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"I'll be ready in 5 minutes".... How Long?!

Updated: Dec 8, 2020

How long will it take to prepare for our Atlantic Crossing in a Leisure 17?


Our 4 to 5 weeks spent at sea (read below) will be tiny in comparison to the planning, preparation and training time required just to get us to the launch ramp in The Canary Islands.


Every crew would be different, but based on our own crew's experience here is our rough preparation time:

In total, the skipper 'J-K' will have spent around 150 days (1200 hours), and the First Mate around 65 days (500 hours) of preparing and fundraising for the Atlantic Crossing... It will take nearly five to six times the duration of the Atlantic crossing to prepare for it (spread over two years)!

This does not include the 14 years of sailing experience, six years of project research, and all of the prior technical experience gained by the 'J-K' in his Marine Surveying and Marine Electronics background working with Ocean Rowing Boats and long-distance cruising sailors!!!

How long will it take to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a tiny Leisure 17 sailboat?

Based on a 2600nm (nautical miles) sailing at speed of 3kn (knots) it is estimated to take about 36 days from The Canary Islands to the Caribbean. A similar Leisure was reported to have made the trip in 31 days, an average of 3.5 knots.


So we will aim for about 33 days (an average of the two)... HOWEVER We will have an ace up our sleeve. Using 21st-century technology we hope to be able to 'motor-sail' using excess power from our solar panels and wind generator to drive an electric motor to push us along at an extra 0.5-1kn per hour, or if we are becalmed in still sunny weather. This should increase our average speed to 3.75-4.25 knots. This means we hope to be able to squeeze four to five days off our crossing time and complete the trip in just a smidge under four weeks! THANK YOU - From the Sofa To Sailboat Crew

If you would like to find out more about donating to our charities, or sponsoring our adventure please visit the following pages: Our Charities/ Sponsor Us/ Shop

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