Nordhavn 76 Spirit of Ulysses is crossing the Atlantic. And you can (virtually) join them!

Spirit of Ulysses wraps up successful ocean crossing

The crew of Spirit of Ulysses crossed the finish line of their Atlantic Crossing on Sunday morning, commencing what was a pretty routine cruise for a Nordhavn, but a memorable and exhilarating first crossing for the owner (on his first boat ever, no less).

The 17-day journey – including a two-day layover in Cape Verde – was filled with confused seas, fierce winds, and some uncomfortable days offshore but crew member James Leishman said as far as ocean crossings go, this was a fun one. Of course, categorizing a passage as positive or not usually is a reflection of the weather but more so, the attitudes of the crew on board. “We had a fantastic group of people on this trip,” James said, which was a good thing considering the weather they faced the first half of the journey.

SoU arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados on Sunday and had to await COVID clearance before the crew was allowed to disembark. A doctor had been called to the boat to administer tests but because it was a Sunday, things were operating on island time x 10. About six hours later, the doc arrived. As soon as they received their negative test results they made their way to Port St. Charles where a slip was waiting for them. No sooner had they tied up the boat did they head out for a celebratory dinner at one of the beach side restaurants nearby.

Due to the delays the weather had caused, the crew needed to hasten their exit so James, Doug and Jordi left before dawn the next morning to make their flights home. “It was kind of bittersweet,” said James. “Kind of an abrupt ending to it all.” Normally the crew would’ve taken a couple days to decompress and explore the area but with the holidays quickly approaching, there was no time.

The trip was an eye-opener for owner Mike. He was thrilled with the performance of the N76, but as a lot of owners realize, he wants more space! He did reveal in one of his log reports that he is considering moving up to a new 80 or possibly an 86. So tentatively, Spirit of Ulysses will be brought to Fort Lauderdale where it will be listed for sale by James.

By the numbers: SoU arrived at Barbados with 500 gallons of spare fuel, which was according to plan. If they throttled back a bit, they would’ve had at least two+ days’ worth of reserve, but they targeted a speed of 8.5 knots which meant they wound up with a bit skinnier reserve. Average fuel burn was 12 gallons/hour (6 gals. Per engine) at 8.5 knots and 1248 rpm, although results vary depending on wind and sea state.

Thanks to everyone who joined the journey, tracked the boat and submitted questions. See you on the next adventure!

New photos and video below

Nordhavn 76 Spirit of Ulysses is crossing the Atlantic
And you can (virtually) join them!

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On Friday, December 3, Nordhavn 76 Spirit of Ulysses will embark on an Atlantic Crossing, a 2,000 nm trek from the Canary Islands to Barbados. It will be the apex of a dream adventure for owner Mike Ridgway, a retired businessman who decided a couple years ago that he wanted to take his life in a different direction. Quite literally. Earlier this year, Mike purchased Spirit of Ulysses which had been lying in mainland Spain. It put the wheels in motion for a global exploration, one that Mike had thought about making ever since he retired from his computer software job. Following the delivery of the N76, Mike, a native New Zealander, set forth a plan to shake the boat down with several overnight cruises around the Med, traveling from to Ibiza, Mallorca and Gibraltar so he could familiarize himself with the boat and learn the ropes from his captain Jordi, who had just come off a Nordhavn 86. The N76 is Mike’s first boat, which he purchased for its safety, seaworthiness and successful track record of long, ambitious cruising. He also tapped Jordi for his experience with Nordhavns especially when it came to offshore passages. 
 
Along with Mike and Jordi on this 10+day crossing will be Mike’s friend, Lisa Bryan, and Nordhavn staffers, James Leishman who is Mike’s salesman, and Doug Harlow, Nordhavn’s website and media specialist. For James, the trip is an opportunity to get another ocean crossing under his belt. But more important, it is the chance to spend time with his client. “I’m really excited to support Mike in achieving his long-time dream,” said James. Is it odd for Nordhavn employees to accompany their clients on voyages? Not at Nordhavn. “We’ve got the most experienced sales team in the business,” James said. “We’re hands on. We know these boats like no one else, so it’s natural to continue to be there for our clients. It’s in our best interest to make sure our clients have success and enjoyable experiences with their Nordhavns.”
 
