Tina 🇸🇪
Bavaria Cruiser 36 · Monohull · 36 ft · Built 2003
17 November – 10 December 2025
Tina — Bavaria Cruiser 36 · 2003
What we carried
Wished we had brought more sodas — a cold Coke tastes so good in the heat when you feel a bit seasick. We brought way too much toilet paper, but you won't regret anything you have brought from Europe when you enter the grocery stores in the Caribbean.
Weather at sea
The first week between the Canaries and Cabo Verde brought light winds and easy seas. After that, conditions picked up more than expected — winds mostly 15–30 knots with bigger seas to match. We'd heard dead calms were common, but we never experienced any.
Wing on wing, dead downwind, for most of the passage.
The large swells kept our average below 6 knots.
What made the passage
- Watching Pirates of the Caribbean in the cockpit with our kids as the sun set and the stars came out — one of those evenings you don't forget.
- Beautiful night skies and sailing under a full moon for days on end.
- Arrival in Prickly Bay with good friends on the dock cheering and honking as we came into the harbor.
What tested the crew
- Our first major thunderstorm off Cabo Verde. The genoa on the whisker pole got caught on the spreader, heeling the boat over until we could winch it in.
- The rain was so intense that one of our life jackets inflated on its own.
- A nearly fully filleted mahi-mahi went overboard. One of those moments.
- The genoa halyard broke early one morning. The sail dragged under the boat — we recovered it and sailed the last five days on mainsail only.
How it felt
We spent a lot of time talking about the first things we'd do upon arrival — go for a swim, enjoy a cold beer, or simply take a walk.
This was our first longer ocean crossing, and while the experience was overall positive, we found it both physically and mentally demanding. As the seas built over the last two weeks, it became difficult to sleep comfortably, and we were constantly tossed about, day and night. The biggest challenge, however, was the monotony of the days.
Prickly Bay, Grenada
After dropping anchor, we jumped in for a swim — it felt absolutely glorious.
After dropping anchor, we jumped in for a swim — it felt absolutely glorious. We opened a bottle of champagne, played some music, and savored the simple joy of being on a still boat with land close by. When we finally stepped ashore, our legs felt wobbly, and it took a few days before walking felt normal again.