Atlantic Crossing Caribbean to Europe

Sint Maarten via Horta, Azores to Lagos, Portugal This is the trip of your life. The southern trade wind routes have very little to do with the northern route back to Europe and you can prepare to meet the wild forces of nature. We have done it many times and every single trip jumps out of the script to become something of its own. The weather can take spectacular forms and the wildlife is something special with lots of whales and other sea mammals. Your watch comrades and rest of crew usually makes friends for life. This trip changes and elevates people. The starting date from Antigua is 12.5 and you are welcome to arrive a few days in advance to get to know the boat and crew a little better before we leave. We have quite a liberal view on arrival dates since flights can be hard to match and we fully understand that everyone wants to get a piece of the Caribbean before we leave. This trip requires that you have been on a sailing boat before. If you suffer from constant motion or seasickness, this might not be the trip for you. A combination of sun (dehydration) and seasickness (not being able to hold in liquids) is a bad combo and makes your trip a misery. On the other hand most of us feel seasick from times to times and nowadays there are remedies for that. Before you sign up, just give it a thought, if you are unsure of your capabilities to do the trip you are most welcome to turn to us for consultation. We feel responsible for all crew and want to be sure everyone comes along for the right reasons and equipped with the mindset and physical condition to meet the challenge. Everyone onboard is expected to join in on everyday duties on the boat. If the weather gets rough we usually simplify the watch rota to ensure there is enough helm and decision power on deck. You are free to grab as much responsibility you want to match your experience and skills. And of course we do this trip the “old fashion way”, meaning the traditional stopover at Horta – a beautiful small city at the island of Faial in the middle of the Atlantic. This place has been visited by many famous sailors like Sir Francis Chichester, Eric Tabarly and Joshua Slocum, just to mention a few. There is a small bar right next to the marina run by the Azevedo family. They have proudly run it for generations. The bar serves drinks and heavenly food to locals and passing sailors alike. According to tradition you paint your mark on the wall, along with hundreds of other sailors beautifully crafted paintings. The whole place just vibrates whaling and yachting history. The rest of the island is also astonishing in its natural beauty. You can hire a car or a moped and do the island in a day or two discovering one wonder after another. The seismic effect the atlantic ridge has had on the island is seen everywhere, collapsed volcanoes, peninsulas risen from the sea, all the vegetation and fauna that reflects on the local food produce. This is not an easy place to leave. After the stop-over in Horta we start heading east towards Portugal. This stretch is usually around 7 days and the arrival to mainland Europe is finally at Lagos, Portugal. By the time we end up in Portugal you are a part of an exclusive club of people that are allowed to use red trousers with all bragging rights!