Position: 04 44.900'S 035 29.300'W
(16:30 UTC)

Notice: the day starts at 16:30 UTC 13:30 (Brazil time), as that was the time at our departure.

Day 1:
Distance covered: 150 NM

It wasn't easy to get away from Jacare, during the night the anchor chain got stuck in a concrete block and ropes of an old mooring. Impossible to get it loose, not even after a courageous dive of Mauro. The visibility in the river is almost zero and there is a strong current which made the operation very dangerous. We needed help from professional divers to get Atlantis going .....4 hours delay, but free. "Muito obrigado" to our Brazilian divers.

The sail up the river to the sea entrance was a lot easier during daytime, and after 1 hour we turned into the wind, raised the main sail and released the foresail....on our way to Trinidad with all smiling faces on board.

Weather conditions are great, 12-15kts SE with some rain on our way. During the showers Atlantis took the opportunity to show her potential with speeds above 10kts. We have a full moon and perfect visibility at night....almost no stars, but we can't have it all.

We are constantly making corrections to both course and sails to have a maximum benefit of the current and wind. Weather 4D is a great application when used combined with the INavx chart plotter on the iPad. The expensive Raymarine chart plotter becomes redundant. I prefer navigating on my little iPad as it is so much easier. We have a weather forecast for the next 8 days....after that we are in the hands of the weather gods and Neptune, which we will personally meet and greet on the equator. I am looking forward to this meeting.

It is now 01:30 AM (Brazilian time) and I am doing my watch. Atlantis is making good progress as we are past Natal, speeding to Touros and Fortaleza with a constant 8-9 kts....if she can keep up this pace we will have a great day average.

Even at night the temperature is still 27c and sea water 29,5c, what a pleasure to sail in this region. Almost no traffic today....we have the ocean to ourselves.

The last part of the day was slow with winds below 8 kts, only the 1,2 kts current keeps us sailing. No Sushi today, as the fish are not showing themselves, maybe they are having a nap. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Position: 03 27.439'S 037 24.981'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 2:
Distance covered: 120 NM

It is 02:00 AM (Brazil time) and Atlantis is on her course to the Fortaleza waypoint with a speed of 5 kts and 65 NM off shore, not thanks to the wind, but rather to the current. The wind speed is consistently below 10 kts, but that is fortunately compensated by a 1,5 kts current pushing us to the North West.

When studying the weather, I noticed the change in both position and speed of the current during different time periods. Adjusting the waypoint position to have a maximum benefit of the current was part of the strategic navigation plan. Having a full moon is helping us a lot today, as the tides are much stronger, and in this case strongly influencing the current going from Brazil along the coast of French Guyana (the strongest current with more than 3,2 kts), Suriname and even East Venezuela. A sailor must use all the tricks in the book to get the boat moving......even without wind.

New satellite downloads are giving us a precise location and speed of the current....we have accurate charts that are updated on a regular basis, notams for seaman...etc. Amazing how technology helps navigating today, it makes it so much safer and easier. I have an immense respect for sailors such as Vasco da Gama or Columbus, navigating without weather forecast or GPS....only seamanship and bravery.

Position: 02 37.253'S 038 58.205'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 3:
Distance covered: 115 NM

The wind is still below 8 kts this afternoon, and the only thing we can do is eat the delicious last part of the chicken and wait until the weather gods help us with some wind.

There is not much action on Atlantis, so I will take the opportunity to reveal our watch system; we have a 4 hour shift each, in the evening Mauro normally starts from 8 to 12 PM, I take over until 4 AM, after which Mauro takes duty again..etc. During the day we have a common agreement that whenever a person is tired, he can take a nap.....it works well. During longer trips off shore it is necessary to give your body as much rest as possible....so you can use all your strength when needed.

During nighttime we always wear life vests, and I implemented the rule that no one should leave the cockpit when alone. (At night) Whatever work we have to do has to be done with a safety line and under supervision of a second person....just in case.

