Too all those who followed Roberta’s and my Atlantic crossing in 2004, aboard Sans Souci, our Nordhavn 62:
Following is an email I received recently from Milt Baker, who helped organize the Nordhavn Rally, in 2004.
Milt put together the “manual” we used to guide us on our quest, and flew ahead to each port to make our arrival in each port easy, while we boated our way across the Atlantic. Milt, and his wife Judy, will be crossing the Atlantic next summer, aboard their Nordhavn 47, and are seeking to recreate the terrific rally experience we had, even though this time around, it won’t be an “official” rally.
If you have ever considered taking your boat across the Atlantic, I can’t imagine a better way to go than to accompany Milt and Judy on their crossing.
Thank you,
Ken Williams
PS Roberta and I have been busy working on our new boat: http://www.kensblog.com Our current plan is to take it across the Pacific in 2008.
Email from Milt Baker;
What are you doing next summer?
Did you buy your trawler with the idea of crossing oceans? Why not make 2007 the year to get your feet wet with a crossing in company to the Mediterranean?
In spring 2007 Judy and I plan to take our Nordhavn 47, Bluewater, to the Med via Bermuda and the Azores, and we’re looking for the company of other Nordhavns (or other ocean-capable yachts) for the 3,800-mile crossing. We hope to keep Bluewater in the Mediterranean for about three years, cruising in the summertime and leaving the boat either on the hard or in a marina during the winter months.
As a member of the organizing committee for the NAR and head of the advance team for the rally, I had a terrific time and learned a lot— and the rally whetted my appetite and Judy’s to cross to the Med in our own Nordhavn. The camaraderie and the friendships forged on the rally are what all rally participants remember, but there are lots of other benefits to a group crossing as well.
With this in mind, I’m hoping to put together a group of boats to cross to make the crossing in company. This would not be an “official” rally like the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally. Rather, it would be a group of yachts traveling to together on the same schedule to the Mediterranean. It’s my hope that the crossing will share several elements with the NAR:
• Safety, security and camaraderie of cruising “in company”
• Pre-arranged dockage in Bermuda, the Azores, and Gibraltar
• Social events in each port • Weather routing from the same company used on the NAR
• Pre-departure survey strongly recommended for each yacht, using NAR pre-departure survey checklists
• Pre-departure “inspections” of each boat by captains of other yachts making the crossing
• Pre-departure briefings and seminars
• Daily roll calls and tracking of all yachts
On the other hand, there are a number of important elements from the NAR that will NOT be present for this crossing. There will be:
• No official sponsorship by PAE or its suppliers
• No escort vessels from PAE • No technical support in the form of mechanics, divers, etc. embarked in the yachts which are crossing
• No embarked doctors, EMTs or other medical personnel
• No up front fee – each captain will be entirely responsible for his yacht’s expenses
My plan is to follow the methodology of the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally 2004 as closely as possible and as closely as weather will permit. With that in mind, the schedule should look something like this:
Meet at Bahia Mar Resort and Marina, Fort Lauderdale May 13 Dockage at Bahia Mar – 3 days
Depart Fort Lauderdale May 16 for Bermuda – 925 miles (5.8 days at 6.7 kts)
Arrive Bermuda May 22 Dockage at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton – 8 days
Depart Bermuda May 30 for the Azores – 1,818 miles (12.0 days at 6.3 knots)
Arrive Horta June 11 Dockage at Marina Horta – 8 days
Depart Horta June 19 for Gibraltar – 1,136 miles (7.1 days at 6.6 knots)
Arrive Gibraltar June 26 Dockage at Queensway Quay
At the moment, there’s a good possibility we will have a Nordhavn 62 joining Bluewater for the entire crossing, and we’ve had interest from owners of another 47 and a 43 in joining for the Lauderdale-to- Bermuda leg. Join us for the entire crossing or any leg.
If you’re thinking of crossing to the Med, don’t miss this opportunity to do it in company with a group of like-minded skippers. To get on the e-mail list for Med Bound 2007, contact me at: bluewater@ocens.net.
–Milt Baker, N47 Bluewater, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Oct. 28, 2006
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