Below is a blog post from our friends Fredrik and Janne who joined us from Las Palmas to the Caribbean. Both have now flown home to their families for Christmas:
Thanks Frenesi and the Ekdahl/Håkansson family for a safe passage from Europe to the land of the pirates in the Caribbean. We have really enjoyed sharing this part of your one year adventure.
There are so many memories and experiences we bring with us back home and for the rest of our lives to remember.
From the first days in Las Palmas when everything was new, the boat, living with you as a family and joining the great community and other boats that took part in the ARC+ it has been a great experience.
The first few days was all about preparation, buying food, food and more food. Preparing the boat for the passage with endless todo-lists that we actually managed to tick off every single item from. We went to ARC+ presentation and bought and made our own fishing gear.
We have both sailed a lot but never this kind of long sailing and blue water cruising so the first week was really essential to get us prepared and up to speed.
With the first passage of 860 Nautical miles down to Cape Verde we got a good crash course intro and a testament that all the preparations that Martin and Linnea have made before we joined were all well thought through and executed.
Staying in Cape Verde for a week was really an extra bonus.
We also had some important things to fix on the boat so we mixed ”work-camp Frenesi” with day tours of both Santo Antão and São Vicente and the city of Mindelo. Cape Verde (”Africa light”) was a country new to both of us so we were really keen to exploring.
During the Cape Verde stay we also got to know all the (mostly Norwegian!) friends of Frenesi better which was great and have been keeping together with them for both the Atlantic crossing and the stay in the Caribbean.
The Atlantic crossing from Cape Verde to Grenada of over 2000 nautical miles was the real adventure with sailing for 2 weeks straight, the longest any of us has ever sailed before. Back home 70 nautical is a really long sail trip but here is was merely half a day of standard sailing.
We were really happy that Janne had picked up the Spinnaker in Lomma and brought it first to Stockholm and then to Las Palmas because it became our really good friend for keeping speed in the lighter winds. ARC+ is not a sail racing competition but there is a prize giving and we felt we had a good chance of reaching the podium.
One of the more unexpected parts of the voyage was the social experience with fellow sailors. The ARC+ boats was like a floating community, helping each other out amidst the big waves and feeling safe in each other’s company. There was really a feeling of doing this awesome adventure together and the ARC+ WhatsApp-groups was full of pictures of caught fish, nice sunsets, dinners and more which added to the great feeling!
With our homemade fishing gear, we set out to catch some big fish. It was both fun and rewarding. Imagine the excitement of a bite and the rush as you reel in your catch – it was the perfect addition to our ocean adventure. The biggest catch was a Mahi Mahi of over 10kg that gave us food for several days including Fish Taco, grilled fish and fish burgers.
Night watches were a peaceful and amazing experience. The moonlight and stars made the sea look incredible. The vastness of the ocean, 4,000 meters deep and 1,000 nautical miles from land, made us feel both small and yet powerful in a strange way.
Even though we were far from land, we still had some comforts from home. Our young crew members Ida, Felix and Jesper surprised us with delicious cinnamon buns and chocolate mud cake. These sweet treats were a taste of home and a nice surprise in the middle of the ocean.
As we came closer to the Caribbean we started to monitor for Squalls (the clouds with stronger winds and rain) on the radar. The first one was a bit daunting since we did not know really what to expect. But as we learnt more about their inner nature it came part of the journey and every squall we faced was a lesson in resilience.
On a sail like this you really get to understand the forces of nature and they way they affect the boat. The tear and wear and chafing of the boat equipment is an important factor to consider and keep track of. We had to change several ropes and other parts to prevent more major breakages and are really happy that Frenesi is such a strong ship built for crossings like this.
Living in such a small space with seven people taught us a lot about cooperation and the joy of sharing. We learned to navigate both the waves and our relationships, and we grew closer with each passing day. This is probably the closest we will ever be with another family for such a long period of time and we have really come to appreciate and love the friendliness and companionship of the entire crew.
And the after a lite more than 2 weeks, the moment we all waited for: the first sight of land! It was an incredible feeling, and we couldn’t stop smiling and cheering. It filled us with a sense of accomplishment that was off the charts and overwhelming.
Sailing over the finish line half a day later with the entire crew on the rail ensuring good speed so that we reach our goal of entering the harbor before sunset was a great feeling. As soon as we crossed the line we dropped the sails for the first time in two weeks and went for a quick swim in the blue water. It is unbelievable just how blue it is!
Returning to the Caribbean was wonderful for both of us! The turquoise waters and stunning beaches are breathtaking. Snorkeling is like swimming in a colorful underwater world, with coral reefs and marine wildlife everywhere. The true highlight was returning to Tobago Keys and Horse shoe reef to swim with all the turtles!
Getting our passports stamped with “Entered the Caribbean by sea with S/Y Frenesi” was the best feeling ever. It is like a badge of honor and a testament to our incredible journey across the Atlantic.
In conclusion we are just so happy and will be forever grateful that we got to do this adventure with memories and experiences for life!
Now it is time to step off the plane i Stockholm to change from 28 degrees and sun to 4 degrees and rain. It will take some time to get used to long pants, long sleeves, socks and shoes again. Reuniting with our families that we have greatly missed is however the greatest feeling of all and we look forward to Christmas celebrations and everything that comes with it.
Below are just a few of all the great pictures (of ourselves!) we have taken on our journey. The last one is from our first flight were we could see Tobago Keys and actually Frenesi if we looked really hard!
Over and out for this time!
