Visit our Popular Forums

James Baines · 12-08-2011, 19:24

I’m thinking, and at this point, it’s just thinking because of circumstances beyond my control, but, in the next few weeks, I may decide to take my 40 Jeanneau from Lowestoft, England, across the Atlantic, via the Azores, then a straight seaward shot up to the Chesapeake so that I could make my home base in either Baltimore or Washington DC.
If I do that, I may (Or may not) follow the 200 plus boats in the ARC race in November, and leave that flock when they head south for the Caribbean as I want to head north to the Chesapeake, or, I may decide to leave at some other date and go solo.
My question for you all is this: If I do not go solo, I would want a crew of two experienced ocean sailors to join me and if you would be interested in crossing the pond about that time, please let me know who you are, and what ocean sailing experience you have.
If I do not get responses from VERY qualified trans Atlantic or other ocean sailors, I will do what I have done before, I’ll go solo.
So, if you are qualified for such an adventure, please contact me with all the information that you can provide.
I will be happy to pay reasonable expenses, I will be happy to conform to any special needs that you might have, but at the end of the day, I’m looking for a couple of totally capable ocean sailors to essentially take charge of my boat, under my command, to cross safely across the pond.
What more can I say?
James

capt.bobfm · 12-08-2011, 21:40

I might consider it if you change your route.

Zanshin · 12-08-2011, 23:36

Do you realize that you are planning on sailing in the heart of the hurricane season? While reporting and satellite observations have gotten better, it is still hard to predict the route and recurve route of a storm track. Just look at today's NOAA weather for the Atlantic:

saga432c · 13-08-2011, 04:41

Will you just ignore Hurricane season in the Western atlantic. Do it in November!

James Baines · 13-08-2011, 05:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by saga432c

Will you just ignore Hurricane season in the Western atlantic. Do it in November!

As I said right up front, I plan to tag along with the ARC flock in NOVEMBER, or, head out a week or so later...

Zanshin · 13-08-2011, 05:08

Ahh, in that case the initial sentence is perhaps a bit misleading

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Baines

...but, in the next few weeks, I may decide to take my 40 Jeanneau from Lowestoft, England, across the Atlantic...

.

James Baines · 13-08-2011, 15:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by capt.bobfm

I might consider it if you change your route.

What route did you have in mind?

capt.bobfm · 13-08-2011, 20:44

South to the Canaries or so and pick up the s.e. trade wind,turn west to the Caribbean and then head north to the states. Of course this should wait til the end of hurricane season.

James Baines · 14-08-2011, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by capt.bobfm

South to the Canaries or so and pick up the s.e. trade wind,turn west to the Caribbean and then head north to the states. Of course this should wait til the end of hurricane season.

Thanks, I'll get back to you if / when I can get things organized. James

nini333 · 15-08-2011, 13:41

Hi James,

I'm interested to go sail with you. I sail quite a lot on a Jeanneau fantasia (27 foot), smaller boat, I know, but still, I know the kind of boat. I'd be happy to come sail with you.

I have not crossed an ocean before yet, but I sail quite a lot and I have sailed around a few Islands in Indonesia, also on the ocean, but pretty close to shore, which is not the same, I know.

So, am I capable of cooking, sailing, standing watch. I'm ok with navigation and can operate maritime phones and so on. But an ocean passage, would be a first.

Happy to come with you in November, happy to fly to England (I'm based in the Netherlands). Let me know if you'd like some company

Janine

James Baines · 15-08-2011, 14:15

Thanks Janine, I appreciate your interest but I'm looking for people who have Atlantic crossing experience. James

weavus4 · 15-08-2011, 14:19

I am interested in joining you on your trip. I will most likely be in Ireland when you plan on leaving and figured this could get me home for the new years (Boston, MA). I'm a paramedic in Boston and in Ireland taking a few years off to travel and work around the world. I have off shore exp. as well as watch keeping. By Nov i should have my STCW's. I have 3 weeks in the Chesapeake under my belt on 300 ton vessel so know the areas to watch out for. For any questions please e-mail me at mattweaver scs at g mail dot com or PM works just as well

Thanks
Matt

James Baines · 15-08-2011, 16:40

To my original post, perhaps I should add that:
In late September, I will hit the magic age of 69 years. But that’s just a number:
What’s important is that I’m Canadian, an ex, almost professional level hockey player as many Canadians are, I’m an ex US Navy A6 fighter pilot, currently based in the UK, and I’m a very experienced sailor in just about all of the world’s oceans.
I am just about as fit as they come, I still view myself as being as fit, and as dumb, as I was when I was in my late twenties which is when I came back to real life and started the long process of putting my service in Vietnam behind me.
The reason for my current lack of schedule is that three weeks ago, my wife passed away and I’m currently dealing with not just my loss, but also, with all the paperwork on both sides of the Atlantic that needs to be dealt with.
In the next few weeks, as I sort through all the legal stuff, I will also be getting a new set of sails and all new sail running gear and of course, having the boat checked out, out of the water to ensure that everything is OK.
As my profile will tell you, I’m very much a “Safety First” sailor and that’s one of the reasons that I invite interest in working with me from ONLY, and I do mean ONLY, folks who have Atlantic crossing experience.
I have crossed the Atlantic four times, in yachts much smaller than the 40 footer I have at the moment and it is because of my experience in crossing the pond that I am happy to do it again, either solo, which is what I have done before, or, because my two son’s worry about me, an Atlantic crossing with EXPERIENCED crew on board.
I hope this helps any of the readers of this post to determine if they might meet my requirements before posting responses to my original query.
Bottom Line:
If you do not have Atlantic or Pacific sailing experience, please do not respond to this post. I’m not interested in training people, and if I don’t get the quality level of responses I had hoped for, I’m quite happy to go solo as I have done on my prior Atlantic crossings.
James