The Night of November 24-25, 2023

A Quiet Night Under the Starry Sky

Another night falls, and the wind carries us further south at a speed of 6 to 8 knots. It is said that when crossing the Atlantic, one should sail south “until the butter melts.” And that is exactly our plan.

Especially at night, we must fully rely on our navigation system. Unfortunately, we encountered a small challenge: our AIS system, which usually tracks ships nearby, seemed unreliable. Yesterday, we noticed that the boat “Emily” appeared sporadically on AIS and then disappeared again. Peter, our onboard tech expert, suspected this was due to issues with their energy system, as “Emily’s” boat light also flickered on and off.

However, it turned out to be due to our now considerable distance from the coast. From now on, we no longer have access to land data and must rely solely on our antennas. Our AIS system can now only detect boats within a radius of about 5 miles. To ensure our safety, we adjusted the view in the cockpit to display both AIS data and radar overlay. This allows us to optimally monitor our surroundings.

Still, Anna felt a bit uneasy about the new situation when she took over the night watch. To alleviate her concerns, Peter agreed to sleep in the salon, our living room on board, so he could respond quickly and assist Anna if she encountered an unpredictable situation. Fortunately, this was not necessary.

When I took over my shift at 3 AM, the night was again illuminated by a bright moon. There was no other ship in sight. It is amazing how, despite starting with about 200 other boats, ships quickly get lost in the ocean. The sea is vast, and the possible routes are endless. It is almost a coincidence if our paths cross with other regatta participants again.

 A New Day on the Vitamin Sea

The sky this morning is a deep blue, with hardly a cloud in sight. The wind and weather conditions are not too challenging, but we don’t mind. On the contrary!

An Excursion into Onboard Catering 

Today, it’s time to check our fresh supplies. I discovered that mold had developed on some bell peppers, which shouldn’t happen. 

Onboard catering is indeed an important topic, especially on a long passage like our Atlantic crossing. Our supplies need to last for at least three weeks, ideally even four weeks. Ensuring a balanced, vitamin-rich, and healthy diet is crucial. With three refrigerators and a freezer on board, this is now easily manageable. Today, no sailor needs to suffer from scurvy.

Healthy eating on board was very important to me from the beginning, so I put a lot of effort into it.

My Key Learnings So Far:

Buy Unrefrigerated Vegetables 

If possible and available locally, choose unrefrigerated vegetables. They stay fresh longer, whereas refrigerated items spoil faster, especially if there is no room for storage in the fridge. This can be challenging to find locally, as supermarkets typically store vegetables in coolers, even shelf-stable items like apples or carrots. In Las Palmas, I found a small organic supermarket that receives daily fresh vegetables from its farm and does not refrigerate them in the store. But finding it was quite a task. The organic label is no guarantee for unrefrigerated vegetables. Even in the largest organic market in Las Palmas (which is quite small by German standards), Spar Natural, all vegetables are stored and displayed in coolers.

Proper Storage Techniques 

We have learned how to best store vegetables to extend their shelf life, and some tips and tricks help us with that.

• Open, Airy Baskets: Open, airy baskets allow better circulation and extend the freshness of vegetables. We store tomatoes, mangoes, papayas, apples, pumpkins, and cabbage openly and airy in baskets. Carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are also stored in open baskets. To extend their shelf life, they are individually wrapped in kitchen paper, which adds 1-2 weeks of freshness.
• Fruit Nets on Deck: Vegetables stored in fruit nets don’t need refrigeration. We store bananas, avocados, lemons, onions, garlic, and beets (wrapped in foil) in fruit nets on the deck.
• Refrigeration: Limited fridge space requires careful planning. We store small amounts of certain vegetables like some avocados, bell peppers, carrots, and zucchini in the fridge. Cooling is particularly important for salads.

Monitoring and Regular Checks 

To prevent spoilage, I regularly check the freshness of all our supplies. If I find overripe vegetables, I process them creatively. Today, I made antipasti from the overripe bell peppers, which keeps for days in the fridge.

One Week Check-in  

After one week, most of our supplies are still fresh and usable, except for two bell peppers. We can handle that loss.

Christmas on the Vitamin Sea 

Despite the constant sunshine and temperatures around 28 degrees, Anna is spreading Christmas cheer. She baked the first cinnamon stars and sang Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” This created a festive atmosphere on board. It feels strange, but the cookies taste divine—even in the sun.

Course Change Westward 

In the early afternoon, it was time to change our course westward. Now our “butter is literally melting.” So we reset the sails and set a course for St. Lucia at 270 degrees. This time, Anna and I helped Peter with the task. The goal was to shift the Wingaker from the starboard to the port side. After initial difficulties with a snagged rope, the second attempt went smoothly, and we shifted the Wingaker to the other side in about 30 minutes.

Finally, Dolphins 

Just before sunset, I took a break on the foredeck, enjoying the sky and the slowly setting sun. Suddenly, dolphins appeared right in front of our Lagoon—a whole pod swam alongside us for about 20 minutes. Large and small dolphins, an entire family, danced before us and filled the evening with joy.

A Family Movie Night 

To end the evening, Nicolas suggested a movie night. Said and done, he set up our screen, Peter installed the projector, and we had a cinema-like experience on the aft deck. Great sound, a big screen, and the sound of the sea in the background. Our portable cockpit on the iPad was always in view. We enjoyed a cozy family movie night. Then it was off to bed for me, as I needed to be fit for my 3 AM watch.

Thus ends another fulfilling day on the Vitamin Sea.

Culinary Delights Day 6

• Lunch: Freshly baked bread with cheese, ham, olives, and antipasti
• Dinner: Spaghetti with tomato sauce, “Uwe’s” style