11:00 AM (Brazil Time); I was trying to get the fishing line in when a big specimen decided to run away with the lure and part of the line, I only pulled in the roller that fell overboard in the commotion, which I mistook for another fish as it was jumping up and down. Mauro told me I should rather start with small fish....too ambitious again Marc.

01:00 PM (Brazil Time); we had almost no wind all day. A sudden autopilot alert revealed that James had enough of it and refused working....his argument was that he couldn't steer the boat when there was no wind. We decided to motor for 1 hour to charge the batteries and get a little closer to our destination.

15:00 PM (Brazil time) Together with a good tropical rain the wind decided to return and James resumed his service immediately without complaining. The rain was a welcoming refreshment to a very hot day that made us lazy.....we are getting closer to the equator. A good end to a rather slow progress.

Position:
(16:30 UTC)

Day 4: 01 39.526'S 040 39.500'W
Distance covered: 117 NM

We made a good start with an SOG ( speed over ground) above 6 kts again. There is much more traffic on our course than before, we notice strange floating constructions, cargo ships and fishing boats....soon we will also have to add the 5 star cruise liners with their pampered passengers as we approach the Caribbean waters.

I wonder what the fish are up to as they lost interest in our lure....we want sushi, just one for today...please. Our ration of fresh food is in our stomachs, and from today we rely on tinned food, such as Brazilian meat balls and Tuna. There is no beer or any other alcohol on board, so we have the choice between water...and water. Every day I ask Mauro what he wants to drink....and the answer is always...water. What an easy crew member! Can't wait to enjoy a good beer in Trinidad..... maybe I must have some Belgian influence left in my body.

Up to now this is the most comfortable sail I ever had, with a flat sea and light winds. Sometimes I think we are on a cruise liner as Atlantis hardly moves....another advantage of sailing and living on a catamaran, you can't compare the comfort with that of a monohull. We just need the hostesses with some cocktails and the picture would be complete....but no, we are real die hard sailors and don't need them.....yet.

02:00 AM (Brazilian time): Atlantis is cruising at 50 NM off shore at the latitude of Acarau (Brazil) with a speed of 6 kts. A light 10 kts wind as usual, and a consistent 1,5 kts current are moving us in a NW direction. The seawater temperature reached 30,5c .....you will probably ask how we know this. We have a sensor that measures the water temperature, as any change in the latter could indicate a current. I remember using it when sailing from Richards Bay to Cape Town to find the Aghulas current in the Indian Ocean.

A bit more about life on board; for a long trip as this one, we use fresh water sparsely and shower with seawater. A very simple procedure; you take some water out of the ocean in a bucket, let it rest a bit and most of the salt will sink to the bottom. The advantage is that you can take as many showers as you want...there is enough water in the ocean. I use normal soap and have no apparent problems with my skin. Brushing your teeth with seawater seems to be good for your gums, a Belgian dentist told me once, although not the best taste. Drinking water is limited to 2L a day per person.

3:00 AM (Brazilian time) The wind died completely, we are drifting and I don't want to use the motors to safe fuel for emergencies. The only calculated motoring will be in the convergence zone around the equator, in an emergency or when approaching Trinidad.

12:30 PM (Brazilian time), we found some wind, but I don't think we will break any speed records today. It is extremely hot and the only place where we can find some relief of the heat is in the cockpit underneath the bimini....dreaming of a cold beer.

Due to an over enthusiastic use of the fridge and music system in the first 4 days, the batteries are very low....the punishment is manual steering as from 3 AM until sunrise. Once we are in the convergence zone we will probably motor for some hours and that will get the batteries back on their normal level.

Position:
(16:30 UTC)

Day 5: 00 38.080'S 042 28.338'W
Distance covered: 127 NM

The long expected wind arrived....but from the NE rather than the predicted E at 15kts, not an ideal angel for a catamaran, but Atlantis bravely faces the challenge and is cruising at 6,5 kts. Sails are set for a close reach (as close to the wind as possible)

The batteries are still very low, although the wind generator helped keeping up with the energy demand of James, the autopilot. I turned down all displays to reduce power consumption, including the inverter. In order to relief the batteries we will motor for 1 hour and use the opportunity to go as high to the wind as possible....a tactical decision to benefit later.

