Maltese Falcon

Atlantic Crossing - Day 6

Atlantic Crossing – Day 6
 
After six days out at sea, we are beginning to see some
significant progress on our charts! We currently are about 1200nm West of
Gibraltar, with another 2,000nm to go before reaching the Caribbean. 
We have seen almost no traffic within the last 24 hours, but
today the S/Y Helios, another Perini Navi, happened to cross about 4nm ahead of
us. It certainly makes the world seem small when you have an unplanned
rendezvous with a familiar vessel, while out in the middle of the Atlantic!
The winds are still remaining favorable, pushing us along at
an average speed of around 12 kts. We have recently seen several small
rain squalls in the area, but have not actually been hit by any yet. 
However, the nearby squalls have been altering our wind speed and direction so
we have been making small course alterations as necessary to compensate. 
 
Jeremy Smith
Deckhand
 
 
 

Atlantic Crossing - Day 5

Atlantic Crossing – Day 5
 
We have now entered our fifth day since leaving Gibraltar,
and things are still going very smoothly. We have not yet run the
engines, and the wind has increased to 15-25 kts, providing us with boat speeds
of up to 16 kts! Even though the wind has increased, the seas are still only
about a meter in height, so the ride is very comfortable with minimal
rolling. As the wind is on the stern, the deck is comfortable and many of
the crew are enjoying the sunshine during their time off.
This morning around 0815 we had some excitement when Justin
and Larim managed to reel-in a nice Mahi-Mahi. 
During the last 24 hours, we have traveled about 300nm with
an average speed of 12.5 kts. We are now heading Southwest and our trip
log just ticked past 1000nm, putting us about 900nm WSW of Gibraltar. 
 
Jeremy Smith
Deckhand
 
 
 

Atlantic Crossing - Day 4

Atlantic Crossing – Day 4
 
Luckily, the weather has been continuing to cooperate and we
are still under sail after more than three full days of travel. We have
been experiencing clear weather with 12-18 kts of wind from the Northeast and
gentle seas of less than 1 meter. During the last 24 hours we have been
averaging roughly 10.4 kts, putting another 250 nm under the keel. We
have seen only a couple of ships, but enjoyed the company of a huge pod of
dolphins this afternoon. 
As of this writing, we sit about 600 nm West of Gibraltar
and only 65nm NW of the Portuguese island of Madeira. 
According to our weather routing service, there will be more
wind in the Southern latitudes during the next few days. Therefore, we
have spent most of today traveling due South to try and catch the breeze.
 
Jeremy
 
 
 

Leaving Genoa to Begin a Transatlantic Adventure

 
During the last month, the Maltese Falcon has been docked at
a Marina in Genova, Italy for a short yard period in preparation for her next
charter season.
 
A week ago, the Falcon dropped her mooring lines and set a
course for the historic port of Gibraltar. During the 3-day, 900 nautical
mile trip West, we had the opportunity to give the main engines and generators
a good test and we were happy to find that everything was working
flawlessly. 
 
Due to its ideal location at the extreme Western end of the
Mediterranean, Gibraltar is a major port for ships heading both Eastbound and
Westbound across the Atlantic. On our approach to the harbor, we
encountered a huge amount of shipping traffic primarily consisting of cargo
ships and tankers. At 88 meters in length the Maltese Falcon is usually
the largest vessel in any port she visits, but here many vessels measuring 300
meters or more dwarfed her. 
 
After having several guests aboard and being joined by a few
more crew, the Maltese Falcon spent the night in Gibraltar and everybody
enjoyed a final night ashore. The yacht’s original owner, Tom
Perkins, has chartered the vessel to join us for the trip across the Atlantic
and it is great to have him back on board!
 
On Wednesday, November 3rd, the Falcon departed
Gibraltar to begin her 3,000nm+ journey across the Atlantic Ocean. We
were able to almost immediately set the sails after leaving the dock, and
gracefully sailed out of the harbor through the myriad of cargo ships and
tankers.
 
As of this posting, the Falcon has been underway for two
days and has been averaging approximately 275nm per day at 11.5kts, with 10
jibes mixed in. Other than the brief time running the engine to leave the
dock in Gibraltar, we have constantly been sailing with favorable winds of
10-15 kts and calm seas. We have encountered only a few other vessels,
including one 40-50’ sailboat that we passed closely yesterday.
 
Enjoy these photos of our departure from Gibraltar and the
beginning of our ocean crossing. 
 
Jeremy Smith
Deckhand
 
 
 

Monaco yacht show 2010

The 2010 Monaco Yacht Show
 
Every year, hundreds of mega-yachts descend upon the tiny
country of Monaco for the annual Monaco Yacht Show. The display is truly
one of the most incredible in the world, as billions of dollars worth of
yachts, tenders, submarines, and equipment are in attendance. From the
reasonable to the far-fetched, cheap to the expensive, silly to the serious,
everything always looks as shiny and new as possible while seeking that
potential buyer. 
 
In addition to the mega-yachts, the Turanor PlanetSolar
vessel was on display. This 30-meter yacht is powered by 500 square
meters of solar panels, and it is the largest solar-powered vessel in the
world. 
 
The Maltese Falcon was not in the show this year as she is
not for sale, but she was anchored in the outer harbor along with dozens of
other mega-yachts. Although these yachts were not officially in the show,
individuals willing to brave a bumpy tender ride came out to view many of
them. The Maltese Falcon had a very successful showing, as she was viewed
by hundreds of clients and brokers. 
 
At the end of the show, all of the yachts sounded their
horns to create a symphony of compressed air, and most were gone before one
could blink an eye. Within two days all of the temporary docks had been
removed, and the harbor almost looked normal again.   
 
Shortly after the show ended, the Falcon took a local
day-sail with several guests in a perfect 10-15 knot breeze. This sail
marked the end of our season, and we are anxiously looking forward to the next
one! 
 
Jeremy Smith
Deckhand