THE LEARNING CURVE
When David and Sarah Smith decided to take on their first proper ocean passage, they didn’t anticipate storm Oscar, but survived unscathed and relished the experience
REAL LIFE
Although we had managed a brief visit to St Kilda, the Scottish weather during 2022 had not been great, so my wife Sarah and I pondered going somewhere warm. I had a longing for a true ocean passage and a friend suggested the Azores; after a little preliminary research we decided to give it a go. I made enquiries about the 2023 AZAB race, but it rapidly became clear that our Mollymawk, a 1984 Pan Oceanic 38, would need to go through an onerous process of certification in order to take part. My confidence lay in Mollymawk’s three previous transatlantic crossings with former owners. In addition, I wanted to do this passage on my own terms, having been much inspired by Christian Williams’ book, Philosophy of Sailing.
Mollymawk was designed for bluewater cruising and although cutter rigged, her extra baby stay that can be rigged behind the furling genoa allows greater flexibility of sail plan. She is well equipped, but in preparation for this passage I brought forward fitting new standing rigging by a year as she was almost up to the 10 years or 10,000 miles mark, and made some other significant additions. I upgraded the liferaft to an Ocean Safety Ocean ISO, had a new staysail made and a fourth reef put in the main, and purchased a Jordan Series Drogue from Oceanbrake.
Before we departed, we shipped a suitable range of medical supplies, hired an Iridium Satphone and fitted an external aerial; fitted and taped the storm screens to the pilothouse glass; and reinstated the engine chains.
SETTING OFF
Sarah and I are joined by our old friend Jim who is keen to extend his sailing experience and by 2000 on Saturday 27 May we have most of the food stowed and I feel that we can depart. Sarah is concerned about a 30-knot blow forecast for Monday, but we have seen worse than that before and we don’t know how long the favourable easterlies may last. Friends wave us off as we slip our Salcombe mooring and are soon outside Bolt Head. A waypoint just west of São Miguel gives 1,221 miles at 242°M (though this steadily diminishes because our GPS has calculated a great circle route). We set the Hydrovane and head out into the twilight.
The following day, a somewhat reluctant wind starts to increase and by 2300 we are surfing down waves in the moonlight. By 0400 the sea has turned white and we get the main down; by 0800 some gusts are up to 45 knots apparent and I’m worried about the staysail holding, so we rig the trysail to its mast track and drop the staysail.
Imme