01:30 AM (Brazil time) Atlantis is 100 NM East of Tutoia (Brazil). We calculated the needed reserve fuel in case of an emergency, the maximum distance from shore on this voyage will be around 200 NM. An other provision for fuel is made for the approach of Trinidad from the North. (Between Trinidad and Tobago) The estimated distance from our entrance waypoint between the two islands is around 75 NM.

04:00 AM (Brazil time) The 1 hour motoring wasn't enough to load the batteries to their normal level, I decided to take over the helm from James and steer manually for the next hour. In the convergence zone we expect to motor around 12 hours....that will give the batteries the needed charge.

Not a bad day, although we thought our day-distance would be higher.

Position:
(16:30 UTC)

Day 6:
Distance covered:

As from now I will give all times in UTC

20:40 (UTC) We are in the convergence zone with towering cumulonimbus clouds around us, which are influencing the wind direction and speed. Violent wind shifts from E to N-NE are making it difficult for Atlantis to find speed. Winds underneath the massive cloud can be more than 30kts...we are prepared to reef in no time. All hands on deck!

04:45 (UTC) After looking at the wind direction and current, I decided to change the waypoints ahead and moving them 15 degrees to the West, giving us more speed and directing Atlantis back into the current. For the moment conditions are fair with a stable 12-15 kts wind.

Since 2 days we had no encounter with other ships, we are alone on the ocean....but we don't mind. I assume we will have enough action when closer to the holiday destinations in the Caribbean. They say that Trinidad with the vibrant capital "Port of Spain" is more active, but I am sure I will feel at home in Tobago, a more nature oriented island.

Life on board is good, we have our little routines and are getting used to the interrupted sleep patterns. Since a big fish got away with Mauro's lure, we are struggling to get them interested in the new, smaller lure....I believe they preferred the other one, which was bigger and had red stripes on it.....but we keep fishing and hoping.

07:32'58" (UTC); finally we reached the equator, at a distance of 120 NM NE from Baia De Toriacu (Brazil), and are now officially entering the North Atlantic Ocean. Our speed is 7,5 kts and we are having a small party. Neptune, Atlantis, Mauro and myself are enjoying a glass of rum. It is not every day that one crosses the equator in a sailboat.

10:30 (UTC) Big Cumulonimbus clouds are surrounding us again.....and there is one just in front of us. We are in for some action with wind speeds over 25 kts, time to reef the mainsail and reduce the foresail....still moving towards our destination with a nice 8 kts. The conditions are changing quickly, so we continue to sail with reduced sails to keep it safe and not too stressful for Atlantis.

Position: 01 40.541'N 046 37.045'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 7:
Distance covered: 150 NM

Another day in paradise, we have good winds between 15-18 kts and Atlantis is moving fast. It is a bit overcast today, but how nice to have some cool air. Everything is covered in salt, we need some rain to clean the boat as we can hardly see out of the saloon windows.

Waves are flushing over the bows as Atlantis takes a surf on a large wave.....there are 2 things she likes; surfing and beaching :). No complains about her behaviour until now, I think that after 2 years of modifications and improvements she is as seaworthy as a boat can get.

20:00 (UTC) We are cruising at 7kts, 115 NM NE from the coast of Brazil, approaching the mighty Amazon river and keeping a safe distance to it of approximately 175 NM. Trunks and debris are known to be seen more than 100 NM out at sea....that is how powerful this river is.

21:00 (UTC) Mauro calls me as the wind is increasing in force, above 15 kts. A first reef in the mainsail and a 1/4 reduction of the foresail.

22:00 (UTC) The wind speed is above 25 kts, time for a second reef. With this reduced sail-plan Atlantis still runs at 7 kts. The wind is blowing more than 30 kts and I decided to reduce the foresail to 1/4...just a storm sail. We will have to sit this out, nothing more we can do. The weather forecast has no accuracy any longer as it is 6 days old, our lives are in the hands of Neptune and the weather gods.

