We, Portuguese call the men of our maritime history, like Bartolomeu Dias, Zarco, Fernandes Labrador, Gil Eanes,Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral and Fernando de Magalhaes (Magellan) not mariners but navigators(Navegador). On this trip, you were a "navegador". You were not looking for pepper or cinnamon but I believe you found the spice that enriches and flavors your life. And somehow managed to share some of it with us. That just like pepper in the 16th century that was sold in Lisbon at the weight of gold is priceless. Well done. Muito obrigado
These videos are a rare treat; lessons in simple navigation, and the efficiency of simplicity. You seem totally comfortable in your small performance boat. We really don’t need much more to sail…
I don’t know Henry however I can tell you that your adventures and mindset is worth more than $7Bn. I wish I have your frame of mind when I get to your age. Félicitations !!!
I've seen some sailors move from a big yacht to a smaller one, while others move from a smaller boat to a larger one. I hope you will address this topic in one of your videos. I am really curious about your insights into all the aspects involved (advantages and disadvantages), and also your personal motivation for the move. Really appreciate your pragmatical view.
What a small ocean to cross paths so close to you last week on our sail from Bermuda to Newport! It was the highlight of my trip to be able to hail you on the VHF and have our short chat (that was us on Libra who called you on Wednesday). It was my first ocean crossing and you (and a couple of other UA-cam sailors who I had the fortune of meeting in Bermuda, including Sophie & Ryan, Atticus and Zingaro who were all there as well) were my inspiration to finally try to get out there an make an ocean crossing (albeit a much shorter one than you have been doing this summer). You are an inspiration for us “over 50” crowd and although we had 4 on our boat, I now have even more of an appreciation for what doing it solo must be like. Thanks for sharing your journeys with us. -Brian
Could it be that your boom was originally designed for a “fixed foot” mainsail and later modernized with at “loose foot” mainsail? Then the moving fittings would be for fastening your reefing line (as it is not possible to tie a “loop” around the boom). The mainsail sheet would go to the fixed point furthest aft on the boom.
Hi I've watched many of your episodes and I can't get over how comfortable you always look. By the way your mate maybe rich, but I feel you have had the better life. Your very life has given you the richest life and pleasure. Stefan Catballou.
Formidable, je suis très content pour vous. Avant la pandémie, vous aviez le projet de venir a Terre-Neuve, c'est juste un peu plus au nord... 😀Et je vous avais promis une bouteille de Chateauneuf du pape si vous veniez jusqu'a Quebec, l'offre est toujours valide. Bon vent et félicitations encore.
This trip caught my eye because you went to a smaller boat, rather than vice-versa, as did I (32 to 28 ft). The sliders on the mainsheet boom connection is an interesting puzzle, I'm going to take a stab and say its intended to have an adjustable track lock: move it aft to get more leverage downwind, move it forward to flatten the sail upwind. Another racing fine tune adjustment ?
I agree. Slide stops like you might have on a traveler might be useful. Also, the two blocks can be spread apart to distribute the load on the boom, perhaps
Quite right about the IGPW routing. I'm faintly interested when under five days to go. Patrick! To make a boat move in light winds and for so long is much harder to do. Absolutely brilliant. Chapo! An uneventful passage is what we all want to achieve. It means it's been a safe passage. Rest up proper for the next leg. Stay safe James
would be interesting to see what the food looks like once cooked, and your take on the tastiness. They can call it whatever fancy name they want, but does the name correlate with that you actually see at the bottom of the pan? Great videos, thanks for making the effort to put it online
PredictWind 2 : Big issue with PW routing is those damned polars! For a start, they seem to be based on hull shape when sailing THOUGH the water - but you sail essentially a “skiff” designed to sail ON the water. Wherethe hull shape keeps you on the plane , sail trim, the keel fin and rudders they’d to control things - not hull contours. But these polars seem to be derived for displacement vessels, in calm conditions with no waves - like in the Med on a good day. It seems that wave size and direction are hugely influential and there really must be a whole series of boat polars for each displacement boat - factoring in wind bearing…. wind strength… wave height… wave direction… wave spacing… - and presuming you use optimum sail setting, trim and balance! This just aint gonna happen in practice. On my crossing from Portugal direct Curacao, I found the trades and 5 metre seas produced so much rolling on my HR38 that my polars became a complete nonsense and PW routing just became a complete fiction. The rolling also made it unsafe to pole out my headsail (heavy enough to take my head off) and I sailed no deeper than about 150 in that seaway and the following trades. In the end, I emailed PW in Auckland and asked them to alter my polars such that the predicted speed, at any wind speed and direction deeper than 145 was zero - and BINGO! Now I get PW routing to produce tracks I can mostly match in heavy conditions. I now use routing like building a “mini race” where I can even beat the “6 boats” if I can sneak as deep as 160, which makes me smile. So I use PW as a mini guide race for 7 boats - where I aim to win! My point here is that it’s essential to set your PW polars to reflect the performance you are likely to derive in the conditions you sail in, rather than the textbook, “super accurate” figures published to so many decimal places. It makes no sense to have polars for directions for nearly dead downwind, setting 2 headsails wing-on-wing if that’s not safe, let alone possible to do. Again, PW blindly uses those polar curves, as deep as you define them, regardless of whether that’s practically safe and possible to set sail and course that deep. Now, about to set sail across the Pscific, I must alter those polars for extremely light conditions too as I expect little wind between Panama and at he Galapagos.
I just discovered your channel Patrick. Thank you! You show how sailing is a matter of thinking 10 miles ahead of the boat and fixing whatever breaks along the way. You have a gentle, non egotistical demeanor and unafraid to show that you don't know everything. As a retired airline captain I see similarities in your successful approach to handling machine and nature. No room for cowboys. Cheers to you!
Many thanks FG. As a former aviator, fully agree that this is not the place for cowboys! Descend and maintain 8 feet, slow to 5 knots, squawk VFR, monitor ch 16, QFE 1013.
