Transatlantic Leg 2: Lisbon to Canaries via Madeira, 12-20 November 2023 (9 days)

The trip will be focused on milebulding and training. In total, we should log around 850 nautical miles and 170h in tidal waters.

Anticipated route:

Lisbon - Madeira (Porto Santo) - Madeira (Funchal) - Tenerife

We will be maintaining a watch system to ensure everyone is well rested and meals are prepared on time and maintenance is undertaken when necessary.

NEW OCEANIS 40.1 (2023) First Line (Performance)

She will be a new boat directly from the boatyard in La Rochelle. A new hull design makes her astonishingly stable while reducing resistance to forward motion. She is the sportier First Line edition with an extra-long mast and keel offering exceptional performance.

She will be fully equipped for ocean sailing with bluewater gear like watermaker, satellite communication, solar panels, sextant etc. We will inspect the boat thoroughly before we set the sails to ensure that every bit of equipment is absolutely ship-shaped.

General info:

• Year: 2023
• Type: sailing
• CE design category: A – Ocean
• Hull: monohull
• Length (LOA): 12.87 m (42.3 ft)
• Waterline length (LWL): 11.70 m (38.5 ft)
• Hull speed: 8.3kt
• Berths (Bunks): 6
• Cabins: 3
• WC / Shower: 2
• Beam: 4.18 m
• Draught: 2.27 m - performance draft
• Air draft: 18.78 m - performance mast
• Engine: 45 HP
• Fuel capacity: 195 L (Diesel)
• Water capacity: 330 L
• Batteries: 230 AH for service, 120 Ah for engine
• Displacement: 7985 kg
• Performance running rigging
• Cascading backstay
• Twin rudder
• 2 composite steering wheels
• Sails: full-batten mainsail 43.2 m2, Furling genoa (105%) 36.5 m2, Code-0 61.1 m2, Storm Jib 9 m2

Equipment:

• Solar panels
• Watermaker
• Autopilot
• Whisker pole
• Lee cloth in the saloon
• Bimini
• Dinghy
• Refrigerator
• Stove
• Sprayhood
• Radio/CD/MP3
• DSC VHF radio
• Power inverter from 12V DC to 230V AC
• Handheld VHF DSC radio
• EPIRB
• AIS class B transponder (Transponder/Receiver)
• Radar reflector
• Chart plotter with GPS and digital chartography charts
• Sextant Astra IIIB Deluxe
• Iridium satellite terminal (getting weather forecasts and contacting family offshore - available for the whole crew)
• PredictWind Offshore app (satellite-enabled license) - Ocean Racing proven, highest resolution marine forecasts
• Complete set of pilot books, almanacs and charts
• Pillows, bedlinen and towels for each crew member

Average weather conditions:

• Lisbon
• Madeira
• Tenerife

Air temperature

You can expect a pleasant temperature of 19° C during the day in Lisbon and 12° C at night. As we move south the temperature should be slowly increasing to 22° C in Madeira and 24° C in Tenerife during the day and 18° C at night. You can expect very little rain during the trip.

Sea temperature

Seawater in Madeira and Canaries is quite warm in November with an average of 22° C. So we should be able to enjoy swimming in the ocean.

Wind and sea state

Sailing conditions are expected to be great with the average wind speed along the anticipated route of 5 Bft.

The sailing area north of Madeira can be influenced by North Atlantic low-pressure systems at this time of the year. In November, fronts and occasionally secondary depressions may cross the area. Winds are variable but those from the north are more common. Challenging sailing area and a fantastic opportunity to practice weather routing.

The sea state is expected to be moderate to rough but improving as we move south.

The favourable current flows southwards year-round and should add an extra 0.5 kt to our speed.

The route is divided into several long passages with night sailing. You will receive a certificate of passage to prove your sea time for sailing licenses. You will be an active member of the crew, and we will provide practical training on board to ensure safety and improve sailing skills.

We give a great amount of responsibility to each crew member in running the ship so that you can gain a good experience and learn new skills as much or as little as you want. The skipper is an instructor and will find it difficult not to teach or coach anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest.

RYA qualifying passages

If you are an aspiring Skipper or Yachtmaster, it will be an excellent opportunity to gain bluewater miles, practice navigation, pilotage and COLREG skills so that you can be more confident and comfortable when taking a boat out to sea on your own.

The opportunity will also be there to act as a skipper (with guidance if needed from the skipper) for your RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualifying 60M passages.