The crew will take a look at the weather prior to departure, but expect to shove off from the island of Lanzarote Friday morning. They are taking a southern route for this crossing, said James, so the water and air temps should be warm. “I anticipate a great trip,” he said. “It should be a lot of relaxing and good fishing.”
 
There will be daily log updates (service permitting) from the boat. You can submit questions to the Spirit of Ulysses crew by using the form below, and follow along with them via the GPS tracker map as they take on the high seas and embark on one Nordhavn owner’s dream journey.
 

Q: Greetings SOU,

What was the course correction on Dec 17 c. 9:30am (UTC -5) Lat 13.27 Lon -53.39 to correct for?

Wishing you continued good luck,
Landlubber Dave

A: I think what you are referring to is when we had to adjust our course because the seas were getting big and we wanted to be more comfortable. James

 

Q: Greetings Spirit of Ulysses—
Here’s a question for each of the five of you:
If you could make a substantial change to any substantial part of Spirit of Ulysses to better suit her to ocean crossings, what would that change be?
Smooth “sailing” and many thanks.
William Witter
N76-27, “Freeman”

A. Hi William, great question. I will ask each team member to answer.

James: For me I would have liked to have satellite internet access. Currently we are able to communicate via a Garmin Inreach, iridium Go!, and a satellite phone. None of this equipment allows us internet access.

Doug: We are conserving diesel fuel and using the generator one hour a day so the stateroom below by the engine room gets pretty hot. I would say an improvement would be bigger fans!

Jordi: I would like to see a PTO (Power take-off)on the 33k genset. The original owner did not include this when the boat was originally ordered.

Lisa: I would second the call for internet on board in order to make it easier to communicate with family as well as prep for arrival. Aside from that, an ice maker would be ideal. (I should qualify that by saying there are actually two ice makers on board which were previously disconnected!)

Mike: I’d like to have an additional freezer aboard. We currently have two aboard now. I also wish my daughter would have been able to join the adventure. She just finished her last year of high school and it would have been a really cool experience for her.

 

Q: Hello, My daughter and I very much enjoy following your adventure as we would love, one day, to do the same. The question we had is why you do not wear any life vests while on the deck ? We sail in the UK (Solent) and always have ours when outdoors (on our smaller boat). Thank you, Guillaume and Olivia

A: Hi Guillame and Olivia, thank you for your question. When going out on deck, we always evaluate the swell and weather before any crew goes out. Everyone has a life jacket and harness ready to go if needed. You might have read about James wearing his during the bad weather while he was grilling in the cockpit. We also ensure no one goes outside at night. Good luck with your cruising plans. – Capt. Jordi

 

Q: Greetings , I own 7610 and I’m planning to make the same crossing in a couple of years. I’m interested to know if you have a specific strategy about targeting Nm/gal and if is so, what is the number you look to maintain. Also if you are planning to run one engine at the time (to save fuel and oil change along the crossing) and what are the reading of your digital flowmeter at different rpms.
thanks and have a wonderful trip. Paolo

A. Congratulations on owning N7610! We are constantly looking at the weather forecast – we also look at consumption which constantly changes with current, wind and wave. Currently we are running along at 1249/1248 rpm at 8.5 knots burning just under 6 US gallons per engine per/hr. We have a good forecast for the next two days and plan to slow a bit to add to our reserve fuel. – James

 

Q: Hi Guys, thanks for posting and allowing us to ride along! I check several times a day – almost feel as though I’m there with you! Does Spirit of Ulysses have a bulbous bow? Given the prevailing conditions, which appear to be mostly quartering, would you have any preference, i.e., bulbous or not? Hope you’re all having a great time! Lance

A: Hi Lance, thanks for the question! SOU does not have a bulbous bow. That’s an option the original buyer did not select. With the seas behind us I don’t really notice a difference. Captain Jordi thinks we would pick up a little speed if the boat did have the optional bulb fitted. -James

 

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