Well said, there is something about Patrick which makes for easy viewing, no irritating music but simple chat and just ease on the boat, when things go wrong or tough on my boat I will try to remember Patrick before I start swearing and cursing and have a dry smile.
Very interesting and informative as usual Patrick, the moving points on the boom could this be to take the stress out of the boom because you have a performance yacht now? Interesting observation and look forward to the rigger’s answer. Age is just a number and you inspire many who are now like a fine aged wine. Ade
It's 5 in the AM, I can't sleep but I AM impressed with sea-person Lucy Lastic's helming. She was a little slack and laid back, but then even among her profession's peers, she's renowned for that and of course it's only to be expected of crew so hastily recruited from their landlubber day (or night) jobs. But Lucy showed that she had some useful transferable skills and the never ending energy to keep going and working for you all night long with you tucked up in bed. Of course unquestionably and non-critically taking all orders, not answering back and immediately owning and apologising when she got things wrong are rare 1st mate qualities that possibly made her better than usual ship's company?
Patrick Tell us about the insurance… I am having a hard time finding one that will allow me to cross the Atlantic, even more alone (I am the one with the OVNI 395…). If you have one, please tell us the company and your agent… Thank you Homero
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Patrick, love your Dancin in the Dark allusion. DitD is one of the Boss' most misunderstood songs. You might enjoy reading Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher and comparing it with the themes Bruce is working with in DitD. The disco-y beat of the song is very incongruous to its dark themes. Consider this homework for your next voyage. Your videos are therapeutic for many of us! Thank-you.
Gotta stay hungry...that's four classic rock references so far by my count. Have to say that as far as I can tell the most important tool any solo sailor can have is the right mental makeup. Have you always been this calm and level-headed or is it an acquirable skill?
On your question on the main sheet if it is possible to move the main sheet to the fixed bales on the boom. The moveable bales I think are adjustable to fit where the reef lines go t around the boom. FYI lots of racing just transitioning to do some offshore sailing.
Patrick You never cease to inspire, there are a small number of you on UA-cam who really captivate us mortals, thank you. I have today just completed my first ever solo sail in my 42’ yacht, 35 miles and loved every moment. Would I have done it without watching you, Kevin and Eric, probably not, so thank you.
I've been a great admirer of you and your channel for some time and I applaud your abilities and your tenacity. I'm an ex Cardiff boy with salt in his blood but family and life in general has kept me from the sea for far too long. I long for the day I get back on the water and you continue to inspire that dream. Don't stop! One another note, I'm flying into La Rochelle on July 14th with my bicycle and cycling back to the UK. Its said that one shouldn't ever meet their hero's, but if you had an hour free, I would be happy to provide a nice glass or three of Chateu Neuf Du Pape with you. Stay safe. Richard
Well done Patrick, so pleased you're back, sailing talk not tourist talk, not flogging the latest freebie - I'm talking myself out of sailing adventures at 60 because of my age you inspire me!
I‘m so impressed and full of reverence of the way you do your things. They always seem so smart in thinking deciding and then also explaining why you did this or that. It’salways a lesson for me to watch you. Thanks a lot for taking us with you. Fair winds and following seas 🌬
The sailing seems to be the easiest part but also in reality the most life threatening part. I'm trying to solo sail to Cape Verde from the UK but can't get boat insurance, can't get affordable health insurance and due to admin issues, my COVID pass is not valid either.
I am in full admiration of your sailing tenacity for a man of your age. You are certainly an inspiration to us older sailors who have stopped sailing due mainly to physical restrictions, like double knee replacements, shoulder surgery and ankle fusion. I circumnavigated the world from 1975-1979 on a 47" Chevy Lee Bill Luders design. I had crew, most of the time 3 others, but have always admired you single handers. Its so interesting to me now how sailing has evolved over the years. Now you can get weather updates and can plan your route. When I went around the world, all I had were paper charts and a sextant. I relied on a barometer and my own built in savvy to predict the weather. My routes were planned by drawing a straight line between A and B and I stuck religiously to that course line. I would imagine it helps tremendously to be able to see what lies ahead with all the new technology of today. Continue your amazing sailing adventures for as long as you can!
Your old pal may be a billionaire..but I bet he'd swap a few bob to skate along with you awhile Skipper. Magic. Many, many thanks from a proud phantom shipmate (and I thought you were only going to the Canaries!) 😂😂😂. Fair winds, sir, and thanks again.
Hi Patrick, Greetings from the Principality of Wales. (Cardiff) I remember your pal Henry starting up his company and later moving into our offices. Great company. Last year sold our Moody after many adventures so I'm looking forward to yours. Great to see you back and in jolly good health.
Congratulations on your successfull passage Patrick, well done! The mainsheet should be fixed to the boom, it should not be able to slide freely. My boom has a similar system, but the hooks are all fixed in position. Great anekdote about your friend Henry. I started my business some ten years ago and it took off quite nicely, but a sailboat came between me and becoming a billionaire 😂 Evenmore so, I consider myself to be successfull👍
I have been a fan of yours since I came across you sailing in Northern European waters and your travels in your Bavaria. I love the no nonsense way you explain why you do what you do and look forward to seeing more of your adventures
Love your vids. I wanted to make a comment with respect to your friend Henry. You said” which one of us is a success”. I’m not sure about Henry because I don’t know his story and I would never measure success on one’s bank accounts or successful business but I can comment on you. Although I can only base this comment on what you shared in your videos . I would have to say your a huge success. Look what your doing. Your doing what we are intended to do. Your living life. So few do. What if you had billions of dollars and hated every day because your money and success didn’t bring you happiness and fulfillment? Some of the most successful people I know have very little but live life to the fullest. A wise man once said, “You have one life to live. Now go live it”
Patrick I have followed your journey from the very beginning and really the only word to some up this latest trip is “Inspirational”. I too will be out the shortly! All the best Richard SV_Zonda
I was thinking you lost some weight during the closing of the video, but wow...15.4 lbs. Nice weight loss program ...lol. PS. congratulations on the passage!