Although I am off duty, It is impossible for me to sleep, being concerned about the deteriorating weather conditions. On top of this, I am completely awake by a wave entering my cabin hatch left open for some air. I told Mauro he could rest....he did a good job with the reefing in difficult conditions and I might need him in a later stage.

00:30 (UTC) the wind blows without relief a more than 30 kts into the sails of Atlantis, and the sea is getting wild by now. She is dancing a samba on the waves, as if she enjoys the excitement after being on a boy for 5 months. A rain shower cleans the salt and gives us visibility back....at least something positive. The last time I was in such strong winds was in Struisbaai (South Africa), close to the notorious Cape Aghulas.

14:00 (UTC) The wind seems to stabilise in force and direction, and we are moving fast at more than 8 kts. A good end of our day.

Position: 03 10.304'N 048 54.882'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 8:
Distance covered: 166 NM

We took a good start to the day with 15-18 kts winds and a calm sea, but after 4 hours the fun was over and we had to reef again.

22:00 (UTC) A second reef in the mainsail and further reduction of the foresail are necessary, it seems to be similar than last night with very high wind speeds and a disturbed sea....a bit like in the Indian Ocean. We are longing for the doll drums (area without wind often seen around the convergence zone), which we never experienced.

00:40 (UTC) After days without any encounter, we are surprised to see a luxury cruise liner to our port side. At night, with all the lights on, it looks like a floating city ...I am sure they have food and drinks on board where we can only dream of, but we are not complaining, as we are so much closer to nature than they are. Nothing can beat being shaken like hell, only drink water and eat tinned food....life is wonderful.

We are currently cruising 175 NM NE of the Amazon river. The sea is unstable as we are crossing the continental shelf with shallow waters, which are creating more waves than usual. Depth can be as low as 40m on our passage, this is more than 1300 m difference with surrounding waters.

When I plotted the course, I used the Guiana current to get us faster to Trinidad. The Cities of Belem, Macapa, and the more upstream magic Manaus are on our West (port side), I would have loved making a stop in the Amazon region, but Mauro has a plane to catch in Trinidad and we can't loose too much time. With a sailing boat we know when we leave, but often not when we will arrive. We are cruising along the coastline of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela to reach Trinidad and Tobago.

Another sleepless night in a row with heavy seas and lots of wind. We sailed all night in a storm configuration sail plan.... Still reaching speeds of 8 kts. Water is coming into the cockpit as the waves are taking us from the sides, flushing back from where it came from through the drains. From time to time the helmsman receives a fresh shower....just to make sure he stays awake. In normal conditions we never have this, but today.....Neptune decided to give it to us. Thank you so much for that!

09:45 (UTC) there is less wind, around 18-20 kts, but the sea is still violent and Atlantis is jumping from one wave to another, digging the bows into the water and imagining she is a dolphin. Atlantis.....I am trying to get some water in my cup for coffee...please stop playing.

Position: 04 32.235'N 051 01.323'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 9:
Distance covered: 144 NM

Since this morning we are battling with some bad weather. Heavy wind and tropical rain are leaving us no other option than to continue sailing with 2 reefs....safety first. Just before it starts raining we reach boat speeds above 10 kts and Atlantis is using her dolphin skills to tackle the waves....impressive.

It is interesting to observe the pattern when sailing under these massive Cumulonimbus clouds. First the wind picks up to more than 20 kts, than the wind speed falls down during the rain, after which the wind shifts to the NE (difficult to keep sailing for Atlantis), reducing intensity to almost zero and than shifts back to E with similar wind speeds reached before the clouds came.

04:30 (UTC) After a break from the wind imposed by the weather gods, we are back on track. The sea is much calmer than 4 hours ago. I could sleep for 3 hours and feel a lot better. The only inconvenience is the humidity after 2 days of rain....everything feels wet. Hopefully we will get some sun today.

