Windelo 54 owner testimonial: crossing the Atlantic using only green energies
by Windelo 29 Mar 2023 23:17 UTC

B Cube, a Windelo 54 Adventure © Windelo
Manon and Robert, owners of B Cube, a Windelo 54 Adventure, crossed the Atlantic in twelve days while using only green energy!
All this was possible thanks to the different innovations on board their eco-catamaran, such as the 3300-watt solar panels, hydrogenation, and the Boat Management System for managing the production and consumption of their onboard energy.
And they are excited to share their crossing experience with all of us!
A testimonial: an Atlantic crossing aboard a Windelo 54
"Owners of a Windelo 54 Adventure for two months and still learning, we began crossing the Atlantic on February 8 from the Mindelo marina.
For our crossing, it took us 12 days to sail the 2 300 nautical miles between the island of Sao Vincente in Cape Verde and Barbados. The squalls and the strong swell accompanied us from start to finish. All our sails came in handy; we were very conservative and took much caution at night. We passed only two freighters before our final approach.
We set a goal: to complete the route without ever starting the generator since we easily crossed from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde without using it. Planning was, therefore, at the center of our onboard energy management.
Our continuous consumption went to power our Starlink internet connection, the autopilot, the onboard electronics, and the refrigerator. The occasional consumption goes to the electric winch, the hob, the oven, the water heater, the watermaker, the washing machine, and of course, our tablets, telephones, and reading lights throughout the journey.
Thanks above all to hydrogenation, which completes our solar panels, we kept our battery bank at a level allowing the occasional use of the electric motors while adjusting the sails.
We attribute the achievement of our goal to the constant use of weather forecast models and route planners (which allowed us to find the route according to the win), to a complete set of sails that enabled us to sail in all weathers, and to our consumption management.
We completed this very comfortable crossing with 80% left in the batteries and the certainty that we can attack the next crossing without fossil fuel."
It was a transatlantic crossing rich in experience and emotions. Convinced of the capacity of their catamaran, the B Cube crew is ready for new adventures! And we can't wait to share their next journey with you.