It took 7 hours to fill up Sergio Davì’s dinghy, the Arethusa Explorer. With a total of about 7,000 liters of gasoline loaded between jerry cans and tank, the oceanic sailor set off from Mindelo, Cape Verde, to set course for French Guiana.
Sergio Davì in the Atlantic Ocean
On board with Sergio Davì is Teo Aiello of Nuova Jolly Marine. Their journey, which began yesterday, is proceeding toward French Guiana at a speed of about 8 knots. This is because the dinghy, so loaded with fuel, sails in displacement mode. Moving forward and decreasing the amount of fuel taken in will also increase the speed of the boat.
The latest update from the official page this morning:
“Sergio and Teo were able to rest, albeit from a seated position because of the very little space available. Meanwhile, the wind has dropped and the sea is calmer, allowing for calmer sailing. Recall that for these first few days, due to the loaded weight, the Arethusa Explorer will proceed in displacement, not exceeding 8 knots.
Right now they are sailing with the trade wind in their stern, so favorable wind, which should accompany them to their destination in Cayenne, French Guiana. To follow Sergio Davì live, click here
Sergio Davì from Mindelo to Cayenne
Some 1,800 nautical miles separate the Cape Verdean port from Sergio Daví’s destination. This will be one of the most challenging and hardest stages of his journey that is taking him from Palermo to Los Angeles. A 10,000-mile total route in which the navigator will touch several countries.
Sergio Davì’s dinghy is a Nuova Jolly Prince 38, 10.63 meters long and 3.80 meters wide. The engines, on the other hand, are two Suzuki DF300Bs equipped with twin counter-rotating propellers, an important element since the dinghy is often stressed under heavy loads such as the 7,000 liters of fuel loaded for this leg.
To see all the stages and schedule read this article
Update 08/02/2022
As reported on Commander Sergio Davì’s Facebook page, the journey is proceeding well. The Palermo navigator and Teo Aiello accompanying him had a chance to rest on board. The dinghy is still proceeding in displacement (at about 8 knots) while waiting for the fuel load to reach optimal levels to begin gliding. As of now they are still about 1,000 nautical miles from French Guiana. Once the dinghy enters planing mode the daily miles traveled should increase significantly.
*updating*
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