Magnets stowed next to your flux gate compass or helm compass just adds to the adventure. They also rust and leave marks on the fibreglass so you'll always know where to fit them. Next you're going to point out that magnets don't stick to fibreglass.
@@philgray1023 All good points to consider, but also these are challenges that can be overcome with a little DIY effort (and also make for good YT sailing content). Magnets can be encased in epoxy for rust resistance (Mads has mad skills with epoxy) before being sewn into the mesh. Magnets embedded into the GRP or wood surrounding the passageway can also be selected to be strong enough for their intended purpose and yet be weak enough as to not interfere with flux valves or traditional compasses. The presence of large amounts of ferrous material or even odd magnets around the boat can be compensated for by modern (calibration capable) heading/steering systems. Also, it’s difficult to actuate exterior snaps from inside the cabin. Magnets seem to be the more elegant solution to the mosquito mesh securing issue.
I would avoid 25kts gusting to 36 if I could. I'm susceptible to seasickness about 20. There's no point starting off with that if you don't have to. No shame with being patient and safe.
18:53 I might suggest that in place of the snaps along the bottom of the net that you employ a magnetic closure. That way it will self seal, especially when everyone is within the comfy confines of Athena's below deck wonderland. 👍 Hard to snap a closure from the "wrong" side of the screen. 😁
Magnets rust and don't play well with magnetic and flux gate compasses. Both of which these folks will be using to navigate. Our flyscreens are non magnetic 316 stainless in a wooden frame. Been using that system for 8 years without fail.
Mass, in your last video you said you really like the rust remover/ polish you have for you stainless. Can you tell me what it is? Thank you and fair winds. Love watching your boat work and sailing adventures.
Hi Mads. Just passing forward a piece of advice a rigger gave me before my Atlantic crossing. Don’t use the self tailer when hauling someone up the mast using a motorized winch. Wouldn’t want the winch to jam in the on position! Safe travels.
Love the way you have marked the chain but I do have one comment. Our anchor chain was marked in red paint, when anchoring at 0200 using a red headlamp we could see bugger all of the red markings and had no idea how much was out. Have now changed to all yellow.
Sailboats need wind to sail. If you keep picking the mildest weather window you can, you're going to spend all your time motoring. You did all this work to put on a staysail and reef points, why? So you could SAIL THE BOAT. 25 kts? GO SAILING.
Head for Cape Verde then Ross a bit more South from there ? Also see if you can get a Sneak Peek Of the Atlantic Weather Patterns you can glimpse in the Mr Weatherman RU-vid Channel Caribbean ? You often get some good glimpses of Fronts Crossing the Atlantic. Best Wishes, Fair Winds, and have a great Crossing. Bob. 👍⛵️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
A little heads up: We have been living full time in the Caribbean at anchor for 5 years. in that time I have seen less than a dozen mosquitos on our boat. It's too windy for mosquitoes if you're any more than about 100 meters from shore.
We find the same in Australia. However there is a strange phenomena. The mozzies like fresh meat. It seems after your first year they leave you alone, but bring in a new foreigner and they get stuck in like it's their last meal. (Lets face it, it usually is)
I work with a guy who's massively into underwater photography. He says you need to spend the same on the housing as the camera itself, sometimes more. And external lighting is key
I have enjoyed your entire journey from the very beginning Mads. So excited to re-live the trans-Atlantic. We did that on our boat as a family in 2001, leaving from Lanzarote. You are so well prepared and are so thoughtful in all you have done. Wonderful work and such a great channel to watch. My wife has taken me up the 53 ft mast mast of our Amel Super-Maramu many many times. I was a mountaineer and rock climber so I learned to never rely on one anchor (climbing). External halyard to electric winch and a secondary line on which I always had a prussic as a backup. One NOTE OF CAUTION on going up the mast using an electric winch. It is generally good way to go BUT, DO NOT PUT THE HALYARD IN THE SELF TAILER!!!. An incident in Antigua some years ago, doing just that, led to an above the elbow amputation of one crew-member and loss of fingers of another crew-member when the electric switch stuck in the on position. With the winch running on uncontrolled the members were trying desperately to get the halyard off the self tailer while under load to prevent the winch from carrying the member aloft all the way to the top and then tearing him down and killed. The wife and eventually another crew member became entangled and the winch finally overloaded with an arm and fingers wound up in it. Only that saved the life of the crew-member aloft. It came very close to being fatal for the husband aloft and his wife. SOOOO... ALWAYS HAND TAIL the rope on the electric winch and for the person aloft have a prussic or ascender on a secondary line aloft for self-preservation/self-rescue should something ultimately go wrong. I wish you and your crew all the best Bon Voyage, G. Silver, s/v Liahona
Amazing Mads, I think it was 2016 that you were going to do the first crossing. Well now 2023, You have your own Boat to travel on and your all set. You will do Amazing. In a couple of weeks you will be soooo pleased with yourself and all the work you did preparing for this. Well done, You will have a ball. Cheers from Oz.
