Why We Chose the “Magic Carpet Ride”

PAM:  After Mira was in the water and ready to go – what would be the best way to get her from Argentina to the Caribbean? Since she would be heading north during the end of Caribbean hurricane season (officially ends November 1), we needed to arrive at an island south of the hurricane zone. Grenada, at the southern tip of the chain, fit the bill. Grenada is also a beautiful island and a cruising haven with lots of marinas and boatyards.

Antares yachts have been delivered by both professional captains and/or their new owners to the Caribbean for years. We just needed to decide what was the best way for us.  The sail to Grenada takes about 40 days total. Many of these days are spent miles offshore – out of sight of land – and without anchoring every night. This meant that we needed 3-4 people on board that could take shifts at the helm and sail her at night and in rough offshore seas. To further complicate matters, the sail north from Argentina up the coast of Brazil is traditionally filled with challenges. Strong winds on the nose of the boat, strong adverse currents, unpredictable weather conditions, and local unmarked fishing boats with nets to snag propellors. All things that neither Glenn nor I really wanted to experience on Mira’s maiden voyage!

But, as the boat would continue north and round the top corner of Brazil, the winds should shift and become more predictable and more friendly to sailboats.  Pikin, a seasoned Antares delivery captain, described the sail as “a magic carpet ride”! The wind is usually from behind the boat and blows very consistently – making the last 10-12 days of the trip very enjoyable.

As soon as we heard that, the decision was easy! We hired Pikin and his crew to take Mira all the way up the coast of Brazil – through the challenging parts. Then, Glenn and I would  join them in Fortaleza (very northeast corner of Brazil) for the last 10-12 days of sailing offshore for “the magic carpet ride”! What better way to learn Mira than from a professional skipper while enjoying such a delightful sail!