The long ocean passage can be used as a qualifying passage for RYA Yachtmaster Ocean if that’s what you need. You will be able to get your mileage and required celestial sights during the trip.

Main topics that you can learn or brush up:

• Maneuvering under sails & engine: berthing, hoisting and lowering sails, reefing, tacking, gybing, sail trim
• Safety: use of liferaft, lifejacket, EPIRB, PLB, AIS beacons, managing emergencies
• Equipment: use of Autopilot, AIS, VHF, Satellite communication
• Weather forecasts and weather routing
• Ocean & coastal navigation: digital and traditional (including astronavigation)
• Night navigation
• Pilotage and passage planning
• COLREGs
• Use of Code 0 sail
• Use of whisker pole for downwind sailing
• Storm tactics and the use of storm jib
• Life on board: organization of watches, nutrition, sleep management

Celestial navigation (astronavigation)

During the voyage, we will practice traditional methods of fixing positions without sight of land. During the long ocean passages, we will navigate using celestial navigation. You will learn how to use a sextant and how to calculate your own position using the sun, planets, moon and stars.

12 November: Joining day - Lisbon

We will spend the first day preparing and victualling the yacht, going over the safety routines and practices, getting up to speed with the boat and learning or refreshing all the basic sailing skills before we embark on the journey. Once we slip the lines there will be plenty of occasions to practice tacking, gybing, reefing, boat handling under the engine and all the other key skills we must have.

Lisbon - Belem area

Lisbon characteristic streets

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is an ancient city remarkable for its beauty and maritime past. Lisboa is among the top tourist preferences in Europe. The city enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is a mix of character and charm with 20 centuries of history.

Perhaps the most memorable parts of Lisbon are in the Belem area close to the Marina Doca de Alcantara where we will start our trip. These include the Torre de Bellem monument and the impressive Jeronimos Monastery. Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer here before leaving for India and their historic voyage.

Madeira - Porto Santo (~600 NM / 4 days of sailing)

A great introduction to Ocean Sailing with an offshore passage from Liston to Madeira. The trade winds should be playing in our favour. This 600 NM Ocean passage will take around 5 days. We will make a short stop in Porto Santo, before pushing on to our final destination - Funchal

Porto Santo beach

Porto Santo landscape

Porto Santo is a spectacular and unspoilt island, rich in natural, historical and cultural resources. This Atlantic island boasts 9 km of fine golden sands ideal for sunbathing and swimming. The sand is soft, fine and smooth and consists mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite, which has special thermal qualities. Vila Baleira can tell stories and legends of the distant and recent past, in fact, a visit to the Christopher Columbus Museum will allow you to get to know the house in which he once lived.

Madeira - Funchal (~50 NM / 0.5 day of sailing)

Madeira, the island known as the Pearl of Atlantic, is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic between the Azores and the Canaries. It is repeatedly voted Europe's, and even the world's, top island destination. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green and rugged, with high cliffs and black sand beaches.

Madeira landscape

Funchal

We will berth in Funchal Europe's most picturesque and cleanest capital. The city is nestled in a great natural amphitheatre, facing the blue Atlantic with a backdrop of dramatic mountains. Located in the stunning south of Madeira, on its sunniest coast amidst banana plantations and wonderful gardens where flowers bloom all year round in the shelter of the mountains.

Tenerife (~300 NM / 2 days of sailing)

Tenerife is the island of thousand experiences. If there's one thing Tenerife can brag about, it's extraordinary natural spaces.

Tenerife (Los Gigantes)

El Teide (Natural World Heritage Site)

Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands. The island is an idyll with a remarkable variety of geographic options from other-worldly desert landscapes to lush green mountains to stunning seascapes. The island's varied topography offers a plethora of options for the adventurer. From the beach to the forest, explore banana plantation-filled valleys, marvel at lunar landscapes, or hike through beautiful caverns.

20 November: Finishing day, Marina San Miguel on Tenerife

We will finish our trip in Marina San Miguel. It's always a strange feeling to pack up, say farewell to new friends and prepare to head back home.

Tenerife north landscape

Marina San Miguel

If you have one day to spare after the trip, we can highly recommend renting a car and visiting Teide National Park. As well as being home to the impressive volcanic structure that is the Teide, the highest peak in Spain (3 715m) and a Natural World Heritage Site, you will find here what is possibly the most striking scenery you have ever seen. These are some of the most spectacular volcanic manifestations on the planet.

If you want to continue the journey join the next transatlantic leg to sail across the ocean from Tenerife to Martinique.