Why We Sail – Voices from the Atlantic Crossing

Celeste is underway from Guadeloupe to the Azores – the legendary archipelago in the mid-Atlantic, some 900 nautical miles from mainland Portugal.

Landfall will be in Horta, on the island of Faial, a historic waypoint for ocean sailors. As tradition calls, the crew will leave their mark on the harbor wall with a mural of their own – and naturally, pay a visit to the iconic Peter’s Café Sport, a true mecca for transatlantic voyagers. ETA is Tuesday 22 of a April.

But who are the people on board? What led them to join Celeste on this ocean crossing? What were their thoughts before setting sail from Guadeloupe and what are their experiences now, half way across?

Kajsa, a journalist from New York and first-time ocean sailor, sat down with the crew to ask just that.

“There something about the wind”

Currently, Per owns a motorboat which he takes out on a daily basis in all seasons except for winter. He loves to spend time alone on the water. It’s a way for him to reset at the end of the workday.

Even though he no longer sails much in his everyday life, Per has always dreamt of crossing the Atlantic. “My mind was set on sailing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean until a friend told me he was about to do the crossing from west to east. I came along to a meeting with Svante Jacobsson, skipper on Celeste of Solent, and he convinced me that this was the real way to do it.” Crossing from west to east you must deal with tougher weather, and more challenging conditions. There’s a lot more sailing involved compared to the other direction where you sail with the trade winds in your back in warmer weather.

Per looks forward to some wonderful days at sea, and to making it all the way across. “When we arrive, I plan to buy a pair of red pants (apparently only those who have sailed across the Atlantic are allowed to wear red pants) and perhaps get a tattoo, even though I don’t much care for tattoos,” Per laughs.

A few days into the crossing, Per has no regrets, but admits that spending time below deck is harder than he expected, both from a sea sickness perspective and when it comes to balance and strength. The boat moves so much that it is difficult to remain upright and move around without falling over. His favorite moments so far have been behind the helm, meeting the waves head on and trying to make the boat go as fast as possible. Halfway through the crossing, Per’s top speed has been 13.4 knots, the fastest so far.   

“Nothing beats lying under a starlit sky listening to the humpbacks singing.”

After six years in the area, she decided to start her own whale watching company called Njord Adventures. She also conducts whale surveys for the Marine Research Institute of Norway.

Hannaleena has crossed the Atlantic once before with Celeste of Solent. That time, the route was from Nassau in the Bahamas to the Azores, via Bermuda. “The seas were quite rough, and it was quite cold, but it was still a beautiful experience being out at sea and being able to listen to the whales,” she says. Having Hannaleena onboard is a nice bonus for the rest of the crew as everyone is allowed to borrow her hydrophone (a special instrument used to register what’s going on beneath the surface) and listen to the whales. 

“It’s a mental game”

In 2023, he crossed the Atlantic for the first time with Celeste, sailing from Guadeloupe to the Azores.
“Even though the route is the same this time, it is still a new experience, and I get to meet new people,” says Oskar.

For all the first timers onboard, his best advice is to remember that crossing the Atlantic is a mental challenge even for experienced sailors. “Most people who join have sailed shorter distances close to shore. On the Atlantic there is no way to opt out. Once you’re onboard, you’re staying onboard. You’re committed. You have to deal with the choppy seas, the constant tilt, the sea sickness, the lack of communication with loved ones and the degeneration of hygiene that happens after weeks at sea with no access to a shower. It’s a mental game.”

So why do it? For the challenge of course, but also for the plethora of new experiences that await. For example, one sensation that is new to most is to be able to smell land. “If you haven’t spent a longer period of time away from land, you’ve never before noticed the smell of land. It’s a unique smell that is hard to describe, but it’s reminiscent of soil and one can sense it even before seeing land,” says Oskar.

“My favorite memory from my last crossing was a quiet night with a full moon. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the ocean was like a mirror reflecting all the stars. I felt like I was in the center of the universe when suddenly a pod of dolphins surrounded the boat. As they swam around in the bioluminescent plankton, it looked like they were painting light streaks in the water. It’s something I’ll never forget.” 

“I love a good challenge!”

“We set sail a day in November and got caught in a wicked storm. We had never sailed at night before and hadn’t even checked the weather forecast. There were daily squalls, and at times I actually thought we were going to die,” Victor recalls.
However, the experience didn’t scare him off. “I love a good challenge,” he says. And sailing across the Atlantic certainly fits that bill.

“It’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be. The winds and the sea have been rougher than what I had imagined,” says Victor who has been struggling with seasickness since the first day. “I love cooking and had been looking forward to preparing some nice meals for everybody, but as soon as I try to spend any time below deck, I feel nauseous. I’ve never been seasick before, but these ocean waves are in a league of their own,” he says.

So does he regret setting out on this adventure? “No, not at all, but I will probably only sail across the Atlantic once,” he smiles. 

“If you don’t sail, it’s impossible to understand.”

However, after he turned 30 his career got in the way of his love of sailing.

