 22 hours. The wind picked enough to fill the sails and we bobbed along at 2 knots.
We had gone from avoiding squalls to looking forward to the squalls in hope for a 20 minute wind boost. Liv made some cookies in the afternoon which went down a treat and stir fry for tea.
The weather is unsettled again with an almost consistent lightning flash on the horizon. We’ve been lucky enough to avoid any direct hits with an electrical storm do far!
Aruba To Panama | Day 8 (again!)
So somewhere along the way I’ve messed by days up. As today is actually day 8!
Today started of well with some good winds and sun! We had breakfast of porridge and fruit and relaxed into our daily routine.
Around midday the sky turned grey and we got hit by squall after squall, raining non-stop for about 10 hours with lots of wind in the squall with hardly enough wind to sail in between then. We’re in a very awkward position where we are battling up to 2 knots of tide going north with very little wind to sail against it.
The engine will need to go back on soon to take us out of the tide and into a better position for when the wind turns more in our favour Monday afternoon.
Aruba To Panama | We’ve Arrived!
After a long 9 days at sea with some testing conditions it felt good to sail through the marker channel with the lightning flashing on the horizon behind us. We dropped anchor in a bay with a few other yachts in 10 meters of water, tidied away the essentials, and then sat and relaxed taking in the sounds of the jungle in the background. Panama has been a long time coming and we’re excited to explore some of this amazing country!
Bocas Del Toro | Exploring the Jungle
After catch up on some much needed sleep we got most of the checking in formalities done and headed onto one of the small islands in the archipelago for an explore. Walking around the small island we discovered thick jungle and empty beaches, quite the contrast from our time in Aruba! We will no head down to the mangroves for some time away from the busy town.
Bocas del Toro | Surf, Work, Relax
Our days recently have been a lovely mix of surfing, working, and relaxing… in that order! Everyday we have managed to find the perfect routine of an early surf followed by work and then another surf with some very relaxed evenings.
The swell is now small for a few days and liv is desperate for some snorkelling now the water has started to clear so we will head north in the archipelago to find some clear waters and jungle!
Goodbye Bocas!
After over one month in Bocas it is time to say our goodbyes. We’ve had an amazing time with friends and family, done many a jungle hike and surfed ourselves out. We’re now heading to San Blas with a couple stops along the way.
Bocas - San Blas: Coat of Arms
This small island is inhabited by just a couple families. It is super remote and tricky to get to. The Eastern side of the island is a maze of channels and beaches perfect for dinghy exploration!
Problems At Sea…
At 9:00pm and around 60 miles offshore we went down below to discover the smell of diesel. Not a smell you want when you’re along way out beating into force 4-5 winds with a confused sea. Back in Aruba I had emptied the fuel tanks, cleaned, and replaced the rubber seals. This was the first thing I wanted to check. Unfortunately in order to get to that meant removing a load of stuff that we call our ‘garage’. About an hour later the boards have been removed and there is a slight leak coming from two of the three inspection hatches. My guess is that as the rubber was new it had slightly compressed overtime and therefore making the bolts seem loose. 20 minutes later and all the bolts are tighter and now starts the job of putting it all back together!
Bocas To San Blas: We’ve Arrived!
After spending the night in Linton we set sail again at first light for San Blas, a group of islands owned by an indigenous tribe, the Guna Yala. It was generally a smooth sail with force 4 winds on the side and relatively calm seas. This patch of coast can get extremely rough so careful planning was needed to make the sail slightly more enjoyable!
After 8 hours we arrived to hundreds of tiny palm covered islands and crystal clear water. Quite the contrast from the thick jungle of Bocas!
Re-provisioning
After a few weeks in san blas it’s fair to say that we are low on fresh produce! Our eggs have gone bad and our fruit supplies are all but empty! So we head to the slightly more populated area of San blas to buy some essentials. It’s a densely populated island with 2000 people living there. The locals are friendly and there’s some basic but good shops!
Just Another San Blas Island
Home for the next two days.
Sailing To The Panama Canal
Our canal date is almost here and we’re starting to make preparations. We are heading to the canal in order to get things ready for our transit. The amount of cargo ships is pretty amazing, however we’ve become fairly used to navigating skiing at ships and it all feels like standard procedure crossing the busy lanes. First, however, a trip into the jungle!
Sailing Up The Panamanian Jungle
The entrance to the river was a little nerving as the sand bars tend to move around a lot. We had breaking waves in our starboard and a large cliff on our port making the entrance feel a little tight! Once inside we were greeting with fiat calm waters as we worked our way a couple miles up to a nice anchor spot with nothing but us and the sounds of the jungle.