Bucket lists differ from person to person. But from November onwards, many people gather in Gran Canaria and other Canary Islands with the same goal: to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a sailing boat. To experience the vastness of the ocean, to feel their own insignificance. To face the elements and one’s own ability to deal with them. To fall into a time whole and count shooting stars. The small list item ‘Atlantic crossing’ brings all this with it.

The conditions of those who set off from the Canary Islands to fulfil this dream could not be more different. Some pay thousands of euros for a place on a boat with a professional operator, while others embark on the adventure by walking pontoons in various ports to get a ride across in exchange for their help. Those involved are willing to pay in advance with trust rather than euros. After all, the skipper does not know the nature of the guest and the designated new crew member does neither know the condition of the boat nor the expertise or character of the skipper. Others take part in a transatlantic regatta that will organise everything for you if you have some dime to spare. And then there are those like us, who are happy call a suitable boat their own and try their luck on their own

To minimize the amount of luck we want to prepare the boat and ourselves in Gran Canaria for our next adventure. So far the plan, if it weren’t for the aftermath of a vacation in flu-infested Germany. In familiar surroundings we were generously showered with corona and infections, so that we spent weeks with our own recovery instead of preparing our Nikola. Be assured, it’s not very relaxing to lie in your bunk knowing that you’ll be walking on a few square meters of wooden planks for the next few weeks and won’t be able to go ashore. Anyway, so be it. We stayed on board patiently and dreamt of exploring the island.

Something was wrong with our karma anyway: The rental car in Germany broke down between Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, the apartment we had booked in Neuss was in a desolate state, the US visa we had applied for in Berlin took longer than expected so we could not take the flights we had booked, the apartment a visitor had booked in Maspalomas turned out to be a scam, our favorite sweater was destroyed in the washing machine and new running shoes were stolen from the boat. One thing led to another and the mood was low. But even lows have to be overcome and so life went on. Our crew member for the passage arrived, the boat was brought into shape, last purchases were made, antibiotics were stocked up and the next best opportunity to jump off was taken. Not ideal, but good enough.

And although we didn’t see much more of Gran Canaria than the airport, the harbor in Pasito Blanco and Las Palmas, we were happy to leave the island behind us and start a new chapter. Around 850 nautical miles and about seven days at sea lie ahead of us. Our longest leg so far.

There are a lot of other boats leaving at the same time as us. We know some of them and look forward to seeing them again in Mindelo. The first night we find ourselves in an area with one thunderstorm after the other. Lightning flashes all around us and we hide our cell phones in the oven, intimidated by this spectacle of nature. But the lightning is confined to the clouds and there are no wind shifts or gusts. So the thunderstorms remain a great natural theater and offer no challenge to our sailing skills. Otherwise, as predicted, the crossing is a bit sluggish as far as the wind is concerned. Sometimes we feel like we’re in a port, the water is so calm. It’s hard to imagine how tame the waves can be, even in the middle of the ocean. So life on board is comfortable, we move around freely, cooking and the daily routine are easy. We concentrate on optimizing the watch system. Some prefer to see the sun go down, others look forward to the sunrise after a night watch. During the day we fish. Three Mahi Mahis are attracted to the rubber bait. Dinner is exciting again. Three of the fish we catch are too small and we let them go, three others manage to get off the hook early. We are still beginners.

At the beginning of the trip, we come across pilot whales. There must be hundreds of them around us and the sight is spectacular. Otherwise, there is little to see except the endless blue.