Sailing the Atlantic

B0NE DUDE

New Member
Hi,

I am planning on sailing the atlantic and have a few questions.

My route looks like this: New England-New Foundland-Greenland-Iceland-Ireland/England

I will be in a 22' Caravel Sail with all neccessary equipment.

My questions: Will I run into any ice in the water at any point?

How long would it take to sail between these locations?

Is my boat good enough for the trip?

AND can I make this journey by myself with no help? (One person anchoring at night)

THANK YOU!
 
Your questions suggest that you don't have the proper background for that kind of voyage.
Please take out Life Insurance for your loved ones in case you do decide to go....
On a more positive note, please get decent coastal experience first.
 
I have to agree. I mean no disrespect, but frankly, if you have to ask these questions you have a long way to go before I would consider you as even ready to take your boat outside a sheltered harbor. Sorry.

I'd start with a visit to your library.

A very well set up Caravel 22 is capable of an Atlantic crossing. But help us, if you need to ask that, you are not the person to sail it.
 
:rolleyes: Actually I used to sail on the Spirit of Massachusetts. It is over a milion dollar ship.

I was just asking to make sure I didn't miss anything, not as an ameture.

A search on google did not get me the info I needed (like where ice starts to show).
 
Regardless of what you used to sail on if your asking those questions on this forum (aimed at users of a boat which as far as im aware has a longest journey of across the English channel) you are not prepared for this trip by a long way. Why dont you go and ask these questions on www.sailinganarchy.com where you may actually find some people will relevant experiences, but I think you'll be told exactly the same thing as you have been here but in a much more brutal way.
 
You could try a shorter voyage to begin with to see what the worst could happen if you encountered terrible conditions. For example you could cross the channel. I have in my laser fun stuff!!!
 
Will I run into ice? What time of year are you planning this voyage? Yes you might.

How long a sail between "locations"? Depends on the wind, weather and boat speed, the distance you can calculate on your own.

Is my boat good enough? If it is in top shape (seaworthy) and prepped for such a voyage, anything that can move needs to be secured in the event of a broach or pitch pole situation. If not it isn't suitable for this trip.

Can I sail solo? Perhaps, but you will need skill and a good vane steering system.
Anchoring at night? Now I'm convinced you don't know what your getting into!
You would need all the carrying capacity of your boat just to carry the amount of anchor rode you would need to even come close to reaching the ocean floor.

How deep do you think the Atlantic is? Remember the Titanic?
 
Thanks Zeppo for your anwsers.

But the method I was going to use for "anchoring" at night is just to drop weight and ribbon so I can tell which way I drifted with the GPS. I wouldn't be actually anchoring.

You people are really over-reacting to this. The Vikings made the Voyage with ancient equipment and recently a boy from Ireland sailed in a small 2-3 person harbor sail boat!

I already told you I know how to sail. I am just fleshing out the details of my trip.
 
I am planning on sailing the Atlantic... My route looks like this: New England-New Foundland-Greenland-Iceland-Ireland/England
  1. Will I run into any ice in the water at any point?
  2. How long would it take to sail between these locations?
  3. AND can I make this journey by myself with no help? (One person anchoring at night)

[ 1 ] see comments below

[ 2 ] Given the distances, the current, prevailing wind, average wind speed, your boat's speed capability, and planned stopping time, what estimate have you come up with?

[ 3 ]Only you can say if you are mentally and physically up to the challenge. Do you have blue water experience? Are you proficient with basic (non-electronic) navigation?

What books about Atlantic crossings have you read? Have you written, emailed, or spoken with other mariners who have made the west to east passage, for their insights?



I used to sail on the Spirit of Massachusetts.
How man years have you worked on this boat?

What crew functions are you proficient at?

How many open sea miles have you logged.

Please share with us your maritime experience so we can better understand the blanks you might have to fill in before embarking on a solo Atlantic crossing.

spirit1-1.jpg

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS
125 feet
Flag: U.S.A.
Rig: Gaff topsail schooner, two-masted
Homeport: Boston, MA
Normal Cruising Waters: Canada
to South America
Sail Area: 7,000 sq. ft.
Hull: Wood



A search on google did not get me the info I needed (like where ice starts to show).
I am a little more than surprised that with your experience working on a million dollar vessel you are unaware of the North Atlantic ice tracking and reporting resources available.



.
 
Dropping weight and ribbon to determine direction of drift has me confused. If the weight makes it to the bottom then the attached ribbon which would be on the surface would stream with the current, unless surface winds overpowered the current. The problem again is depth, which can be thousands of feet. If the weight does not anchor itself to the bottom everything will move in unison, including your boat, so you won't be able to determine the direction of your drift unless you use a GPS (which by the way would preclude the need to employ the weight and ribbon apparatus in the first place)
 

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