Crossing Oceans on a Sailboat
01-04-15
“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”
Irenka Planning Ocean Passages around the World
As I mentioned in an earlier section, I don’t need to write an entire book on boat maintenance because Nigel Calder already did. And better than I ever could.
Jimmy Cornell has also cornered the market on world cruising with his three books on routes, destinations and planning. So here you get the unique Mothership version: stripped back, unpolished, and with the unflattering bits left in.
Jimmy Cornell has also cornered the market on world cruising with his three books on routes, destinations and planning.
What It’s Really Like Crossing Oceans on a Sailboat
People get very misty-eyed when you mention crossing oceans under sail. They picture you gazing heroically into the distance with the wind in your hair (well, not me), dolphins leaping at the bow, and some sort of romantic orchestral soundtrack. Because that’s what skippers do in the movies, right?
And yes, you’ll almost certainly get dolphins. You’ll definitely get sunsets (and sunrises if you’re on that early watch). But you’ll also get damp underwear, greasy hair (OK enough about the hair now), and the sort of moments where you realise you’re a thousand miles from help with a ripped sail and a steering system that’s making a noise like a dying walrus.
There are moments when you realise you’re a thousand miles from help with a ripped sail. Mid Ocean.
The Good Stuff
To be fair, there are moments that nothing else in life can touch. A fresh brew, steaming in your mug, the sea rolling underneath, and more stars overhead than you ever thought possible. But then there’s the isolation. On coastal hops, you can always bail into a marina if something breaks. In the south of England, you can practically be “rescued to death” for sneezing on the VHF. Not so offshore.
Even with EPIRBs, Starlink, and satellite phones, help can be days away. We once had a fishing boat with skiffs tail us for miles on route to the island of Socotra between Yemen and Somalia. UKMTO were polite and efficient when we called, but really all they could do was take notes and wish us luck. Thanks guys.
Even with EPIRBs, Starlink, and satellite phones, help can be days away. Mid Atlantic
Choosing Your Ocean
There are set routes for different seasons. Europeans usually head south to the Canaries, then west with the trades across to the Caribbean. Americans go Bermuda–Azores–Europe. West Coasters trundle down to Mexico and then fling themselves hard right, into the Pacific.
And then there’s the ARC, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. Think of it as a giant floating caravan trail where 200+ boats all leave together. The organisers handle the boring paperwork, offer seminars, and even give you a ready-made social life at the other end. The catch is of course that it costs a chunk of cash and you’re stuck with their timetable.
Buddy-boating is another option. Loosely sailing with a mate’s boat. It’s comforting for the first 48 hours, until a slight difference in boat polars means and you won’t clap eyes on each other again until landfall. Unless, of course, you glue to each other via Starlink.
Buddy-boating is a great option. but a slight difference in boat polars means and you may be separated.
Preparation Check
Don’t even think about setting off across an ocean in a boat you don’t know inside-out. Even new boats break. Spend months coastal sailing to shake out the gremlins. Test everything. Break it. Fix it. Then test it again.
If you can, have two autopilots. And make sure one is independent of the steering system. Windvanes or a separate tiller-pilot can save your bacon. We didn’t have the budget, lost our autopilot twice (once off Venezuela, once between Galápagos and Fiji), and even lost the entire steering system between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. These were not “character-building” moments. They were very much “not nice” moments.
The coastguard won’t hold your hand through repairs. They’ll pluck you off, sink your boat if it’s a hazard, and take you home. That’s if they can get to you at all.
Family Crews and Watch Systems
Crossing with kids sometimes means one parent does childcare, while the other sails.
Crossing with kids ups the ante. One parent does childcare, the other sails. If seasickness or injury hits, you’re single-handing. We knew a skipper who went overboard and by sheer luck was rescued by another boat, because their spouse had no idea how to turn the yacht around.
Our solution was to train the kids early. By nine they could sit a watch while we slept in the cockpit. Their only job was to wake us if anything seemed odd. They had snacks, audiobooks, and the glow of doing a grown-up job while we snatched a few hours of extra sleep.
By nine the kids could sit a watch while we slept in the cockpit.
Daily Life Afloat: Food, Cleaning, and Staying Sane
You cannot live on freeze-dried noodles for three weeks. Pre-cook whenever the sea’s flat. Bacon sandwiches are morale gold. Try frying bacon in a rolling galley and you’ll see why we always did it in advance.
With bigger crews, we used a “mother watch”: one person excused from sailing duties for the day to cook, clean, and generally keep morale up. They get a rest, everyone else eats, and the boat doesn’t turn into a student flat.
Cleanliness is non-negotiable. The galley is the prime suspect in food poisoning. Wipe every surface, scald dishcloths, change tea towels, keep the fridge clean. Same goes for the heads and any grab rails.
Cleanliness is non-negotiable and with bigger crews, we used a “mother watch” system so the boat didn't turn into a student flat.
Stowage. Not too full, not too empty. Overfill a locker and it’ll burst open. Underfill it and it’ll rattle itself to bits.
Water, Power, and Emergency Supplies
Rain catchment works when you’re becalmed in the tropics, but difficult when you’re n the move. Most boats now carry a watermaker these days. We always carried backup several 2L bottles in the bilges, with air left inside so they float. They’re easy to grab in an emergency and easy to toss to other boats if necessary.
Power is just as vital. Lithium batteries cost more, but they last longer, hold a charge better and weigh less. Whatever your setup, have multiple charging options: solar, wind, alternator, generator.
Lithium batteries cost more, but they last longer, hold a charge better and weigh less.
Hazards You Might Not Think Of
Bad weather is obvious. The sneaky stuff is what to watch out for. We’ve been tangled in unmarked drift nets in the Arabian Sea, weeds in the Red Sea and almost hit unmarked anchored boats several miles offshore along the coast of Sudan and Suriname. Friends of ours were chased by a gunboat with laser sights (drug runners probably) off Ecuador. Cargo ships are another menace. Most run AIS and are lit up like Christmas trees, but not all, especially in pirate zones or smuggling routes. Never assume they can see you.
Most cargo boats have AIS and are lit up like Christmas trees, but never assume they can see you.
Why Do it to Yourself?
And when you get back home they will ask what it was like. They’ll want stories of dolphins, sunsets, maybe a sea turtle or two. And you’ll nod, because yes, those things happened. But what you won’t tell them is that you also spent three weeks smelling like a wet Labrador, and lying awake on your off-watch wondering how to keep the kids entertained for yet another day while convincing yourself that the steering cables were about to go ping!
Crossing an ocean is more than the challenge and isolation, it’s frustration, it’s boredom, it’s.. discomfort.
Crossing an ocean can be frustration, boredom, discomfort and wondering how to keep the kids entertained.
And when you finally do spot that first smudge of land on the horizon, you don’t feel like the heroic skipper from the movies (you know, the one with all that bloody hair?) You feel tired, slightly feral, and very much in need of a shower. But you also feel like you’ve pulled off something life changing.
Which, in the end, is exactly what those misty-eyed people want to hear about. The romantic, transformative power of the open ocean.
If you want more straight-talking tales from life afloat, and information about crossing ocean on a sailboat, then you’ll love our upcoming book. We're inviting early readers to join the pre-launch crew and get behind-the-scenes access as we wrestle it into shape. It’s honest, unfiltered, and occasionally useful. Sign up here to get involved, give feedback, and be part of something that’ll either be a bestseller or a brilliant cautionary tale.