Since we lost the last lure to a big fish, we are unsuccessful to attract sushi. The only thing we catch on our line is some kind of sea plant that is available in abundance in this region. I suggested to Mauro that we should just eat that as an alternative to the fish, but his Brazilian instinct told him this was not a good idea. I don't know...
The fresh food is limited to tomatoes (lots of them) and oranges.

Water and power is always a problem on longer trips. I collected some rainwater to wash my hair today, and thereby resolved the shortish problem. During my past ocean crossing I showered with sea water, and it works well. If a cannibal would like to eat me, he only has to add pepper....how convenient. We don't use the lights in the cabin during a passage, just some small LED light with battery. (Independent from the house batteries) James (the autopilot) is the biggest consumer of energy on board, and he works 24/7.

05:00 (UTC) We are 140 NM from Cayenne in French Guiana where the ESA (European space Agency) launches the Ariane rockets. If we are lucky we could see one of those spectacular events. Due to time restriction we won't be able to stop and visit the space centre, but I am sure we would certainly witness a launch from sea when passing. Our route hugs the coast line of French Guiana, before navigating off shore again. The reason why we are so close to French Guiana is not because we like the French....rather just the geographic position on our course to Trinidad. Disappointed ?

I am spending my last hours along the Brazilian coastline reflecting on my more than 6 months stay in this wonderful country. Salvador was my home for a moment, and I always felt attracted to it because of its African roots. It is without doubt the most "African" city in Brazil. My negative thoughts are going to Ocema Marina, held by two French guys. It was my prison for a time during renovation and maintenance work. They were not customer but money oriented. A bad experience, I would never recommend the place to anyone .....avoid it, and rather go to Salvador (Bahia marina). I entered Brazil in this marina, people speak English and helped me a lot. I am thankful to Lauro who offered me a drive in his car to go shopping my very first first day in Brazil.

I made good friends in Brazil and like the happy lifestyle which makes them unique. Not speaking Portuguese is an inconvenience, as not many Brazilians speak English (At least in Salvador), but it shouldn't be a reason to avoid this beautiful country.

The old city of Salvador is a must for art lovers, there is so much history. I will miss the little restaurants where you pay by Kg and last but not least, the traditional Caipirinha and the life music on the market square.

Position: 06 14.650'N 053 35.466'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 10:
Distance covered: 192 NM (Atlantis record)

We started the day with some maintenance jobs, topped up the hydraulic oil of the steering, and refuelled the main tanks by using 2 of the 4 jerrycans left. With full tanks Atlantis is able to reach approximately 360 NM.

18:00 (UTC) The wind disappeared completely, and according to our calculations we have sufficient emergency fuel to reach a safe port. Several alternative emergency landing places are calculated; Cayenne (French Guiana), Paramaribo (Suriname), New Amsterdam (Guyana), and San Jose de Amacuro (Venezuela). We have a bonus of 19h motoring left (besides the provision for emergency)....and this is the time to use a part of it, so we decided to motor for 4 hours to compensate the lack of wind.

A fish got away with the second lure that Mauro brought on board in Salvador, it is clear that our ocean fishes are too heavy for the used fishing line. We loose....they win, and we realised with pain in our heart and an empty stomach that if we want sushi, we will have to eat it in some restaurant in Trinidad. Shame on us....

20:10 (UTC) Atlantis is officially entering France while singing the "Marseillaise".....we ignore her enthusiasm and continue our early dinner. Mauro asked me if we should have our dinner in Brazil or France.....I appreciated it to have a last dinner in Brazil. We had Spaghetti with Brazilian meat balls in tin for the occasion. Mauro didn't eat the meat balls as the last time he had them for lunch, they came out again from the way they entered.....and it shouldn't normally be like that. Maybe you need to be a non-Brazilian to eat them.....I had no problems.

Who knows when and if I will come back to this magic country?....maybe I will visit Mauro and his family after some time.

