It's almost that time of year when many boats journey from the Caribbean back to Europe so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to talk about ocean crossings. Being able to cross an ocean is a special privilege that few people on this planet get to experience. Yet it’s something many yachties do at least twice a year! This post is for those who have not yet crossed an ocean, or for those who love ocean crossings as much as I do and want to reminisce.
Ocean crossings can vary greatly depending on the weather. When conditions are unfavourable, they can be uncomfortable and even frightening—a true reminder of mother nature’s power. The ocean is always to be respected. I have been lucky in that most of my crossings have been relatively calm.
When you cross an open ocean it's just you, your crew and the big blue for weeks on end. At night, the sky is engulfed in stars, stretching from the horizon and filling the vast expanse above like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Make sure you've got your stargazing app and spend some time outside lying on your back taking in the beauty of the galaxies. This is one of my favourite things to do. There is something special about star gazing, it pulls us out of our minds and makes us contemplate the vastness of the universe, a perspective that can make everyday worries seem insignificant. It's a reminder of how small we are in an infinite universe.
When the sun rises to the East the sky is set on fire, the warmth of a new day can be felt immediately. On a calm, clear morning, the water can be like glass, with the orange sky reflecting off it like a mirror. There is no sunrise or sunset like a mid-ocean sunrise or sunset. You look around the boat, and all you can see is water and horizon. It’s rare to see the horizon completely uninterrupted. On land, buildings and mountains usually obscure the view, but in the middle of the ocean, it’s just endless water fading into the sky. This always makes me feel like I'm in a snow globe, because the sky feels like a dome overhead.
An ocean crossing is a perfect opportunity to reset yourself. There is no one around except your crew. There are minimal after-work distractions, providing the perfect opportunity to hit the gym, read a book, or just rest. On my first ocean crossing I took the opportunity to turn my phone off for two weeks. Being out there you are already isolated from the rest of the world, but I wanted to take this to the next level, absolutely no contact with the outside world. No social media, no Netflix, no phone calls, nothing. It was so blissful, I felt engaged with my surroundings like never before.
An ocean crossing is a rare chance for quality time with the crew—no guests, no contractors, just good company in the crew mess. It's an opportunity to bond ,you could bond through classic crossing games, or crew fitness challenges.
If you haven’t played before, 'Murder Mystery' is an absolute must. It's a game that can last the duration of the crossing. To start, all crew members need to draw three pieces of paper out of three separate hats. Each crew member needs to draw a weapon, a location, and the name of another crew member. No one else should know what you have drawn. For example, I could draw: two inch blue tape, the laundry, and the 2nd Stew. I then need to ‘kill’ the 2nd Stew by handing her two inch blue tape, in the laundry. She has to take the tape willingly, I can't just throw it at her and hope she catches it. If she willingly takes the tape from me, she is ‘dead’, and she will give me her weapon, location and crew member and I will pursue them. The aim of the game is to ‘kill’ all of the crew members and be the last person standing. Of course everyone is very wary of each other the first couple of days, which is why I like to wait a few days before I strike.
If your crew is more into fitness than games, you should take on a fitness challenge. Something that everyone has to get involved in and contribute to the goal of the challenge. For example, an Atlantic Crossing is about 3300 nautical miles, you could challenge your crew to running/cycling/rowing 3300 nautical miles over the course of the crossing. Put up a whiteboard in the gym with a list of crew members’ names. Each time someone works out, they can tally their contribution. The goal is for the crew as a whole to reach the target, not each crew member.
If your boat is crossing the equator, you will have to take part in a rite of passage as old as the ocean itself. The Crossing the Line ceremony is a rite of passage for crew members crossing the equator for the first time. It involves King Neptune (usually the captain), who, with the help of shellbacks (those who have previously crossed the line), takes the pollywogs (those who have never crossed the line) through an initiation that ends with a 'sea baptism'. Different boats have different ideas of what constitutes initiation, but the most common rituals involve week-old food slops and warm, rotten fish being thrown at the pollywogs. The ceremony usually ends with an equatorial swim, marking your final transition into becoming a true seafarer.
The ceremony helps bond the crew, develop camaraderie, and, most importantly, appease King Neptune — the God of the Sea.
Ocean crossings are one of my favourite things about working on yachts. In this industry, and in modern life, everything moves fast. We’re constantly stimulated by news, social interactions, new places and endless to-do lists. It’s a great feeling to be out there, with nothing but the crew, the boat, and the ocean. It gives us an opportunity to take a breather, focus on our work without contractor's everywhere or guests to attend to, and rather simply enjoy this privilege of working at sea.