Atlantic crossing from Mediterranean Spain

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Are you planning to stop in the Canaries just for a break in the passage and maybe to stock up on supplies ????
Or....are you stopping for a while to see the place ??
That's the real question.

I don't know yet -- we'll see.


I've been to the Canaries already so it wouldn't bother me to skip it.


I like being at sea and once I'm in the rhythm of it don't actually like to break up a passage unless we need something.


However, my day job might require me to fly out somewhere so that could be a reason we would need to do this.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by MoodyS

You could also let the weather decide, routing close enough to the Canaries to wait there for the passing of the occasional lows that can create confused seas and spoil a comfortable passage at that time of year.

Indeed.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Joli

It would be great to meet up, it's always fun to talk boats with someone who is passionate about them. And of course you are welcome to visit us on Joli for a rum punch or few.

As an aside, we considered buying a Moody 64 (beautiful boat) but decided not to because Joli sails so well and that's a big part of cruising for us. By year end we'll have sailed about 20,000 miles over the past two years and being on a boat that sails well is, for us, a big part of cruising.

The Moody 64 is by all accounts a great sailing boat. The prototype finished 4th overall, ahead of all the cruisers and all but 3 of the racing boats, in the 2002 ARC, averaging over 200 miles per day for the whole crossing. See: https://www.cruisingworld.com/sailbo...something-big/

However, I don't like the interior layout very much and the boat has some of the same weaknesses as mine, including not quite first class joinery. So I wouldn't necessary recommend it, but I think you would have been very pleased with sailing performance and rig.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, I have the logs from this boat's circumnav, and they AVERAGED 200 mile days for long periods in the trades. It's a big boat with a lot of sail area and pretty low D/L and long waterline.

Yep, I imagine that the 200nm days are doable in the Discovery 67, but 250nm days (averaging 10.4kn) on a regular basis might be more difficult in this context (fully loaded, offshore, cruising not pushing 150%, etc).

Seeing videos of one of those boats doing this same Atlantic crossing ('Tilly Mint') they seemed to be doing mid to high 8s and low 9s a lot of the time even with a good breeze aft of the beam (so there's the 200nm days, but not 250nm).

That may just be a snapshot though and not 100% indicative.

Although as a side note even a lot of the performance cats still only use 200/220nm days as their average for routing on offshore passages even if the boat is capable of speeds in the mid to high teens in ideal conditions.

In any case I hope you have a great passage! And it would be great if you report back on the outcome after arriving in the Caribbean because it's always interesting to have realistic accounts from different boats

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Joli

As an aside, we considered buying a Moody 64 (beautiful boat) but decided not to because Joli sails so well and that's a big part of cruising for us. By year end we'll have sailed about 20,000 miles over the past two years and being on a boat that sails well is, for us, a big part of cruising.

Is 'Joli' the C&C 61 ?

[Nicholson58]

Ok you guys. As long as you all are pontificating, in 2016 we sailed Roxy from Hampton, Va to Virgin Gorda in 7.5 days. 1500 miles. We had a two day run well in excess of 500 miles. We did this with the mizzen and staysail alone. We are 58 feet, 47.5 LWL, 40 tons. Of the 80 boats in that rally, we had the shortest time. So there neyahh

[jmh2002]

^^^ A sweet run, and one to remember I also imagine it was blowin dogs off chains...

The big heavy boats can do that more easily in a blow though as it's still 'relatively' comfortable compared to a smaller lighter boat. As you said you only had the mizzen and staysail alone and I expect the boat wasn't especially stressed and was just trucking along.

In the late 90s heading from Newport, RI to the Caribbean on a Swan 51 in 50kn true we were still reaching with a triple reef main and tiny storm jib on the inner forestay, and doing a steady 10kn (surfs to more) with the autopilot steering.

We finally saw sense and dropped the main as it rose to 50 plus, and went to bare poles and warps when it started blowing 60kn plus as the seas were mountainous by that point and the boat just wanted to keep going...

