Aborted Azores trip in Karuna

July 31, 2023

On the 20th June me and dad left the Exe heading southwest aboard Karuna, his Rival 34, with a vague plan to sail to the Azores.

By sunset the tide was turning against us as we approached Start point, and after beating into the southwesterlies all day we pulled in and anchored off Salcombe until 3am when the tide turned. We then continued on to St Maws, where we dropped the anchor and caught up on sleep.

The next morning we set off, tacking out into the Channel. By midnight, we had reached the French shipping lanes so changed tack and headed more west. At this point me and dad had been cooped up on his boat together for 3 days and the novelty was begging to fade.

On the fourth morning the wind began to pick up and the boat set into a horrible slamming motion, making living much more difficult. Anything from cooking to going for a pee was horrible and we avoided going below unless to sleep.

By the next morning the wind had picked up and was accompanied by a relatively short, choppy swell that made living even harder. Seasickness got to us both, so we also avoided eating and speaking to each other.

At night we took turns at 3 hour watches, and in the day we sat and watched the waves roll past. The wind couldn't decide on a particular direction so we tacked accordingly, under reefed mainsail and jib.

Outside, the cockpit was the only relatively dry place, but it was horribly uncomfortable and seats were limited due to the angle we were heeling at. Below, there was one bunk available on each tack, but getting in and out of waterproofs was a major operation. Also the distinct smell of rotting fruit floated around the cabin since neither of us could face chucking it out.

The slamming motion meant that Dad's back was giving him trouble, and we couldn't quite decide if being on or off watch was more desirable.

The headwinds continued to pick up and the seasickness didnt leave, then at midday Dad announced that he fancied an ice cream. Very little discussion was had but somehow the decision was made to turn around and we were flying towards Scilly at 6.5 - 7.5 kts.

Although reasonably disappointed at not getting even close to the Azores, I had had a bad feeling about the trip for months, and neither of us were particularly looking forward to it. It was quite honestly a relief to turn around before something awful did happen, although perhaps another day or two may have gotten us into the swing of things.

Glad to have the wind behind us, and a much better motion, we had a smooth sail and arrived at the Cove the following day. We then sailed to Newlyn where we were delighted to be able to talk to people other than ourselves. Early the next day we set off for Brixham and enjoyed the following winds from separate ends of the boat.

We arrived in Brixham just after midnight, and then had a short sail back to the Exe the following day. Although not quite the same as the Azores, we had sailed over 600nm aboard Karuna and it was good to get back.

It was brilliant to get off the boat, and I swore that I would stick to solo sailing and never purposefully go out in headwinds again.