Thank you, Patrick! Wonderful videos. Your new boat looks very neat and minimalistic inside. I suspect you had to put a lot of work into fitting it out to your liking. As for grib files, I wonder whether an expert weather router (a skilled meteorologist, that is) could have predicted the S-ward movement of that high. I think grib files are deceptively simple, because they don’t give any information about the uncertainty/instability of the mathematical model that produced them. Having more than one grib file does not really help that much, I think, since it just gives a set of model results, each of unknown certainty. What I admire about good weather routers is that they can explain their reasoning behind why they think this or that is going to happen and convey their degree of certainty attached to their forecasts. I find that useful for deciding which way to steer.
Re Mr Admiral insurance and Patrick. Who is the richest success? on... Good sailing.."To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea..."cruising" it is called.Voyaging belongs to seamen,and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change.Only then will you know what the sea is all about. "'I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter,six feet to lie down in -and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all- in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? choice.! "Which shall it be: bankruptcyof purse or bankruptcy of life...? Sterling Hayden
I'll vote, travelers fixed. Guessing energy goes into moving them and not the boat through the water. On the other hand, may allow flow to stay attached. Wait and see if I am wrong.
If I was "successful" like your mate, first of all I would have given you like 5mill to set you up for life. But as soon as I was comfortably set up for life myself 10m worth of income generating assets like realestate, stocks and bonds. I WOULD BE DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THIS IS REAL LIVING. Looking at billions of dollars on spreadsheets and bank accounts and contract details is a fucking miserable representation of what life shouldn't be.
Inspiring! Love your calm, detailed explanations. You're channel is real sailing - not just eye candy and hyped up drama. Big question- can you contrast the quality of the sailing experience vis a vis a 30 foot racer vs say a 36 foot cruiser on this passage? Re the main sheet attachment- mine are fixed. Just tie some dyneema from the fixed eye on the end to the other bocks. Couldn't you have used the boom as a "spinnaker pole"when you had the two jibs and no main up? Lastly why couldn't you fly the kite? Doesn't that broken piece simply keep the spin halyard from being grabbed by the jib halyard on a furling jib? Did the halyard come off the sheave? Couldn't you just keep the keep the jib furled whenever you hoisted the kite?
Great video Patrick. I'd have thought the mainsheet "slugs" should be fixed in position, I've certainly not come across sliding ones before, across many boats (Open 6.50 included)
Hi Patrick, What is the name of your boat? Are you coming to New England, specifically Maine and Penobscot Bay? Great cruising ground, lots of anchorages. My vessel is a Freedom 35 named Salacia. I'd love to show you aroound.
I don’t sail (wish I did), but I just love living my sailing life vicariously via Patrick’s adventures at sea. Many thanks for bringing this land lubber on board Patrick! Safe sailing amigo.
Patrick, regarding the book and your friend. I believe this is really good example of life success. But you present another great example of life success. And, it is you my idol anyway :-)
Amazing comparison with your friend (millionaire) and to your question who is richer….. well, it is you a 1,000,000%. He can most probably afford a number back and forth air tickets across the Atlantic, but he can never afford 30 days being out of his company. I am telling you that based on my some little over 23 years of experience in insurance. Cheers and keep sailing.
A very warm congratulations Patrick for sharing your 31,5 day roundabout over the most common element and bonding memories into new ones. Did i hear you say, "bring less to read"?:)) Don't know what Terry and Eliot think of that;))
Wow. What an incredible trip. Sooooo nice. Man when I started doing this stuff, the only weather we had was the scratchy voice on an SSB radio, Hi Seas Radio Weather Report. You listened as hard as you could and made notes on a plotting chart, a front from latxxx and logyyy moving eastward at zz. Kts. You drew it out and prayed. Wow. No GPS or plotters. And if the skies weren’t clear you just guess reckoned. Yes! I was amongst the first to buy a crude GPS. But is was like magic. And later we got Herb, on South Bound ll out of Bermuda. He would give rough routing instructions when you could get through to him on SSB. Again, painted with a very broad brush. Ha ha. Amazing what we have today. Don’t know how we did it then.
Well done on the vid, thank. You for the practical tips the More I read about ocean navigation the more confused I got, your right about the weather! Fair sailing,rgds Chris
You have probably explained it before… And I apologize if you’ve already answered: why a smaller boat? It’s clearly less comfortable but perhaps the increase in speed justifies your discomfort?
Well that was a surprise destination,just a couple of things ,your only clipped on once, you don’t mention the Gulf Stream,we were taught never to sail before the wind without a washboard in .i think your paper chart and a compass should be in the grab bag,you can sheet to tiller using the main ,shouldn’t you rig a preventer.Adlard Coles ,Heavy Weather sailing, is good prep for this,when it all goes wrong your back in 1924, bless U Admiral Lane🌻🌻🌻
Watching this great video, then I should have no doubts I could make it on my 32 ft Dufour, this blue-water thing is way exaggerated. Unless we talk about more comfort.
This all begs the question: why did you sell Isabelle for a less comfortable boat to cross the Atlantic? Also: Sailing Atticus (ua-cam.com/users/ProjectAtticus) should be in Bermuda as well right now. Perhaps you should meet?
yep, I do the same with my Iridium Go antenna it's located under the Fiberglass hardtop, I was told fiberglass is transparent to the radio frequencies used by GPS and the Iridium Go.
I think you're more successful than your friend,because ,he's probably stuck in some office worried about his investments while you're crossing oceans having an awesome time. As my friend always says and I quote .."happy is the man that has nothing".
