Free as a bird

When I did my first transatlantic on Arabella in 1956 as cook and apprentice navigator, I doubt if more than a dozen boats crossed the Atlantic. As each year went by, more and more boats crossed the pond to the point that now probably 500 or more boats cross each year.

Since 1492 when Columbus first departed from La Gomera on his first voyage of discovery, the Canaries have been the favoured departure point. However if a sailor really studies the routes and the weather charts, he or she will come to the conclusion that the best route across the pond is from Europe south to the Canaries, but then to continue down the coast of Africa to the Cape Verde and then across.

Take a look at the Imray Iolaire North Atlantic Ocean Passage Chart 100. It is a gnomonic projection where a straight line is a great circle course. On the back of the chart one finds weather charts, wind direction and velocity, percentage of calms, gale frequency and excessive wave height frequency for all 12 months of the year. There are also sailing directions for all the major transatlantic routes. Try to find an old copy as unfortunately this chart has been changed. Instead of having 12 months on the back of the chart, it is now charts via the internet.