Nautical history is ripe with stories of sailing vessels that were “becalmed” at sea. Images from books, movies and TV shows show the familiar scenes of depressed crew sitting dead still at sea waiting for wind. Sailing vessels of all types fell victim to being at sea with no wind movement at all for countlessContinue reading “Wind Searching”
Category Archives: Stage #1
Madeira
After completing her first leg of the Atlantic Crossing, QD settled into a quaint marina on the eastern corner of Madeira. Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of MadeiraContinue reading “Madeira”
Melting Butter
During the age of nautical exploration, a saying was adopted that stated, “Sail South until the butter melts, then hang a right”. The basis of that advice was for ships leaving Europe headed to the new lands of the Carribean and North America. To cross the expansive Atlantic Ocean, sailors would need to ride theContinue reading “Melting Butter”
Crossing Shipping Channels (Frogger)
We ushered in our fourth night at sea aboard QD. Following the events of the evening before (rounding the tip of Spain), the next mission was more methodical. We needed to start bearing West away from the coastline of Portugal. While the fishing vessels would lessen in frequency, a daunting obstacle awaited – the busyContinue reading “Crossing Shipping Channels (Frogger)”
The Death Coast
Three days into our Atlantic Crossing scored 380 miles of water under the sturdy hulls of Queen’s Dream. Traversing the Bay of Biscay was an honorable warm-up for the awaiting turn at the NW top of Spain. The legendary area around Costa Da Morte is historically known as the “Death Coast” due to the substantialContinue reading “The Death Coast”
Atlantic Crossing – First Day
After much preparation, we sailed out of France the morning of Jan 30. The crowded harbor slowly disappeared behind us as we sailed into the vastness of the North Atlantic Ocean. A routed 10-day sail calls for us to clear the Bay of Biscay around the tip of Spain and head south (to warmer waters).Continue reading “Atlantic Crossing – First Day”
The Atlantic Ocean Awaits
The Dream is real. We stepped off the plane in Paris on January 26th hauling backpacks, carry-duffels and extra pieces of luggage loaded with electronics and tech toys. Do we have enough “stuff” for 6-weeks on the open ocean? A long taxi ride to the Mont Parnasse train station delivered us to the “fast train”Continue reading “The Atlantic Ocean Awaits”
Sailing Adventures with Queen's Dream 