End of the season | PORTUGAL SAIL TRAINING | DAY 6

End of the season | PORTUGAL SAIL TRAINING | DAY 6

I am writing this as the sun is slowly setting in Lagos. Falken has now been washed, scrubbed, emptied and re-stored following her post-passage checklist that we thoroughly follow. There is an aura of accomplishment, relive and just general awesomeness feeling onboard and not just for the successful trip that we’ve just ran but because this marks Falken’s first successful season in the Atlantic, sailing an astonishing 16.112nm.

The Big Pink Kite | PORTUGAL SAIL TRAINING | DAY 4

The Big Pink Kite | PORTUGAL SAIL TRAINING | DAY 4

We spent the day sailing under the chute, dousing it before dinnertime and getting all the lines and gear stowed for the night. It’s November, and while it’s nice and warm here off southern Portugal, the nights are long. It gets dark around 1730, and doesn’t get light again until around 0700, so the night watches are long. But the stargazing more than makes up for it. We passed around the binoculars last night, taking turns looking at Orion’s belt and the millions of stars in the background that you’d never seen ashore.

Afternoon sail and MOB practice | Portugal Sail Training | Day 2

Afternoon sail and MOB practice | Portugal Sail Training | Day 2

This morning we woke up on anchor just off the beach and cliffs in Sagres, usually the crew struggle to get a good night sleep the first night, new noises, a bit or nerves and new crew mates. Second night though, most crew sleep like a rock. Yesterday was the first morning for the crew onboard. Bob has sailed with us earlier this year, and James have already signed up for a trans-Atlantic with us in 2024….

Fog & Light Wind in Portugal | Portugal Sail Training | Day 1

Fog & Light Wind in Portugal | Portugal Sail Training | Day 1

Well, hope to sail anyway. Lagos is sitting smack in the middle of the end of a long axis of high-pressure, so there’s not much air moving around in the marina anyway. The ‘Azores' High’ is stretched out and has reached the coast here. Typically you see the high centered further west, and along the coast of Portugal tend to get northerlies, the ‘Portuguese Tradewinds’. Unlucky for us, we’re not in a typical pattern right now.

CHESAPEAKE TO ANTIGUA, by Kitty and David

CHESAPEAKE TO ANTIGUA, by Kitty and David

CHESAPEAKE TO ANTIGUA, by Kitty and David
December 1, 2020

We just can't stay away from Isbjorn! Or is it that we just can't get to our own boat??? Either way, on November 7-21 we made a very cool 14 day 1904 mile passage from Annapolis to Antigua on Isbjorn, 59-North's 48 foot Swan.

ISBJORN & ICEBEAR update // November 19

ISBJORN & ICEBEAR update // November 19

ISBJORN & ICEBEAR update
November 19, 2020

Here is another update from the boats, this time I decided to make a combined post from both of the boats.

ICEBEAR is within 100 miles from Antigua with and ETA this evening, not sure if they can make it before sunset. ISBJORN is about a day behind, and will arrive sometime Friday evening / night.

ICEBEAR Update, November 17 // Blog from Emma

ICEBEAR Update, November 17 // Blog from Emma

ICEBEAR Update
November 17, 09.30

It’s 0930 and we’re sailing upwind again, making 8.5 knots and pointing for our destination. I didn’t think our crew would see any downwind sailing this passage, with all the forecasts showing week after week of headwinds. They had gotten used to life at an angle, and the “low side” was much better rested than the “high side”.

ICEBEAR Update, November 16 // Squally night

ICEBEAR Update, November 16 // Squally night

ICEBEAR Update
16 November, 3.23 am

0323 in the morning. We had a very fast start to the day, broad reaching with full sail, including the staysail, in like 20-25 knots of wind from the ENE. Topped out at 10.6, and averaged over 9 knots on the 12-4pm watch. Scott & Shook-Ming covered 37 miles in that stretch! Mostly on autopilot, as we were all sitting out in the cockpit doing more celestial navigation. We went through a full sight reduction!

ISBJORN Update November 15 // Beam reaching at 8 kts

ISBJORN Update November 15 // Beam reaching at 8 kts

ISBJORN Update
November 15, 05.00

It is 2152 here on Isbjorn and i just got off watch at 2100. I am sitting at he Nav Station on Isbjorn with only one red reading light illuminating the dark cloudy night. What a difference a night can make out here. Last night it was gusting 30knts apparent and we had three reefs in the main and genoa.

