After setting sail from our home port in Schilksee to Cuxhaven on October 22, 2024, and wrapping up some final fixes and adjustments, we were ready to head out for Tenerife on October 27, 2024. The goal was to sail ‘nonstop’ and reach Tenerife by November 13. We started off with northwestern winds blowing between 15 and 20 knots, heading on a course of 330° at a speed of 6.5 - 7 knots upwind—beating and tacking our way toward our destination!
All right, fun aside—the ‘nonstop’ wasn't meant so literally and it only lasted exactly 36 hours. The northwestern winds grew much stronger during the night, reaching 24 to 27 (6-7 Beaufort) knots, and our speed over ground shot up to an average of 6-7 knots. Pretty damn good for a 42foot long and 23 years old lady!
Sailing against the wind became, let’s say, pretty adventurous. I won’t even try to describe the cold the crew must have felt that night—it was the kind of cold that makes you probably question all your life decisions. Even the best gear and the strongest spirits kneel to the humid cold the North Sea brings with it at this time of year, especially when you’re also running low on sleep due to the tough sailing conditions. And as if that wasn’t enough, the first hurdles didn’t take long to show up.
Two of the batten cars on the mainsail came loose and the intermediate batten slider tor off, when we intended to riff due to the strong winds. For those who might not know, batten cars are what keep the mainsail attached to the mast allowing you to raise the sail and the batons maintain the shape of the sail, so losing them is not something you take lightly. To make things even better, the roller of the jib malfunctioned, making rolling the sail in and out impossible.
The crew had to act fast. The mainsail came down, and Mona Lisa continued under the jib alone. The new plan: head to Den Helder in the Netherlands, the nearest harbour, to make the necessary repairs before continuing. Sometimes, the sea has other ideas, and you just have to roll with it—literally and figuratively.
Quick appreciation moment: as we were heading toward Den Helder’s harbour, we received a radio call from the Dutch coast guard via VHF. Let’s just say they weren’t impressed about us sailing diagonally through the main fairway shipping route. In the politest way possible, they were essentially telling us to kindly f*ck off.
After we quickly explained—in short, robotic sentences typical for radio calls—that we needed to maintain our course to reach the harbour due to our partial inability to manoeuvre properly under just the jib, their reaction was surprisingly accommodating. Instead of issuing a warning or giving us straight away a fine, they asked if we needed to be towed. We reassured them that towing wouldn’t be necessary if they’d allow us to keep our course and maintain our height. To our surprise, their response was to wish us a good sail and inform us that they’d notify all other ships on the fairway about our intentions.
Now, why am I highlighting this? Because their reaction isn’t something you should take for granted. In some other countries—looking at you, Germany—you’d be slapped with a fine faster than you could explain yourself. Trust us, we know from experience! So here’s a big cheers to the Dutch coast guard for being so flexible, professional, and refreshingly friendly. You made a stressful situation just a little easier.
That being said, three heroes arrived in Den Helder on the morning of the 29th of October, ready to face some major refits before continuing.
Crazy how much can happen in just 36 hours at sea, right? Well, I’ve got one more for you. One of the crew members, Guido, had already had enough and chose to bail out and leave the crew in Den Helder. I’m only joking—it wasn’t as simple a decision as it sounds. Guido has been suffering for years from severe back pain, and although he truly wanted to sail with his brother all the way to Tenerife, the first hours on board, with the extreme humid cold and lack of rest, showed him that while his mind was willing, his body wasn’t quite synchronising the same way.
It wasn’t an easy choice by any means, but sometimes you’ve got to listen to your body. And Guido, being the wise sailor that he is and not wanting to be a burden to the rest of the crew, knew when to call it. Big respect for the willpower!
Meanwhile, Niels and Marco continued with the fixes, and tried to load up with some sleep before continuing their journey!
Next stop: Cherbourg, France!
Appreciation and greetings go out to the Dutch coast guards and a big farewell to Guido. Adios, pirates—see you soon!
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