I have sailed in kelp areas and found that occasionally I would have to back down - in fact just today I had to do that just before the start of a race. Of course you may also you should consider making an IKCD (Improvised Kelp Cutting Device) to "floss" the keel. The rudder you should be able to handle with heaving to and boat hook
Hello, somehow the loose attachments of the mainsheet don’t seem quite right, but then again you made an uneventful crossing of the Atlantic with this set up. On our Yaka 650 they are set in position. My best guess is that you might get better sail shape control if they were riveted in place. You might be interested in the wealth of information in the really nice internet site of Christophe & Carina who are circumnavigating the world with a Django 770, all on a shoestring budget : l’Envol, ”into the wind”. An addtional thought on success: you have inspired 42K viewers with your video, but how many copies of his book do you reckon your friend has sold ? 😎
Hi, Patrick you made the decisions , then did it your way . Arrived safe and sound , with Lucy at hand to help ,thinking on your feet as you go along .Well done . Admiral Insurance OK by us , paid out twice for my daughters , miss adventures on the road . Thanks for the video and your ever engaging thoughts .🤔👍
Hi Patrick, I really enjoy your adventure. As your 7 billion dollar friend. I think you are having more fun, at the very least, even living your life as you do. Your friend, when it comes to carrying the daily weight ensuring your stock price does not drop, who is living their life, what fun is that? You could argue it is a financial adventure, sailing is a challenge, just like building a business. I know I have founded 10 companies in 5 countries and now forming a new one in Granada, Spain, yet I love ocean sailing. I'm not against your friends' success, it's an open question what best? Furthermore, I still don't know as l like to do both. On this question, I have one foot in the grave and the other in the banana peel? On another topic. Re your spare bottle of a liter plus of fuel. I have a simpler solution. You would know the rubber squeeze bulbs you use for the outboard fuel tank, I have installed one in my fuel line near the filter, it works wonders when bleeding air out of the system. SV. Skoiern IV
Hi Patrick you certainly look more composed than those kids doing a mini transat! I would like to ask you few questions if I may: -You had lots of food on board I'm curious as to why you lost so much weight so fast? -You downsized from your comfortable 40 ft to a sportier boat. Any downside to a light displacement vs heavy displacement hull? any regrets as I was thinking of going the other way around from small and sporty to comfy and slow! ( We are built about the same an equally fit) best wishes
I'm new to your channel and really enjoy it. I am not a sailor, but I'm totally fascinated by it for some reason. Please don't think that there is nothing to say... it may be a long voyage, day after day for you. But there is a person sitting on chair in California hanging on every word. I'm completely intrigued by any little detail. Especially with your boat, lines, windows, storage, pulleys, sails, knots, and so on. Godspeed! I'll be watching and learning, thank you!
Enjoy Bermuda I did it for 4 years and met my wife to be there she stayed 9 years in all. A couple of must do is Horseshoe Bay and have a Rum Swizzle at the Swizzle Inn near the airport. Enjoyed your Vlog!!
In reference to your billionaire friend being more successful than you….I would call you the successful one! I’d take crossing an ocean by my own sail boat a win over a billionaire lifestyle any day! You may not have a full bank account but you probably have way more freedom than your friend has. 😉Thank you for sharing your travels.
Your lyrical allusions at the start of each video crack me up. Thanks for sharing the journey. How'd you lose 7kg with 90 days of food on board? Do you blame the cook or the menu? 🙂
PATRICK , I am a new viewer. After watching a lot of your vidios I am wondering why you switched boats? You have one of the best sailing channels on you tube. Love your insite and knowledge of the sea. As a sailor I have crashed my boat into many a dock, love the skill you show docking
Thank you for sharing this journey and your reflections, musings, and the odd technical discourse. Your comment about sailing to the wind and not fixed waypoint is so true, it was never discussed when I studied for my maritime master’s certification, that course was all about non sailing craft!
Wow, you are in Bermuda (I assume)! So does that mean that you are going to carry on to the US East Coast? I'm headed for my annual haulout, then have a cruise up the Maine coast planned for late July/August. Perhaps I'll see you there?
We, Portuguese call the men of our maritime history, like Bartolomeu Dias, Zarco, Fernandes Labrador, Gil Eanes,Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral and Fernando de Magalhaes (Magellan) not mariners but navigators(Navegador). On this trip, you were a "navegador". You were not looking for pepper or cinnamon but I believe you found the spice that enriches and flavors your life. And somehow managed to share some of it with us. That just like pepper in the 16th century that was sold in Lisbon at the weight of gold is priceless. Well done. Muito obrigado
Well said! We applaud the Portuguese "Navegador". My wife and I are headed to Horta at the end of the month, eventually sailing to northeast Brazil.
Beautifully said. Amen !
We Dutch have our stories as well :)
Excelente colocação 👏
I really like that... "the difference between an ordeal and adventure is attitude." Well said Patrick.
Perhaps applies also to 'Life in general' . Sound philosophy Mr Laine.
These videos are a rare treat; lessons in simple navigation, and the efficiency of simplicity. You seem totally comfortable in your small performance boat. We really don’t need much more to sail…
He's such an inspiration, isn't he?
I don’t know Henry however I can tell you that your adventures and mindset is worth more than $7Bn. I wish I have your frame of mind when I get to your age. Félicitations !!!
I've seen some sailors move from a big yacht to a smaller one, while others move from a smaller boat to a larger one. I hope you will address this topic in one of your videos. I am really curious about your insights into all the aspects involved (advantages and disadvantages), and also your personal motivation for the move. Really appreciate your pragmatical view.