“Ever since I built my own wooden boat as a teenager, I’ve always had a dream of crossing the Atlantic, and I’ve always enjoyed sailing with others,” he says.
Håkan expects this to be the trip of a lifetime but points out that it is not for everyone. “If you don’t sail, it’s impossible to understand the charm of getting up at 3 am to steer the boat in miserable conditions across turbulent waters” 

“When we reach the other side, I will be incredibly proud of myself.” 

It didn’t take long before he was hooked. Magnus began to dream about one day crossing the Atlantic. “I wanted to understand what it was like, and I wanted to do it from west to east for the extra challenge.”

As Magnus reflects on his experience at the halfway mark of the crossing, he concludes that it was more difficult than he expected, both mentally and physically. “I struggle to relax and feel constantly wound up. I like to be in control and here it’s impossible to maintain control. When I’m not at the helm, I have zero control over what happens. My brain is on constant alert and my muscles are always working because of the rough seas.”

Despite the challenges, Magnus has no regrets. “For me, this is a once in a lifetime experience which will stay with me for a long time, and which will take time to process. It’s amazing that sailing rookies like myself can join forces with experienced crew to pull off something like this. I know I will only be able to share this memory with people who have lived it themselves. It’s impossible to grasp if you haven’t been there. When we reach the other side, I will be incredibly proud of myself.” 

“I have waited 45 years to cross the Atlantic.”

When we were almost done, I asked my boss for leave and he said no. If I wanted to go, I would have to quit my job. I didn’t dare to, so I had to watch my friend leave without me,” he recalls.

So when Pelle heard that his old friend Svante was about to sail Celeste of Solent across the Atlantic, he decided it was now or never. “The first few days I was a bit restless and the competitive sailor in me wanted to constantly be maximizing our speed, but that’s over now. Now I’m enjoying each moment and I’m in no rush to arrive,” says Pelle. 

“I can’t wait to buy red speedos”

On this trip, Kalle hopes to make great memories and to experience what it’s like to sail blue waters. So far, the adventure has exceeded his expectations. “My best moments so far have been behind the helm. The feeling of steering a 28-ton boat and being in control is magical.” Kalle is also pleasantly surprised at how fast the crew has bonded. “We are ten people who didn’t know each other when this adventure started, but we’ve quickly become close. We don’t need a schedule for who should cook or do dishes, it just happens.” 

For Kalle, the most difficult part has been adjusting to the rhythm of the shifts.
All crew sail in teams of three for three hours, then have six hours off day and night. During the six hours off, crew members cook, do dishes, and clean. “There’s not much time for sleep, but we’ve still managed to avoid any intrigues,” he says.

Kalle looks forward to his first cold beer on land and to earn the right to wear red pants. “I plan to buy red pants, red shorts, red sweatpants, red speedos, red underwear, hell I’ll even buy a red thong,” laughs Kalle.

“On Celeste there are no passengers”

He has been sailing since the age of 6, both for leisure and competitively, having . Svante first came into contact with Celeste of Solent when he did his Master of Yacht at the Swedish Maritime Academy. Bengt Tarre, then sole owner of Celeste, was one of his instructors and in 2022 Bengt decided to invite a few friends to own a share in Celeste. Svante jumped at the opportunity to pursue his sailing dreams with others and today he is one of Celeste’s12 co-owners.

So far, he has spent about two to three months a year sailing Celeste. He has sailed around Scotland, the Azores, and the Faroe Islands. He was also skipper during the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) in 2023, when Celeste finished in second place.

Next year, when Celeste participates in World ARC, Svante will be at the helm from Tonga to Mackay, Australia. “I will also sail from South Africa to Namibia, rounding the Cape of Good Hope where the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans meet. Then we’ll cross the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Africa to Recife, Brazil. I really look forward to that.”

Crossing the Atlantic can be risky business, but Celeste of Solent is commercially approved for ocean traffic with passengers and recommended by the World Cruising Club, organizers of World ARC. “There are less expensive options out there, but you won’t find a safer boat,” says Svante. “We have three watertight compartments in the bow and one in the aft. We could crash into a container and still not sink. Besides the exceptional construction of the boat, the crew is well-trained and competent.”

This is Svante’s fourth time crossing the Atlantic. So why do it so many times? “It’s always nice to disconnect and get a break from your everyday routines, but the main reason is that I meet so many great new people each time. The kind of people who join an adventure like this are typically very social, open-minded and adventurous,” says Svante. “It’s also a fantastic feeling to help people realize a life-long dream. The arrival on the other side is quite emotional for many. On Celeste there are no passengers, everybody participates and when you reach the other side you’ve truly sailed across the Atlantic.”  

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to have no idea of what awaits.”

Kajsa loves the feeling of being surrounded by seemingly infinite ocean in all directions. Her highlights thus far involve swimming at a depth of 5,000 m, having humpback and Finn whales come play around the boat, and being at the helm when Celeste does a whopping 12 knots.

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to steer a 65-foot racer into the pitch-black Caribbean night with no idea of what awaits above or beyond the surface of this unfathomably large ocean.”