00:27 UTC | 10º 00.97’S 123º 10.97’ W
Sailing
I stumbled out of my bunk this morning to a delectable smell wafting from the galley to find Mia pulling scones from the oven. After making myself a cup of tea and lathering my scone in strawberry jam, I enjoyed the cloud cover keeping the morning cool and the 15 kts of breeze keeping Falken chugging along. My peaceful morning was mildly interrupted by the squeaking the stove sings out every time it swings. No amount of WD-40 will silence its determination to drive us mad, but if that is the price of warm scones at sea, I will certainly pay.
It was a very mellow day on board, with no sail changes, steady wind, and plenty of naps. I even felt a little antsy this morning, yearning to move around on a wildly foreign thing called ‘land’. Not to worry, I distracted myself by poking fun at Adam and discussing guacamole with Kate and Phoebe. (Let the record state that it is a dip that should strictly be served chunky and cold.) Before I knew it, the urge to frolic in a meadow had dissipated and I found myself quite content with my current situation.
We’ve travelled nearly 2,200 nms and have just over 1000 more to go. All of us agree that the last thousand miles have gone far quicker than the first thousand, perhaps as we’ve settled into the groove of life onboard Falken and amongst each other. I’m a bit apprehensive of how fast the remaining thousand will feel, a statement that I realize sounds downright crazy given we’re talking about an entire thousand miles.
Alex has Bolognese simmering on the stove, and I’m keeping a semi-watchful eye as he’s on the foredeck taking some sights with the crew. A skipper with many talents—some might even call him a prodigy! Andy asked us to take a handful of sights for his celestial navigation workshop this weekend, that way attendees could have real-deal practice problems. We do hope they’ll inform us if we’re severely off course. Despite our fondness for life on the Pacific, I reckon we would all like to make landfall eventually.
The crew is in very jolly spirits and seem to enjoy each other’s company, as evidenced by our dinners becoming longer and longer ordeals. Dinner has many segments now, from Adam’s Analytics to Quinn’s philosophical queries to Alex’s weather briefings. Without fail, Ken enthusiastically volunteers to kick off our glums & glows every time. Thanks, Ken! The sunsets have been exquisite, the night skies clear, the cookies bountiful, and the laughter aplenty. Life is good!
Love to all,
Zoe Peach-Riley (Apprentice)
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Farewell by dolphins
We headed out of the marina in Monterey CA at about 10AM in sunny weather to meet winds of ~20kts and 3m smooth swell with long periods. FALKEN is surfing along the coast of California, ship’s time 1PM as I write. As we motored out into the bay, we were wished farewell by a pod of dolphins nearby and a couple of whales in the distance. Though, unfortunately one crew member met the green dragon in the swell.
The Human Factor
Thus our existence slowly reverted to a much simpler form of being. We start to notice the smaller things, we start looking up and around, we start observing our thoughts. Sailing can be a great social accelerator. Sharing hardship and milestones, friendships are born and evolve at a speed that would seem impossible from land. And after those three weeks spent with you, I am getting ready to leave our vessel with the profound conviction that those bonds will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
