17 January 2020

We're Go for an Atlantic Crossing!

Okay! It's been a long time since my last post. I haven't really wanted to talk about our plans until I could say for sure if they were going to happen. The good news is, they're happening!

Helena and I have been hoping and preparing to take Petronella on her 12th Atlantic crossing since we first laid eyes on her.

The main obstacle: insurance! Such a boring problem, but one that new long range cruisers must tackle. It's just not practical to sail uninsured. We have been gradually racking up sea miles, trying to convince our insurance company that we are competent enough. This year, we finally got approved.

Phew!

We just got the news a couple of days ago, so we have shifted our preparations into high gear. There is so much to do, but we are really excited. I will be using this blog as a kind of planning notebook. No idea if it will be interesting to anyone else, but it will serve as a resource for us, and hopefully for others.

What have we been doing in the meantime?

Well, we had the absolute best summer ever, cruising in Maine. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you know all about it, but it was really great. Yes, it's not the easiest place to get to, and you do have to contend with rocks, and pots, and fog, but that just seems to make it all the better when you drop your anchor in a beautiful, secluded cove.

Fabulous!

We also met Eléanore, a young French woman, sailing on another OCC boat, who we hit it off with, and who has agreed to crew with us to Europe. Getting the right crew is not easy, and we feel very lucky to have found her.

At the moment, we are actually in France, back in Montpellier for the winter. Petronella is with Howdy Bailey back in Norfolk, getting a bit more steel work done in preparation for the crossing.

We leave sometime in May.

Here are some pics from Maine...

Boothbay Harbor - possibly our favorite
Offshore on the hottest day of the summer. What heatwave?
In Castine, touring a merchant marine training vessel. Very interesting!

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-- Carl Sandburg

In Belfast - another favorite

Hiking in Belfast

In Brooklin, anchored across from Wooden Boat
The anchorage in Brooklin, Wooden Boat School in the background. 
Stonington. Another great stop!

Anchored in Knox, with about 25 other OCC boats.
A small section of the OCC fleet in Knox

And last weekend, in Saint Geniès des Mourgues at a truffle festival!



Next Up: High Seas Forecasts





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