Preparation for the Azores

This map from Google clearly shows that the Azores lie on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The westerly isles Flores and Corvo
are on the American shelf, the other seven isles on the European one. In fact they move in opposite direction (though not
very fast). South-west of the British isles you can see the clear change from continental shelf to ocean; the depth increases
from a few hundred meter to several thousand meter!


Route

Anne Hammick states in the pilot “Atlantic Islands” that the best route from Falmouth to the Azores follows the rhumb line (= direct route),
with a distance of some 1200 nautical miles. In the picture below, that is the direct line between point 1 and point 12.

According to the programme “visual passage planner”, the difference between rhumb line and great cirkel is only 4 n.m. That programme
allows you to combine data from pilots about average winddirection, currents, golf height etcetera, with the polar of your boat. When
calculating with a conservative estimation of the speed of the Glatisant, we would sail 12.3 days over the rhumb line in june, with an average
speed of 4.1 knots, a mean golf height of 1.5 meter, and a fuel consumption of 33 litres.

The programme can optimise your route, e.g. for speed and golf height (other combinations are also possible). The optimised route makes
a curve towards Spain, and is 40 miles longer than the rhumb line. However: the boatspeed increases to 4.8 knots average, and it will take
us 10.7 days. We wont use fuel, and the golf height is between 1.2 and 1.6 meter.

Of course, this is only calculating in averages, but it seems interesting not to follow a straight line.

Route optimalisation

Gear

The Glatisant already was well equiped for sailing offshore. For the journey to the Azores, a satellite telephone
and receivers for weather data are added to the equipment. The complete list now looks like this:

Navigation:

- fixed GPS
- 2 hand held GPS (one in the grabbag)
- compass (electronic and magnetic as a back-up)
- handbearing compass
- log
- depth sounder
- radar
- sextant
- on board computer with electronic charts
- AIS receiver

Communication:

- DSC VHF radio
- Handheld VHF
- Iridium satellite telephone
- EPIRB

Weather:

- Windset
- Barometer
- Short wave receiver for weather charts on the computer
- Receiver for weather satellites

Power supply:

- We have two solar panels on the roof (2 x 40 Wp) and one on the davits (130 Wp). These add to 210 Watt peak,
with a theoretical maximum of 170 Watt (≈14 Amps).
- At the transom of the port-hull, there is an Air-X wind generator, with a theoretical max of 400 Watt (≈ 33 Amps).
- Finally the outboard motor can supply power, max 6 Amps. The outboard is installed under the cockpit floor,
that acts as a sound box, so using the engine is not preferred.
In practice, the solar panels and the wind generator produce enough to keep everything going. With a little sun,
the solar panels keep the batteries topped up during daytime, while the wind generator takes over at night.

Safety:

- 2 horseshoe lifebuoys with lights and danbuoy
- Lifesling
- Heaving line
- Inflatable life vests (275 N, with crotch strap, light and sprayhood)
- Rescue laser (1 per person and 1 in grabbag)
- 2 fire extinguishers
- Fire blanket in the galley
- 2 portable bilge pumps with hose
- Wooden plugs near through-hull fittings
- Pyrotechnic signals
- Liferaft and grabbag
- First aid kit
- For very heavy weather, we have a parachute anchor and a delta-drogue.