Part 1/6 Atlantic Crossing West – East 
RONDÉE ATLANTIQUE
RONDÉE ATLANTIQUE
00 We leave Saint-Martin Fri 24th of Apr 2026 heading to the Azores (although it is said to be light wind) with one other sailor „Shanty“, we shoot the breeze with, in the evening via VHF.
Shooting the breeze
Getting rid of Sargassum from the Wind Pilot rudder
01 Sa 25th of April recognizing, whenever the windpilot changes the course from beam reach to close reach, there is Sargassum at its rudder, we remove these clumps of algae with a forked stick. Free of Sargassum, the Wind Pilot works a charm. In other words, it´s magic.
Like a charm
Not much remarkable on day 2
02 On Su 26th of April we watch paint dry. The only remarkable are three white and one red light sliding along the horizon in the middle of the night.
Watch paint dry
Wind can vary quickly
03 It’s all Greek to me, how on Mo 27th of April the wind can vary so quickly from 2 to 4 bft and from South to SE and SW forth and back again in the middle of the wide ocean with only the clouds and sargassum as obstacles.
It’s all Greek to me.
And instead, that it’s raining cats and’ dogs with thunderstorms, we see a red sundown painting the sky and sea all red.
First real damage
04 Our first real damage on the boat occurs Tu 28th of April when the fixing of the boom downer breaks. We install a workaround with one line along and one around the boom, instead of crying over spilled milk, Same with the spilled rice the day before and the lost sailor’s glove the day after.
Don’t cry over spilled milk.
05 In the evening of We 29th of April our eyes are bigger than the stomach, having rice with potato curry, a yoghurt desert and a cookie.
The eyes are bigger than the stomach.
Rain cloud brings strong wind
06 The next morning Thu 30th of April the wind – up to 13 knots – makes us bite off more than our windpilot can chew. Finally we reef down the jib for a while. In the evening we had a green flash sundown.
I bite off more than I can chew.
Always safe travels, pleasant winds, and friendly seas wishes
Silvi
with Hendrik
sailing 
…by the winD
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