As always, very interesting projects accomplished. If there is still time, I recommend an emergency stop button for the electric winch. The switches that come with it have been proven to fail.... I wish you favorable winds for the crossing.
We did a 'Lets get the H out of here' a few years ago from Tenerife to Cape Verde. Let's just say a fully flooding cockpit became kind of a routine situation for a few days. And that in a center cockpit boat.
Spotted the fish prep tray on the stern. All ship shape and hopefully you will not suffer like you did before trying to cross the pond. You do obsess about the weather when a trip like this you will likely hit some high winds or bad sea state or both. Hopefully you will pop your Atlantic Cherry without seeing the bottom of a bucket too much. Andy UK
When I saw them marking the Anchor chain, I thought it looked like blob line depth marking, happy days, many an hour hang off one of them, he'll know what I mean!
Mads, MarineTraffic website & app still have you shown in the Canary Islands, though it also says "out of range". Hopefully your AIS hasn't failed. Best wishes for a safe crossing.
Just one concern about your fly screen and that is with snaps the flies can get in around the edge of the mesh. It would be better if the edges were sealed against the boat. (I am in Scotland where we have the dreaded midge so I have experience of little bighting buggers)
Bon voyage! May you and your able crew have a very safe crossing! You are going to love the Caribbean. Stop at Foxies on Yost Van Dyke for an evening of food and fun!
Have a great safe crossing and be sure to check out the Great Lakes and harbors like Escanaba, Michigan. Gallivant a 36 Catalina in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Captain Hansen 😊
I am impressed that you take the time to find out (or in some way actually know) the correct names of even the strangest of parts. Great for googling. Like "striker plate". Like who knew? :-)
I see you have a large energy consuming wind fan. I recommend this wind fan. Bestron Wireless Rechargeable Floor Fan, Vertically Adjustable, Height: 36.8 cm, Diameter: 35 cm, 25 W, Olive.
Hmmmmmm. ... OK regarding the mosquito netting. Should have looked at "BugBusters" out of Canada. The mesh is very thin, and it's for a good reason. They put lead weights around the edges, which allows the netting to "stick" to the sides. This keeps the "crafty" bloodsuckers from finding their way in on the sides. And trust me, they WILL find their way in, 25+ years on the Chesapeake Bay in the summertime has taught me that. I hope yours works, but I have money on it.... NOT.
Mads - I am using your Post It notes method for working on my old classic car here in Arizona. It works great and shows my progress. Safe passage guys!
Awesome video Mads... But I would personally start with heavier conditions, because you'll then be almost assured of a good, beautiful conditions for the two weeks before arriving.
I love the chain marking idea. Did you think about putting a some light batons in the insect netting to keep it stiff? All the very best of luck for your exciting Atlantic crossing!
First Atlantic crossing, such a big moment! I’ve been watching since Obelisk...and wow, Athena’s ready. She’s as resilient and ready for adventure as she is beautiful. She will be there with you all the way, through the good winds and the bad.
I hope that netting will keep biting midges out, 5th the size of a mozzie and will go straight through mozzie mesh. Oh and they’re way worse in the itch department than mozzies.
