To summarise the journey's main points:
OBSERVATIONS
1/ WIND AND SAILS
Most of the time the trade winds are constant 15 to 20 knots, however we experienced three different situations. The first third of the trip the winds were light at 5 to 10 knots so we used the spinnaker. The second third of the trip there was less than 5 knots so we motored for four days, then the final five days were hectic with 15 to 20 and occasionally up to 25 knots of wind, however the worst part was the swell that came from three directions. From the North due to a storm in the area, from the North-East and from the East from where the wind blew. The various swells made it difficult to steer and very uncomfortable.
The fluky wind direction caused us to lose our A sail when the sheet became un-clipped on one of the mast stays. We had to dump the sail in the sea and recover it from there. Unfortunately due to its light weight material it ripped to pieces during recovery.
We used poled out Genoa during most of the trip, and because of the balanced setup there was no chaffing at all. We used the main sail during lighter winds but due to 'banging' we limited its use. Later we noted a pulled rivet on one of the main sheet attachments caused by the severe tension fluctuations. The spinnaker was used in 5 to 10 knots of wind.
2/ BIRDS AND WEED
In mid Atlantic we came across large areas of floating weed. This tended to accumulate on the rudder and propeller, causing engine vibration. When the winds were higher and seas rougher the weed dispersed.
We did not see any Dolphin or Whales, and very few birds (about five or ten during the whole trip).
However we did have two egret birds on board for a couple of hours. They needed a rest on their transatlantic journey.
Desert sand was a nuisance for the first two thirds of the way, cockpit and cabin became grimy. The Cape Verde islands lives under a smog of desert sand.
3/ SQUALLS
These were very frequent during our last four days. They brought very strong winds. You could see them approaching during the day but not at night so we reefed for winds of 25 knots.
When rounding the Southern tip of Martinique (at night) we noted that this was a wind and wave "funnel" or acceleration area. Best to keep heading West after the cape until the wind and waves normalise before heading North to FdF.
4/ FOOD
Food organisation was good. We had pre-cooked about twenty meals consisting of stewed meat, bolognese sauces, vegetable stews. This saved a lot of hassle since we were just two on board. We also stewed apples and pears. Breakfast was usually cereals with milk, plenty of tea. Then biscuits and nuts for casual eating during the day. Evening meal was mostly a hot meal except when conditions were rough.
5/ WATER
Drinking water was filtered tank water. After the finish we still had a full tank indication (350litres), although we did top up once using our water maker. We showered every day to basically survive the boredom and discomfort of constant swell and dusty / salty air.
6/ POWER
We ran our generator three times during the rough approach to Martinique because the autopilot was so busy and there was no sun to make use of the solar panels. The wind generator was quite useful when it had about 15 knots of wind. It could just about keep up with the autopilot demand.
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