Finally, on day 17 of our Atlantic crossing, we use our spinnaker. Doing an Atlantic crossing with spinnaker is a common choice but we struggled. Find out what happened below.
Atlantic crossing day 17 – Our Spinnaker makes and appearance!
We got our Spinnaker up today!
It was, however, all over the place so we only flew it for 5 minutes. Conditions need to be perfect to fly that kite! (Watch our video series to see how it went). We had to run the engine to keep the boat steady while hoisting the sail.
After an engine check, we discovered that the engine coolant has gone from a green color to a rust color. Furthermore, it’s leaking. Ho hum 🙁
For lunch, we broke open our Canary Island cheese and smoked ham.
It was lovely. We needed a diversion after our failed Atlantic crossing with spinnaker issue. There’s a weird feeling in the boat today. I think there is a desire to get to land but also a sadness that the adventure is coming to an end. We’re all such a strong team now – a family unit. It’s sad to think that we’ll be parting ways soon not knowing if or when we’ll see each other again. And interestingly none of us know what’s in store for our future… We’re all going back into the unknown.
None of us have jobs or set plans on what’s coming next.
Dinner was yummy – curry is such a comfort food. After we ate, I put the movie Pitch Perfect on – Eve and I really enjoyed it but Sienna talked through most of it. She kept saying, ‘I don’t get it.’ I agree that the movie was a bit too old for her but we’ve all had enough Disney and Pixar movies! When the movie ended Sienna and I brushed our teeth, put pj’s on and read a book. She picked a chapter on volcanoes and another on earthquakes.
I’m often suggesting that we read Madeline, Green Eggs and Ham, or Guess How Much I Love You (and 50 others storybooks) but more times than not Sienna wants me to read one of her educational or encyclopedia-style books. After the book, I put on our Binaural Beats on my iPhone and set the program for ‘dreamy sleep’ with a forest background. Binaural Beats are supposed to be used with headphones and they help to get your brain into a sleep mode. It seems to help Sienna settle down so I’m happy to play them.
Ironically, the other night she set the background music to ‘waves.’
What’s Next after our Atlantic crossing with spinnaker?
- In the next article, we are getting close to finishing. What does it feel like when you’re almost across the Atlantic ocean? When you have only one more day to sail. Is it exciting, depressing or bittersweet? Almost across the Atlantic.
- In the previous article, we created a design your own hat contest, I had a fright with the moon, and I start getting sentimental. Check out Sailing Over Atlantic.
- Click here for a general overview of our Atlantic Crossing