00:30 (UTC) At our port side we can observe the lights of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana, and a bit further North the Kourou launch site for the Ariane rockets. (The European Cape Canaveral) When reading the little letters on the chart I just realised that the route I plotted is going straight through a "danger zone" as the French call it. If for any reason a rocket launch would fail.....this is the place where debris will fall. What the notice explained, is that you actually have the choice to go trough the zone at own risk. (Merci les Français) ......Atlantis continues her voyage as if nothing can and will stop her....not even a few rocket debris on the way. So what?

04:30 (UTC) Our waypoint (Galera point) between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago is activated on the chart plotter. The system is giving us an ETA on the 27th at 08:00 (UTC) .....but that can change any time depending on our speed. This will be the start of our Northerly approach to Chaguaramus, which is the entrance port of our choice. The marina is close to Port of Spain, and all major ship chandlers are based there. Some rumours suggest there are even restaurants in the neighbourhood.......

We have no weather information and are just using the barometer to have an indication of what to expect. A sudden drop from 1011 to 1003 millibars gave us bad weather with heavy winds on 2 occasions during the last 3 days....it seems to be quite accurate. In any case there is no way back and we have to take whatever the weather gods are throwing at us. Please have mercy on us.....

05:30 (UTC) I can see the lighthouse of "Ile Royale" on my port side, one of the 3 Islands in front of the mainland of French Guiana. The other two islands being "Ile du Diable" and "Ile Saint- Joseph". We are passing them at 15 NM to the East. The islands are used as a permanent military base....please don't shoot at us, we are no threat to France, just some sailors en route to Trinidad.

06:30 (UTC) The French didn't shoot at us, and no rocket debris were falling out of the sky according to an observation and official report from the captain of Atlantis....I assume we are out of the danger zone and considered safe. It is raining, giving us a free boat wash and increase in speed to 9,5 kts....good for our day average. Life can be easy some times.

10:40 (UTC) HELP....we lost the satellite and are unable to find our position. Maybe I should have bought that sextant....too late now. It also happened a few times during my trans-Atlantic crossing when there is a small coverage gap between different satellites. Only now we realise how much we rely on those modern navigational aids.

10:50 (UTC) we got the satellite back on track. There is absolutely no wind and I believe we finally experience the notorious doll drums. We can't waste time, so we decided to motor for 4 hours to try and get out of this dead moment.

We had a record day with speeds sometimes exceeding 10 kts, and parts of no wind in which we motored. The day distance of 192 NM is an absolute record for Atlantis. Despite the strong current in our favour and 4 hours of motoring, it is still a fantastic performance for a 34 foot boat, as it is an average speed of 8 kts.......what a great boat!!

14:15 (UTC) When on the trampoline I had an encounter with a special dolphin. He stayed with me for more than 15 minutes after which he disappeared to come back with his whole family after 30 minutes, which he introduced to me one by one. What an amazing creatures ....I can't stop loving them. He...or she was much larger than the one that visited us in Brazil. I made a short video of my special visitor.....hopefully I can download it to share on the blog.

Position: 07 41.634'N 055 50.843'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 11:
Distance covered: 161 NM

18:30 (UTC) The wind is playing games with us. Atlantis is surrounded by big thunderclouds and we don't know which sail setting to hold onto, as by the time we set the sail the wind shifts again.....very annoying!

01:30 (UTC) Mauro called me out of dreamland as the wind was picking up to gusts of 20 kts, time to reduce the foresail first and observe our speed before taking further action. For the moment we keep sailing with full mainsail, ready to reef at any point now. The sea condition is fair and Atlantis feels comfortable.

01:50 (UTC) Time to reef ! The wind speed is increasing to a level where Atlantis is under stress....we can't allow this. Mauro and I are trained as a team to reef, it takes us a minimum of time. Turn into the wind, drop the mainsail a bit, attach the hook at the mast into the first reefing position and winch the main sail back up until tide, same for the reefing lines. Our objective is to loose as less time as possible, so that the exercise will not affect our day average....we need to keep up the speed if we can. Despite the reef, we are still doing between 7,5 and 8 kts, but she feels much better.....and so does the crew. Reducing sail doesn't always results in a reduction of speed, but certainly in a reduction of stress on the boat....and that reliefs our biggest concern.

