Yesterday, Nigel and I completed our Atlantic circuit on Cassini with our ‘West-East’ crew, Coleman, Liz, Pauline and Romain. Since sailing from the UK in August last year, Cassini with various crew members have sailed over 8,000 miles; from the UK down to the Canary Islands, twice across the Atlantic ocean, and up and down the Caribbean Islands.

Yesterday evening we arrived back in Portugal at a place called Lagos; an unscheduled stop as it happens, for two reasons: firstly we need fuel as we are running on fumes now after a passage from Horta in the Azores. We motored in total about 55 hours, arriving in Lagos with less than 20lt left in the fuel tank, and secondly, a forecast of gale force wind against us in the Gibraltar Straights as we’re due to arrive there tomorrow/ day after, which would make for a challenging end to the journey.

The passage from Horta, much like the West to East Atlantic crossing to Horta, was not what one would normally expect: a dominant but largely stable high pressure over the Azores, above and around which a series of low pressure systems usually bring predominantly north easterly Trade winds. We left with just such a forecast, which, as we’ve found with weather prediction, turns quickly to fiction. The high pressure was there alright, but it quickly split into two and much larger systems, stretching up to the west of Spain and France in the north, and down to North Africa in the south with no apparent route through hundreds of miles of 'no wind'. And both systems just grew in size and seemed to follow us! 

Nigel and I spent hours looking at the weather GRIB files (a graphical representation of the pressure systems and wind direction) and the spot forecasts, looking for the best route; trying to predict where the wind was going to come from, how much and for how long. Hundreds of miles of the ocean were simply devoid of any wind at all, necessitating the use of engine to keep up some progress. With only about 58 hours of fuel available, and some 1100 miles or seven days of passage to make, husbanding the fuel was essential. We sailed in anything over about four knots of breeze, just to make some headway, sometimes only making about two knots boat speed. Thankfully, we eventually managed to navigate our way through the High pressure and into the Low and some proper wind. It was not long though before the wind went from what Sally likes to call ‘Goldilocks' wind (not too much and not to little, just right) to near gale force for a few hours overnight on Thursday. Thankfully it calmed down a little after that, and over the last three or four days we managed some good spells at over seven or eight knots and more. 

Our fishing on this Atlantic trip has been persistent - we always had a line out in the day, but the returns were well below our normal par of a fish every few days. We enjoyed two Mahi Mahi in the first week of May, then nothing at all until yesterday morning, when we hooked a lovely big tuna that has provided sufficient for two dinners, the first last night, tuna marinated in soy sauce and garlic, together with sweet potato pure and ratatouille, and then delicious ceviche for lunches, with peach crumble to follow (we really have eaten well this trip and huge thanks to Romain, Liz and Pauline particularly for their creativity in the galley). After careful meal preparation yesterday though, we were just about to sit down to dinner, when the wind piped up from a nice steady beam reach at 12 knots to 25+ knots putting a steep tilt on the boat (and cockpit dinner table) and our beautifully prepared dinner at risk. Two very quick reefs in the main sail, several rolls in the head sail (this is a pretty slick crew now, especially when food is on the table) and we were able to enjoy the feast, more or less upright.

Arriving in Lagos, we noticed one of the mainsail car attachments had come adrift, but otherwise, Cassini has held up really well again on her ocean trip. Once tied alongside the reception berth, we enjoyed some crisps, beer and wine and not too late a night as the boat we were rafted alongside were leaving at four a.m. this morning! An early start for some. Today we’ve checked in to the EU, eaten a full english breakfast, made the repairs to the mainsail and once we’ve fuelled up again with sufficient to motor if we have to all the way to Gibraltar, we’ll be on our way.  

Coleman leaves Cassini today, returning to the USA, and alas his work, after being an absolute stalwart onboard. He mastered the myriad ropes and clutches in the cockpit and has been a good all-round crew member; as one of our four engineers onboard he was also ready with advice on solving some of the little issues that arise with sailing solidly for a month; we will miss him on the short leg to Spain. He can come again :-)    

Next stop, Alcaidesa in Spain, right next to Gibraltar. This will be our berth for two months while we fly home for Colin and Jules’ wedding and a bit of break (for me) after ten months of almost continuous sailing. 

Simon

Skipper