Sailing friends share their experiences

Some of our crew members share their experiences of what it’s like to sail with Celeste.

Me and my husband wanted to do something special for our honeymoon and decided to fulfill our dream of sailing across the Atlantic. The most romantic idea? Probably not. The best idea ever? Yes.

We decided to spend a week in Las Palmas before we set sail, and later agreed that those days were a memorable experience on its own. We really recommend future crew to do the same, such valuable time hanging out with the crew (total 13 ppl), preparing the boat, meeting other crew and doing provisioning together, such fun and a good way of bonding.

The crossing was surprisingly comfortable weather wise. I think coming from the west coast of Sweden we expected high winds, cold weather and very basic food. Instead, we got 16 days of sun, 25 degrees celsius and really nice food incl “fika” and freshly baked cookies. There were a few days with little to no wind where we could catch fish (gold mackerel/Mahi Mahi) which provided us with fresh fish for days and the opportunity to jump into the warm ocean to have a swim in the nearly 5000m deep Atlantic.

We have made a 7min long video of our crossing, but to be fair I think this is something one has to experience on their own to understand what life-long memories this creates and the family you become part of.

If you are still curious, here is the link: https://youtu.be/5Em9oKNeWU8

Was it nice to see land after 16 days? Actually, no. Personally I did not want this adventure to end (although a proper shower was very nice). Would we do it again? Yes, actually looking to buy a boat of our own after this adventure! And last but not least: Are we still married? Yes!

A huge thanks to Celeste Of Solent, Johan Billstöm (Captain) and Thomas Dahlström (First mate) and all our 9 other crew members.

Oscar & Anna Wegland,
ARC 2024, Las Palmas – St Lucia

My 15-year-old son, Herman, and I have been sailing all our lives, mostly in the Stockholm archipelago but also in Denmark, Germany, and across the Baltic Sea on occasion. So when an old military buddy called and asked if we wanted to embark on a longer journey on a significantly larger sailing yacht, it wasn’t a hard decision to say yes. I took leave from work, and of course, we had to apply for time off from school for my son. The principal approved and even sent along some assignments for him to complete during the trip.

Despite his age, Herman took part in the watch rotations just like everyone else on board. The journey from Gothenburg across the North Sea was, to say the least, rough—winds over 20 m/s and waves several meters high. Celeste is an incredible boat, but in those conditions, skipper Bengt and the more experienced crew members took over the helm when needed, which felt reassuring. The ride was so bumpy that we had to seek shelter in Great Yarmouth on England’s east coast, and everyone on board appreciated the chance to have solid ground beneath their feet.

Once the storm had settled, we set sail again. After a pleasant stop at the Scilly Islands, we headed straight out to sea towards the Azores. When we weren’t sleeping or cooking, we spent our time watching dolphins, and birds, and even swimming in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the watch shifts continued, and we drew closer to land.

Sailing with Celeste is an incredible experience. You sail around the clock on a 22-meter-long yacht that behaves a bit like a dinghy. She is easy to steer—but also unpredictable, so you have to stay sharp when the wind picks up or when you start surfing down the waves!
I have made two documentaries about our adventure.

Celeste of Solent – Round the World – Etapp 1
Celeste of Solent till Azorerna – Del 2

Kalle och Herman Sundholm
Gothenburg – Ilse of Scilly – Azores, August 2024

In March 2024, we embarked on an exciting adventure. We were going to sail around half of Cuba, from Cienfuegos in the south, around the western tip, to Havana in the north. We were a cheerful group of 8 people, with Johan Billström as our fantastic captain.

I had signed up for this sailing because I liked the idea of following a coastline and making cozy stops on the shore. My expectations were quickly dashed. There was absolutely nothing to land on, and if we ever reached a village, we weren’t allowed by the authorities to go ashore. Seven days at sea without going ashore, but with land in sight the entire time, was a strange feeling. Luckily, our wise captain Johan had already stocked up well in Guadeloupe, and with his professional cooking skills and the help of a local fisherman here and there, we managed to conjure up fantastic meals.

