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Solo Bluewater Sailing: Beginner’s Path to an Atlantic Circuit
June 12, 2026 · 56 min · 9K views · St. Simons Island, Georgia
Solo sailor on deck in rough seas under cloudy sky
What this video covers
A Cape Dory 36 named Swan completed a solo Atlantic circuit departing Brunswick, Georgia on May 2, 2025, returning roughly one year later after stops in Bermuda, the Azores (Horta and Praia da Vitoria on Terceira), Porto Santo, Agadir, Cape Verde (Mindelo on São Vicente), Dominica, and St. Thomas.33:21 The sailor, Mark, had no prior offshore experience and undertook the voyage after losing his wife to cancer and leaving a corporate career.28:39 The Georgia-to-Bermuda leg covered 1,000 nautical miles in 12 days after weather diversions nearly doubled the planned distance.34:13 Bermuda to Horta ran 1,900 nautical miles in 15 days at near hull speed.36:53 The Cape Verde-to-Dominica crossing was 2,200 nautical miles in 20 days, mostly wing-on-wing, with two successive squall systems requiring triple-reefed main and 90% furled Genoa two days out.46:20 The boat runs an electric motor with regenerative charging instead of diesel, a converted tiller replacing wheel steering, a battenless main, removable staysail stay, asymmetric spinnaker, storm jib, and a Jordan Series drogue (not deployed).1:17 Navigation relied on a Garmin GPS Map 943XSV chartplotter; two Garmin inReach Mini units provided redundant communication.19:31 The staysail-plus-furled-Genoa combination allowed rapid depowering from the cockpit without foredeck work in heavy conditions.3:07
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