We are cruising along the coast line of Suriname and can observe the lights of Paramaribo at 60 NM W of our current position....another country ticked on our way to Trinidad....2 to go.

Today we tried out the GoPro camera in different positions and hope to make some spectacular short video footage for the blog.

07:40 (UTC) We are in the middle of a thunderstorm with extremely high wind speeds and tropical rains. Atlantis is jumping from wave to wave at more than 12 kts....to be honest, I am not feeling too happy about this. On top of all this we have a risk of being hit by lightning which could damage the electronic equipment on board....or even damage the boat itself. I hope this doesn't last too long.

We are 70 NM off shore and on route to Guyana. Due to the extremely dangerous weather conditions I am evaluating options to reach a safe port in case we would loose the mast. Alternative landing places are important in emergency situations. Venezuela will be a first option as there is almost nothing suitable that I can find in Guyana.....but if we have the range I would prefer motoring to the most Southerly point of Trinidad, which is a safer place. A decision that can only be taken at the point when we are in trouble. There are rumours about piracy in Venezuela for the moment....so maybe only adding problems to already existing ones. We don't need pirates of the Caribbean on board now.

08:20 (UTC) We made it safely out of the thunderstorm. I inspected the mast and sails.....all seems to be in order. We must be protected by angels. The sea is still turbulent, but the wind is around an acceptable 15 - 20 kts and no lightning. I hope this was it, as we had enough excitement for one day.

10:30 (UTC) A sudden barometer drop warned us about more of what we've experienced this night....back in hell! Crew and boat are tired, we didn't sleep at all. The only positive note to the situation is that we are moving fast....and in the right direction. We are less than 400 NM from Trinidad. As much as I love sailing, I don't like to be in thunderstorms like the one we experienced during the night.

Position: 09 23.525'N 058 30.085'W
(16:30 UTC)

Day 12:
Distance covered: 184 NM

We are having constant wind and our speed is around 8 kts....can't complain. Moral on board is good and we are coming closer and closer to our destination.

04:15 (UTC) Atlantis is cruising at 100 NM E of Guyana and James is doing a great job keeping us on course. There is no moon and although cloudy, we enjoy a wonderful view on our universe, full of undiscovered secrets.

After so many days of watches, fatigue is settling in and the body wants only one thing....sleep. Only 2 more days to go and this problem will be solved Marc. In general I also loose quite some wait during such a trip, mainly due to the fact that I can't eat plenty of chocolate and ice cream, drink beer and eat consistent meals. In general we eat small amounts several times a day and drink water (lots of it)...not beer. Another factor is the constant moving of the boat which is forcing your muscles to work, even when not aware of it, and last but not least the physical exercises of winching. During my ocean crossing I lost more than 10 kg.....yes, sailing is healthy!!

05:30 (UTC) We are sailing 90 NM E of Georgetown in Guyana and still moving fast....Atlantis wants to be on time in Trinidad...maybe she has a date? I rather think she is doing it for Mauro, so he can get some time to visit Trinidad before taking his flight back to Brazil.

We are calculating the approach time for Chaguaramas, as I don't want to enter a strange marina and mooring place at night time to avoid surprises. The solution would be to sail to the entry waypoint "Galera Point" in Trinidad. With our current speed, we should be able to reach it around midday tomorrow. From there we have another 34 NM to "Las Cuevas Bay" in which we could anchor and spend the night. The next morning we can continue our sail to the port of entry and do formalities.....seems a good plan. This way we will enjoy the view during daytime while sailing around the North part of Trinidad....a bonus!

Position:
(16:30 UTC)

Day 13:
Distance covered:

Since this morning we have a constant wind speed of around 20-25 kts. It is a bumpy ride, but we are so close that we don't mind releasing Atlantis....she seems to be in a hurry. For safety we have 2 reefs....but she is still flying.