The sailing was wonderful with very gentle weather. Night sailing with a Milky Way above the sky in a way completely different from home in Sweden, and a wake filled with bioluminescent plankton in the hundreds of thousands, was magical. When we arrived in Havana, we stayed there for a few days and could take excursions to both the city and the famous Vinales landscape together. Cigar and rum tasting in that environment was something truly special.

We became a very good and close-knit group, and we’ve continued to meet up in Sweden after the sailing. Some of us got off in Havana, while others continued to both the Bahamas and the Azores. From what I understand, the conditions were a bit tougher then. I am planning more sailings with Celeste going forward and can really recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting adventure. Sailing takes you to places you would never otherwise visit.

Hans Montelius
Cienfuegos to Havanna, Cuba, March 2024

I want to thank Svante Jacobsson and Johan Billström who were our skippers on the trip. We really got to experience sailing as fast as the boat could go with a lot of sails up. 495 square meters at most!

Incredibly fun, exciting, and rewarding. Sailing in total darkness continues to be a challenge, but you develop as a helmsman and sailor. To sail a 65-foot racer under these conditions is a privilege, absolutely crazy and as close to professional sailing as you can get. Super fun crew and an adventure that included everything. Here’s how I summarize the Atlantic crossing:

First over the start line, a little wind the first day, swimming, catching 4 golden mackerels and a tuna on the hook, more swimming at 5,000 meters deep, sun, rain, up to 30 knots of wind, squalls, spinnaker for over a week straight, maybe 9 days? Food like at a 3-star restaurant, hourglasses, a burst spinnaker sheet successfully recovered from the sea, lactic acid in the upper arms, 17.6 knots, over 240 nautical miles through the water in 24 hours, laughter, card games (!), some screaming and adrenaline, Danish language course, sharing a binge, cleaning, long beautiful waves, downwind sailing in head seas, sleeping to an audiobook, great playlist, moonlight, sunrises, sunsets, more moonlight, match racing the last five hours which we won, finishing second, rum punch, dinner with the gang, party on luxury yachts and much, much more!

A ridiculously good experience in short! The sailing is over, incredibly strong impressions and memories for life!

Johan Axelsson
ARC – Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, Canary Islands – St Lucia, Nov/Dec 2023

Sailing with Celeste is experiencing an adventure. New places and unfamiliar environments. Remote islands with historical cities and stunning nature. Rolling seas with mighty waves or endless, glassy waters. Sun-drenched days, starry nights, and whipping storms. But an adventure where I always felt safe with an experienced skipper and a sturdy boat. All experiences and the shared tasks on board also create fantastic camaraderie and many new friends. A sailing adventure with Celeste is something I highly recommend!

Björn Sandgren
Azores – Canary Islands, Nov 2023

After careful provisioning and a stormy night in harbor, a good bunch left Långedrag one day in July aiming for Shetland. The first night offered strong winds and high seas, so we took a little detour towards Norway to recover. The crossing over the North Sea became calmer with fantastic sunrise and clear sight. Starting from Lerwick, we made some excursions and saw nature, history, and seabirds. Heading southward, we visited Fair Isle on the way to one of the trip’s highlights, which turned out to be in sunshine! Lobster cooking and puffin walks brightened our stay in the harbor. Continuing southward in rainy weather, we docked in Orkney which also offered historical sites and fantastic views. The crew became more accustomed to the routines on the boat, and as always when sailing, unexpected things happened, and we had reason to hoist up a crew member to the mast top. The return journey over the North Sea was partly over mirror-like seas, and besides the oil rigs, we spotted the occasional whale and dolphin! The last evening with the gang, we arrived in Skagen. Arriving in Gothenburg by sailing Celeste through the “Snoburner” with full rig in sunshine provided a wonderful end to the trip!

Lotta
Gothenburg – Shetland Islands, July 2022

We experienced the North Sea in both strong winds and calm. After a tough start, we had a fantastic sail over to Shetland. A wonderful vacation with many impressions of nature, wildlife, excursions, and of course lots of new acquaintances. A mix of experience created a wonderful team spirit. One of the many memorable places we visited, perhaps the highlight of the trip for me, was Fair Isle. Two weeks with both laughter and more serious conversations ended with a lovely stroll in Skagen. I will definitely do this again.

Henrik
Gothenburg – Shetland Islands, July 2022