If not now, then when?

Are the waves really as high as in the movies? What would it feel like to see land after weeks on the water? What’s it like in the Azores, the green island archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic. There is only one way to find out: to go for it! Discover what it feels like to wake up on the ocean, breathe the ocean air, have the wind in your hair, navigate by the stars, live simple and resourceful, and be eye to eye with dolphins. Day in, day out…

This year we will be sailing around the Atlantic ocean, from East to West and from West to East! This is THE classic adventure and we are so excited to finally be able to organize this one. Happy and safe!

We have scheduled the Atlantic crossing from West to East in two parts. We interview all applicants to make sure we have a diverse, like-minded and value sharing crew team. 

If you have been dreaming about sailing across the Atlantic, share similar values, and appreciate the crew selection, and safety standards, and schedule, all set up for you, this trip is IT! 

Disconnection

Most of us spend more time indoors than outdoors. It’s easy to forget the natural world we’re coming from and living in. On the ocean, you face the wind and water elements and find that connection to nature. Imagine a scene with no traffic, no news, no pollution, no civilisation. Just wind and water – plenty of that! A scene where you can gaze for hours to the millions of stars above you; enjoy the dozens of dolphins sliding through the water at the bow of the boat; admire the pink-orange-red sunrises and sunsets, without any airplane trails changing the fluffy and cauliflower-like cloud patterns.

You’ll become very aware of the natural world around you. This inspires. And it’s eye-opening. You come to realise how disconnected from nature we are in our daily lives. In the middle of nature, far away from civilisation, you will see human impact. Usually we’re far away. It’s hard to make it tangible. It doesn’t really affect us. Or so we think. But by being out there, you literally broaden your horizon. Experience will make you think, gain fresh perspectives, and may inspire you to act to turn the tide of the ocean challenges.

Route & Destination

The ocean is the real destination of this trip. But let’s be honest, the Azores islands are pure paradise!  

We set sail from St. Maarten in the Caribbean and possibly but weather depending we make a stop in Bermuda.  St. Maarten to Bermuda are about 900 Nautical Miles. From Bermuda to the Azores are 1810 Miles. May we go directly from St. Maarten to the Azores this will be about 2300 Nautical Miles, covering a large part of the Atlantic Ocean. From the Azores to the Netherlands it’s about 1500 Nautical Miles. Weather depending we may make a stop in Brest (France), or the UK or even Galicia, Spain. The arrival destination is the Netherlands. 

WEATHER

As sailors, we’re after wind. South of the Azores High the clockwise system have a favourable wind direction bringing boats from Europe to the Caribbean. Trade winds are the prevailing pattern in lower latitudes of 20 degrees north of the Equator (when the butter melts). The trade winds cover a broad belt from West Africa to the Caribbean. They are called ‘trade winds’ because back in the days, these winds made it possible to bring goods to other places for trading.

Since the wind generally comes from the north-east and boats head direction south west, the wind comes mostly straight from behind. It makes the journey a down winder.

During a typical crossing, the trade winds are 3 to 5 Beaufort. There can be days with light wind, days with no wind and periods where the wind speed reaches up to 6 or even 7 Beaufort. 

From the Caribbean to Europe the wind is less consistent than sailing from Europe to the Caribbean, and the Atlantic crossing is usually more intense, and adventurous. The main consideration is to not get stuck in the Azores High, where there are areas of very little wind. This is why we may choose to go via Bermuda (instead of straight to the Azores from the Caribbean) since it’s a more reliable wind route.

SAFETY 

Offshore sailing on SV Twister with us allows for maximum adventure but with minimum risk  (Mum will be happy). SV Twister sails under the Dutch flag including professional crew with the necessary qualification and experience to undertake this voyage. On board, there’s an extensive medical kit and we take extra precautions may you have a certain allergy or challenge. The entire voyage we are in contact with our shore contact, always aware of our position. In any case of a medical emergency, actions will be coordinated with a medical team. Ocean worthy lifejackets will be provided.

At sea, we use Iridium for weather forecasts. The number you can give to your friends and family. They can reach us if there’s an emergency. Also you can give us email addresses of people you would like to keep informed. Every few days we send an email who will then forward this to your people. 

ADVENTURE, ACTIVITY & LIFESTYLE ON BOARD

This is a hands-on active expedition. We have a professional captain and crew who’ll be showing us the ropes. Everyone on board is expected to take part in the running of the ship. This includes doing ‘watch’, cooking, cleaning, setting sails, chartwork, and learning and sharing as much as possible from each other.  It’s part of the fun, experience, development and epiphany moment creation. That said, we’ll be many hands on board so there’ll be plenty of room to chill, relax and simply BE.

SV Twister allows us to connect more souls in one place, away from civilization where we disconnect from everything but each other and nature. Instead of just sailing with a few souls, you’ll have around 15 beautiful people to talk with. We also encourage everyone joining to share their superpower, skill or story. So many interesting things to learn from each other.

No wind? No worries! We just jump into 4000 meter deep ocean for a refreshment.

Ocean Nomads trip are beyond ‘the usual’ sailing holiday. It’s and adventure experience aimed at making the dream lifestyle reality, not just for the time with us but beyond all that. Incorporating the Ocean Nomads values, of community, exploration, and positive impact into the elements of the trip. Ocean Nomads trips are always hands-on, everyone helps with the running of the ship. 

Read more about the ON value and trip operations on the big Expedition ON overview page.

This is an active adventure trip. But ofcourse, you’re always welcome to chill and read a book or just do nothing, but BEing.