What a small ocean to cross paths so close to you last week on our sail from Bermuda to Newport! It was the highlight of my trip to be able to hail you on the VHF and have our short chat (that was us on Libra who called you on Wednesday). It was my first ocean crossing and you (and a couple of other UA-cam sailors who I had the fortune of meeting in Bermuda, including Sophie & Ryan, Atticus and Zingaro who were all there as well) were my inspiration to finally try to get out there an make an ocean crossing (albeit a much shorter one than you have been doing this summer). You are an inspiration for us “over 50” crowd and although we had 4 on our boat, I now have even more of an appreciation for what doing it solo must be like. Thanks for sharing your journeys with us. -Brian
Could it be that your boom was originally designed for a “fixed foot” mainsail and later modernized with at “loose foot” mainsail? Then the moving fittings would be for fastening your reefing line (as it is not possible to tie a “loop” around the boom). The mainsail sheet would go to the fixed point furthest aft on the boom.
I think that is exactly correct Dag. :-)
Hi I've watched many of your episodes and I can't get over how comfortable you always look.
By the way your mate maybe rich, but I feel you have had the better life. Your very life has given you the richest life and pleasure.
Stefan
Catballou.
This was actually a short route to the Bermudas. Most sailors lose time when they make the full detour through the caribbean islands;-)
Love it.... Ha!
Formidable, je suis très content pour vous. Avant la pandémie, vous aviez le projet de venir a Terre-Neuve, c'est juste un peu plus au nord... 😀Et je vous avais promis une bouteille de Chateauneuf du pape si vous veniez jusqu'a Quebec, l'offre est toujours valide. Bon vent et félicitations encore.
This trip caught my eye because you went to a smaller boat, rather than vice-versa, as did I (32 to 28 ft). The sliders on the mainsheet boom connection is an interesting puzzle, I'm going to take a stab and say its intended to have an adjustable track lock: move it aft to get more leverage downwind, move it forward to flatten the sail upwind. Another racing fine tune adjustment ?
I agree. Slide stops like you might have on a traveler might be useful. Also, the two blocks can be spread apart to distribute the load on the boom, perhaps
Haven’t read his book yet but you and your friend Henry are great inspirations to your followers. You are both equally amazing successes in my book!
Quite right about the IGPW routing. I'm faintly interested when under five days to go. Patrick! To make a boat move in light winds and for so long is much harder to do. Absolutely brilliant. Chapo! An uneventful passage is what we all want to achieve. It means it's been a safe passage. Rest up proper for the next leg. Stay safe James
would be interesting to see what the food looks like once cooked, and your take on the tastiness. They can call it whatever fancy name they want, but does the name correlate with that you actually see at the bottom of the pan? Great videos, thanks for making the effort to put it online
PredictWind 2 : Big issue with PW routing is those damned polars!
For a start, they seem to be based on hull shape when sailing THOUGH the water - but you sail essentially a “skiff” designed to sail ON the water. Wherethe hull shape keeps you on the plane , sail trim, the keel fin and rudders they’d to control things - not hull contours.
But these polars seem to be derived for displacement vessels, in calm conditions with no waves - like in the Med on a good day. It seems that wave size and direction are hugely influential and there really must be a whole series of boat polars for each displacement boat - factoring in wind bearing…. wind strength… wave height… wave direction… wave spacing… - and presuming you use optimum sail setting, trim and balance! This just aint gonna happen in practice.
On my crossing from Portugal direct Curacao, I found the trades and 5 metre seas produced so much rolling on my HR38 that my polars became a complete nonsense and PW routing just became a complete fiction. The rolling also made it unsafe to pole out my headsail (heavy enough to take my head off) and I sailed no deeper than about 150 in that seaway and the following trades. In the end, I emailed PW in Auckland and asked them to alter my polars such that the predicted speed, at any wind speed and direction deeper than 145 was zero - and BINGO! Now I get PW routing to produce tracks I can mostly match in heavy conditions. I now use routing like building a “mini race” where I can even beat the “6 boats” if I can sneak as deep as 160, which makes me smile. So I use PW as a mini guide race for 7 boats - where I aim to win!
My point here is that it’s essential to set your PW polars to reflect the performance you are likely to derive in the conditions you sail in, rather than the textbook, “super accurate” figures published to so many decimal places. It makes no sense to have polars for directions for nearly dead downwind, setting 2 headsails wing-on-wing if that’s not safe, let alone possible to do. Again, PW blindly uses those polar curves, as deep as you define them, regardless of whether that’s practically safe and possible to set sail and course that deep.
Now, about to set sail across the Pscific, I must alter those polars for extremely light conditions too as I expect little wind between Panama and at he Galapagos.
Thank you, Patrick, for another companionable passage as phantom shipmate. So appreciated by us all.
Patrick is a great inspiration to us guys who are getting a bit long in the tooth.
I just discovered your channel Patrick. Thank you! You show how sailing is a matter of thinking 10 miles ahead of the boat and fixing whatever breaks along the way. You have a gentle, non egotistical demeanor and unafraid to show that you don't know everything. As a retired airline captain I see similarities in your successful approach to handling machine and nature. No room for cowboys. Cheers to you!
Many thanks FG. As a former aviator, fully agree that this is not the place for cowboys! Descend and maintain 8 feet, slow to 5 knots, squawk VFR, monitor ch 16, QFE 1013.
Well said, there is something about Patrick which makes for easy viewing, no irritating music but simple chat and just ease on the boat, when things go wrong or tough on my boat I will try to remember Patrick before I start swearing and cursing and have a dry smile.
Very interesting and informative as usual Patrick, the moving points on the boom could this be to take the stress out of the boom because you have a performance yacht now? Interesting observation and look forward to the rigger’s answer. Age is just a number and you inspire many who are now like a fine aged wine. Ade
It's 5 in the AM, I can't sleep but I AM impressed with sea-person Lucy Lastic's helming. She was a little slack and laid back, but then even among her profession's peers, she's renowned for that and of course it's only to be expected of crew so hastily recruited from their landlubber day (or night) jobs.
But Lucy showed that she had some useful transferable skills and the never ending energy to keep going and working for you all night long with you tucked up in bed.
Of course unquestionably and non-critically taking all orders, not answering back and immediately owning and apologising when she got things wrong are rare 1st mate qualities that possibly made her better than usual ship's company?
