Grayhound Ventures

While crossing the Raz de Sein, the "Cape Horn" of Europe, we had to wait for the exact right window to pass. This gave me a somehow ancestra feelingl in realizing that we must wait for nature to grant us passage. The wrong timing would have not allowed us to pass because of the strong currents.

​An old Breton legend tells about the lost city of Ys, lost to these waters just beneath the hull of Grayhound, a drowned kingdom. They say it was the most glorious city of the Breton coast, protected from the ocean by great bronze gates, until the sea claimed it in a single, tragic night.

​On quiet evenings, when the swell is long and the wind falls to a whisper, you sit on deck and listen. The locals swear that at the right turn of the tide, you can still hear the faint, muffled chime of church bells echoing up from the deep sandy floor, ringing a mass for a world long gone.

Soon the Grayhound will cross these rugged waters, harboring sunken cities, epic lighthouses, and jagged shorelines filled with incredible caves just waiting to be discovered. 🌊

Throwback to when Grayhound crossed the Atlantic, explored the Caribbeans and saild back through storms to the Azores and North of Spain.

On board there was a wonderful crew! Our captain Filemon, , Anthony who sailed with Grayhound to and back from the Atlantic, Fran, Isa in the galley , Mihał and many others!

Here are the log entries about that voyage back by

"March 27, 2024
Evening watch 1600-2000 LT
Thunderstorm and ripped sails

We are now sailing straight towards the Azores. We trying to stay between a high pressure and a low pressure where the winds are strong.

There is a lot of rain and we get constantly soaked by either rain or waves. For five minutes the sun came out and everybody quickly got their gear, clothes and linen on deck to dry them. A gust and a few waves later we gave up and brought everything back, even more wet than before.

Around 1700 LT the mizzen ripped open a seam and almost split in half. No surprises. It's an old sail and it was repaired on the previous Atlantic crossing, so I guess it's a tradition. We hoisted a smaller, makeshift mizzen that someone gave to us in the Canaries. It looks like a dingy sail, but it seems to do the job, because the steering is ok and we haven't lost much speed. We will stitch the old mizzen back together once the weather calms down a bit.

Just after dark, a thunderstorm appeared behind us. First in the SW, then in the Souh. It moved quickly towards North, coming a bit closer. Now its completely dark and all we can see are the flashes straight ahead.

March 28, 2024
Morning watch 0800-1200 LT
Storm-sail

Wind indicator pointing West: Easterly winds. Wind indicator gone: Strong winds.

We had to take down the main-sail and put up a smaller tri-sail as storm-sail. We are still doing 8 knots, no matter how many sails we remove, so it was apparently a good decision.

Water is gushing in through the gun-ports and rain and waves are making sure we stay constantly wet."

What an adventure and a team work must have been in board! And of course a storm is not the norm! It could happen but our crew is more than experienced to get through it without problems ⛈️

Middle of the night. Anchor chain going down. I didn’t even hear it. I was asleep in my bunk, which, by the way, is right next to the fore hatch where the anchor chain runs. I was just too tired.

Just around sunrise I wake up and get on deck. A dense fog surrounds the ship. But it’s not cold, not warm. Have we reached the Isles of Scilly? The Caribbeans of Europe? I just see fog. Some crewmates undress and jump into the cold morning water to wake up and shower after the crossing of the English Channel. It was a very calm crossing, mostly flat water. Some fog, alternating with scorching sun. Until we saw one of the few remaining floating lighthouses, announcing the approach to the Cornish coast and the Isles of Scilly.

The last land we saw before crossing the channel was Île d’Ouessant, an incredible gem in the northwest of Brittany. It would be nice to see land now, but there’s only fog around us.

The crewmates get out of the water and step on deck to shower, and suddenly the sun starts peeking through the fog. In a matter of minutes, it all disappears, revealing a rocky, bright green landscape, dominated by a thick, white lighthouse.

Soon we start exploring the land. Once ashore, I also take a bath.

Would you like an adventure on the Caribbeans of Europe? June 23 we'll leave Douarnenez to live it all once again 🏝

The food I had onboard Grayhound was always amazing. Somehow it just hits different after a long day of work and a night watch… like your whole body is just ready for it. Honestly, apart from sunsets, sunrises, and dolphins, I was just waiting to hear that one word: “platos!!”

And it was always so good and vegetarian, I actually learned some vegetarian recipies while on board, like gratin in the oven.

Sometimes I’d sneak around the galley. My idea was also to help out cooking so I could learn some more recipies but let’s be real, to snack a bit and breathe in whatever was cooking. But the chef on board Chiaretta always had it under control. Most of the time it was like, “thanks, but no need,” and fair enough… it’s such a small space that I probably just get in the way more than anything.

And then there’s the ocean providing its own surprises. If a fish jumps onboard, well… we’re not necessarily throwing it back. Or when we catch something with a line, sometimes we’d hang it out on deck, let it dry in the sun, and then just eat it dry and raw. Simple, direct, just sea to mouth.

Ah, of course on board there are music instruments like a guitar, an electric foldable piano and an old violin. But also books about pirates, mysterious creatures and weird rituals.

A floating home, you could say, and you are welcome home 🏡🏴‍☠️

Grayhound Friends! The sea is calling… There are still 5️⃣ available spots for Douarnenez - Pasaia and back!! 🌊

In Pasaia, the Maritime Festival awaits us, finding place in a beautiful river delta… what the way there will look like? Nobody can say - but crossing Biscay is always an adventure in and of itself.

❓You can join the ship to sail from Douarnenez to Pasaia, stay for the festival, or sail back from Pasaia to Douarnenez.

🤫 our recommendation:
If you can make yourself free from may 8 to 25, we suggest to do the full round trip with us to really immerse yourself in this adventure of traditional sailing.

Find the voyages on : 🌐 grayhoundshipping.com/voyages-list