If all goes well this will be our last watch ....and the end of an interesting last voyage with Atlantis. A wonderful boat with a great crew member. I am getting a bit nostalgic thinking about it.

22:00 (UTC) Atlantis is sailing 85 NM East of Boca Grande in Venezuela, the delta of the Rio Orinoco river. We should have stopped in Venezuela to fill the Diesel tanks for almost nothing....but we have to get on time in Trinidad.

We will break all records with Atlantis today as another storm took us by surprise (no weather forecast). She is travelling at more than 10 kts during thunderstorms, with 2 reefs and almost no foresail left. Exciting but a bit scary at the same time

16:00 (UTC) ARRIVAL in Trinidad after a sail of 12 days 23 hours and 30 minutes.

16:30 (UTC) New day record 197 NM ....well done Atlantis. Many much bigger boats are not making this average.

Day 13
Position: 10 46.953'N 061 23.914'S
21:30 (UTC)

We are anchored in the most beautiful "Las Cuevas Bay", which is 28 NM from Chaguaramas which we will enter tomorrow. A good night sleep will do both of us some good and after almost 13 days I can switch off the autopilot "James" for a deserved night rest too.

The anchorage is 14 m deep with a beautiful beach surrounded by majestic mountains full of trees....amazing how green Trinidad is. It is easy to fall in love with the place. Fisher man are greeting us from their passing small motor boats when entering the bay, we are happy to be in Trinidad.

Day 14
Las Cuevas Bay

After a wonderful breakfast in an amazing place, we started the port engine for our last 28 NM trip to the Marina. There is almost no wind...what a contrast with our experience from yesterday, it will be a "tourist" sail.

12:30 (UTC) We are passing by so many beautiful places, such as " Saut d'eau Island" and Maracas Bay. We can't get enough of the beauty of it all. Strangely it reminds Mauro as well as me to Thailand. Some of the bays look like places I visited in Vietnam. One thing is sure, it must be very fertile land.

We arrived safely in Chaguaramas and found a mooring spot reserved by some angels. The end of a beautiful trip and now it is time for some beer and a decent meal.

Anyone can realise his or her dream in life, it all comes at a price that one has to pay for it. The voyage is often more important than the destination.

Epilogue

I started living the dream in January 2012 when I exchanged a house and executive job for a simple life on "Atlantis". The best decision I ever took in my life. Atlantis learned me so much about nature, sailing and how rewarding a simple life can be. She took the corporate stress away and opened my mind to spirituality, respect for the universe and all creatures being part of it. From a personal side, she learned me how to be myself, not how my ego wants people to see me. Atlantis showed me how to take a distance from material belongings as they are only temporary. She was instrumental to an important shift in my life.

It is time for me to let go of Atlantis and give other people the opportunity to experience what I did, and maybe she can help them as she helped me. It is not easy to let go of a boat, as you get very attached to her.....as many sailors will confirm, she has a soul and own will...sometimes she can be stubborn, funny (she loves beaches) or even lazy (when waves come from the front)......but she always gave me a feeling of safety and belonging.

I had the opportunity to meet so many interesting people during my voyage. Some of them sailing with me as crew, others helping me when on land. I have a special bond with Struisbaai in South Africa, where Atlantis went through one of her biggest challenges during a storm. I remember the bravery of the NSRI people and the help I received from people of Struisbaai when I was stranded there for more than a month.....thank you all.

My voyage will end in this Caribbean paradise. After sailing for ....NM It is time for me to move to a next phase and mission in life, which is the creation of an Eco-retreat where I hope to help people with a "burn-out" syndrome to get back on track. I will also find a way to involve my Brazilian friends Fabiana and Mauro as they are very successful in life-coaching, another element that I would like to include in the program.

I will certainly live close to the sea and sail some smaller boats, maybe participate in an occasional ocean crossing or boat delivery when asked.

Thank you all for following Atlantis and her variety of crew members over the years.

I will create a website for the Eco-retreat soon and communicate the link for those people interested in this new project.

Marc