👏👏👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣
Patrick
Tell us about the insurance… I am having a hard time finding one that will allow me to cross the Atlantic, even more alone (I am the one with the OVNI 395…). If you have one, please tell us the company and your agent…
Thank you
Homero
Another inspirational voyage!
One question: are the 2 solar panels sufficient for all your electrical needs or do you have another source of charging?
I needed to run the engine/alternator every night at about 0200 for 30 minutes to get me to the next sunrise when the solar panels took over again.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Patrick, love your Dancin in the Dark allusion. DitD is one of the Boss' most misunderstood songs. You might enjoy reading Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher and comparing it with the themes Bruce is working with in DitD. The disco-y beat of the song is very incongruous to its dark themes. Consider this homework for your next voyage. Your videos are therapeutic for many of us! Thank-you.
It is strange how this song, with its 'down and out' lyrics, marries so uniquely with the upbeat music which accompany them. Bruce is indeed a genius.
Gotta stay hungry...that's four classic rock references so far by my count. Have to say that as far as I can tell the most important tool any solo sailor can have is the right mental makeup. Have you always been this calm and level-headed or is it an acquirable skill?
FRENCH LAWYERS =
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !🇺🇸🇮🇱🇵🇱
On your question on the main sheet if it is possible to move the main sheet to the fixed bales on the boom. The moveable bales I think are adjustable to fit where the reef lines go t around the boom. FYI lots of racing just transitioning to do some offshore sailing.
I know the feeling in Lake
Michigan... but not that much.
Patrick
You never cease to inspire, there are a small number of you on UA-cam who really captivate us mortals, thank you. I have today just completed my first ever solo sail in my 42’ yacht, 35 miles and loved every moment. Would I have done it without watching you, Kevin and Eric, probably not, so thank you.
I've been a great admirer of you and your channel for some time and I applaud your abilities and your tenacity. I'm an ex Cardiff boy with salt in his blood but family and life in general has kept me from the sea for far too long.
I long for the day I get back on the water and you continue to inspire that dream. Don't stop!
One another note, I'm flying into La Rochelle on July 14th with my bicycle and cycling back to the UK. Its said that one shouldn't ever meet their hero's, but if you had an hour free, I would be happy to provide a nice glass or three of Chateu Neuf Du Pape with you.
Stay safe.
Richard
Well done Patrick, so pleased you're back, sailing talk not tourist talk, not flogging the latest freebie - I'm talking myself out of sailing adventures at 60 because of my age you inspire me!
I'm 79. never quit.
I‘m so impressed and full of reverence of the way you do your things. They always seem so smart in thinking deciding and then also explaining why you did this or that. It’salways a lesson for me to watch you. Thanks a lot for taking us with you. Fair winds and following seas 🌬
Henry might be a great guy... But I'm watching you. 👍
The sailing seems to be the easiest part but also in reality the most life threatening part. I'm trying to solo sail to Cape Verde from the UK but can't get boat insurance, can't get affordable health insurance and due to admin issues, my COVID pass is not valid either.
I am in full admiration of your sailing tenacity for a man of your age. You are certainly an inspiration to us older sailors who have stopped sailing due mainly to physical restrictions, like double knee replacements, shoulder surgery and ankle fusion. I circumnavigated the world from 1975-1979 on a 47" Chevy Lee Bill Luders design. I had crew, most of the time 3 others, but have always admired you single handers. Its so interesting to me now how sailing has evolved over the years. Now you can get weather updates and can plan your route. When I went around the world, all I had were paper charts and a sextant. I relied on a barometer and my own built in savvy to predict the weather. My routes were planned by drawing a straight line between A and B and I stuck religiously to that course line. I would imagine it helps tremendously to be able to see what lies ahead with all the new technology of today. Continue your amazing sailing adventures for as long as you can!
Your old pal may be a billionaire..but I bet he'd swap a few bob to skate along with you awhile Skipper. Magic. Many, many thanks from a proud phantom shipmate (and I thought you were only going to the Canaries!) 😂😂😂. Fair winds, sir, and thanks again.
Wait...wait....wait.....need to top up my wine glass. Okay.....off you go.,..
new clothes...every day!!!
what watch are you rocking there Pat?
Attitude is everything.....
Brilliant, new to channel.
Thanks Patrick for showing us how to explore by sail!!
Très bien fait!! Merci de nous faire donner l'envie de réaliser nos rêves. 👍
Hi Patrick, Greetings from the Principality of Wales. (Cardiff) I remember your pal Henry starting up his company and later moving into our offices. Great company. Last year sold our Moody after many adventures so I'm looking forward to yours.
Great to see you back and in jolly good health.
Congratulations on your successfull passage Patrick, well done! The mainsheet should be fixed to the boom, it should not be able to slide freely. My boom has a similar system, but the hooks are all fixed in position. Great anekdote about your friend Henry. I started my business some ten years ago and it took off quite nicely, but a sailboat came between me and becoming a billionaire 😂 Evenmore so, I consider myself to be successfull👍
I have been a fan of yours since I came across you sailing in Northern European waters and your travels in your Bavaria. I love the no nonsense way you explain why you do what you do and look forward to seeing more of your adventures
Love your vids. I wanted to make a comment with respect to your friend Henry. You said” which one of us is a success”. I’m not sure about Henry because I don’t know his story and I would never measure success on one’s bank accounts or successful business but I can comment on you. Although I can only base this comment on what you shared in your videos .
I would have to say your a huge success. Look what your doing. Your doing what we are intended to do. Your living life. So few do. What if you had billions of dollars and hated every day because your money and success didn’t bring you happiness and fulfillment? Some of the most successful people I know have very little but live life to the fullest. A wise man once said, “You have one life to live. Now go live it”
You, sir, are an inspiration!! ⛵️
But who is the rich man Patrick? I'd rather not be the wealthiest man in the cemetery.