She was also a heavy bullet proof boat that you could throw pretty much anything at and she would just take it.

Also we were younger then, and perhaps braver...
(as well as being experienced racing sailors, so I'm not suggesting everyone do this)

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Tenerife has a light on top which can be seen dozens of miles away at night, placed there after the air crash.

Pete

The one that happened on the ground? That'll help

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

Yep, I imagine that the 200nm days are doable in the Discovery 67, but 250nm days (averaging 10.4kn) on a regular basis might be more difficult in this context (fully loaded, offshore, cruising not pushing 150%, etc).

Seeing videos of one of those boats doing this same Atlantic crossing ('Tilly Mint') they seemed to be doing mid to high 8s and low 9s a lot of the time even with a good breeze aft of the beam (so there's the 200nm days, but not 250nm).

That may just be a snapshot though and not 100% indicative.

Although as a side note even a lot of the performance cats still only use 200/220nm days as their average for routing on offshore passages even if the boat is capable of speeds in the mid to high teens in ideal conditions.

In any case I hope you have a great passage! And it would be great if you report back on the outcome after arriving in the Caribbean because it's always interesting to have realistic accounts from different boats

Yes, in my experience, in a boat with decent underbody form and reasonable D/L, and good sails, a days' run at hull speed is rare but possible with plenty of wind on close reach or beamish reach.


Hull speed of my boat (47' waterline, D/L about 190) is 9.25 knots. That's 222 miles, and having done runs close to that (218 miles), I know it takes hours per day at 10+ knots, so a knot over hull speed, to achieve the average of 9.25. That requires a huge amount of power, hence the rarity of such runs.



Whereas to average one knot below hull speed (8.3 or 200 miles) can be done on a fairly regular basis in good conditions. I think simply because even in good conditions you will inevitably have hours off your pace, but pushing up a knot to hull speed happens pretty easily so you can average it out.


The D67 has similar numbers to my boat in terms of D/L and SA/D, and has a 58' waterline. That's 10.3 knots hull speed which makes a 250 mile day, averaging hull speed. A knot below hull speed gives 222 miles, so I would expect that to be done regularly just like 200 miles is done regularly on my boat, and 200 for passage planning like 180 is on my boat.


So these numbers stack up with what the previous owner of the D67 was telling us and what his logs say.


We'll have an A2 on board and a pretty decent crew, so if conditions are good I expect we will keep the pace up. We shall see!

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't know yet -- we'll see.


I've been to the Canaries already so it wouldn't bother me to skip it.


I like being at sea and once I'm in the rhythm of it don't actually like to break up a passage unless we need something.


However, my day job might require me to fly out somewhere so that could be a reason we would need to do this.

I’m like that. Once the land drops away, I forget about it. I’m actually a bit down when it reappears ( hopefully ) in front of me.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

Is 'Joli' the C&C 61 ?

Yes that's us, we're probably the only 61 out cruising by a husband and wife team. In racing trim the boat rates -21 but that's with a full crew sans all the cruising gear. We plan passage speeds of 175 miles a day but have been slower if winds don't cooperate. We don't count miles sailed per day only miles made to the finish. 200 is doable but the conditions have to be just right for that to happen. It seems we're always sailing in light winds or upwind somewhere along the track.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I’m like that. Once the land drops away, I forget about it. I’m actually a bit down when it reappears ( hopefully ) in front of me.

Moitessier Syndrome


https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...me-126853.html

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Moitessier Syndrome


https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...me-126853.html

Indeed. I read all his books. I just ever came across the two ex airline stewardess that wanted to sail with me.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Joli

Yes that's us, we're probably the only 61 out cruising by a husband and wife team.

Very nice

[MicHughV]

you guys kill me....a good day's run for me might be 150 miles....with an average of about 125...remember the po' folk as you blast down south...reserve a seat at the bar for us...