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When we set off from the UK, we always had one goal in mind... To cross the Atlantic Ocean. Now we're actually doing it! After 6 months of preparing ourselves and our boat, our first leg from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde gave us our first taste of this epic adventure. Come with us for the ride! Filmed January 2026. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video, you can support our channel by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #atlanticcrossing #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #rival41 #canaryislands #capeverde
Atlantic Crossing Begins | Sailing 1,000 Miles to Cape Verde
After waiting weeks for a weather window to sail the 700 miles from Gibraltar to the Canary islands, off the West Coast of Africa, we finally took our chance! We originally planned to do this passage with two of our friends as crew, but due to the bad weather and fast-approaching Christmas period, we ended up having to tackle our longest passage yet, just the two of us. The Canary Islands are famous for being the launching off point for an Atlantic crossing, so if we want to make it to the Caribbean, we need to make it to there first. In this episode, we're headed for Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, a place well known for being the perfect place to stock up on provisions for a long Atlantic crossing, fix any final issues on the boat, as well as it's year-round warm weather. This passage is our first taste of bluewater ocean sailing, and we face 6 challenging days of constant 3-hour shift pattern, improvised meals and plenty of sail changes. Filmed December 2025. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video, you can support our channel by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #atlanticcrossing #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #rival41 #canaryislands
Our First Taste of BLUEWATER SAILING – Offshore Passage to the Canary Islands
Two years ago we set foot on a sailing boat for the very first time, when we completed our week-long competent crew course at a sailing school in Gibraltar. Now we have returned, but this time on our own boat, Calidris Alba. We've sailed from the UK, down the coast of Portugal and Spain, and have finally made it to the Southern tip of continental Europe. This point in our journey is a huge full circle moment for us. When we did our RYA Competent Crew and then Day Skipper qualifications, we never imagined we'd be returning to the same waters so soon, and definitely not on our own boat, having sailed all the way from the UK. Reaching this point also means getting ready for our longest passage so far. On our next leg of the journey, we're heading South to the Canary Islands, before set off across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. But before we can leave, we get stuck in port for 2 weeks waiting for a weather window to leave Gibraltar - and Christmas is approaching... Filmed December 2025. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video, you can support our channel by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #atlanticcrossing #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #rival41
We learnt to sail here two years ago. Now we're back on our OWN BOAT.
For as long as we've owned Calidris Alba, power has been one of our biggest challenges. Every day we had to carefully watch what we switched on, ration fridge use, and were constantly worried about draining our batteries. Moving on-board our 40-year-old sailing boat was always going to mean adjusting our power consumption, but our old and low capacity battery system was making things far more difficult than they needed to be. In this episode, we finally tackle replacing our leisure batteries, one of the biggest upgrades we've wanted to make since buying the boat. More capacity means less worrying, more freedom at anchor, and for the first time... cold beers! As we prepare for our journey across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, reliable power is essential, and now this is ticked off, it's another big step towards getting Calidris Alba ready to go offshore. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video, you can support our channel by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #batteryupgrade #atlanticcrossing #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #rival41
We Fixed the WORST Thing About Our Liveaboard Sailing Boat
FINALLY! Turns out living sustainably off the ocean isn’t as easy as we thought… #sailing #fishing
We’re getting closer to our first ocean crossing from Europe to the Caribbean… but one major problem stood in the way. Despite our standing rigging being in good condition and less than 10 years old, our insurance required it to be replaced before we could cross the ocean. Already being in the South of Spain, didn’t leave us with many options, or much time. Living aboard on a tight budget, we’re doing everything we can to save money along the way, and paying a professional rigger to do the whole job simply wasn’t an option. So as complete beginners with no experience, we decided to take it on ourselves and become rigging apprentices for the week! In this episode, we replace the standing rigging on our 40-year-old sailing boat, Calidris Alba. There were mistakes, setbacks, and plenty of learning curves along the way. With the rigging finally checked off, next stop, the Atlantic… ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video and would like to send us a small treat, you can buy us a coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #rigging #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #spain
We replaced our STANDING RIGGING (with ZERO experience)
This was one of the hardest days since buying our boat. While lifting anchor to leave the anchorage at Culatra in the Algarve, we accidentally snagged a fishing net… which then wrapped itself around our propeller. With a strong tide going out and pushing us towards the shore, we were in a race against time to free the prop before running aground — at one point with just 10cm beneath the keel. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba as we slowly make our way from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calidris.crew ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #orca #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #portugal #nazare #surfing Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:28 Leaving Sagres 01:26 Arrival in Portimão and meeting another Rival 41 02:18 Raymarine and engine battery voltage Issue 03:47 Arrival in Ilha da Culatra and heading off to explore 05:36 We nearly ran aground 07:29 Cutting the fishing net off the propeller 09:30 Checking the engine and propeller shaft before setting off 11:26 Finally on the move again 13:34 More fishing net slalom 15:07 Anchor down in Mazagon
We nearly RAN AGROUND… Fishing Net Wrapped Around Our Prop
BOAT TOUR of our Rival 41 liveaboard sailing boat🤙🏼 Full tour on our channel! #boattour #sailing
Welcome on board Calidris Alba. We are excited to finally give you a tour of our 1986 Rival 41 CC and show you what life is really like living full-time on a bluewater sailing boat. After months of refitting her for ocean sailing, it’s time to get up close and personal and see how we’ve turned her into our home. The Rival 41 is known for being a very capable ocean-going vessel, with a heavy encapsulated keel, skeg-hung rudder, cutter rig, and beautiful lines. The centre cockpit layout gives us a large aft cabin (which we love!), two heads (bathrooms), a U-shaped galley (kitchen), and a spacious saloon. Take the full tour and see what she’s like inside and out! ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 yacht Calidris Alba as we slowly make our way from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. ⚙️ For more technical details on Calidris Alba, read our recent blog 'An Introduction to Calidris Alba': https://calidriscrew.com/an-introduction-to-calidris-alba/ 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calidris.crew ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #orca #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #portugal #nazare #surfing Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:50 Front Cabin and Forward Heads (Bathroom) 02:14 Saloon 03:24 Galley (Kitchen) 05:23 Chart Table 06:56 Engine Room 08:36 Main Cabin 10:37 Cockpit 12:33 Aft Deck 15:20 Foredeck 18:08 Bow 18:54 Mast 19:28 Thanks for watching!
BOAT TOUR of our Rival 41 Liveaboard Sailing Boat
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