Patrick I have followed your journey from the very beginning and really the only word to some up this latest trip is “Inspirational”.
I too will be out the shortly!
All the best Richard SV_Zonda
Brilliant two videos..
Love the no drilling holes in our boat option
I was thinking you lost some weight during the closing of the video, but wow...15.4 lbs. Nice weight loss program ...lol.
PS. congratulations on the passage!
Thanks, informative and inspiring. My boat is about ready and likely I'll be alone most of the time. From the Texas coast, Ron
HI PATRICK, LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, IN OTHER WORDS, LOVE YOUR PERSONSLITY.
Why did you change the bavaria to this boat?
Did anyone see the duck at 18:23? Quietly floating by!
Yeah not even mentioned, but I guess normal when closer to land
Thank you, Patrick! Wonderful videos. Your new boat looks very neat and minimalistic inside. I suspect you had to put a lot of work into fitting it out to your liking. As for grib files, I wonder whether an expert weather router (a skilled meteorologist, that is) could have predicted the S-ward movement of that high. I think grib files are deceptively simple, because they don’t give any information about the uncertainty/instability of the mathematical model that produced them. Having more than one grib file does not really help that much, I think, since it just gives a set of model results, each of unknown certainty. What I admire about good weather routers is that they can explain their reasoning behind why they think this or that is going to happen and convey their degree of certainty attached to their forecasts. I find that useful for deciding which way to steer.
Re Mr Admiral insurance and Patrick. Who is the richest success?
on... Good sailing.."To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea..."cruising" it is called.Voyaging belongs to seamen,and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change.Only then will you know what the sea is all about. "'I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter,six feet to lie down in -and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all- in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.
The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? choice.! "Which shall it be: bankruptcyof purse or bankruptcy of life...?
Sterling Hayden
Thanks for the compliment on our G-Nautics products. Happy sailing Jan van Buuren G-Nautics / Nautics Europe
I'll vote, travelers fixed. Guessing energy goes into moving them and not the boat through the water. On the other hand, may allow flow to stay attached. Wait and see if I am wrong.
If I was "successful" like your mate, first of all I would have given you like 5mill to set you up for life. But as soon as I was comfortably set up for life myself 10m worth of income generating assets like realestate, stocks and bonds. I WOULD BE DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THIS IS REAL LIVING. Looking at billions of dollars on spreadsheets and bank accounts and contract details is a fucking miserable representation of what life shouldn't be.
Good for you..congratulations! Hope to follow in your footsteps soon! I’m glad UA-cam suggested your channel. Thank you
Inspiring! Love your calm, detailed explanations. You're channel is real sailing - not just eye candy and hyped up drama. Big question- can you contrast the quality of the sailing experience vis a vis a 30 foot racer vs say a 36 foot cruiser on this passage? Re the main sheet attachment- mine are fixed. Just tie some dyneema from the fixed eye on the end to the other bocks. Couldn't you have used the boom as a "spinnaker pole"when you had the two jibs and no main up? Lastly why couldn't you fly the kite? Doesn't that broken piece simply keep the spin halyard from being grabbed by the jib halyard on a furling jib? Did the halyard come off the sheave? Couldn't you just keep the keep the jib furled whenever you hoisted the kite?
weight loss ...... Patrick's new recipe, go transatlantic sailing with small SV ! Make a commercial and you will becoming as your friend.
What was your company in Wales? Funnily enough my ggfather sailed from the US to Cardiff in the 1870s
Great video Patrick. I'd have thought the mainsheet "slugs" should be fixed in position, I've certainly not come across sliding ones before, across many boats (Open 6.50 included)
Hi Patrick, What is the name of your boat? Are you coming to New England, specifically Maine and Penobscot Bay? Great cruising ground, lots of anchorages. My vessel is a Freedom 35 named Salacia. I'd love to show you aroound.
I don’t sail (wish I did), but I just love living my sailing life vicariously via Patrick’s adventures at sea. Many thanks for bringing this land lubber on board Patrick! Safe sailing amigo.
Patrick, regarding the book and your friend. I believe this is really good example of life success. But you present another great example of life success. And, it is you my idol anyway :-)
Amazing comparison with your friend (millionaire) and to your question who is richer….. well, it is you a 1,000,000%. He can most probably afford a number back and forth air tickets across the Atlantic, but he can never afford 30 days being out of his company.
I am telling you that based on my some little over 23 years of experience in insurance.
Cheers and keep sailing.
Being 57, I hope some day I will be as young as you Patrick :-)
You are such an inspiration !!
A very warm congratulations Patrick for sharing your 31,5 day roundabout over the most common element and bonding memories into new ones.
Did i hear you say, "bring less to read"?:)) Don't know what Terry and Eliot think of that;))
Wow. What an incredible trip. Sooooo nice. Man when I started doing this stuff, the only weather we had was the scratchy voice on an SSB radio, Hi Seas Radio Weather Report. You listened as hard as you could and made notes on a plotting chart, a front from latxxx and logyyy moving eastward at zz. Kts. You drew it out and prayed. Wow. No GPS or plotters. And if the skies weren’t clear you just guess reckoned.
Yes! I was amongst the first to buy a crude GPS. But is was like magic. And later we got Herb, on South Bound ll out of Bermuda. He would give rough routing instructions when you could get through to him on SSB. Again, painted with a very broad brush. Ha ha. Amazing what we have today. Don’t know how we did it then.
Well done on the vid, thank. You for the practical tips the More I read about ocean navigation the more confused I got, your right about the weather! Fair sailing,rgds Chris
You have probably explained it before… And I apologize if you’ve already answered: why a smaller boat? It’s clearly less comfortable but perhaps the increase in speed justifies your discomfort?
