Holly is the editor of Dockwalk. She grew up racing sailboats in England before switching to the world of superyachts and moving across the pond to Fort Lauderdale.
The crew of motor yacht Loon is livestreaming their entire Atlantic crossing, giving viewers a 24/7 window into life at sea as they sail from the Canary Islands to Fort Lauderdale. Captain Paul and his team, who have been streaming regularly for two years, saw their voyage as the perfect opportunity to share an extended adventure with their audience.
“We’ve been doing pretty regular live streams for about two years now, when docking in exciting ports or when underway and chatting with our fans,” Paul said. “So we thought, as the Atlantic crossing is quite an adventure, we would show the whole thing from beginning to end, so people can watch and do the journey with us.”
Loon rose to fame by offering a peek beyond the passarelle, showcasing not only the yacht’s charter offerings but also the personalities and daily lives of her crew. This approach has made Loon the most followed superyacht on social media.
The crossing, anticipated to end in Fort Lauderdale by October 22, hasn’t been without its challenges. Navigating alongside Captain Paul, Chief Officer Tyler explained how the crew has adapted to the storms brewing in the Atlantic. “We had to change our initial route and head east of Tenerife. Originally, we planned on passing near Madeira, but the weather didn’t look too favorable a few days down the line. So we decided to head further south. I’m very happy we did as the weather right now is stunning.”
With swells of 6 to 10 feet and mostly clear skies, the crew is closely monitoring Hurricane Leslie and a low-pressure system near Cape Verde, aiming to stay ahead of the storms and follow a high-pressure system through the mid-Atlantic.
Despite the weather challenges, life aboard Loon remains lively. The crew stays busy with drills, games, and a push-up/squat challenge targeting 5,000 reps for the journey, alongside fishing off the back of the yacht. A special highlight will be the King Neptune ceremony for new crew members at the crossing’s midway point — a long-standing tradition for seasoned sailors.
Viewers can follow along in real-time on YouTube with twice-daily live updates at 0900 and 1800 CET.