ICEBEAR Update, November 14 // T-Minus 10 Seconds to the End of the World

ICEBEAR Update, November 14 // T-Minus 10 Seconds to the End of the World

T-Minus 10 Seconds to the End of the World

Friday the 13th, 100 miles east of Bermuda, on the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. ICEBEAR is ripping, blast-reaching on an ESE’ly heading, two reefs in the main, two reefs rolled into the big genoa, sailing in 20 knots of breeze on 70º apparent. Freight train mode, the boat making 8-9 knots, the helm light

ICEBEAR Update, November 13 // Headwinds

ICEBEAR Update, November 13 // Headwinds

Update from ICEBEAR,
Friday 13 november, 04.30 boat time

Friday the 13th. Spooky. Day five of headwinds. They’ve varied in strength but never in direction - right on the nose. It’s been a while since I’ve sailed close-hauled for this long. 847 miles since we left Annapolis, with the first 130 or so motor-boatin’ down the flat calm Chesapeake. The minute we were able to set sail the sheets were tight, day-in, day-out.

Refits and Reflections from Annapolis // How the Hell do we Move Forward?!

Refits and Reflections from Annapolis // How the Hell do we Move Forward?!

I’m in a reflective mood tonight, re-reading John Kretschmer’s Sailing a Serious Ocean and reminding myself why I wanted to go ocean sailing in the first place. John’s writing is what inspired me down this career path, and anytime I get overly stressed about our business I pickup one of his books and do a reset. I’ve been thinking about all the miles we’ve sailed on ISBJORN since buying her in 2015. Over 40,000 and counting, from 10º north in the Caribbean to 80º north in the High Arctic, and some of my all-time favorite landfalls in between. Horta. Lunenburg. St. Pierre & Miquelon. Bermuda. Lagos. Marstrand. Stockholm. Lofoten. Ile Fourche. Bequia. So many places, and such a cool boat…

ICEBEAR WINS FIRST LEG OF THE SPIRIT OF BERMUDA CHARITY RALLY 

ICEBEAR WINS FIRST LEG OF THE SPIRIT OF BERMUDA CHARITY RALLY 

First in to the finish at St George's at 10:31 Friday night was Andy Schell's Swan 59 Icebear skippered by Sean Westoby, followed by Hank Schmitt's Swan 48 Avocation at 3:06 PM on Saturday, then fellow North leg competitor Alessandro Pagani double-handing with Anthony Johnson on his Spirit 47 Luna at 8:35 PM, with Andy Schell's Swan 48 Isbjorn skippered by Vincent Matiola crossing the finish on Saturday night at 9:56 PM.

Beating to Bermuda // ISBJORN Offshore

Beating to Bermuda // ISBJORN Offshore

Isbjörn is on a merry beat across the north Atlantic with the wind on her nose and a healthy crew. It’s been an upwind slogfest since lifting anchor outside of Maryland’s Solomon Islands, where we rafted up with Icebear on the 4th of July. We’ve traded the blistering heat and ridiculous humidity of the Chesapeake Bay summer for salty air and a cool offshore breeze - coming straight off of Bermuda, of course. But we’re thankful!

SPIRIT OF BERMUDA RALLY // Landfall Imminent for ICEBEAR & the Fleet

SPIRIT OF BERMUDA RALLY // Landfall Imminent for ICEBEAR & the Fleet

Facing headwinds on their final approach to the finish, Andy Schell's Swan 59 Icebear skippered by Sean Westoby is poised to be the first entry to cross the finish line in the inaugural Spirit of Bermuda Charity Rally organized by the East End Mini Yacht Club (EEMYC) and the Sailing Yacht Research Foundation (SYRF). This team sailed the West leg of the course starting off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on Monday afternoon at 1500 EDT, and with 28 miles to go at 1600 EDT, their anticipated finish time in St George's is for just before 9:00 PM.

Bermuda & Back // SPIRIT OF BERMUDA Rally July 6

Bermuda & Back // SPIRIT OF BERMUDA Rally July 6