Well that was a surprise destination,just a couple of things ,your only clipped on once, you don’t mention the Gulf Stream,we were taught never to sail before the wind without a washboard in .i think your paper chart and a compass should be in the grab bag,you can sheet to tiller using the main ,shouldn’t you rig a preventer.Adlard Coles ,Heavy Weather sailing, is good prep for this,when it all goes wrong your back in 1924, bless U Admiral Lane🌻🌻🌻
Good captain,
I have subscribed.
Thank you.
Watching this great video, then I should have no doubts I could make it on my 32 ft Dufour, this blue-water thing is way exaggerated. Unless we talk about more comfort.
This all begs the question: why did you sell Isabelle for a less comfortable boat to cross the Atlantic?
Also: Sailing Atticus (ua-cam.com/users/ProjectAtticus) should be in Bermuda as well right now. Perhaps you should meet?
Wasn’t expecting a Gödel reference from the North Atlantic 😎
How long can you sleep for each night? Do you have an alarm if you approach a big object at night?
yep, I do the same with my Iridium Go antenna it's located under the Fiberglass hardtop, I was told fiberglass is transparent to the radio frequencies used by GPS and the Iridium Go.
I think you're more successful than your friend,because ,he's probably stuck in some office worried about his investments while you're crossing oceans having an awesome time. As my friend always says and I quote .."happy is the man that has nothing".
I have sailed in kelp areas and found that occasionally I would have to back down - in fact just today I had to do that just before the start of a race. Of course you may also you should consider making an IKCD (Improvised Kelp Cutting Device) to "floss" the keel. The rudder you should be able to handle with heaving to and boat hook
Hello, somehow the loose attachments of the mainsheet don’t seem quite right, but then again you made an uneventful crossing of the Atlantic with this set up. On our Yaka 650 they are set in position. My best guess is that you might get better sail shape control if they were riveted in place. You might be interested in the wealth of information in the really nice internet site of Christophe & Carina who are circumnavigating the world with a Django 770, all on a shoestring budget : l’Envol, ”into the wind”. An addtional thought on success: you have inspired 42K viewers with your video, but how many copies of his book do you reckon your friend has sold ? 😎
From my perspective your adventure far succeeds anyone making billions of dollars. Yours is real, his is just capitalistic money. Great to watch!
Hi, Patrick you made the decisions , then did it your way . Arrived safe and sound , with Lucy at hand to help ,thinking on your feet as you go along .Well done . Admiral Insurance OK by us , paid out twice for my daughters , miss adventures on the road . Thanks for the video and your ever engaging thoughts .🤔👍
Hi Patrick, I really enjoy your adventure. As your 7 billion dollar friend. I think you are having more fun, at the very least, even living your life as you do. Your friend, when it comes to carrying the daily weight ensuring your stock price does not drop, who is living their life, what fun is that? You could argue it is a financial adventure, sailing is a challenge, just like building a business. I know I have founded 10 companies in 5 countries and now forming a new one in Granada, Spain, yet I love ocean sailing. I'm not against your friends' success, it's an open question what best? Furthermore, I still don't know as l like to do both. On this question, I have one foot in the grave and the other in the banana peel? On another topic. Re your spare bottle of a liter plus of fuel. I have a simpler solution. You would know the rubber squeeze bulbs you use for the outboard fuel tank, I have installed one in my fuel line near the filter, it works wonders when bleeding air out of the system. SV. Skoiern IV
Hi Patrick, I'm just curious, where do you keep your life raft? Love your adventures, please stay safe.
Hi Patrick you certainly look more composed than those kids doing a mini transat! I would like to ask you few questions if I may:
-You had lots of food on board I'm curious as to why you lost so much weight so fast?
-You downsized from your comfortable 40 ft to a sportier boat. Any downside to a light displacement vs heavy displacement hull?
any regrets as I was thinking of going the other way around from small and sporty to comfy and slow! ( We are built about the same an equally fit)
best wishes
Patrick, I enjoy your videos very much, thank you very much. May I ask, would you recommend a Bavaria to cross oceans?
I'm new to your channel and really enjoy it. I am not a sailor, but I'm totally fascinated by it for some reason. Please don't think that there is nothing to say... it may be a long voyage, day after day for you. But there is a person sitting on chair in California hanging on every word. I'm completely intrigued by any little detail. Especially with your boat, lines, windows, storage, pulleys, sails, knots, and so on. Godspeed! I'll be watching and learning, thank you!
“Oh Lord” Patrick, was that there a reference to the first book of the OT?
But Seriously…. - do you recall? - Well I remember don’t worry! 😂🤣😅
Enjoy Bermuda I did it for 4 years and met my wife to be there she stayed 9 years in all. A couple of must do is Horseshoe Bay and have a Rum Swizzle at the Swizzle Inn near the airport. Enjoyed your Vlog!!
In reference to your billionaire friend being more successful than you….I would call you the successful one! I’d take crossing an ocean by my own sail boat a win over a billionaire lifestyle any day! You may not have a full bank account but you probably have way more freedom than your friend has. 😉Thank you for sharing your travels.
Your lyrical allusions at the start of each video crack me up. Thanks for sharing the journey. How'd you lose 7kg with 90 days of food on board? Do you blame the cook or the menu? 🙂
PATRICK , I am a new viewer. After watching a lot of your vidios I am wondering why you switched boats?
You have one of the best sailing channels on you tube. Love your insite and knowledge of the sea. As a sailor I have crashed my boat into many a dock, love the skill you show docking
Thank you for sharing this journey and your reflections, musings, and the odd technical discourse. Your comment about sailing to the wind and not fixed waypoint is so true, it was never discussed when I studied for my maritime master’s certification, that course was all about non sailing craft!
Wow, you are in Bermuda (I assume)! So does that mean that you are going to carry on to the US East Coast? I'm headed for my annual haulout, then have a cruise up the Maine coast planned for late July/August. Perhaps I'll see you there?
Patrick, what is your measure of success? I think you're succeeding most admirably my friend
Attitude. Number one on the pre trip checklist. Thanks for sharing so much.