- 38 days
- max. 14 guest crew members
- Crossing the Atlantic
- Stopovers in Bermuda, the Azores and on a Channel Island
- There will be sailing day and night
- You will be assigned to the Twister’s watch system. It is not compulsory but highly recommended to participate in all watches.
- Vegetarian food is served on board as standard. If you want to eat fish or meat, you can indicate this when booking.
- All meals on board, port charges, etc. included
And then it’s time for the monumental crossing to Europe! Everyone comes aboard on St Maarten and we say goodbye to the Caribbean, as the sailor’s life beckons. We roll up our sleeves and hoist the sails. The trade winds take us to Bermuda in about six days. A lonely tropical island in the Atlantic, a thousand kilometres from the mainland. The street scene is characterised by pastel-coloured houses, businessmen with ties and bright shorts and British influences such as cricket and afternoon tea. Bermuda has many beaches with the typical pink sand and coral can be found all over the island. There are also caves; the Crystal Cave is as much as five hundred metres deep.
After a few days, we set sail for the Azores again. Sailing on the ocean is great. The wind comes from behind and long waves roll gently under the ship. Along the way, we have to navigate and steer. Since the wind mostly blows from the same direction, we hardly need to trim the sails. The temperature is pleasant and there is plenty of time for good conversation, a book or lazing around. The watches give structure to the day.
When the wind dies down for a while, it is possible to swim in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Swimming with 5,000 metres of water below you, with no land in sight, is an experience you will never forget. Chased by a tuna, the occasional school of flying fish shoots out of a wave. Sometimes one falls onto the deck and the fresh fish is literally within reach. And then suddenly land comes into sight! After a long time at sea, this is a very special experience. At such a moment, you can also imagine how special it must have been for the sailors who crossed the ocean without modern charts and navigation equipment.
We arrive in the Azores. This archipelago is known for its nature and the many whales that can be seen here. It is a tradition here on Faial to drink a gin & tonic at Café Peter Sport and paint a stone on the harbour wall to remind us that we have been here with the Twister.
On to Europe, we have quite a bit of sailing ahead of us. In the distance, the Twister already smells her home port and sails towards the English Channel at great speed. As we reach the continental shelf, the waves change and the temperature also indicates that we are getting closer to home. At this point, it is easy to imagine how sailors must have felt in the past when they were almost back home after a voyage of sometimes more than a year. But we are not there yet. When we see land, we will head for one of the Channel Islands. Here we will make a short stop to celebrate having crossed the ocean – an achievement to be proud of! From here, it is a few more days of sailing to Rotterdam, where we will see our friends and family again and tell tough sailor stories.
