Is hitchhiking across the Atlantic a real thing?
Yes, it is. Although it requires effort, flexibility, adaptation and social skills, it is doable by anyone who has enough willpower.
I was walking the Camino de Santiago when a fellow traveler mentioned that people hitchhike across the ocean. I remember thinking to myself what a crazy adventure that would be and how complex it may be to actually do it.
About a month later, I found myself in the Canary Islands, without knowing it would be the crossing season and the perfect location to join aboard a sailboat heading to the Caribbeans. I heard a yachtie speaking to people at a local pub in La Palma, about his sailing adventures and how he hitchhiked across the Atlantic three times. He had his cell phone pulled out, full of pictures of incredible sunsets, sunrises, stars and dolphins. He was so enthusiastic; in that moment I knew I had to experience this.
I was going to make it happen, except I had no idea how to go about it, how to trust the right captain and if anyone would accept me on board at all.
I took a piece of pen and paper, and started putting up my information in marinas and ports. Soon enough I realized no one was reading it, and the paper was either taken down or flown away.
That is how I got to discover all the online stuff below:
On all these pages, you can share your level of experience, what you are looking for and (hopefully) find the perfect match. Again, you will have to be very flexible with your dates and destination.
Majority of people choosing to travel this way are a unique breed of wanderers, who enjoy the slow pace of travel and can adopt well to last minute changes, cancellations, or having to stay in a location much longer than intended.
How much previous sailing experience do I need?
None. And no, I am not being a lunatic saying this. As long as you are physically and mentally fit and trust yourself that you can cope with being stuck in a confined space with a handful of people for about two to three weeks, you can cross the ocean.
In fact, people are interested in taking you on with little experience, as long as you are willing to learn. This way you are unlikely to ask for much money in exchange for your help onboard.
Again, I recommend gaining experience at least through coastal sailing and only setting sail with a captain you fully trust, for your own peace of mind.
You found a boat headed in your destination. What happens next? And how it went for me?
As I said, flexibility and adaptation skills are everything. It took me some time to fully digest the fact that things going according to plan is not only up to the captain and him being punctual. After all you are going sailing and there is one important factor to consider: the wind. Yes, there may be days if not weeks of no wind blowing strong enough in your direction. That is exactly what happened.
I moved in with a couple, their puppy and another crew member, to join them on their journey from the Canary Islands to the Caribbeans. We went provisioning for food for the crossing, got everything ready and set up, but never set sail.
Even the puppy is wondering when we are setting sail.
The weather kept changing and so did their plans, they kept hoping that we would be leaving tomorrow. We were still in the same spot at the marina after three weeks! By then, I had already madly fallen in love with a guy from the island and decided that the ocean could wait.
Me, already planning our wedding.
Two years later….
Determination is also a key factor. I had this burning desire to make the crossing happen, even after two years and many life events in between. By then, I had relocated back to Canada and it was winter time. I decided I would go from West to East, from America back to Europe, which is considered to be the more difficult route as you are mostly going against the wind, and not a very fun journey.
I knew many people living on the sea by now, and it was mostly the same people going around the world. Not so shockingly, I recognized quite a few sailors spending the winter in the Caribbeans whom I had met in the Canaries, and some were getting ready to head back to Europe for the summer.
I used the above web pages to find a boat and as I had a spare month until the departure date, I decided I would spend it sailing in the Bahamas with a new fling, an American sailor I was quickly developing feelings for, and get a bit of sea time under my belt before the big voyage.
A little day break from the boat life.
We were enjoying ourselves exploring the several islands and as history likes to repeat itself, I found myself debating if I should or should not leave him to cross the ocean. He was going through a messy break up with his ex and I had already once made the mistake of postponing my dreams for a guy, so it seemed like a better idea to follow through my plans.
I flew into St. Martin from the Bahamas on the day of departure, to meet up with the rest of the crew and we set off to Europe few hours after my landing.
Having a quick pre-departure Bloody Marry, without any idea of what to expect.
How was the journey? And a few lessons I learned along the way…
I don’t know if you are anything like me, but I tend to regret things immediately after I commit. So, I did. I spent the first two days thinking I am insane for doing this, and the next two about wanting to go back to the land. I accepted and made peace with my decision after that. Then came the seasickness. It seemed like everyone was taking turns being sick. Thankfully our captain was a forward thinker, and he had enough seasickness pills for all of us. It was quiet for the first week. Too quiet. I panicked as soon as we stopped moving each time. I prayed for wind. The calm was the perfect time for reflection though, and that was everything I wished for. I had more than enough time to think and to think some more. You are stuck and you are not sure for how long. For us it was twenty days.
Daring to swim mid-Atlantic.
The wind picked up eventually, and about the same time our autopilot stopped working, which meant we had to steer manually for the last week of the journey. We had bad storms for the last couple of days and I can now say I am confident on a boat, having had more than enough time to read, practice and digest all things sailing.
Middle of nowhere, literally.
Foodwise, we were lucky to have several fridges to store fresh veggies, yogurt and cheese, more than enough to last for the duration of the trip. We never fished! Everyone onboard was vegetarian. I had an amazing group of three others with me and I would say it was a very smooth and enjoyable journey, as having good company is one of the key factors.
Cooking time, aka the most fun activity onboard.
We did spot dolphins, had amazing sunrises and sunsets and stars. So bright your eyes hurt looking up and your brain can not internalize the beauty of it all.
The sunsets were indeed pretty sweet.
Although I would say boat hitchhiking is possibly among the most challenging ways of travelling, it is also the most rewarding. Your mind slows down and your body adjust to the course of nature. You feel you are part of something much bigger than you perceive in your day-to-day life. Being away from land for such an extended amount of time transforms you and makes you appreciate what we assume are the little things. You learn to overcome adversity and develop resilience in the face of uncertainty. By disconnecting from the pressures of society, you immerse yourself in the simplicity and beauty of life at sea. You realize that the world is absolute magic. And chances are you get hooked, to the feeling of being free, being away, being able to go with the wind.
Wouldn’t you want to be there?
I know I did. Despite the challenges, I would repeat it again in a heartbeat. Now, bring on the Pacific.
If you enjoyed this adventure, you might also like my blog post about hiking to an erupting volcano!
P.S: I kept it brief, but if you are interested in any technical details message me!
P.P.S: Please excuse any typos and errors, unless you want to be my free editor!
Travelling long term is fun but constantly arranging transport & hotels for yourself can be exhausting if you don’t know where to look. I use the following platforms to make my booking process a breeze:
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Great story, hope to see more !
Thank you!!
Truly awe inspiring!
Thank you!!
Super!
I’m waiting for your new experiences.
Thank you!!