Bessie Ellen Atlantic Ocean Passage 1250 miles 17 days £899

Bessie Ellen Ocean Passage - 1200 nautical miles

A mix of blue water ocean sailing  as Bessie Ellen sails Northwards or North East to pick up the Easterly currents and give you the best chance of a downwind romp home in the Westerlies, well clear of the Bay of Biscay. This is a challenging voyage in that you are hundreds of miles from mainland Europe, so you need to be confident of your fitness with a good sense of adventure. If the weather gets wild, as a ships community you will have to deal with whatever nature throws at you !

Bessie Ellen 2011 - 2012 Winter Voyages flight information Flights

Voyage Notes Bessie Ellen Winter 2011 - 2012 Voyage Notes 1.5MB pdf

Azores - Staging post for sailors for centuries

In the 19th Century sailing cargo ships like Bessie Ellen would have used the Azores as a staging post to cross the Atlantic, and even today the group of nine islands provide the last taste of land for round the world yacht sailors before setting off on the next stage of their jounrney. Many crews have painted an image of their vessel on the harbour wall as a good luck charm, so if you are a bit of an artist perhaps you can add Bessie Ellen to the wall of fame.'

Watch Keeping

During the voyage you will be spilt up into watches, the normal duty rota is four hours on duty and eight off but this may vary with circumstances and crew abilities.

This is a deep sea voyage and you will get into the rhythm of an Ocean Passage with time to unwind and enjoy the sheer beauty of the Atlantic. Mobile phones will definately not work on this voyage - which may be a plus point for those looking to escape modern life.

Keep a good lookout

Spot the different sea birds as you head south. Where ever you go you may see the tiny black Storm Petrel, how such a small bird exists out in the ocean’s has always won my admiration. 

Ocean Wildlife

Where the deep ocean and North Atlantic drift current meet the continental shelf of Europe, there is a vast upwelling of plantkton and food from the ocean floor. Bessie Ellen will be sailing accross one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, and the plentiful food in the cool Atlantic waters attracts super pods of dolphins that are rarely seen near the coast and the predictable feast means that whales cruise the Continental shelf as they travel up and down the Atlantic.