The First Night: November 19-20, 2023
Our night shifts were planned according to our individual bio-rhythms. My daughter Anna, a night owl, took the helm from midnight to 3 AM. I, being an early riser, took over from 3 AM to 6 AM. I’ll admit, 3 AM is quite early, but only 1-2 hours earlier than my usual wake-up time. My son Nicolas took the 6 AM to 9 AM shift, which fits perfectly with his personal fitness routine. My husband Peter did not have a specific night shift; he was to be woken for any significant events, ensuring he stayed well-rested and available for emergencies as the captain.
Well-prepared, we embarked on our first night. Anna took over at midnight. The wind remained stable at 6-7 knots, allowing our Wingaker to perform well and promise a calm night.
Until, at 2 AM, a ship suddenly approached us. This was clearly visible on AIS. Anna felt quite uneasy when a CPA (closest point of approach) of 7 meters and a TCPS (time to closest point of approach) of only a few minutes was indicated. When the ship did not yield despite the right-of-way rules, Anna had no choice but to wake our captain, Peter. It turned out to be our neighbor boat from Pontoon S in Las Palmas, which Peter immediately contacted via individual call and on Channel 16, the general calling channel that every boat should monitor. No response. Knowing them personally, he also tried WhatsApp, but still no response. Was the ship without a captain?
Peter had no choice but to evade. At the closest distance, we were about 100 meters apart.
The next morning, it was revealed that the night watch had not heard the radio call but had seen us. As an experienced regatta sailor, he did not find the distance critical, but Anna saw it differently.
The First Full Day at Sea
The morning brought us a special surprise—our second fish, caught by my son: another magnificent Mahi Mahi.
Nicolas joyfully filleted the beautiful fish, but not before taking a proof photo. Shortly after, we had more success signals. Four more fish bit, but unfortunately, only one was successfully caught. Nonetheless, Nicolas continued to hone his fishing skills, making some adjustments.
Around noon, a wind change required us to switch from the Wingaker to the Code 0 sail. The wind did not remain stable, necessitating a switch back to the Wingaker in the afternoon. By now, Peter and Nicolas had become a well-coordinated team, able to change sails quickly.
In the evening, we looked forward to our freshly caught fish. Perfectly grilled, we enjoyed Mahi Mahi with ratatouille and rice, with five beaming crew members.
It was a breathtaking start to our adventure, and I am deeply grateful. I am eagerly looking forward to the exciting days ahead.
Our Tally After 36 Hours at Sea
- Nautical miles covered: approx. 200
- Fish caught: 2
- Smiling faces on board: 5
Culinary Delights Day 1
- Lunch: Handmade baguettes (a gift from our carpenter in Las Palmas) with cheese, ham, pimientos, and pickles
- Dinner: Freshly caught Mahi Mahi with gourmet ratatouille and rice
Your daughter, Anna, was absolutely right to raise her concerns; and I am very surprised that an experienced regatta skipper saw no problem with being only 100m apart especially when they did not have right of way. You must be extremely calm and forgiving. I would have messaged the ARC organisers and raised my concern that the other boat was, first non-responsive to a channel 16 call; and also questioned why they did not adjust course to give way. Many years ago I lived and sailed at the weekends and during weeks off and sometimes with my – then – 10 and 11 year old children on a Benetau First 35 in the British Virgin Islands. I always said to them that BVI is a beautiful place to sail, but full of boats sailed (or often only ‘motored’) by tourists. So my golden rules were 1. There is only one captain, never ask why, just do as I say immediately and we can discuss the ‘why later; 2. If you are in the cockpit or on deck you always have a life jacket on, no excuses, ever; and 3. Unless it is clear that a boat is going to give way, we will always give way (even racing) first even when we have the right of way. Well done Anna.