South Atlantic crossing fun facts!

we wanted to record a shitload of movie clips this passing. Trying to create som kind of video. But we forgot. We were to busy doing nothing. So maybe "next time"!

We departed the first of November. All fresh and excited and longing for the other sid of the puddle. it took us 18 days and 15 hours to get to Salvador in Brazil from Cap Verde. 2100nm. That means approx 4,7 knots avarage (8,7 km/h - Little bit more than jogging pace!) insane to think about it. Our friends joining here only took an 8 hours flight. Hope Greta is proud at least!

Departing from Cap verde to Brazil means on thing (possibly more, but one thing in particular). We were headed for the doldrums. Doldrums, for those who doesn't know are large (please read; HUGE) areas where there are pretty much no winds, ever, never has been or will neber be. Ish. Okay, there might be some occasional wind. But it is rare. And when it do happen it is small breezes at best. Thats no good at all. We need wind. Goes without saying. We are sailing. Winds are quite essential. The areas are also so big we are unable to use the motor all the way through them. But who havent heard the old song "Whom can sail wihtout wind" (not sure if it comes in english version? Swedish would be: "Vem kan segla förutan vind"?) I tell you who. We can! and we did!

So how can one sail without wind you possibly think. Easy! I'll tell you! In the doldrums (remember those large stretches without wind?) there is an excessive and multitude of squalls. What the hell is a squall you might think? Worry not. I'll tell you. Squalls are a small clouded area normally containing a really local low pressure and insanely amount of rain and wind! Ah good. You see where i am going with this! good on you! Let's get back to it shall we? The wind in these can range anywhere from twenty up to "Neptune-knows-how-high". One minute you are not caring about anything, enjoying the sun (but hating the fact you ain't moving and the sails are flapping around making sounds worse than childrens laughter in horror movies). The next moment you are getting a full shower while trying to reef some sails and wind are causing the boat to lean insanely much. And then another minute later, you are hoisting all sails again as the wind passed through quickly. Hoping for the next squall, crazy as it might sound, to take you a couple of miles further towards the next. And the next... and so on and so forth! Great sailing!

So. In conclusion. If no winds. Search for squalls. carefully though, you might be bartering for more than you can handle!

However, this is the funny part, this happened well before we even reached the doldrums. Where it should have been wind!

So this passing seem to be different than we expected it to be. As we were headed into the doldrums the skies just opened up and we faced a constant southerly wind. Good as we actually could sail. Less good that we couldn't sail south as planned. But plans, while sailing seem to be made just to have them changed a couple of hundreds times. Why would this passing be any different? But we were sailing in the so called Doldrums. Awesome!

And the wind just kept coming for us for days and days. On the other side of the doldrums it was just a smooth ride until we finally got to Salvador (if smooth means wind and waves in your face for 14 days straight....)

But after this we could for once plot the course directly towards Salvador. Finally. Before, it was more like constant questioning about why anything was in any way as nothing seem to make sense. makes sense, right?

We've seen a few, if not a couple, of heavy thunder storms in the horizons. Never got to live through one, yet. But the night shifts during a couple of days was remarkable, more amazing than the pitch black scenery of the stars and moon. If that now can be possible. The flashes were not just the single ones, that just seek themselves straight down, the shortest path possible either. No, these were the horizontal ones, just clinging in the air, over the entire sky. Flashing the entire horizon, showing us contours of the clouds and water and were these two elements meet. Amazing what the world throws at you from time to time!

We told every one the passing would take anywhere between 20 - 30 days. Which means we did a great job. Even though we secretely wanted to do it in more like 15 days. We didn't use the engine at all. Which would be a normal procedure to get through the doldrums. We are satisfied. And lets face it, we could still be out there, enjoying some canned food, bottled water and the heat of 40 degrees without wind. The boat in these cases are of course a lot warmer. Think about those times you wake up in your bed during night all feverish wondering if you just peed your bed. Then just to realize it's just sweat. Like that. Every day, all the time. And you don't have a fever (or peed the bed for that matter!)! But okay, I'll be honest with you. The last day the wind completely died on us. As we wanted to have our friends on board as soon as possible we started the engine for the first time and got us as soon as possible to Salvador. As we didn't use the engine during the doldrums we felt like we deserved to use this option. A small luxury for the days that had passed in a glorious sailing way!

Baby powder is a blessing out there - Just saying!

We saw absolutely no animals in the water during the entire trip, but once Brazil was within an arms lenght the Dolphins showed up. In a school of more than fifty they welcommed us to a new continent for hours playing around the boat. Amazing. And of course the occasional fly fish landing on the boat, stinking it up more than me and Jonathan did ourselves. Took us some days to figure it out. Until then it was just some days of avoiding each other, both blaming the other for the smell. Might be the reasons Dolphins were not seen for almost a month? hm..

We saw a lot a seaweed though. wonder were that came from?

We baptized Jonatahn in the name of Neptune - Old landcrab as he was! Glad we didn't record that feast at least...

We've read a crazy amount of books. The library on the boat is all read through. We need more books! There was a week were we read one book each a day. At least. The Mp3 player with all audio books was broken well before we departed cap verde (Yeah yeah, very 2008 of us, but they are great and less power consuming than the phone!). So hey, if anyone want some tips on great book let us know!

And to the biggest question of them all. What you've all been waiting for, of course. Did we catch any fish? And let me tell you! Did we catch fish or did we catch fish? Nope. We did not! Not a single bite or anything. Fishes are gone. Left. Not on earth anymore. Canned food are better than fresh fish anyways.... moving on!

We've just finished a feast of a 2 EUR bottle of Champagne (obviously brought from another continent!) as celebration of a ocean crossing well done! Now we need to fix some government business to get us legally into Brazil! Then a Capriniha (or more...?) and some well deserved relax after a some days at sea doing nothing... Might even consider a shower!

Yeah, also... Nothing broke on this trip! Yay! Thats a first! ...

Okay, I lied. The compass fell over...

The toilet gave us a scare though when it didn't want to flush in the most awkward of moments. But some russian tinkering (hammer on it with a wrench!) and it seem to be working better now than before. Even though, we keep the wrench at an arms length, just in case!

It feels great to finally be here! Brazil! Finally!

Now we'll scan the coast south bound. Brazil then to Uruguay, then Argentina until there are no more coast to explore. Then we take a hard starboard tack and continue via Chile to the Pacific. Exciting times ahead I tell you!